- Table View
- List View
The Future of Evangelicalism in America
by Candy Gunther Brown Mark SilkEvangelicalism has, since the 1960s, outpaced mainline Protestantism to encompass more than a third of American adults and nearly half of all U.S. Christians. Thematic chapters on culture, spirituality, theology, politics, and ethnicity reveal sources of the movement's dynamism, as well as significant challenges confronting the rising generations. This collaborative undertaking by scholars of history, religious studies, theology, political science, and ethnic studies offers unique insight into a vibrant and sometimes controversial movement, the future of which is closely tied to the future of America itself.
The Future of Evangelicalism in America (The Future of Religion in America)
by Candy Gunther Brown Mark SilkIn The Future of Evangelicalism in America, thematic chapters on culture, spirituality, theology, politics, and ethnicity reveal the sources of the movement's dynamism, as well as significant challenges confronting the rising generations. A collaboration among scholars of history, religious studies, theology, political science, and ethnic studies, the volume offers unique insight into a vibrant and sometimes controversial movement, the future of which is closely tied to the future of America.
The Future of Faith
by Harvey Gallagher CoxLegendary Harvard religion scholar Harvey Cox offers up a new interpretation of the history and future of religion. Cox identifies three fundamental shifts over the last 2,000 years of church history: The Age of Faith was when the early church was more concerned with following Jesus' teachings than enforcing what to believe about Jesus. The Age of Belief marks a significant shift-between the fourth and twentieth centuries-when the church focused on orthodoxy and right beliefs. The Age of the Spirit, that began in the 1960s and is shaping not just Christianity but other religious traditions today, is ignoring dogma and breaking down barriers between different religions. Spirituality is replacing formal religion. Reflecting on how his own faith journey mirrors these three historical shifts, Cox personalizes the material in a compelling, practical ways. The Future of Faith is a major statement by one of the most revered theologians today.
A Future of Faith: The Path of Change in Politics and Society
by Pope Francis Dominique Wolton Jorge Mario BergoglioPope Francis met with French reporter and sociologist Dominique Wolton for an unprecedented series of twelve fascinating and timely conversations—open dialogues revolving around the political, cultural, and religious issues dominating communication and conflict around the world—now published in A Future of Faith: The Path of Change in Politics and Society.Inspiring and insightful, Pope Francis’s views on immigration, poverty, diversity, globalization, and more are borne from his Christian faith and basic humanity. Meeting the challenges of the twenty-first century requires compassion for those in need, a willingness to work towards common goals without domineering other cultures, and the ability to negotiate with trust, respect, and dignity. And for the first time, Pope Francis shares insights into his own personality, and the formation of his faith, including his experience with psychotherapy, and some of the most important women in his upbringing.Controversial, bold, personal, and illuminating— A Future of Faith will serve to be essential reading for not only Catholics, but those who want to see how the “people’s pope” confronts the social injustices of the world with the foresight to create positive change.
The Future of God
by Deepak ChopraFrom the New York Times Bestselling Author. Can God be revived in a skeptical age? What would it take to give people a spiritual life more powerful than anything in the past? Deepak Chopra tackles these issues with eloquence and insight in this book. He proposes that God lies at the source of human awareness. Therefore, any person can find the God within that transforms everyday life. God is in trouble. The rise of the militant atheist movement spearheaded by Richard Dawkins signifies, to many, that the deity is an outmoded myth in the modern world. Deepak Chopra passionately disagrees, seeing the present moment as the perfect time for making spirituality what it really should be: reliable knowledge about higher reality. Outlining a path to God that turns unbelief into the first step of awakening, Deepak shows us that a crisis of faith is like the fire we must pass through on the way to power, truth, and love. "Faith must be saved for everyone's sake," he writes. "From faith springs a passion for the eternal, which is even stronger than love. Many of us have lost that passion or have never known it." In any age, faith is a cry from the heart. God is the higher consciousness that responds to the cry. "By itself, faith can't deliver God, but it does something more timely: It makes God possible." For three decades, Deepak Chopra has inspired millions with his profound writing and teaching. With The Future of God, he invites us on a journey of the spirit, providing a practical path to understanding God and our own place in the universe. Now, is a moment of reinvigoration, he argues. Now is moment of renewal. Now is the future.
The Future of Hindu–Christian Studies: A Theological Inquiry
by Francis X. ClooneyThe field of Hindu-Christian studies revives theology as a particularly useful interreligious discipline. Though a sub-division of the broader Hindu-Christian dialogue, it is also a distinct field of study, proper to a smaller group of religious intellectuals. At its best it envisions a two-sided, mutual conversation, grounded in scholars’ knowledge of their own tradition and of the other. Based on the Westcott-Teape Lectures given in India and at the University of Cambridge, this book explores the possibilities and problems attendant upon the field of Hindu-Christian Studies, the reasons for occasional flourishing and decline in such studies, and the fragile conditions under which the field can flourish in the 21st century. The chapters examine key instances of Christian–Hindu learning, highlighting the Jesuit engagement with Hinduism, the modern Hindu reception of Western thought, and certain advances in the study of religion that enhance intellectual cooperation. This book is a significant contribution to a sophisticated understanding of Christianity and Hinduism in relation. It presents a robust defense of comparative theology and of Hindu-Christian Studies as a necessarily theological discipline. It will be of wide interest in the fields of Religious Studies, Theology, Christianity and Hindu Studies.
The Future of Human Experience: Visionary Thinkers on the Science of Consciousness
by J. Zohara HieronimusExplores the future predictions of cutting-edge scientists, spiritual teachers, and other visionaries and how we can affect the future • Shares insights from the author’s discussions with Dr. Mehmet Oz, Raymond Moody, Larry Dossey, John Perkins, Michael Cremo, Gay Bradshaw, Ray Kurzweil, and many others • Examines what these visionary thinkers foresee for humanity based on current trends in medicine, science, agriculture, history, and other disciplines • Reveals how consciousness affects evolution and Earth’s future For almost three decades Zohara Hieronimus has interviewed spiritual teachers, cutting-edge scientists, ancient wisdom keepers, laboratory-tested psychics, and other visionaries on their predictions for the near and far future. While the methods they use are significantly diverse, the similarities in their forecasts are striking. And, as Hieronimus reveals, one common theme resonates through them all: the power of human consciousness. Sharing insights from her discussions with Dr. Mehmet Oz, Raymond Moody, Larry Dossey, John Perkins, Michael Cremo, Gay Bradshaw, Ray Kurzweil, and many others, Hieronimus explores what these visionary thinkers foresee for humanity based on current trends in medicine, science, agriculture, Earth history, robotics, and spirituality. She examines natural, extraterrestrial, and man-made events that dramatically altered humanity’s course in the past or might in the future, revealing a recurring cycle of catastrophic Earth changes and rebirths of civilization over billions of years. The author explains that, as part of the energetic expression of Divinity, we can influence the impact of Earth changes through our actions and intentions. She shows that the consciousness of humanity has the power to affect evolution, enact healing on personal and global levels, and alter even natural systems such as the weather. By studying predictions across a broad range of disciplines--from nano-technology to plant intelligence--from today’s great minds and from ancient spiritual traditions, Hieronimus shows that we can significantly improve the long-term welfare of the Earth by unfolding our nonlocal consciousness, adopting a reverent attitude toward all life, and realizing how we do things is as vital as what we do.
The Future of Illusion: Political Theology and Early Modern Texts
by Victoria KahnIn recent years, the rise of fundamentalism and a related turn to religion in the humanities have led to a powerful resurgence of interest in the problem of political theology. In a critique of this contemporary fascination with the theological underpinnings of modern politics, Victoria Kahn proposes a return to secularismOCowhose origins she locates in the art, literature, and political theory of the early modern periodOCoand argues in defense of literature and art as a force for secular liberal culture. aKahn draws on theorists such as Carl Schmitt, Leo Strauss, Walter Benjamin, and Hannah Arendt and their readings of Shakespeare, Hobbes, Machiavelli, and Spinoza to illustrate that the dialogue between these modern and early modern figures can help us rethink the contemporary problem of political theology. Twentieth-century critics, she shows, saw the early modern period as a break from the older form of political theology that entailed the theological legitimization of the state. Rather, the period signaled a new emphasis on a secular notion of human agency and a new preoccupation with the ways art and fiction intersected the terrain of religion. Reclaiming a role for the arts in contemporary debates about liberalism and political theology, a"The Future of Illusion"aarticulates a new defense of what Hans Blumenberg called OC the legitimacyOCO of our modern secular age. "
The Future of Interfaith Dialogue: Muslim-Christian Encounters through A Common Word
by Yazid Said Lejla DemiriA Common Word Between Us and You (ACW) is an open letter, dated 13 October 2007, from leaders of the Islamic religion to those of the Christian religion. It calls for peace between Muslims and Christians and seeks common ground and understanding between both religions. This volume examines the document from a number of perspectives. Exploring the events that led to ACW, it provides an overview of responses to the document and its use of scripture. It also relates the reception of ACW to several specific and contrasting contexts, and recommends new avenues for ACW-inspired discussion. Advancing debate and dialogue between Jews, Muslims and Christians, this volume promotes a distinctive methodology for inter-religious studies, and serves as an invaluable resource for students and scholars of theology and religious studies.
The Future of Islam: A New Edition
by Wilfred Scawen BluntWhen it first appeared in 1882, this book was a pioneering work in every respect. It was the first coherent study of 'modern' Islam, explaining in a simple and functional manner its tenets and roots, the diversity of its cultural and political experience, and its dynamism and potential for good in the modern world. This was at a time when the Muslim world was perceived by most people in the west as inert and spent, caught in an irredeemable malaise of its own making. Blunt's attitude, shaped by several factors and sharpened by personal knowledge of important parts of the Muslim world and close association with many leading reformers in it, was unprecedented and startling at the time. This new edition includes an Introduction and numerous footnotes, updating statistics, explaining the background to historical events and religious and political figures, and filling in gaps.
The Future Of Islam
by John L. EspositoJohn L. Esposito is one of America's leading authorities on Islam. In this brilliant portrait of Islam today - and tomorrow - he draws on a lifetime of thought and research to provide an accurate, richly nuanced, and revelatory account of the fastest growing religion in the world. Here Esposito explores the major questions and issues that face Islam in the 21st century and that will deeply affect global politics: Is Islam compatible with modern notions of democracy, rule of law, gender equality, and human rights? How representative and widespread is Islamic fundamentalism andthe threat of global terrorism? Can Muslim minority communities be loyal citizens in America and Europe? In the midst of these questions Esposito places an important emphasis on the issue of Islamophobia, the threat it poses, and its vast impact on politics and society in the US and Europe. He also turns the mirror on the US and Europe and paints a revealing portrait of how we appear to Muslims. Recent decades have brought extraordinary changes in the Muslim world, and in addressing these issues, Esposito paints a complex picture of Islam in all its diversity - a picture of urgent importance as we face the challenges of the coming century.
The Future of Islamic Banking and Finance in Indonesia: Performance, Risk and Regulation (Islamic Business and Finance Series)
by Romi Adetio SetiawanSharia-compliance is the raison d’etre of Islamic banks. All of their instruments and activities should be based on sharia principles, which unfortunately exposes them to greater risks than their conventional counterparts, regulated under the dual banking system in Indonesia. These include inconsistencies between fatwas, unique reputational risks, and inefficiencies in the regulatory framework governing Islamic banks. This book critically examines the less-studied issue of developing an Islamic banking regulatory and supervisory framework that considers the risk pressures faced by Islamic banks’ operations in an Indonesian financial sector dominated by conventional banks. The book assesses the extent to which the global financial standards of the Basel Accords have been followed by Islamic Banks in Indonesia, with respect to their regulation, supervision, and risk management, to highlight the unresolved tensions in the multiple regulatory and supervisory institutions. The book proposes a middle-ground approach that accommodates modification of the existing financial regulatory and supervisory system in line with international best practice. The reforms proposed in this book offer a way for financial regulatory and supervisory agencies to further develop modern Islamic law and finance. The book will be a valuable resource for scholars and policymakers interested in the dual banking system in Indonesia.
The Future of Jewish Theology (Wiley-Blackwell Manifestos)
by Steven KepnesThis engaging argument for the future of Jewish theology, written by a renowned Jewish scholar, provides a rounded introduction to the faith, its history, and its place in the modern world. Explores foundational Jewish structures and concepts through the discussion and interpretation of Jewish texts Argues that we must acknowledge holiness as a ritual and ethical reality in order to heal the rift between different forms of Jewish practice and theology Covers historical context as well as the relations between Judaism, Israel and the wider world today Speaks to both Jews and non-Jews and demonstrates through textual readings how Jews, Christians, and Muslims can understand and share their theological riches
The Future of Judaism in America (Studies of Jews in Society #5)
by Jerome A. Chanes Mark SilkThis book explores the state of the American Jewish world in the early 21st century, after decades of accelerating change that has transformed it and all other religious groups in the United States. It reveals a community in an unparalleled state of flux grappling with a society in which religious identity is more and more considered an individual choice, rather than an inheritance, and where fewer adults feel impelled to identify with any religious tradition at all. In chapters written by leading experts, the book examines the community’s evolving demographics, the direction of the principal denominational movements, contemporary religious trends, interactions with other American religious communities and engagements in the country’s secular politics. This text uniquely covers all these aspects of Judaism in America making it appealing to students and researchers in such fields as the sociology of religion, Judaism, and American history.
The Future of Liberal Theology
by Mark D. ChapmanThis title was first published in 2002: Two hundred years after the publication of Schleiermacher's epoch-making Speeches, The Future of Liberal Theology presents a comprehensive and critical re-assessment of the past, present and future of the liberal tradition in Christian theology. In dialogue with the different forms of liberalism emerging from the Enlightenment, each of which is carefully defined, distinguished international theologians draw on a range of perspectives which represent the diversity of liberal theology. Discussing the criticisms of liberalism offered in the twentieth century, and engaging with contemporary theological debate which is often deeply hostile to liberalism, the conclusions offered for liberal theology range from the deeply pessimistic to the thoroughly optimistic. Students, clergy, and theological educators more broadly will value this critical reflection on the current state of theology and suggestions for its future course, together with the serious engagement with issues in theological education, which this book presents.
The Future of Liberation Theology: An Argument and Manifesto
by Ivan PetrellaThe Future of Liberation Theology envisions a radical new direction for Latin American liberation theology. One of a new generation of Latin American theologians, Ivan Petrella shows that despite the current dominance of 'end of history' ideology, liberation theologians need not abandon their belief that the theological rereading of Christianity must be linked to the development of 'historical projects' - models of political and economic organization that would replace an unjust status quo. In the absence of historical projects, liberation theology currently finds itself unable to move beyond merely talking about liberation toward actually enacting it in society. Providing a bold new interpretation of the current state and potential future of liberation theology, Ivan Petrella brings together original research on the movement, with developments in political theory, critical legal theory and political economy to reconstruct liberation theology's understanding of theology, democracy and capitalism. The result is the recovery of historical projects, thus allowing liberation theologians to once again place the reality of liberation, and not just the promise, at the forefront of their task.
The Future of Mainline Protestantism in America (The Future of Religion in America)
by Edited by James Hudnut-Beumler Mark SilkAs recently as the 1960s, more than half of all American adults belonged to just a handful of mainline Protestant denominations—Presbyterian, UCC, Disciples of Christ, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, and American Baptist. Presidents, congressmen, judges, business leaders, and other members of the elite overwhelmingly came from such backgrounds. But by 2010, fewer than 13 percent of adults belonged to a mainline Protestant church. What does the twenty-first century hold for this once-hegemonic religious group?In this volume, experts in American religious history and the sociology of religion examine the extraordinary decline of mainline Protestantism over the past half century and assess its future. Contributors discuss the demographics of mainline Protestants; their beliefs, practices, and modes of worship; their political views and partisan affiliations; and the social and moral questions that unite and divide Protestant communities. Other chapters examine Protestant institutions, including providers of health care and education; analyze churches’ public voice; and probe what will come from a diminished role relative to other groups in society, especially the ascendant evangelicals. Far from going extinct, the book argues, the mainline Protestant movement will continue to be a vital remnant in an American religious culture torn between the contending forces of secularism and evangelicalism.
The Future of Metaphysical Religion in America (Boundaries of Religious Freedom: Regulating Religion in Diverse Societies)
by Mark Silk Christopher WhiteThis collection of essays by leading scholars explores the present, dynamic state of metaphysical religion in America. It includes chapters that: put survey data on this growing group in context; clarify definitional issues in the study of spirituality in general and metaphysical spirituality in particular; and assess the networks, conferences, rituals, festivals, retreat centers and periodicals recently developed by metaphysicals. The contributors discuss characteristic practices of mental healing and meditation, and show the reach of metaphysical ideas into public spaces and popular media cultures. One particular chapter also addresses the growing controversy over the legitimacy of metaphysical individuals and movements that appropriate elements of Native American and Asian religious beliefs and practices to enrich or sustain their own practice. This rich collection appeals to students, researchers, professionals and the layperson interested in knowing more about the history and more importantly the direction that American metaphysical religion is taking.
The Future of Open Theism: From Antecedents to Opportunities
by Richard RiceOpen theism has reached its adolescence. How did it get here? And where does it go from here?The Openness of God
The Future of Political Theology: Religious and Theological Perspectives
by Péter Losonczi Aakash Singh Mika Luoma-AhoRecent shifts in the contemporary cultural, political, and religious landscape are engendering intensive attention concerning political theology. New trends and traditional ideas equally colour these movements. Given that a medley of recent books and articles have exhaustively treated both the history and the current resurgence of political theology, we now find ourselves faced with the task of reinventing and redefining the future of political theology. This book presents a rich overview of fresh, contemporary theoretical approaches uniquely prioritizing the prospects of the future of political theology, but also making room for significant interventions from philosophy and political theory. Including prominent essays on Judaic, Islamic, Buddhist and Christian perspectives, this book balances elements from post-modern theology with more classical as well as anti-post-modern approaches.
The Future of Reason, Science and Faith: Following Modernity and Post-Modernity (Transcending Boundaries in Philosophy and Theology)
by J. Andrew KirkFocusing on the history of ideas, this book explores important questions concerning knowledge in relation to philosophy, science, ethics and Christian faith. Kirk contributes to the current debate about the intellectual basis and integrity of Western culture, exploring controversial issues concerning the notions of modernity and post-modernity. Repositioning the Christian faith as a valid dialogue partner with contemporary secular movements in philosophy and ethics, Kirk seeks to show that in 'post-Christian' Europe the Christian faith still possesses intellectual resources worthy to be reckoned with. This book's principal argument is that contemporary Western society faces a cultural crisis. It explores what appears to be an historical enigma, namely the question of why Western intellectual endeavours in philosophy and science seem to have abandoned the search for a source of knowledge able to draw together disparate pieces of information provided by different disciplines. Kirk draws conclusions, particularly in the area of ethical decision-making, from this apparent failure and invites readers to consider Christian theism afresh as a means for the renewal of culture and society.
The Future of Religion: World Religions And The Future
by Richard Rorty Gianni VattimoThough coming from different and distinct intellectual traditions, Richard Rorty and Gianni Vattimo are united in their criticism of the metaphysical tradition. The challenges they put forward extend beyond philosophy and entail a reconsideration of the foundations of belief in God and the religious life. They urge that the rejection of metaphysical truth does not necessitate the death of religion; instead it opens new ways of imagining what it is to be religious—ways that emphasize charity, solidarity, and irony. This unique collaboration, which includes a dialogue between the two philosophers, is notable not only for its fusion of pragmatism (Rorty) and hermeneutics (Vattimo) but also for its recognition of the limits of both traditional religious belief and modern secularism.In "Anticlericalism and Atheism" Rorty discusses Vattimo's work Belief and argues that the end of metaphysics paves the way for an anti-essentialist religion. Rorty's conception of religion, determined by private motives, is designed to produce the gospel's promise that henceforth God will not consider humanity as a servant but as a friend. In "The Age of Interpretation," Vattimo, who is both a devout Catholic and a frequent critic of the church, explores the surprising congruence between Christianity and hermeneutics in light of the dissolution of metaphysical truth. As in hermeneutics, interpretation is central to Christianity, which introduced the world to the principle of interiority, dissolving the experience of objective reality into "listening to and interpreting messages." The lively dialogue that concludes this volume, moderated and edited by Santiago Zabala, analyzes the future of religion together with the political, social, and historical aspects that characterize our contemporary postmodern, postmetaphysical, and post-Christian world.
The Future of Religion: Secularization, Revival and Cult Formation
by Rodney Stark William Sims BainbridgeReligion is alive and well in the modern world, and the social-scientific study of religion is undergoing a renaissance. For much of this century, respected social theorists predicted the death of religion as inevitable consequence of science, education, and modern economics. But they were wrong.Stark and Bainbridge set out to explain the survival of religion. Using information derived from numerous surveys, censuses, historical case studies, and ethnographic field expeditions, they chart the full sweep of contemporary religion from the traditional denominations to the most fervent cults. This wealth of information is located within a coherent theoretical framework that examines religion as a social response to human needs, both the general needs shared by all and the desires specific to those who are denied the economic rewards or prestige enjoyed by the privileged. By explaining the forms taken by religions today, Stark and Bainbridge allow us to understand its persistence in a secular age and its prospects for the future,
The Future of Religion
by Santiago Zabala Richard Rorty Gianni VattimoThough coming from distinct intellectual traditions, Richard Rorty and Gianni Vattimo are united in their criticism of the metaphysical tradition. The challenges they put forward extend beyond philosophy and entail a reconsideration of the foundations of belief in God and the religious life. They urge that the rejection of metaphysical truth does not necessitate the death of religion. Instead it opens new ways of imagining what it is to be religious. This unique collaboration fuses pragmatism (Rorty) and hermeneutics (Vattimo) and recognizes the limits of both traditional religious belief and modern secularism. Rorty discusses Vattimo's work Belief and argues that the end of metaphysics paves the way for an anti-essentialist religion. Vattimo explores the surprising congruence between Christianity and hermeneutics in light of the dissolution of metaphysical truth. In a concluding dialogue, both philosophers analyze the future of religion together with the political, social, and historical aspects that characterize our contemporary postmodern, postmetaphysical, and post-Christian world.
The Future of Religious Heritage: Entangled Temporalities of the Sacred and the Secular
by Ferdinand De Jong José MaprilThe Future of Religious Heritage examines the resurgence of religious heritage in a secular age and frames such heritage as both legacy from the past and promise for the future. Drawing on case studies from across Europe, the volume addresses the intersection of three well-defined areas of research: secularism, religious heritage, and the question of renewal. Considering the heritagisation of religion and the sacralisation of heritage, contributions to the book consider to what extent the idea of renewal, so pivotal to religious and secular ontologies, is present in heritage formations. Thinking about the temporalities of re-enactment and reconstruction, the volume examines whether heritage practices incorporate religious time into secular practice. Problematising such temporalities of the sacred in our post-secular age, the volume explores how these intersections of religious and secular time in heritage practices inform constructions of the future. The Future of Religious Heritage addresses the paradox of the secularisation of religion and the sacralisation of heritage in a post-secular age. It will appeal to academics and students with an interest in critical heritage studies, religion, and (post)secularism, and will also be of interest to those studying re-enactment, regeneration and renewal.