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Toward a New Catholic Church: The Promise of Reform
by James CarrollThe National Book Award–winning author &“seizes the moment of Catholicism&’s sexual-abuse crisis&” to call for a Vatican III (Publishers Weekly). Elaborating on &“A Call for Vatican III&” from his New York Times–bestseller Constantine&’s Sword: The Church and the Jews, James Carroll proposes a clear agenda for reform, to help committed but concerned Catholics understand the most essential issues facing their Church. Carroll moves beyond current events to suggest new ways for Catholics to approach Scripture, Jesus, and power, and he looks at the daunting challenges facing the Church in a world of diverse beliefs and contentious religious fervor. His thought-provoking case for democracy within the Church illustrates why lay people have already initiated change. Carroll shows that all Catholics—parishioners, priests, bishops, men and women—have an equal stake in ensuring the Church&’s future. &“The boisterous collapse of trust in the Catholic hierarchy during the pedophile scandals makes it not only important but imperative to heed this eloquent call for a new Ecumenical (this time truly ecumenical) Council.&” —Garry Wills, author of Why I Am a Catholic
Toward a New Council of Florence: On the Peace of Faith and other Works by Nicolaus of Cusa
by Marianna Wertz William WertzThis is a book of English translations of the writings of one of the most important geniuses in history--Cardinal Nicolaus of Cusa (1401-1464). He created ideas which had never been conceived before and which changed history for the better--up through our time and far, far into the future. His thinking processes are sometimes summed up in his concept of the “coincidence of opposites.” Instead of starting his thought process from accumulated sense perceptions and deducing law from observed appearances, Cusa starts with the hypothesis that there must be an original potential from which all multiplicity derives. By starting from the top, or “the Origin,” Cusa was able to solve previously insoluble problems. For example, his idea that the “right to govern comes from the consent of the governed” was not only the basis for solving clashes within the Catholic Church, and even the attempt to reunify all of the various Christian churches at the Council of Florence, but also lay at the heart of the experiments in government set up in the New England colonies of North America and the later creation of the United States Constitution. Besides the title work “On the Peace of Faith” which resolves the conflicts among the religions, 17 other papers are translated into English--14 for the first time. The ongoing renaissance in the study of Cusa worldwide is the basis for resolving the conflicts which still plague the world.
Toward a Philosophy of Religious Studies: Enecstatic Explorations
by Jim KanarisIn this important work, Jim Kanaris provides a unique approach to the study of religion, aiming to alleviate the methodological and ideological barriers that divide philosophers, theologians, and social scientists. This is a "philosophy of religion" for a wider audience than that designation usually circumscribes, and, for that reason, Kanaris opts for the broader "philosophy of religious studies." He hybridizes insights principally from the works of Bernard Lonergan and Martin Heidegger but also those of Jacques Derrida, Charles Winquist, and Tyler Roberts, among others. Kanaris combines this with a distinctive hermeneutical approach that gives rise to what he calls "enecstatic" philosophy, one that manages the irreducible complexity of one's individuality, a singularity, in the negotiation of one's objects of concern. Toward a Philosophy of Religious Studies is unlike any other book in religious studies. It provides a unique way to surface personal involvement in the study of religion without compromising scholarly objectivity and philosophical integrity.
Toward a Positive Psychology of Islam and Muslims: Spirituality, struggle, and social justice (Cross-Cultural Advancements in Positive Psychology #15)
by Nausheen Pasha-ZaidiThis book integrates research in positive psychology, Islamic psychology, and Muslim wellbeing in one volume, providing a view into the international experiential and spiritual lives of a religious group that represents over 24% of the world’s population. It incorporates Western psychological paradigms, such as the theories of Jung, Freud, Maslow, and Seligman with Islamic ways of knowing, while highlighting the struggles and successes of minoritized Muslim groups, including the LGBTQ community, Muslims with autism, Afghan Shiite refugees, and the Uyghur community in China.It fills a unique position at the crossroad of multiple social science disciplines, including the psychology of religion, cultural psychology, and positive psychology. By focusing on the ways in which spirituality, struggle, and social justice can lead to purpose, hope, and a meaningful life, the book contributes to scholarship within the second wave of positive psychology (PP 2.0) that aims to illustrate a balance between positive and negative aspects of human experience. While geared towards students, researchers, and academic scholars of psychology, culture, and religious studies, particularly Muslim studies, this book is also useful for general audiences who are interested in learning about the diversity of Islam and Muslims through a research-based social science approach.
Toward a Psychology of Awakening: Buddhism, Psychotherapy, and the Path of Personal and Spiritual Transformation
by John WelwoodHow can we connect the spiritual realizations of Buddhism with the psychological insights of the West? In Toward a Psychology of Awakening John Welwood addresses this question with comprehensiveness and depth. Along the way he shows how meditative awareness can help us develop more dynamic and vital relationships and how psychotherapy can help us embody spiritual realization more fully in everyday life. Welwood's psychology of awakening brings together the three major dimensions of human experience: personal, interpersonal, and suprapersonal, in one overall framework of understanding and practice.
Toward a Secret Sky: Creating Your Own Modern Pilgrimage
by Kim Roberts"A kind and accessible book that supports the human longing for a meaningful life." — Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, author of The Logic of FaithToward a Secret Sky is a guidebook for modern pilgrims who are searching for encouragement in following their commitment to a spiritual path. Kim Roberts acts as a friendly guide, helping people navigate the strange and exhilarating journey of a spiritual seeker. She shares stories from her own years of pilgrimage in places like India, Thailand, and Bhutan, and prompts readers to jump-start their unique path of discovery with meditation and writing exercises. "With simple and profound practices, Kim Roberts guides us to explore our inner landscape in the context of the external world and Toward a Secret Sky magnificently illuminates the path of the most sacred journey we will ever take. This beautiful book is a compass that I will return to again and again." — Nancy Levin, author of Jump . . . and Your Life Will Appear"Wisdom and kindness shine through every page, and practical advice leaves you well equipped to set out on your own path of discovery. These are footsteps worth following." — Andrew Holecek, author of Dream Yoga
Toward a Theology of Eros: Transfiguring Passion at the Limits of Discipline (Transdisciplinary Theological Colloquia)
by Virginia Burrus Catherine KellerWhat does theology have to say about the place of eroticism in the salvific transformation of men and women, even of the cosmos itself? How, in turn, does eros infuse theological practice and transfigure doctrinal tropes? Avoiding the well-worn path of sexual moralizing while also departing decisively from Anders Nygren’s influential insistence that Christian agape must have nothing to do with worldly eros, this book explores what is still largely uncharted territory in the realm of theological erotics. The ascetic, the mystical, the seductive, the ecstatic—these are the places where the divine and the erotic may be seen to converge and love and desire to commingle.Inviting and performing a mutual seduction of disciplines, the volume brings philosophers, historians, biblical scholars, and theologians into a spirited conversation that traverses the limits of conventional orthodoxies, whether doctrinal or disciplinary. It seeks new openings for the emergence of desire, love, and pleasure, while challenging common understandings of these terms. It engages risk at the point where the hope for salvation paradoxically endangers the safety of subjects—in particular, of theological subjects—by opening them to those transgressions of eros in which boundaries, once exceeded, become places of emerging possibility.The eighteen chapters, arranged in thematic clusters, move fluidly among and between premodern and postmodern textual traditions—from Plato to Emerson, Augustine to Kristeva, Mechthild to Mattoso, the Shulammite to Molly Bloom, the Zohar to the Da Vinci Code. In so doing, they link the sublime reaches of theory with the gritty realities of politics, the boundless transcendence of God with the poignant transience of materiality.
Toward a Theology of Migration
by Gemma Tulud CruzAt no other time in the history of the world is the movement of people at such a large scale that scholars consider the current period as the age of migration. Beyond the density, velocity, and multi-directionality, however, the often conflicting and tragic nature of contemporary global migration makes a compelling case for theological reflection. The book explores the problems and possibilities that the experience of migrants brings to Christian theology by reflecting on the religious dimension as well as the social justice implications of the migrant experience. More specifically, the book reflects on the Christian vision of 'one bread, one body, one people' in view of the gifts and challenges of contemporary global migration to Christian systematic theology, social ethics, spirituality, mission, ministry, and inculturation based on the experience of refugees, unauthorized poor migrants, migrant workers, and migrant women.
Toward a Theology of Scientific Endeavour: The Descent of Science (Routledge Science and Religion Series)
by Christopher B. KaiserFoundations of science are specific conditions of the cosmos, of human intelligence, of cultural beliefs, and of technological structures that make the pursuit of modern science possible. Each of the four foundations of scientific endeavour can be studied as a topic on its own. The concurrent study of all four together reveals several tensions and interconnections among them that point the way to a greater unification of faith and science. This book explores four foundations of scientific endeavour and investigates some of the paradoxes each of them raises. Kaiser shows that the resolution of these paradoxes inevitably leads us into theological discourse and raises new challenges for theological endeavour. In order to address these challenges, Kaiser draws on the wider resources of the Judeo-Christian tradition and argues for a refocusing of contemporary theology from the perspective of natural science.
Toward a True Kinship of Faiths: How the World’s Religions Can Come Together
by Dalai LamaNo country, no culture, no person today is untouched by what happens in the rest of the world. Technological innovation, environmental degradation, economic gain & loss, nuclear weapons, instant communication have all created unprecedented familiarity among the world's many cultures. With this historic development, the Dalai Lama understands that the essential task of humanity in the 21st Century is to cultivate peaceful coexistence. Many believe in the inevitability of an escalating "clash of civilizations". Peaceful coexistence has long been problematic with religion, and while previous conflicts over religious differences may have been significant and regrettable, they did not threaten the very survival of humanity. Now, when extremists can persuade followers with the immense emotional power of faith and have access to powerful technological resources, a single spark could ignite a powder keg of frightening proportions. Yet the Dalai Lama shows how the challenges of globalization can also move us in another direction, to a deeper plane where nations, cultures, and individuals connect through their shared human nature. All major religions confront the same perennial questions; each have distinct forms of expression. But this marvelous diversity of insight has the potential for inspiring dialogue which can enrich everyone's pursuit of wisdom. All faith traditions turn to compassion as a guiding principle for living a good life. It is the task of all people with an aspiration to spiritual perfection to affirm the fundamental value of the compassion. In this way we can truly develop a deep recognition of the value of other faiths, and on that basis, we can cultivate genuine respect. In Toward a True Kinship of Faiths, the Dalai Lama also explores where differences between religions can be genuinely appreciated without serving as a source of conflict. The establishment of genuine harmony is not dependent upon accepting that all religions are fundamentally the same or that they lead to the same place. Many fear that recognizing the value of another faith is incompatible with having devotion to the truth of one's own. Nevertheless, the Dalai Lama profoundly shows how a sincere believer can, with integrity, be a pluralist in relation to other religions without compromising commitment to the essence of the doctrinal teachings of their own faith. An issue of central importance for the Dalai Lama personally and for the entire world in general, Toward a True Kinship of Faiths offers a hopeful yet realistic look at how humanity must step into the future.From the Hardcover edition.
Toward an Adult Church: A Vision of Faith Formation
by Jane ReganA Vision of Faith Formation, Jane Regan explores the current structure of parish catechesis. Basing her ideas on contemporary theory and traditional practice, Regan sets forth an intriguing argument: the vitality of the Church depends on establishing a new education paradigm—one that is focused on adults.
Toward an Anthropology of Nation Building and Unbuilding in Israel (Studies of Jews in Society)
by Fran Markowitz Moshe Shokeid Stephen Sharot Alex WeingrodToward an Anthropology of Nation Building and Unbuilding in Israel presents twenty-two original essays offering a critical survey of the anthropology of Israel inspired by Alex Weingrod, emeritus professor and pioneering scholar of Israeli anthropology. In the late 1950s Weingrod’s groundbreaking ethnographic research of Israel’s underpopulated south complicated the dominant social science discourse and government policy of the day by focusing on the ironies inherent in the project of Israeli nation building and on the process of migration prompted by social change. Drawing from Weingrod’s perspective, this collection considers the gaps, ruptures, and juxtapositions in Israeli society and the cultural categories undergirding and subverting these divisions. Organized into four parts, the volume examines our understanding of Israel as a place of difference, the disruptions and integrations of diaspora, the various permutations of Judaism, and the role of symbol in the national landscape and in Middle Eastern studies considered from a comparative perspective. These essays illuminate the key issues pervading, motivating, and frustrating Israel’s complex ethnoscape.
Toward an Ecology of Transfiguration: Orthodox Christian Perspectives on Environment, Nature, and Creation (Orthodox Christianity and Contemporary Thought)
by John Chryssavgis and Bruce V. FoltzCan Orthodox Christianity offer spiritual resources uniquely suited to the environmental concerns of today? This book makes the case emphatically that it can indeed. In addition to being the first substantial and comprehensive collection of essays, in any language, to address environmental issues from the Orthodox point of view, this volume (with contributions from many of the most influential theologians and philosophers in contemporary world Orthodoxy) will engage a wide audience, in academic as well as popular circles—resonating not only with Orthodox audiences but with all those in search of a fresh approach to environmental theory and ethics that can bring to bear the resources of ancient spirituality, often virtually unknown in the West, on modern challenges and dilemmas.
Toward the Critique of Violence: A Critical Edition
by Walter BenjaminMarking the centenary of Walter Benjamin's immensely influential essay, "Toward the Critique of Violence," this critical edition presents readers with an altogether new, fully annotated translation of a work that is widely recognized as a classic of modern political theory. The volume includes twenty-one notes and fragments by Benjamin along with passages from all of the contemporaneous texts to which his essay refers. Readers thus encounter for the first time in English provocative arguments about law and violence advanced by Hermann Cohen, Kurt Hiller, Erich Unger, and Emil Lederer. A new translation of selections from Georges Sorel's Reflections on Violence further illuminates Benjamin's critical program. The volume also includes, for the first time in any language, a bibliography Benjamin drafted for the expansion of the essay and the development of a corresponding philosophy of law. An extensive introduction and afterword provide additional context. With its challenging argument concerning violence, law, and justice—which addresses such topical matters as police violence, the death penalty, and the ambiguous force of religion—Benjamin's work is as important today as it was upon its publication in Weimar Germany a century ago.
Toward the Cross: Heart-Shaping Lessons for Lent and Easter
by Gary Thompson Michelle J. Morris Taylor W. MillsLet Jesus, not the world, set the priorities of your heart in this Lenten season.Toward the Cross challenges each of us to answer the question that lies at the heart of discipleship, at the heart of our priorities: Is following Jesus the most important thing to you? Is it your priority? When you follow Jesus, how does it change the way you think, speak, and act?Jesus told would-be followers to count the cost. The chapters and daily readings in this book help you do that by developing a disciple’s perspective on yourself, others, and things. They encourage you to let go of the past, guilt, and things that weigh you down and cling tightly to Christ in genuine discipleship.This seven-week study guides you through Lent and Easter, helping you explore qualities and characteristics of Christian discipleship that lead you to claim Jesus as your highest priority. Each week includes a group session based on the traditional Gospel texts with supporting daily readings for Ash Wednesday through Easter Monday. Group Sessions have questions to spark discussion as you strengthen your commitment to making Jesus your priority during the Lenten season, Easter, and beyond.
Toward the Kingdom of Heaven: 40 Daily Readings on the Sermon on the Mount (Sermon on the Mount)
by Amy-Jill LevineHow is the follower of Jesus to understand the words of the Old Testament? How are those words relevant to the New Covenant He is establishing? What might the words of the Lord’s Prayer have conveyed to his initial followers, and why is that historical information essential to the prayer two millennia later?In Sermon on the Mount, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine takes a detailed and colorful overview of Matthew 5-7, collectively known as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Through Dr. Levine’s engaging method of biblical interpretation, readers will come away with a solid understanding of the Sermon on the Mount in its historical and theological context.This collection of 40 daily readings is drawn from Amy-Jill Levine’s teachings on the Sermon on the Mount. Containing additional stories, insights, and lessons from the author, the reader further illuminates the wisdom of Jesus’ most famous sermon.
Toward the Sunrise (Daughters of Fortune #3)
by Judith PellaContinuing the Dramatic DAUGHTERS OF FORTUNE Series-Historical Fiction at Its Best! In the midst of bitter conflict at home and abroad, Toward the Sunrise follows the paths of three sisters caught in the heartbreaking consequences of war and of prejudice. It is the summer of 1942, and on three different continents the daughters of newspaper tycoon Keagan Hayes are caught in chaos--within and without. A world at war and a family in turmoil have thrown the three sisters into physical and emotional traumas that severely test faith and fortitude. In Los Angeles, Jackie’s Japanese-American husband is sent to an internment camp. In the Philippines, Blair is captured by the Japanese and imprisoned. In Russia, Cameron is arrested and forced to leave the country. Can each young woman find strength to endure the hardships inflicted upon her and to maintain confidence that God is indeed writing the pages of all their lives? A Riveting Tale of Love and Loss, Triumph and Tragedy.
Toward the Sunrising (Cheney Duvall, M. D. #4)
by Gilbert Morris Lynn MorrisConflict, Treachery, and Sinister Danger in the Streets of a Beleaguered Southern City TOWARD THE SUNRISING With New Orleans as their destination, Cheney Duvall and her nurse, Shiloh Irons, leave behind the glittering lights of New York City and travel first to Charleston, South Carolina, intending to stay for only a short time. But the purpose of their stop immediately draws them into the plight of this war-torn Southern city, in the painful throes of Reconstruction and carpetbagger policies after the Civil War. Cheney finds herself in conflict with the most respected doctor in Charleston, who is also the hospital administrator. She discovers that his old-school medical practices are not only questionable but are positively horrific. He refuses to acknowledge Cheney as a lady, much less an accredited physician. Meanwhile, Shiloh finds strong evidence that one of the most powerful businessmen in Charleston is cheating Southern merchants and is likely stealing from Cheney's father, Richard Duvall. As Cheney and Shiloh are embroiled in the political, social, and economic troubles that plague the city, they also are drawn into events related to the beginnings of the Knights of the White Rose, a fraternal order of white supremacists. Cheney and Rissy, her companion, find that they may not only be involved in social conflicts--their very lives are in danger!
Towards A Postsecular International Politics
by Luca Mavelli Fabio PetitoAn investigation of the postsecular in International Relations and how an increasingly postsecular international politics is contributing to the emergence of new patterns of authority, legitimacy and power in the international system.
Towards A Science Of Belief Systems
by Edmund GriffithsPeople believe in a great many things: the New Age and the new atheism, astrology and the Juche Idea, the marginal utility theory and a God in three persons. Yet most of us know almost nothing about why other people believe the things they do or indeed about how it feels to believe them. This book presents an objective method for understanding and comparing belief systems, irrespective of their subject matter and of whether or not the investigator happens to agree with them. The method, descriptive logic, is illustrated through analyses of various phenomena, including Zoroastrianism, Dawkinsism, Fabianism, 9/11 Truth, 'alternative' Egyptology, Gnosticism, flying saucer sightings, and the hymns of Charles Wesley. Special attention is given to beliefs that are not supposed to be wholly believed, and to how descriptive logic relates to the materialist conception of history. The book also outlines a new theory of superstition. "
Towards Baptist Catholicity: Essays on Tradition and the Baptist Vision
by Steven R. HarmonTowards Baptist Catholicity contends that the reconstruction of the Baptist vision requires a retrieval of the ancient ecumenical traditions. Themes explored include catholic identity, tradition as a theological category, the relationship between Baptist confessions of faith and the patristic tradition, the importance of Trinitarian catholicity, catholicity in biblical interpretation, Karl Barth as a paradigm for evangelical retrieval of the patristic theological tradition, worship as a principal bearer of tradition, and the role of Baptist higher education in shaping the Christian vision.
Towards Better Disagreement: Religion and Atheism in Dialogue
by Paul HedgesAre atheists immoral? Does religion cause conflict? Is religion always opposed to science? Boldly paving the way for constructive dialogue between atheists and religious believers, Paul Hedges tackles issues such as the treatment of women, the idea of a pure and empirical realm of 'science', and the association of religion with violence and warfare, debunking the myths and exposing the futility of the battle between 'reason' and 'belief'. Threading deftly between atheism, the major world religions of Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, and smaller groups such as Paganism, Hedges demonstrates a vast scope for agreement and interaction between them which will call to every open minded reader.
Towards Cultural Psychology of Religion
by Jacob A. BelzenThis book takes a bold stand: all psychology should be culturally sensitive psychology, especially when studying religious phenomena. It explains that culture is not simply to be conceived of as a variable that possibly influences behavior. Rather, it stresses that cultural patterns of acting, thinking and experiencing are created, adopted and promulgated by a number of individuals jointly. As human subjectivity is different in different cultures, cultural psychology is not interested in comparatively investigating how experiences and behavior, attitudes and social relationships present themselves within different cultural conditions. By consequence, cultural psychology does not start from Western psychological constructs, testing for their presence in other cultures, but from human acts and activities in specific cultures, analyzing them in a hermeneutical way. Like cultural psychology, psychology of religion currently enjoys more and more interest and rapid growth. But the two fields have remained rather unconnected in the recent past. Psychological research on religion has been pursued from a number of perspectives, among which a cultural psychological one has not yet become prominent. As religions, however conceptualized, are cultural entities of major importance, cultural psychology seems a natural ally to research on religion. Containing a number of studies, both theoretical and empirical, this volume takes a step towards a rapprochement of cultural psychology and psychology of religion.
Towards Friendship-Shaped Communities: A Practical Theology of Friendship
by Anne-Marie EllithorpeA unique and incisive exploration of the place and nature of friendship in both its personal and civic dimensions In Towards Friendship-Shaped Communities: A Practical Theology of Friendship, distinguished theological researcher Anne-Marie Ellithorpe delivers a constructive and insightful exploration of the place and nature of friendship as innate to being human, to the human vocation, and to life within the broader community. Of particular interest to members and leaders of faith communities, this book responds to contemporary concerns regarding relationality and offers a comprehensive theology of friendship. The author provides an inclusive and interdisciplinary study that brings previous traditions and texts into dialogue with contemporary contexts and concerns, including examples from Indigenous and Euro-Western cultures. Readers will reflect on the theology of friendship and the interrelationship between friendship and community, think critically about their own social and theological imagination, and develop an integrative approach to theological reflection that draws on Don Browning’s Fundamental Practical Theology. Integrating philosophical, anthropological, and theological perspectives on the study of friendship, this book presents: A thorough introduction to contemporary questions on friendship and discussions of co-existing friendship worlds Comprehensive explorations of friendship in first and second testament writings, as well as friendship within classical and Christian traditions Practical discussions of theology, friendship, and the social imagination, including explorations of mutuality and spirit-shaped friendships Considerations for outworking friendship ideals within communities of practice, from the perspective of strategic (or fully) practical theology Perfect for graduate and advanced undergraduate students taking courses on friendship or practical theology, Towards Friendship-Shaped Communities: A Practical Theology of Friendship will also earn a place in the libraries of scholars of practical theology and community practitioners, including ministers, priests, pastors, spiritual advisors, and counselors.
Towards Liturgies that Reconcile: Race and Ritual among African-American and European-American Protestants (Liturgy, Worship and Society Series)
by Scott HaldemanTowards Liturgies that Reconcile reflects upon Christian worship as it is shaped, and mis-shaped, by human prejudice, specifically by racism. African Americans and European Americans have lived together for 400 years on the continent of North America, but they have done so as slave and master, outsider and insider, oppressed and oppressor. Scott Haldeman traces the development of Protestant worship among whites and blacks, showing that the following exist in tension: African American and European American Protestant liturgical traditions are both interdependent and distinct; and that multicultural communities must both understand and celebrate the uniqueness of various member groups while also accepting the risk and possibility of praying themselves into an integrated body, one new culture.