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How does God's involvement with the generation of Holy Scripture and its use in the life of the Christian church…
figure into the human work of Scripture interpretation? This is the central question that this book seeks to address. In critical conversation with the influential hermeneutic programs of James Barr, Paul Ricoeur and Hans Frei, Topping demonstrates how God's agency has been marginalized in the task of Scripture interpretation. Divine involvement with the Bible is bracketed out (Barr), rendered in generic terms (Ricoeur) or left implicit (Frei) in these depictions of the hermeneutic field. The result is that each of these hermeneutic programs is less than a ’realist’ interpretative proposal. Talk of God is eclipsed by the terminal consideration of human realities. Topping argues for the centrality of doctrinal description in a lively theological understanding of Scripture interpretation for the life of the church.Barth's Theology of Interpretation (Barth Studies)
By Donald Wood. 2007
Through his single-minded insistence on the priority of the Bible in the life of the church, Karl Barth (1886-1968) decisively…
shaped the course of twentieth-century Christian theology. Drawing on both familiar texts and recently published archival material, Barth's Theology of Interpretation sheds new light on Barth's account of just what it is that scripture gives and requires. In tracing the movement of Barth’s earlier thinking about scriptural reading, the book also raises important questions about the ways in which Barth can continue to influence contemporary discussions about the theological interpretation of scripture.Biblical Scholarship and the Church: A Sixteenth-Century Crisis of Authority (Routledge New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology and Biblical Studies)
By Allan K. Jenkins, Patrick Preston. 2007
Conflicting claims to authority in relation to the translation and interpretation of the Bible have been a recurrent source of…
tension within the Christian church, and were a key issue in the Reformation debate. This book traces how the authority of the Septuagint and later that of the Vulgate was called into question by the return to the original languages of scripture, and how linguistic scholarship was seen to pose a challenge to the authority of the teaching and tradition of the church. It shows how issues that remained unresolved in the early church re-emerged in first half of the sixteenth century with the publication of Erasmus’ Greek-Latin New Testament of 1516. After examining the differences between Erasmus and his critics, the authors contrast the situation in England, where Reformation issues were dominant, and Italy, where the authority of Rome was never in question. Focusing particularly on the dispute between Thomas More and William Tyndale in England, and between Ambrosius Catharinus and Cardinal Cajetan in Italy, this book brings together perspectives from biblical studies and church history and provides access to texts not previously translated into English.Moral thinking today finds itself stranded between the particular and the universal. Alasdair MacIntyre's work on narrative, discussed here along…
with that of Stanley Hauerwas and H. T. Engelhardt, aims to undo the perceived damage done by the Enlightenment by returning to narrative and abandoning the illusion of a disembodied reason that claims to be able to give a coherent explanation for everything. It is precisely this - a theory that holds good for all cases - that John Rawls proposed, drawing on the heritage of Emmanuel Kant. Who is right? Must universality be abandoned? Must we only think about morality in terms that are relative, bound by space and time? Alexander Lucie-Smith attempts to answer these questions by examining the nature of narrative itself as well as the particular narratives of Rawls and St Augustine. Bound and rooted as they are in history and personal experience, narratives nevertheless strain at the limits imposed on them. It is Lucie-Smith's contention that each narrative that points to a lived morality exists against the background of an infinite horizon, and thus it is that the particular and the rooted can also make us aware of the universal and unchanging.Good and Evil: Quaker Perspectives
By Jackie Leach Scully. 2007
In this multi-disciplinary collection we ask the question, 'What did, and do, Quakers think about good and evil?' There are…
no simple or straightforwardly uniform answers to this, but in this collection, we draw together contributions that for the first time look at historical and contemporary Quakerdom's approach to the ethical and theological problem of evil and good. Within Quakerism can be found Liberal, Conservative, and Evangelical forms. This book uncovers the complex development of metaethical thought by a religious group that has evolved with an unusual degree of diversity. In doing so, it also points beyond the boundaries of the Religious Society of Friends to engage with the spectrum of thinking in the wider religious world.This book provides a new sociological account of contemporary religious phenomena such as channelling, holistic healing, meditation and divination, which…
are usually classed as part of a New Age Movement. Drawing on his extensive ethnography carried out in the UK, alongside comparative studies in America and Europe, Matthew Wood criticises the view that such phenomena represent spirituality in which self-authority is paramount. Instead, he emphasises the role of social authority and the centrality of spirit possession, linking these to participants' class positions and experiences of secularisation. Informed by sociological and anthropological approaches to social power and practice, especially the work of Pierre Bourdieu and Michel Foucault, Wood's study explores what he calls the nonformative regions of the religious field, and charts similarities and differences with pagan, spiritualist and Theosophical traditions.Henry Miller and Religion (Studies in Major Literary Authors)
By Thomas Nesbit. 2007
This study argues that this previously banned author devoted his entire life to articulating a religion of self-liberation in his…
autobiographical books, examining his life and work within the context of fringe religious movements that were linked with the avant-garde in New York City and Paris at the first of the 20th century. This study shows how these transatlantic movements – including Gurdjieff, Rosicrucianism, and Theosophy – gave him the hermeneutical devices, not to mention the creative license, to interpret texts and symbols from mainline religions in an iconoclastic manner, ranging from obscure Taoist treatises to the mystical works of Jacob Boehme. The influence of numerous philosophical sources widely circulated in his most critical years – particularly Henri Bergson’s Two Sources of Morality and Religion (1932) – also helped him develop a religious view situated between transcendence and immanence, in which self-liberation through the channeled flow of élan vital is the chief objective. Miller’s knowledge of these intellectual currents, along with his involvement with sidestream religious groups, inspired him to meld his religious and literary aims into one perplexing project.The Christ Chaplain: The Way to a Deeper, More Effective Hospital Ministry
By Andrew J Weaver. 2007
Use centering prayer to deal with the demands of hospital ministry The Christ Chaplain: The Way to a Deeper, More…
Effective Hospital Ministry is an instructive guidebook for health care chaplains who struggle with the high levels of stress that have become commonplace in modern medicine as they work longer hours for lower wages yet get to spend less time with patients. The final book from Father M. Basil (Robert) Pennington, who passed away in 2005, cuts to the real heart of the matterjob burnoutby emphasizing not what a chaplain does, but what a chaplain is. This unique book teaches chaplains how to achieve better spiritual health by practicing spiritual self-care through centering prayer. The Christ Chaplain was written for hospital chaplains who find themselves at the limits of what they can do and what they can endure in living out their calling. Father Pennington ministers to the ministers, helping them to deepen their spiritual lives so they can better provide comfort to the sick and the dying. The book guides hospital chaplains through the Christian mystical tradition via lectio and centering prayer, a method of contemplative prayer rooted in silence that encourages a person to pay attention to God dwelling in the center of his or her being. Topics discussed in The Christ Chaplain include: the sacred text lectio divina the third step life as a school of love the ministry of presence the power of sacrament sharing the word resting in the presence and much more The Christ Chaplain also includes appendixes that offer sacred reading, a prayer for the hospital, and suggested readings. This powerful book is an invaluable, how-to guide to better spiritual health for hospital chaplains and other religious personnel, including those working in pastoral care departments of seminaries.From the shelves of mainstream bookstores and the pages of teen magazines, to popular films and television series, contemporary culture…
at the turn of the twenty-first century has been fascinated with teenage identity and the presence of magic and the occult. Alongside this profusion of products and representations, a global network of teenage Witches has emerged on the margins of adult neopagan Witchcraft communities, identifying themselves through various spiritual practices, consumption patterns and lifestyle choices. The New Generation Witches is the first published anthology to investigate the recent rise of the teenage Witchcraft phenomenon in both Britain and North America. Scholars from Theology, Cultural Studies, Sociology, History and Media Studies, along with neopagan commentators outside of the academy, come together to investigate the experiences of thousands of adolescents constructing an enabling, magical identity through a distinctive practice of Witchcraft. The contributors discuss key areas of interest, inspiration and development within the teen Witch communities from the mid 1990s onward, including teenage Witches' magical practices and beliefs, gender politics, the formation and identification of communities, forums and modes of expression, media representation and new media outlets. Demonstrating the diversification and expansion of neopaganism in the twenty-first century, this anthology makes an exciting contribution to the field of Neopagan Studies and contemporary youth cultures.Was Jerusalem, under her bishop Cyril, the source of liturgical innovations in the fourth century or was she simply following…
trends which also affected the liturgy of neighbouring provinces? In assessing these two established propositions in relation to baptism, Juliette Day undertakes a careful comparative analysis of all the relevant sources for Palestine, Egypt and Syria, paying attention to the structure, content and theological narrative of the rites which they describe. The Mystagogical Catecheses, commonly attributed to Cyril of Jerusalem, are the key source in this discussion and this book demonstrates that they date from the episcopate of his successor John.Patriarchs, Prophets and Other Villains (Gender, Theology and Spirituality #3)
By Lisa Isherwood. 2007
Patriarchs, Prophets and Other Villains takes as a starting point the hermeneutics of suspicion. The book illustrates the way in…
which texts and interpretations have been manipulated for the purpose of power and control. Through careful-counter readings it challenges the ways in which the female divine has been pushed back by relentless male interpretation and misrepresentation. The essays range across liberation theology and queer theory to sexual hospitality and the 'Song of Songs' as a challenge to hetero-patriarchy. The book provides an accessible resource for any student interested in the ways in which narrow readings of Scripture can become a power base for hierarchies of exclusion.Rising from the Dead: Stories of Women's Spiritual Journeys to Sobriety
By Patricia Nanoff. 2007
Bridging the gap between spirituality and the recovering community, Rising from the Dead: Stories of Women’s Spiritual Journeys to Sobriety…
tells the stories of alcoholic women in long-term sobriety whose faith-based rehabilitation healed and transformed their lives. Using the format adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous in telling their stories, each woman tells “how it was, what happened, and how it is now.” Their stories are first examined within the more secular models of treatment, and then in relation to theological categories and models. Illustrating the catastrophic nature of alcoholism as well as the hopeful path to recovery, this book offers a practical and valuable guide for professionals working in the Christian community to assist women suffering from addiction. Rising from the Dead describes the 12-step spiritual approach to treating addiction, and offers strategies for strengthening and developing the spiritual lives of those afflicted with this burden. This book examines the use of stories from a therapeutic and Christian perspective, and suggests models for therapeutic listening and counseling. It also covers narrative construction, issues with shame and guilt, threshold experiences, God language, and much more. An indispensable book on healing through communities of faith, Rising from the Dead: Stories of Women’s Spiritual Journeys to Sobriety is ideal for pastors, pastoral counselors, chaplains, parish nurses, and seminary faculty teaching in the area of addiction ministry.Rome's Vestal Virgins: A Study Of Rome's Vestal Priestesses In The Late Republic And Early Empire
By Robin Lorsch Wildfang. 2007
Comprehensive and thoroughly up-to-date, this volume offers a brand new analysis of the Vestal Virgins’ ritual function in Roman religion.…
Undertaking a detailed and careful analysis of ancient literary sources, Wildfang argues that the Vestals’ virginity must be understood on a variety of different levels and provides a solution to the problem of the Vestals’ peculiar legal status in ancient Rome. Addressing the one official state priesthood open to women at Rome, this volume explores and analyzes a range of topics including: the rituals enacted by priestesses (both the public rituals performed in connection with official state rites and festivals and the private rites associated only with the order itself) the division and interface between religion, state and family structure the Vestals’ participation in rights that were outside the sphere of traditional female activity. New and insightful, this investigation of one of the most important state cults in ancient Rome is an essential addition to the bookshelves of all those interested in Roman religion, history and culture.Brands of Faith: Marketing Religion in a Commercial Age (Media, Religion and Culture)
By Mara Einstein. 2007
In a society overrun by commercial clutter, religion has become yet another product sold in the consumer marketplace, and faiths…
of all kinds must compete with a myriad of more entertaining and more convenient leisure activities. Brands of Faith argues that in order to compete effectively faiths have had to become brands – easily recognizable symbols and spokespeople with whom religious prospects can make immediate connections Mara Einstein shows how religious branding has expanded over the past twenty years to create a blended world of commerce and faith where the sacred becomes secular and the secular sacred. In a series of fascinating case studies of faith brands, she explores the significance of branded church courses, such as Alpha and The Purpose Driven Life, mega-churches, and the popularity of the televangelist Joel Olsteen and television presenter Oprah Winfrey, as well as the rise of Kaballah. She asks what the consequences of this religious marketing will be, and outlines the possible results of religious commercialism – good and bad. Repackaging religion – updating music, creating teen-targeted bibles – is justifiable and necessary. However, when the content becomes obscured, religion may lose its unique selling proposition – the very ability to raise us above the market.Sociology, Religion and Grace (Routledge Advances in Sociology)
By Arpad Szakolczai. 2007
This book offers a sociological analysis of the Renaissance, focusing on the concept of grace, and the unity that exists…
between its various meanings: theological, anthropological (gift-giving, Mauss; and sociability, Simmel), and aesthetical (beauty and gracefulness). Since the seminal work of Max Weber rooted capitalism, and thus the modern world, in the Protestant ethic, interest in the Renaissance among social scientists has been minimal. However, this book argues that the heart of the European tradition lies in a series of renascences, going back to Minoan Crete and its rebirth in classical Greek civilisation, during an earlier global age. The Renaissance forged a novel unity between the Judaic-prophetic and Minoan-Athenian traditions, renewing grace in all its aspects and thus revitalising Europe. This attempt tragically failed and the modern world is the outcome of this explosion. All this has vital contemporary relevance, as the classical European tradition is still a unique source suggesting a way out of the spiralling logic of globalisation.Human Conscience and Muslim-Christian Relations puts forward a discussion of how the notion of conscience may unite Muslim and Christians across religious…
divides, as well as examining the relation between selfhood and otherness in interfaith dialogue. The author explores how the notion of conscience has been dealt with by modern Egyptian authors and discusses their works in light of how Christian-Muslim relations in Egypt have evolved during the modern period.Wicca and the Christian Heritage: Ritual, Sex and Magic
By Joanne Pearson. 2007
What is Wicca? Is it witchcraft, Paganism, occultism, esotericism, magic, spirituality, mysticism, nature religion, secrecy, gnosis, the exotic or 'other'?…
Wicca has been defined by and explored within all these contexts over the past thirty years by anthropologists, sociologists and historians, but there has been a tendency to sublimate and negate the role of Christianity in Wicca's historical and contemporary contexts. Joanne Pearson 'prowls the borderlands of Christianity' to uncover the untold history of Wicca. Exploring the problematic nature of the Wiccan claim of marginality, it contains a groundbreaking analysis of themes in Christian traditions that are inherent in the development of contemporary Wicca. These focus on the accusations which have been levelled against Catholisicm, heterodoxy and witchcraft throughout history: ritual, deviant sexuality and magic.The Birth of The Prophet Muhammad: Devotional Piety in Sunni Islam (Culture and Civilization in the Middle East)
By Marion Holmes Katz. 2007
In the medieval period, the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (the mawlid) was celebrated in popular narratives and ceremonies that…
expressed the religious agendas and aspirations of ordinary Muslims, including women. This book examines the Mawlid from its origins to the present day and provides a new insight into how an aspect of everyday Islamic piety has been transformed by modernity. The book gives a window into the religious lives of medieval Muslim women, rather than focusing on the limitations that were placed on them and shows how medieval popular Islam was coherent and meaningful, not just a set of deviations from scholarly norms. Concise in both historical and textual analysis, this book is an important contribution to our understanding of contemporary Muslim devotional practices and will be of great interest to postgraduate students and researchers of Islam, religious studies and medieval studies.Taking a comparative approach, this fieldwork-based study explores the lives and thoughts of Buddhist nuns in present-day Taiwan and Sri…
Lanka. The author examines the postcolonial background and its influence on the modern situation, as well as surveying the main historical, economic, and social factors which influence the position of nuns in society. Based on original research, including interviews with nuns in both countries, the book examines their perspectives on controversial issues and in particular those concerning the status of women in Buddhism. Concerns discussed include allegedly misogynist teachings relating to women’s inferior karma, that they cannot become Buddhas, and that nuns have to follow additional rules that monks do not. Bridging the gap between feminist theory and the reality of women in religion, the book makes a distinct contribution to the study of women in Buddhism by focusing on nuns from both of the main wings of Buddhism (Theravada and Mahayana) as well as furthering feminist studies of Buddhism and religion in general.Science and the Indian Tradition: When Einstein Met Tagore (India in the Modern World #Vol. 3)
By David L. Gosling. 2007
This new text is a detailed study of an important process in modern Indian history. During the late nineteenth and…
early twentieth century, India experienced an intellectual renaissance, which owed as much to the influx of new ideas from the West as to traditional religious and cultural insights. Gosling examines the effects of the introduction of Western science into India, and the relationship between Indian traditions of thought and secular Western scientific doctrine. He charts the early development of science in India, its role in the secularization of Indian society, and the subsequent reassertion, adaptation and rejection of traditional modes of thought. The beliefs of key Indian scientists, including Jagadish Chandra Bose, P.C. Roy and S.N. Bose are explored and the book goes on to reflect upon how individual scientists could still accept particular religious beliefs such as reincarnation, cosmology, miracles and prayer. Science and the Indian Tradition gives an in-depth assessment of results of the introduction of Western science into India, and will be of interest to scholars of Indian history and those interested in the interaction between Western and Indian traditions of intellectual thought.