Religious ethics Books

Book SynopsisThis collection of essays focuses on sacrifice in the context of Jewish and Christian scripture and is inspired by the thought and writings of René Girard. The contributors engage in a dialogue with Girard in their search for answers to key questions about the relation between religion and violence. The book is divided into two parts. The first opens with a conversation in which René Girard and Sandor Goodhart explore the relation between imitation and violence throughout human history, especially in religious culture. It is followed by essays on the subject of sacrifice contributed by some of the most distinguished scholars in the field, including Bruce Chilton, Robert Daly, Louis Feldman, Michael Fishbane, Erich Gruen, and Alan Segal. The second part contains essays on specific scriptural texts (Abraham''s sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22 and the book of Job in the Jewish tradition, the Gospel and Epistles in the Christian tradition). The authors explore new ways of applyinTrade Review"In increasing numbers, scholars are turning to the mimetic theory espoused by René Girard for answers to key questions about religion and violence. For the first time, the editors of this volume place in conversation with each other scholars who, from the perspective of Christian and Jewish traditions and scholarship, engage via mimetic theory the sacrificial and anti-sacrificial features of ancient Judaism and early Christianity and explore their subsequent trajectories." —Martha Reineke, University of Northern Iowa"A distinctive contribution of this volume is the focus of many of its essays on Judaism and Jewish readings of the Hebrew Bible. Girard's Christian focus has left his thought open to the criticism that it is a recycled form of supersessionism. Though I do not think that this book will put that issue completely to rest, its engagement with Jewish history and Jewish thinkers is welcome and an important advance." —James W. Watts, Syracuse University"This volume first presents a 'conversation' between R. Girard and Goodhart on mimesis, sacrifice, and the Bible. Then it presents twenty essays on specific scriptural texts." —New Testament Abstracts“This important book consists of twenty-one essays that are knowing, critical, and venturesome. . . . The intent of the collection is to understand better the ancient relationship of Judaism and Christianity. The accent of the volume, variously explored, expanded, appreciated, and in small ways critiqued, is the work of René Girard, to whom, along with his wife, the book is dedicated.” —Journal of Ecumenical Studies“The introduction . . . expounds René Girard’s theory that every culture is founded on the collective murder of a surrogate victim. . . . In Girard’s view, the Hebrew Bible reflects a profoundly anti-sacrificial development, and Christianity extends it by positing Jesus’ sacrifice as the supreme sacrifice that ends all sacrifices. . . . This volume . . . puts his theory at work, in two main ways, to which the two parts of the book are devoted.” —Bryn Mawr Classical Review“The ground-breaking work of René Girard on the theme of violence and mimesis in religion is the inspiration for this collection of twenty-one essays. The impact of Girard’s thinking is particularly felt in biblical studies, as this volume demonstrates. The first nine essays address some aspect of biblical sacrifice itself; the rest focus on explicit biblical passages that treat the topic. . . . This is a very readable treatment of an important yet unresolved topic.” —The Bible Today“. . . ultimately, this book serves as an excellent introductory conversation into mimetic theory and sacrifice. This collection of essays is a good starting point for a beginning student, but also will function as a tool for the researcher.” —Religious Studies Review

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review“There have been some fine biographies and related studies where the authors have attempted to tease out Pope Francis’s complex character, personal history, influences, and teaching. . . . Goulding’s book could be said to begin where these other studies end. As a theologian she understands and is comfortable with the term 'mercy' in a way that these other authors sometimes are not.” —Brian O’Leary, SJ, author of To Love and to ServeTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Foreword Introduction 1. Foundations for a Dialogue on Mercy 2. Ignatian Influence on Pope Francis 3. Specific Christological Underpinnings of Mercy 4. The Trinitarian Horizon 5. Engaging Ecclesiological Ramifications Conclusion Postscript Appendix – Mary Mother of Mercy Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisGiven the largely Eurocentric nature of moral theology in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, what will it take to invest the theological community in the history and moral challenges of the Church in other parts of the world, especially Africa? What is to be gained for the whole Church when this happens in a deep and lasting way? In this timely and important study, Paulinus Ikechukwu Odozor brings greater theological clarity to the issue of the relationship between Christianity and African tradition in the area of ethical foundations. He also provides a constructive example of what fundamental moral theology done from an African and Christian (especially Catholic) moral theological point of view could look like.Following a brief history of the development of African Christian theology, Odozor examines responses of African theologians to African tradition and Christian responses to the reality of non-Christian religions. In a context where the African religious experienTrade Review"This is an ambitious book, a big book. The scholarship is sound and the author engages a range of authors and their views. Odozor takes seriously the critical and moral demands of Christian theology as well as those of African indigenous religions and their cultures. There is perhaps nothing so thoroughgoing on this topic since Bénézet Bujo’s Foundations of an African Ethic: Beyond the Universal Claims of Western Morality." —M. Shawn Copeland, Boston College"There are very few in theological ethics who can draw people into conversation through their combination of insightful argument and their gracious welcome to those in other academic fields. In Morality Truly Christian, Truly African, Paulinus Odozor succeeds on both counts, speaking boldly but charitably across ecclesial, cultural, and academic divides. By articulating an ethical methodology drawn from the moral reasoning of the African Christian churches, taking seriously the challenges of cultural particularity but also moral realism, and also giving the reader a sense of the complex pursuit of the truth about God and the human in history, Odozor has dared (and delivered) what few would attempt but many need—a genuinely comparative theological ethics." —David A. Clairmont, Tisch Family Associate Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame"This work is truly astounding in its breadth and depth, and is bound to become a standard textbook in African moral theology. New is the accent on received Christian tradition as a principal source of such moral theology. Odozor engages in dialogue with various moral theologians (Karl Barth, Paul Tillich, Paul Knitter, and James Gustafson) and theologians of African morality (John Mbiti, Laurenti Magesa, and Elochukwu Uzukwu). The seven guidelines for theological inculturation in Africa are particularly illuminating and may be a good entry point into this work for the nonspecialist." —James Chukwuma Okoye, C.S.Sp., Duquesne University"Odozor has produced a definitive study that will determine the future of theological conversations about the place of African moral theology in world Christianity. His triple dialogue with African Christian theologies, Catholic fundamental moral theologies, and African traditional religious ethics is comprehensive in scope, rich in depth, systematic in analysis, and encyclopedic in presentation. This is Odozor at his best as he displays the traits of an ethical reasoning which is both Christian and African, addresses contextual questions without being parochial, and engages with moral issues which will help navigate the shifting landscape of World Catholicism." —Stan Chu Ilo, DePaul University“Odozor attempts to branch away from the Eurocentric nature of the Catholic Church’s history of moral theology in his book Morality Truly Christian, Truly African. Focusing on ethical foundations, he discusses the relationship between Christianity and the traditions of Africa. The continent’s rich traditions are powerful sources of meaning and identity in Christian evangelization.” —U.S. Catholic"Odozor has written an outstanding work on African Christian moral theology. He places great emphasis on theological enculturation, a continual process of dialogue between theology and culture. For Odozor, the enculturation process involves a triple dialogue involving African Christian theologies, Catholic fundamental moral theologies, and African traditional religious ethics." —Choice“Odozor’s analyses of the meaning and function of tradition and culture, the encounter of African traditional religion and Christianity, the post-Vatican II encouragement to inculturate the faith, the relation of ‘new’ theologies to historical Catholic theology, and the impact of political divisiveness in a changing global political situation are comprehensive and complex. The African Church has much to teach us, and this text marks a paradigm shift in the study of Catholic moral theology.” —Catholic Library World“Odozer analyzes African Christian theological ethics by simultaneously taking into account both the whole Christian moral tradition and African moral traditions. . . . I recommend this book to readers interested in becoming acquainted with the present status of African Christian theology and ethics; and moral theologians who want to engage with the growing contributions of current African Christian theological ethics will find this volume a valuable resource.” —Theological Studies"In Morality Truly Christian, Truly African, Father Odozor examines issues, some of them neuralgic, arising from the enculturation of Catholic moral discourse in a religiously pluralistic African situation. 'My hope,' he writes, 'is that theologizing in such an open way, as I try to do here in this book, will help to bring the church and the entire theological community into conversation about Christian ethics (moral theology) in the African context so that what goes on in that part of the Christian community will be of interest to all as a ‘Christian theological thing,’ and not just as an ‘African thing.’ I believe that what goes on in the current African church and theology should be of great interest to the theological community elsewhere, given the potential of this emerging church and its current and growing impact on the rest of the church.'" —Spiritan“The landscape of global Christianity has changed significantly in recent decades. This notion is the foundational premise of Odozor’s book . . . and he draws upon scholarship that suggests that the centre of global Christianity is shifting from Europe and North America to Africa, Asia and Latin America. . . . This shift in the epicenter of Church membership has consequences not only for the kind of theology that is required to answer questions faced in those particular contexts, but also for the theological project in its entirety as new contributions emerge from these places that shape how we understand our faith in its entirety.” —Studies in Christian Ethics

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Offering Hospitality: Questioning Christian Approaches to War, Caron Gentry contributes an informed feminist and postmodernist critique to the just-war conversation.Trade Review"This is a bold and brave book that tackles weighty matters pertaining to violence and community with a deft touch. Caron Gentry’s perspective, which marries contemporary feminist and critical thought to Christian realist, just war, and pacifist concerns, is fresh and insightful. She succeeds wonderfully in carving out a space that relates the literature on hospitality to the contemporary ethics of war. This book will be of major interest to scholars working in theology, international relations, political theory, and religious ethics." —Cian O'Driscoll, University of Glasgow"Caron Gentry offers a daring constructive moral proposal here calling for a reconstruction of the just war ethic’s criterion of last resort as a platform for embodying a deep form of Christian hospitality in international affairs. Along the way she analyzes the work of Reinhold Niebuhr, Stanley Hauerwas, and Jean Bethke Elshtain. A must read for students of political theology, international relations, and feminist theory." —Shaun Casey, Wesley Theological Seminary"Gentry challenges modern just-war theologians to move beyond abstract notions of the state to embrace both the new realities of global warfare and the eternal reality of agape love. . . . Gentry's book contributes an informed feminist and postmodern critique to the just-war conversation. She does a fine job of outlining gaps in current just-war theorizing and begins to scratch the surface of envisioning new answers." —Publishers Weekly“This is a work that adds another voice to the chorus calling for Christians not just to avoid war or practice it with restraint, but to build peace. May the numbers increase.” —America Magazine“Caron [E. Gentry] brings a lens of feminism and a theology of the marginalized to bear against popular political theologies that rely on a state-centric view of the world. A dense and interesting read.” —Prism“Gentry . . . presents an alternative approach to building and sustaining international political life through the Christian ethic of hospitality. . . . She argues that a Christian approach of hospitality offers a morally preferable approach to coping with failed states and international political conflicts because it can bypass hegemonic power and is better able to incorporate the needs and wants of the weak, the vulnerable, and the poor.” —Choice“By applying the concept of ‘hospitality’ in both the Christian notion of agape and in post-modern thought, [Gentry] seeks to transform each of these approaches to war in order to pave the way for a ‘better peace’ . . . Offering Hospitality is a provocative and compelling book that makes a vital contribution to Christian thinking about war.” —Political Studies Review“Gentry brings together theory, data, and practice in a stark analysis of conflict and puts forth a robust Christian approach to war. . . Though Gentry writes with an American Christian audience in mind, the principles embodied in this work find support in a plurality of religious and political traditions and extend beyond the purview of American politics, even to include a variety of inter-communal as well as inter-personal relationships. This work contributes a fresh and overdue perspective to the conversation.” —Journal for Peace and Justice Studies

Read more less

Book SynopsisSince the 1973 publication of Gustavo Gutiérrez's groundbreaking work A Theology of Liberation, liberation theology''s central premise of the preferential option for the poor has become one of the most important yet controversial theological themes of the twentieth century. As the situation for many of the world's poor worsens, it becomes ever more important to ensure that the option for the poor remains not only a vibrant theological concept but also a practical framework for living out the gift and challenge of Christian faith. The Preferential Option for the Poor beyond Theology draws on a diverse group of contributors to explore how disciplines as varied as law, economics, politics, the environment, science, liberal arts, film, and education can help us understand putting a commitment to the option for the poor into practice. The central focus of the book revolves around the question: How can one live a Christian life in a world of destitution? The contributTrade Review"This is a timely, rich, and thought-provoking book. In the midst of a widening gap between rich and poor, a growing knowledge of the plight of the excluded, and a renaissance of a call to solidarity in the Church, the contributions remind us that there is a lot that can be done to alleviate poverty. This book with its interdisciplinary approach encourages us to think of solutions. A preferential option for the poor as a firm commitment of thought and action can be extended beyond the boundaries of theology. Gustavo Gutiérrez, the living icon of this option, and Daniel G. Groody, a respected authority on this topic, take us on a journey that is intellectually and culturally encouraging." —Clemens Sedmak, F.D. Maurice Professor of Moral and Social Theology, King's College London“Daniel G. Groody and Gustavo Gutiérrez have given us a series of testimonies to the significance of the preferential option for the poor in the lives of authors writing from a variety of disciplines and perspectives. By fostering such interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary conversation, the authors deepen our understanding of the concept and show us its relevance outside of theology. That the poor become subjects of history, and not only its objects, lies at the core of the liberation theological approach of Gustavo Gutiérrez; it reflects an approach to challenges that is at least as necessary as our technological, political, and economic approaches and, by so doing, touches on important theological issues.” —Jacques Haers, University of Antwerp“Tackling one of theology’s most important yet controversial issues, Groody and Gutiérrez ensure that the option for the poor remains a framework for living a Christian life.” —U.S. Catholic“Drawing on a diverse group of contributors to explore how various disciplines such as law, economics, politics, the environment, science, liberal arts, film, and education can shed light on a commitment to the poor into practice. The book explores the question of how to live as a Christian in a world of destitution.” —Notre Dame Works“[Essayists] look at the way the option for the poor can shape our social, economic, political, educational and environmental approaches to poverty.” —Notre Dame Magazine"[T]he book's value is clear: if enacting true change around the problem of poverty requires input from many disciplines, then those disciplines must be brought into conversation with one another. . . . This volume should interest a broad audience, including scholars; general readers interested in the question of poverty as it relates to various disciplines and industries; and undergraduate or graduate students in classes covering liberation theology, as a needed complement to theological approaches." —Choice“. . . this book could not be more timely and relevant. . . . Each of the twelve chapters provides an inspiring and gripping testimony by a scholar or professional and their efforts to integrate the POP with their work as a lawyer, economist, businessperson, biologist, politician, professor, teacher, physician, filmmaker, or advocate for justice.”—Catholic Library World“The essays are well written, personal, and yet replete with each author’s expertise . . . . The authors skillfully and clearly point out that the option for the poor is both personally unique and socially transformative.” —American Catholic Studies“One of Gutiérrez’s key insights into missionary engagement was what is referred to as ‘a preferential option for the poor.’ . . . The importance of this publication is that while making an option for the poor can involve living in solidarity with the oppressed, the various authors demonstrate that it means “One of Gutiérrez’s key insights into missionary engagement was what is referred to as ‘a preferential option for the poor.’ . . . The importance of this publication is that while making an option for the poor can involve living in solidarity with the oppressed, the various authors demonstrate that it means above all using the skills and qualifications that one had gained in order to be in solidarity with those who are oppressed in their struggles for justice and dignity.” —Mission Studies, Volume 32, 2015above all using the skills and qualifications that one had gained in order to be in solidarity with those who are oppressed in their struggles for justice and dignity.” —Mission Studies

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe book's purpose is to introduce the reader to questions in Christian ethics through a careful examination of the fundamental meta-ethical questions posed by the 'state we're in', whether understood as a new phase of modernity or as postmodernity.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA biblical account of Christian ethics for the twenty-first century.Trade ReviewIn this refreshing and at times exhilarating exploration, Craig Hovey portrays Christian ethics as the discovery of what is made possible because Christ is born, has died, is risen and will come again. In doing so, he dismantles the popular perception of Christianity as a catalogue of prohibitions and opens out a vista of promise, purpose and potential. * The Revd Dr Samuel Wells, Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London *A succinct and thoughtful account of Christian belief and practice, demonstrating their integral relationship to each other and showing how some of the key ethical dilemmas troubling contemporary society may be seen in their light. * Dr Susan Parsons, Editor of Studies in Christian Ethics *Craig Hovey draws on a wider variety of sources, texts and traditions, and delves into more intricacies of history, philosophy and doctrine, than most introductory ethics books would dare attempt, yet he does so in a way that is unfailingly accessible and clear. The dexterity with which he draws the reader into complexity without obscurity is a gift to students and teachers alike. * Dr Elizabeth Phillips, Tutor in Theology and Ethics, Westcott House, University of Cambridge *Table of ContentsIntroduction Part 1 What Makes Christian Ethics Christian? 1. The Bible 2. Following Jesus 3. Some Key Theological Themes Part 2 What Makes Christian Ethics "Ethics"? 4. Classical Roots 5. Modern Options 6. Contemporary Challenges Part 3 The Stuff of Christian Ethics 7. Baptism and Identity 8. Mercy and Peace 9. Justice from Above (Order) 10. Justice from Below (Liberation) 11. Sexuality 12. Vulnerable Life 13. Challenges Posed by Science and Technology

Read more less

Book SynopsisTracing the theological character of American environmental thought from its Romantic foundations to contemporary nature spirituality, this book explores the religious underpinnings of American environmentalism.Trade Review"A significant scholarly contribution to understanding environmentalism ... Recommended." CHOICE connectTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Whither Religion? 1. Recreation and Soteriology 2. Congregating around Nature 3. Sacred Space and the American Environmental Imagination 4. Recreation and Spiritual Experience Conclusion: The Mechanics of Religious Change Notes For Further Reading and Research Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisExplores the relation between agape (or Christian charity) and social justice. The author defines agape as the central virtue in Christian ethical thought and action and applies his insights to three concrete issues: political violence, forgiveness, and abortion.Trade Review"Jackson is a first-rate scholar who writes clearly and gracefully. Any summary of his argument in Priority of Love can hardly do justice to the facility with which he handles the controversies on each of his major themes and to his provocative sub-themes."--Michael J. Kerlin, AmericaTable of ContentsPreface xi INTRODUCTION: The Fate of Charity 1 CHAPTER ONE: Christlike Love and Reciprocal Justice 28 CHAPTER TWO: Is God Just? 70 CHAPTER THREE: Christian Love and Political Violence 94 CHAPTER FOUR: Forgiveness as an Eternal Work of Love 136 CHAPTER FIVE: Abortion and an Ethic of Care 170 Name Index 215 Subject Index 221

Read more less

Book SynopsisArgues that superstition become pervasive in contemporary culture. This title asks why people persist in superstitious convictions long after science has shown them to be ill-founded. It examines the controversies and concludes that science is the only way we have of understanding the world.Trade Review"Park writes with bemusement at human folly but also with outrage at the misappropriation of science."--Robert A. Segal, Times Higher Education "Park uses his personal story to great effect to champion scientific thinking. He also gets under its skin, to explain how, as well as what, science delivers."--Mark Henderson, Times (London) "For Princeton physicist Robert Park, science serves as a rapier for skewering all beliefs not sustained by empirical proof. Predictably, religion heads the list of targets ... [Park] pits experimental rigor not only against the creeds of antiquity but also against the irrationality of New Age gurus who evangelize for alternative medicines or extrasensory perception... Sure to spark sharp debate."--Bryce Christensen, Booklist "Parks' main target in the first part of his book is Christianity, especially its creationist and so-called intelligent-design offshoots. However, the world's other religions do not emerge unscathed... He takes on New Age beliefs, reserving particular scorn for those practitioners who add the word 'quantum' to unrelated topics like 'healing' to give themselves an imprimatur of scientific respectability... Both religious and non-religious scientists are sure to find something of interest in the rest."--Physics World "Genial anecdotal tales introduce each chapter, which are then followed with the cutting criticism of various pseudobelief systems. Dogmatic in his emphasis that science is the only way of knowing, Park weighs faith-based beliefs against scientific evidence and makes no allowance for other ways of knowing... The controversial content should provide debate material for the high school and young college crowd as well as the general public."--R.A. Hoots, Choice "With acerbic wit, Park, professor of physics at the University of Maryland, asks why we believe weird things even when no evidence supports our claims... A humanist and naturalist, Park asserts that science rejects appeal to authority in favor of empirical evidence."--Roy E. Perry, The Tennessean Bob Park is a sceptic's sceptic, a consummate critical thinker, a no-nonsense scientist who knows baloney when he detects it... Superstition is more than an entertaining romp through the weird and wonderful. It is an important contribution to the sceptical literature ... that every scientist needs to be aware of."--Michael Shermer, Nature Physics "Guns blazing, Park hunts down what he calls pseudo-science... I found myself enjoying much of this feisty book as a kind of entertainment that raises serious questions."--Evelyn Juers, AustralianTable of ContentsIntroduction: Lessons from a tree vii CHAPTER ONE: A BIGGER PRIZE 1 In which we discover scientists of faith CHAPTER TWO: THE SECRET OF LIFE 23 In which Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection survives CHAPTER THREE: MIRACLE AT COLUMBIA 56 In which both sides pray for victory CHAPTER FOUR: GIVING UP THE GHOST 79 In which we search for the soul CHAPTER FIVE: THE SILENT ARMY 93 In which we search for an afterlife CHAPTER SIX: THE TSUNAMI GOD 104 In which the innocent suffer CHAPTER SEVEN: THE NEW AGE 116 In which anything goes CHAPTER EIGHT: SCHRODINGER'S GRAVE 129 In which quantum mysticism is found to be superstition CHAPTER NINE: THE BARBARY DUCK 142 In which the body heals itself CHAPTER TEN: THE DEER 161 In which the placebo effect is explained CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE MORAL LAW 188 In which we instinctively know right from wrong CHAPTER TWELVE: THE LAST BUTTERFLY 202 In which there is no place else to go Bibliography 217 Index 221

Read more less

Book SynopsisCombines moral philosophy and Christian ethics to develop an important theory of rights and of justice as grounded in rights. This title discusses what it is to have a right, and locates rights in the respect due the worth of the rights-holder.Trade Review"[T]his book is a formidable achievement, intellectually rigorous yet emotionally engaged, and combining meticulous conceptual analysis with a rich historical grasp of the roots of our moral culture. Its arguments offer a serious challenge to the complacency of contemporary secularism, implying as they do that our culture of rights could only have come into existence supported by a metaphysical framework that exhibits each human being, whatever their flaws and defects, as loved redemptively by God."--John Cottingham, Times Literary Supplement "Nicholas Wolterstorff's Justice: Rights and Wrongs is a magisterial book. In it ... Wolterstorff has gotten justice right. This, in case the thrust of my terse comment wasn't plain enough, is a very high praise."--Miroslav Volf, Books & Culture "For all of us who aspire to, or even just admire, the perhaps not so outrageous vocation of Christian scholarship, Nicholas Wolterstorff, Justice is an inspiration."--Richard W. Garnett, First Things "Wolterstorff draws on a wide range of philosophical/theological/ethical material. He does a magnificent job of developing a sustained argument for the thesis that the only solid foundation for grounding human rights is biblical theism."--F. G. Kirkpatrick, Choice "In Justice: Rights and Wrongs, Nicholas Wolterstorff reaches far back into biblical tradition and Greek philosophy to trace a distinctive vision of justice based on the worth that God confers on each person. For Wolterstorff, respect for human worth entails respect for human rights; this marks an important turn away from the tendency in recent theology to dismiss talk about rights as an Enlightenment innovation that is alien to Christian ethics."--Robin Lovin, Christian Century "Justice is a seminal contribution to Christian ethics and useful riposte to those modern Gibbons to sneer at the idea that Christians have anything useful to say about the things that matter."--Nick Spencer, Third Way Magazine "Justice: Rights and Wrongs is magisterial in scope, incisive and inventive in its argument. Wolterstorff stakes out a novel position in contemporary debates with an undeniable analytical rigor... Wolterstorff's philosophical arguments ... stand on their own two feet and genuinely break new ground in the field. Indeed, this text merits and should attract a very wide readership."--Stephen Lake, Philosophy in Review "Wolterstorff has made ... a tremendous contribution ... to our philosophical acuity and theological discernment on these matters... [R]ender him his due for an erudite and sophisticated account of why rights are not wrong."--John D. Carlson, Journal of Politics and ReligionTable of ContentsPreface vii Introduction 1 PART I The Archeology of Rights 19 CHAPTER ONE: Two Conceptions of Justice 21 CHAPTER TWO: A Contest of Narratives 44 CHAPTER THREE: Justice in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible 65 CHAPTER FOUR: On De-justicizing the New Testament 96 CHAPTER FIVE: Justice in the New Testament Gospels 109 PART II Fusion of Narrative with Theory: The Goods to Which We Have Rights 133 CHAPTER SIX: Locating That to Which We Have Rights 135 CHAPTER SEVEN: Why Eudaimonism Cannot Serve as Framework for a Theory of Rights 149 CHAPTER EIGHT: Augustine's Break with Eudaimonism 180 CHAPTER NINE: The Incursion of the Moral Vision of Scripture into Late Antiquity 207 CHAPTER TEN: Characterizing Life- and History-Goods 227 PART III Theory: Having a Right to a Good 239 CHAPTER ELEVEN: Accounting for Rights 241 CHAPTER TWELVE: Rights Not Grounded in Duties 264 CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Rights Grounded in Respect for Worth 285 CHAPTER FOURTEEN: The Nature and Grounding of Natural Human Rights 311 CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Is a Secular Grounding of Human Rights Possible? 323 CHAPTER SIXTEEN: A Theistic Grounding of Human Rights 342 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Applications and Implications 362 EPILOGUE: Concluding Reflections 385 General Index 395 Index of Scriptural References 399

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"If all this hardheaded, disenchanted talk is getting you down, consider the refined and rarefied argument in Tolerance Among the Virtues."--James Ryerson, New York Times Book Review "Bowlin delivers here an extremely timely book... Detailed, exhaustive, and often highly nuanced."--ChoiceTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 Abbreviations and Translations 16 Chapter 1 Tolerance and Resentment 18 Chapter 2 A Natural Virtue 60 Chapter 3 Among the Virtues 106 Chapter 4 A Virtue's Vocabulary 160 Chapter 5 Liberalism and Lists 187 Chapter 6 Love's Endurance 206 Epilogue: Nature, Grace, and Cockfights 242 Acknowledgments 251 Bibliography 253 Index 263

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"If all this hardheaded, disenchanted talk is getting you down, consider the refined and rarefied argument in Tolerance Among the Virtues."---James Ryerson, New York Times Book Review"Bowlin delivers here an extremely timely book. . . . Detailed, exhaustive, and often highly nuanced." * Choice *"Bowlin's account of tolerance is powerful."---Molly Farneth, Commonweal"Bowlin’s book superbly marshals the power of the Thomistic virtue tradition to make a compelling argument for locating tolerance among the virtues. . . . Powerful and necessary."---James Calvin Davis, Interpretation

Read more less

Book SynopsisA distinguished evangelical theologian offers an original and constructive work on the doctrine of creation and its practical implications for the life of the church.Table of ContentsContentsIntroductionPart 11. Missing Creation in the Church2. Missing Creation in the Academy3. Missing Creation in SocietyPart 24. The Dialectic of the Kingdom5. One Creator: Father, Son, and Spirit6. Remapping the Doctrine of Creation7. Rereading ScripturePart 38. Construing the World9. Whatever Happened to Worldliness?10. Consuming Desire11. Stories, Practices, Prayers12. Blessed Are the Meek13. Being and Becoming Persons14. Bodies15. WorshipIndexes

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis textbook utilizes material from the acclaimed Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics to introduce students to the use of the New Testament for moral formation.Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction Joel B. Green1. OverviewEthics in Scripture Allen VerheyScripture in Christian Ethics Charles H. CosgroveNew Testament Ethics Charles H. Cosgrove2. Gospels and ActsMatthew Robert L. BrawleyMark Robert L. BrawleyLuke Robert L. BrawleyJohn Robert L. BrawleyActs Robert L. Brawley3. Pauline EpistlesRomans Victor Paul Furnish1 Corinthians David G. Horrell2 Corinthians David J. DownsGalatians Victor Paul FurnishEphesians Jerry L. SumneyPhilippians Victor Paul FurnishColossians Jerry L. Sumney1-2 Thessalonians Jerry L. Sumney1-2 Timothy David J. DownsTitus David J. DownsPhilemon Victor Paul Furnish4. Catholic Epistles and RevelationHebrews David A. deSilvaJames David Hutchinson Edgar1 Peter J. de Waal Dryden2 Peter J. de Waal Dryden1-3 John Ruth Anne ReeseJude J. de Waal DrydenBook of Revelation Kendra Jo Haloviak5. Selected Topics New Testament EthicsFruit of the Spirit Gary M. SimpsonGolden Rule Michael Westmoreland-WhiteHealthcare Systems in Scripture Joel B. GreenKingdom of God Bruce ChiltonLists of Vices and Virtues David J. DownsLove Command Thomas W. OgletreeLove of Enemy Sondra E. WheelerLove of Neighbor Nijay K. GuptaSermon on the Mount Glen H. StassenUse of Parables in Ethics John R. Donahue6. Beyond the New TestamentApostolic Fathers Clayton N. JeffordDidache Clayton N. JeffordIndexes

Read more less

Book SynopsisA respected scholar and veteran teacher offers Christian leaders tools for facing the demands and seizing the opportunities of being a moral teacher.Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction: Why This Book?1. The Minister as Ethicist2. Preaching on Morally Difficult Texts and Occasions3. Teaching about Moral Issues4. Giving Moral Counsel5. Serving as a Moral ExampleFurther ReadingIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis companion to Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics, now published for the first time, offers readers Bavinck's mature reflections on ethical issues.Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction to Herman Bavinck's Reformed Ethics by Dirk van Keulen and John BoltIntroduction§1 Historical Overview of Christian Ethics§2 Terminology§3 Division and Organization of Ethic§4 Foundation and Method of EthicsBook I: Humanity before Conversion1. Essential Human Nature§5 Human Beings, Created in God's Image§6 The Content of Human Nature§7 Human Relationships2. Humanity under the Power of Sin§8 The Devastation of the Image of God in Humanity§9 The Organizing Principle and Classification of Sins3. The Self against the Neighbor and God§10 Sins of Egoism in the Narrow Sense§11 Sins against the Neighbor§12 Sins against God4. The Fallen Image of God§13 The Image of God in Fallen Human Beings5. Human Conscience§14 The Conscience6. The Sinner and the Law§15 The Law§16 Natural MoralityBook II: Converted Humanity7. Life in the Spirit§17 The Nature of the Spiritual Life§18 The Origin of the Spiritual Life§19 The First and Basic Activity of the Spiritual Life8. Life in the Spirit in the Church's History§20 Mysticism, Pietism, and Methodism9. The Shape and Maturation of the Christian Life§21 The Shape of the Christian Life: The Imitation of Christ§22 The Growth of the Spiritual Life10. Persevering in the Christian Life§23 Security and Sealing11. Pathologies of the Christian Life§24 Diseases of the Spiritual Life and Their Roots12. Restoration and Consummation of the Christian Life§25 Means of Restoration§26 Consummation of the Spiritual Life; Meditation on DeathIndexes

Read more less

Book SynopsisTwo experienced teachers and pastors offer a one-of-a-kind resource in professional ethics for today's clergy, addressing both current and perennial ethical issues.Table of ContentsContents1. Walking with Integrity: A Profession or a Calling?2. Being Good and Doing Good: Moral Formation for Ministry3. Looking in the Mirror: Integrity in Your Personal Life4. Looking at the Church: Integrity in Your Ministry5. Looking at Fellow Ministers: Integrity with Your Colleagues6. Promoting Peace and Justice: Integrity in the Community7. Facing Clergy Sexual Abuse: The Cost of Lost Integrity8. Developing a Personal Code of Ethics: A Plan for Integrity in MinistryMinisterial Code of Ethics WorksheetAppendix A: A Procedure for Responding to Charges of Clergy Sexual AbuseAppendix B: Early Denominational Codes of EthicsAppendix C: Contemporary Denominational Codes of EthicsAppendix D: Sample Codes of EthicsIndexes

Read more less

Book SynopsisA respected scholar and veteran teacher addresses the moral formation and identity of the pastor, particularly emphasizing ethical and safe ministry.Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction: Why Good Rules Aren't Enough1. A Moral Framework for Power2. Laying Deeper Ethical Foundations3. Protecting Space for Ministry4. Understanding How Ministers Get into Trouble5. Embracing the Practices that Sustain FaithfulnessFurther ReadingIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisExplores the character traits and virtues required for Christians to be responsible keepers of the earth and to flourish in the challenging decades to come.Table of ContentsContents Introduction: Ecological Ethics Reframed 1. Mapping the Territory: On Virtue and Vice 2. Living with Amazement and Modesty: Wonder and Humility 3. Living with Strength of Mind and Discernment: Self-Control and Wisdom 4. Living with Respect and Care: Justice and Love 5. Living with Fortitude and Expectation: Courage and Hope 6. Digging In: Becoming a Person of Character Appendix: A Brief Survey of Christian Environmental Virtue Ethics Indexes

Read more less

Book SynopsisA leading ethicist offers a theological guide to thinking Christianly about the ordinary nature of everyday life.Table of ContentsContentsPart One: Theological and Moral Themes1. Creation, Incarnation, and Resurrection2. Calling and Vocation3. Virtue and Vice4. Ritual and the Ordering of Time and Place: On BelongingPart Two: Everyday Relationships5. Neighbors6. Friends7. Spouses8. Parents and Children9. Strangers10. CitizensPart Three: Everyday Activities11. Work12. Housework and Homework13. Manners14. Appearance15. Eating16. LeisurePostscript: On the Good of Being BoringIndexes

Read more less

Book SynopsisShows what it means to evangelize ethically in a multicultural climate, urging us to consider a new approach to understanding evangelism and our practice of it.Table of ContentsContents1. Competing for Space in the World2. On Ethics, Evangelism, and Proselytism3. Evangelism, Empire, and Rival Citizenships4. The Ecclesiality of Salvation5. Evangelism and Pluralism in the Nation-State and Military6. Evangelism and Nonviolence7. The Pluralism of Consumer Culture8. Evangelism and Pluralistic Theologies of Religion9. Evangelism and BeautyEpilogue: The Meaninglessness of ApologeticsReferencesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Old Faith and the Russian Land is a historical ethnography that charts the ebbs and flows of ethical practice in a small Russian town over three centuries. The town of Sepych was settled in the late seventeenth century by religious dissenters who fled to the forests of the Urals to escape a world they believed to be in the clutches of the Antichrist. Factions of Old Believers, as these dissenters later came to be known, have maintained a presence in the town ever since. The townspeople of Sepych have also been serfs, free peasants, collective farmers, and, now, shareholders in a post-Soviet cooperative. Douglas Rogers traces connections between the town and some of the major transformations of Russian history, showing how townspeople have responded to a long series of attempts to change them and their communities: tsarist-era efforts to regulate family life and stamp out Old Belief on the Stroganov estates, Soviet collectivization drives and antireligious campaigns, and tTrade ReviewRogers's narrative includes useful connections of his discussion to larger problems of scholarship on Old Believers and the anthropology of Russia more generally. His prose is engaging, accessible, and a pleasure to read, so the book should be appropriate for a wide range of undergraduate teaching as well as more specialized audiences. -- Alexander King * Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute *This is a beautiful book that asks large questions of multiple sources on one small community. It deserves a readership far beyond scholars of Russia or socialism. -- Sonja Luehrmann * Journal of Anthropological Research *Douglas Rogers has written a pathbreaking work of historical anthropology that should become standard reading for historians and other social scientists. Sensitive to religious and economic contexts, he charts the history of the town of Sepych in the western Perm region over the longue durée, beginning with the creation of the priestless Old Believer settlement in the late seventeenth century and ending in the post-Soviet era. Without ignoring the peculiar circumstances that serfdom and ownership by the Stroganov family imposed on the community, Rogers analyzes three major turning points brought about by shifting economic relationships and, in two cases, political change: capitalist modernization after emancipation, which created a schism in the Old Believer community; the imposition of socialism and central planning in the Soviet era; and finally the introduction of global capitalism upon the Soviet Union's demise.... In its goal of moving beyond generalizations about peasant societies as tradition bound, backward, collective, isolated, and centers of resistance, the monograph succeeds brilliantly. * Christine Worobec *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Ethics, Russia, HistoryPart I. An Ethical Repertoire1. In Search of Salvation on the Stroganov Estates2. Faith, Family, and Land after EmancipationPart II. The Generations and Ethics of Socialism3. Youth: Exemplars of Rural Socialism4. Elders: Christian Ascetics in the Soviet CountrysidePart III. Struggles to Shape an Emergent Ethical Regime5. New Risks and Inequalities in the Household Sector6. Which Khoziain? Whose Moral Community?7. Society, Culture, and the Churching of Sepych8. Separating Post-Soviet Worlds? Priestly Baptisms and Priestless FuneralsEpilogueBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe book rehabilitates a concept of "divine violence" to reconsider the story of abolitionist John Brown and to develop a vision for a post-secular American politics.Trade Review"This volume, [...], powerfully combines theology and political theory. Smith argues that contemporary practical reasoning tries to justify or reject actions based on 'universalizable moral obligations that play out within immanent networks or cause and effect' . . . [S]tudents of ethics or political theology will find some challenging thought here . . . Recommended." -- R. J. Meagher * CHOICE *"By providing a profound ethical meditation on Brown and his fellow raiders to challenge how people, particularly Americans, think about morality, [...] Smith illustrates how an ethical and philosophical reading of history can help us to better understand the world we live in, what we should do, and of the important of going beyond just what we out to do." -- Franklin Rausch * New Books in Christian Studies *"John Brown is perhaps the most polarizing figure in America's past, 'the stone in the historian's shoe,' as scholars have acknowledged. Ted Smith's Weird John Brown removes the stone, as it were, and reframes the debate. It examines Brown on Brown's own terms, from the perspective of political theology. A brilliantly original and compelling book, it offers a new way to understand Brown, and its fresh insights on almost every page resonate deeply in a post 9/11 world." -- John Stauffer * Harvard University *"Ted Smith has given us something that heretofore has not existed, a very sophisticated philosophical and theological reflection on John Brown and the question of divine violence. Smith not only analyzes the shortcomings of ethical reasoning and moral vision locked within an immanent frame against the backdrop of the complexity of John Brown, but he also explores the racial unconscious embedded in the American political unconscious in ways both refreshing and convincing. This book teaches John Brown. It gives us a John Brown restored to his preeminent place as a mirror of the dilemmas of an American world, a white world that has forgotten we exist in God's world." -- Willie James Jennings * Duke University *"Smith's book is different, and immensely resonant, for it theorizes what might be at stake—ethically—for America's current political life [He] writes with clarity and precision, as well as with a storyteller's sense of narrative drive and detail." -- Andrew Taylor * Journal of American History *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe book rehabilitates a concept of "divine violence" to reconsider the story of abolitionist John Brown and to develop a vision for a post-secular American politics.Trade Review"This volume, [...], powerfully combines theology and political theory. Smith argues that contemporary practical reasoning tries to justify or reject actions based on 'universalizable moral obligations that play out within immanent networks or cause and effect' . . . [S]tudents of ethics or political theology will find some challenging thought here . . . Recommended." -- R. J. Meagher * CHOICE *"By providing a profound ethical meditation on Brown and his fellow raiders to challenge how people, particularly Americans, think about morality, [...] Smith illustrates how an ethical and philosophical reading of history can help us to better understand the world we live in, what we should do, and of the important of going beyond just what we out to do." -- Franklin Rausch * New Books in Christian Studies *"John Brown is perhaps the most polarizing figure in America's past, 'the stone in the historian's shoe,' as scholars have acknowledged. Ted Smith's Weird John Brown removes the stone, as it were, and reframes the debate. It examines Brown on Brown's own terms, from the perspective of political theology. A brilliantly original and compelling book, it offers a new way to understand Brown, and its fresh insights on almost every page resonate deeply in a post 9/11 world." -- John Stauffer * Harvard University *"Ted Smith has given us something that heretofore has not existed, a very sophisticated philosophical and theological reflection on John Brown and the question of divine violence. Smith not only analyzes the shortcomings of ethical reasoning and moral vision locked within an immanent frame against the backdrop of the complexity of John Brown, but he also explores the racial unconscious embedded in the American political unconscious in ways both refreshing and convincing. This book teaches John Brown. It gives us a John Brown restored to his preeminent place as a mirror of the dilemmas of an American world, a white world that has forgotten we exist in God's world." -- Willie James Jennings * Duke University *"Smith's book is different, and immensely resonant, for it theorizes what might be at stake—ethically—for America's current political life [He] writes with clarity and precision, as well as with a storyteller's sense of narrative drive and detail." -- Andrew Taylor * Journal of American History *

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow, Barbara Newman asks, did the myth of the separable heart take such a firm hold in the Middle Ages, from lovers exchanging hearts with one another to mystics exchanging hearts with Jesus? What special traits gave both saints and demoniacs their ability to read minds? Why were mothers who died in childbirth buried in unconsecrated ground? Each of these phenomena, as diverse as they are, offers evidence for a distinctive medieval idea of the person in sharp contrast to that of the modern subject of individual.Starting from the premise that the medieval self was more permeable than its modern counterpart, Newman explores the ways in which the self''s porous boundaries admitted openness to penetration by divine and demonic spirits and even by other human beings. She takes up the idea of coinherence, a state familiarly expressed in the amorous and devotional formula I in you and you in me, to consider the theory and practice of exchanging the self with others in five relationalTrade Review"This thorough work will be indispensable to those interested in the complexities of the interpersonal in the medieval period, and how the foundations and lexicon of Christian theology influenced the ways in which individuals thought of themselves and their connections to others. Newman’s readings of those connections are fascinating and thought-provoking, not least because they hint at the ways we are all still vulnerable to one another; there is a familiarity pulsing beneath all of that alterity...Newman’s pedagogical gift is in presenting all of those seemingly strange medieval relationships in such a way that they reach across the centuries into our individual bodies and minds, tuning them to the frequency of their own peculiar connections." * Times Literary Supplement *"As Barbara Newman shows in her brilliant book, medieval Christians understood themselves to be interconnected to an extent that would surprise many people today, at least in Western cultures. Their minds and hearts were legible to other people as well as to God and the devil, and they saw themselves as vulnerable to interference from human and supernatural forces, to both good and bad ends....The stories Newman tells reveal the profound strangeness of the Middle Ages....As Newman notes at the end of her study, it’s hard to determine the more vital ethical imperative: to protect ourselves by raising boundaries, or to accept how intertwined we really are." * London Review of Books *"In The Permeable Self, Barbara Newman not only offers insightful readings of a different theory of mind than one we know today, but also provides an inspiring way to think about the meaningful contributions that academic work in the humanities can offer...Her exploration of how medieval Western culture initially imagined and informed itself through a very different theory of mind, accompanied by frequent references to contemporary echoes of this powerful tradition, invites readers to become reacquainted with a way of living in the world that offers different kinds of valuable possibilities than our cultural training constrains us to expect." * Literature and Theology *"Fascinating in its very subject, The Permeable Self is yet another demonstration—not that any were needed—of Newman’s exquisite critical eye. Beautifully argued, outstandingly copyedited, and deeply learned, it is a study likely both to inspire powerful responses and hold the attention of scholars for many years to come." * Journal of English and Germanic Philology *"The Permeable Self is of high quality and based on years of research and expertise. It is intellectually stimulating and thought provoking. To echo Newman herself, the study of medieval relationships haswide applications—ranging from new scholarly approaches to, for example, the study of emotions as well as to an alternative theory of mind. This is a book worth reading." * Speculum *"Essential...In keen and insightful close readings, [Newman] makes a compelling case for the importance, to the medieval self, of the concept of coinherence, of 'being-within-one-another'...Newman weaves together a wealth of research from literature, letters, folklore, and historical documents, meticulously contextualizing each relationship. The discussion of ways in which variations of coinherence intersect in saints lives is particularly rich and an exciting contribution to the study of hagiography....For researchers of medieval studies, this is required reading, but there is much here for anyone studying ideas of self and personhood." * Choice *"Barbara Newman's The Permeable Self takes readers on a journey that explores the inner workings of extremely complex human and symbolic relationships. Centered on the concepts of coinherence and indwelling, her book ranges widely from topics like saintly telepathy, the exchange of hearts, and childbirth to the demonic invasion of human bodies. The common thread is humans' permeability, their openness to both good and evil others. In clear, accessible, and often witty prose, Newman provides extraordinary insights into the medieval psyche." * Renate Blumenfeld-Kosinski, author of The Strange Case of Ermine de Reims: A Medieval Woman Between Demons and Saints *"Charles Taylor has contrasted the 'buffered self' of a secular age to the 'porous self' of other ages. In The Permeable Self Barbara Newman fleshes out medieval understandings of porous personhood in fascinating detail, supplementing, but also correcting, Taylor's influential account. Her many insights about medieval personhood have profound relevance to debates about the intersubjectivity of modern liberalism and postmodernism's liquid selves." * Ryan McDermott, University of Pittsburgh *"The Permeable Self is a brilliant exploration of medieval ways of imagining mind and body. Teaching, love, pregnancy, and mental illness look startlingly different when people take for granted that thoughts can enter other bodies directly. That in turn should push readers to ask how modern assumptions shape modern experience in ways so fundamental we may not notice them. One of the most fascinating books I have read this year." * T. M. Luhrmann, author of How God Becomes Real: Kindling the Presence of Invisible Others *Table of ContentsIntroduction. Members of One Another Chapter 1. Teacher and Student: Shaping Boys Chapter 2. Saint and Sinner: Reading Minds Chapter 3. Lovers: Exchanging Hearts Chapter 4. Mother and Child: Giving Birth Chapter 5. God and the Devil: Possessing Souls Conclusion, or Why It Still Matters Notes Bibliography Index Acknowledgments

Read more less

Book SynopsisBrings together a selection of essays of the late Joseph Boyle. Boyle was, with Germain Grisez and John Finnis, a founder and developer of the New Classical Natural Law Theory, arguably the most important development in Catholic moral philosophy of the twentieth century.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFollowing Catholic tradition, The Virtues places the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love at the centre of the moral life, and the cardinal virtues - justice, temperance, fortitude, and prudence - with them. Alongside these major virtues, Garvey considers habits that assist and accompany us in important ways on the path to goodness.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewMatthew Whelan has penned an essential monograph for scholars and graduate students interested in Romero, Catholic social thought, or, for that matter, Catholic moral theology or ecclesiology. Whelan claims that this book 'approaches Romero from a different angle than much of the existing English-language scholarship on him.' And he's right. This clearly written and well-documented book grounds Romero's work in the concrete realities of the Salvadoran context – particularly the production of landlessness and the struggles surrounding land reform in El Salvador over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In so doing, Whelan illuminates the Catholic social tradition in new ways, making clear Romero's ongoing relevance for Christian ethics and the global church today."-Journal for the Society of Christian Ethics

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewMakes a distinctive contribution to the field of family ethics…This clearly written and engaging text will provoke discussion in the classroom and among scholars of virtue ethics, as it challenges widely held theological claims about marriage and understandings of the good life." – Theological Studies

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe purpose of the present study is to undertake a confrontation of the thought of Martin Heidegger and of Thomas Aquinas on the question of Being and the problem of metaphysics.Trade Review"The volume, which tosses off insights by the pageful, demonstrates Caputo's masterful control of both the Heideggerian and Thomistic corpus." -Research in Phenomenology

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe purpose of the present study is to undertake a confrontation of the thought of Martin Heidegger and of Thomas Aquinas on the question of Being and the problem of metaphysics.Trade Review"The volume, which tosses off insights by the pageful, demonstrates Caputo's masterful control of both the Heideggerian and Thomistic corpus." -Research in Phenomenology

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis edition contains an unrivalled selection of every aspect of Aquinas's philosophy: on reality, God, and man, with a new introduction, improved format, and updated bibliography.

Read more less

Book SynopsisContends that Josiah Royce bequeathed to philosophy a novel idealism based on an ethico-religious insight. This title examines how Royce's ethico-religious insight could be strengthened by incorporating the philosophical theology of Dr Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr, and Emmanuel Levinas' ethical metaphysics.Trade Review"Presents a new and enriched understanding of the philosophy of Josiah Royce, a philosopher who is one of the giants in American thought and life." -- -Jacqueline Kegley California State University, Bakersfield "Dwayne Tunstall's linking the philosophy of Josiah Royce to the resurgent tradition of American Personalism is both salutary and promising." -- -J.J. McDermott Texas A&M University "A good first book by a promising, enthusiastic young scholar on an important but neglected figure in American thought." -- -Robin Friedman U.S. Dept of the Interior Division of General Law "Tunstall offers an intensive examination of Royce's general theological system and his radical ethics of loyalty... Highly recommended." -Choice "Well-informed, perceptive, and carefully done." -- -Kelly A. Parker Grand Valley State UniversityTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction: Encountering Josiah Royce's Ethico-Religious Insight Part I . Josiah Royce's Personalism 1. The 'Conception of God' Debate: Setting the Stage for Royce's Personalism 2. Haunted by Howison's Criticism: The Birth of Royce's Late Philosophy 3. Royce's Late Philosophy 4. Royce's Personalism Part II. Extending Royce's Ethico-Religious Insight: Royce on the Beloved Community, Agape , and Human Temporality 5. Royce's Ethico-Religious Insight: A Hypothetical Postulate? 6. King's Beloved Community, Royce's Metaphysics 7. Coupling Royce's Temporalism with Levinasian Insights Closing Remarks Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book is comprised of two essays on the biblical commandment against homicide. The first is authored by a Roman Catholic cardinal; the second by a leading Italian feminist philosopher. Together the two essays explore the religious, philosophical, political, historical, and moral significance of “Thou Shalt Not Kill” today.Trade Review"Thou Shalt Not Kill represents an exceptionally original contribution to the study of contemporary Western culture seen from both a religious and a secular feminist perspective." -- -Alessia Ricciardi Northwestern University "The remarkable dialogue Scola and Cavarero between demonstrates the ethical, theological, and the political stakes of the prohibition of killing. Interpreting the prohibition of murder in the context of Levinas's ethics, Scola proposes what Cavarero calls an 'absolutist' interpretation of such prohibition and argues for its applicability both to suicide and to reproduction. By contrast, Cavarero brilliantly demonstrates the incoherence of such an interpretation, particularly in the context of new reproductive technologies, medical technologies, and modern warfare. Instead of ethical relationality, such an absolute application of the prohibition of killing, all too often coexisting with the justifications of just or preemptive war, leads to the valorization of impersonal biologism. This is an indispensable book for anyone interested in the contemporary debates about ethics, biopolitics, and bioethics." -- -Ewa Plonowska Ziarek author of Feminist Aesthetics and the Politics of ModernismTable of ContentsTranslator's Note Part I: The Irrepressible Face of the Other Angelo Scola Point of Departure Commandments and Covenant Christianity and Rational, Universal Morals You Shall Not Kill Responsibilities and Challenges: Burning Issues Part II: The Archaeology of Homicide Adriana Cavarero A Special Law Brief Philological Note Crime and Punishment When Killing Is Lawful and Just To Cut Life Short A Weak Commandment In the Beginning Homo Necans You Shall Never Kill The Sex of Cain Notes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction | 1 The Praise of Camp at My Abuela’s Altarcito | 9 1 The Resistance | 17 Singing about a (Liturgical) Revolution | 45 2 Listening for the Cry in a Consumer Culture | 53 Salvation in the Shape of an Apple | 78 3 The Limits of Eucharistic Resistance | 86 Communion Commodified | 107 4 Confession, Hope, and Justice in a Commodified World | 115 Acknowledgments | 129 Notes | 133 Index | 181

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction | 1 The Praise of Camp at My Abuela’s Altarcito | 9 1 The Resistance | 17 Singing about a (Liturgical) Revolution | 45 2 Listening for the Cry in a Consumer Culture | 53 Salvation in the Shape of an Apple | 78 3 The Limits of Eucharistic Resistance | 86 Communion Commodified | 107 4 Confession, Hope, and Justice in a Commodified World | 115 Acknowledgments | 129 Notes | 133 Index | 181

Read more less

Book SynopsisWritten as a dialogue with King Chongjo, (r. 1776-1800) these texts reveal how Tasan interpreted his Confucian tradition, particularly its understanding of how human beings could cultivate morality, while the king’s questions illustrate the mainstream Neo-Confucianism Tasan was reacting against.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Jewish Family Ethics Textbook guides teachers and students of all ages and backgrounds in mining classical and modern Jewish texts to inform decision-making on hard choices.Trade Review"The Jewish Family Ethics Textbook is an excellent work for anyone looking for an introductory text in Jewish ethics."—Rabbi Rachel Esserman, Reporter"Scheindlin has provided us with a gift to continue to look at ourselves and those we are close to, whether family or friends, and to engage in a continual learning process by linking our contemporary lives to the ethics and values of our rich tradition."—Stephen G. Donshik, Jerusalem Post“In this thoughtful and thorough work, Rabbi Scheindlin brings traditional Jewish texts directly into conversation with contemporary Jewish voices, managing to both honor the tradition and the values of our day. Rabbi Scheindlin does not shy away either from the aspects of the tradition that seem most remote from—or offensive to—our own social mores or from the thorny real-life dilemmas of our experience in twenty-first-century America. This guide speaks directly to our most difficult questions. It is an extraordinarily useful resource for all those who seek to teach the tradition—whether in a synagogue, school, or home—and all those who seek to live an ethical life rooted in Jewish tradition and responsive to contemporary life.”—Rabbi Rachel Timoner, senior rabbi, Congregation Beth Elohim, Brooklyn, New York“This is the book we have been waiting for! For inquisitive high school students and adults of all ages and streams of Jewish life who are eager to wrestle with questions of ethics, this creative book by an esteemed teacher grounds the most urgent moral issues of our time in eye-opening texts. The Jewish Family Ethics Textbook is sure to generate lively conversations from the classroom to the dinner table.”—Rabbi Judd Kruger Levingston, director of Jewish studies, Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and author of Sowing the Seeds of Character: The Moral Education of Adolescents in Public and Private Schools“Neal Scheindlin’s book is a gold mine for educators. Distilling decades of wisdom from a master teacher, this rich trove of important Jewish texts bears on challenges that teenagers, families, and schools grapple with every day.”—Rabbi Joshua Cahan, educator, Leffell School, Westchester, New York“This is a most important book introducing students to the profound depth of Jewish Family Ethics found in classic Jewish literature.”—Rabbi Mel Gottlieb, president, Academy for Jewish Religion, California“A richly rendered, sensitive, and nuanced volume. As a beloved teacher of Jewish studies in a pluralistic Jewish high school, Scheindlin presents cutting-edge issues that loom large for today’s youth with warmth and empathy toward his audience and a reverence for Jewish tradition.”—Elliott Rabin, director of thought leadership at Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools, New York City“This is an essential study guide for parents, educators, young adults, and teens seeking to clarify and deepen their understanding of and relationship to Jewish ethics. Educators will appreciate this well-curated collection of cases and texts as a valuable compass to navigate explorations with teens about challenging essential questions of our day. In an era when opinions are so often shaped by influencers and soundbites, this book provides substantive Judaic source material to ground student learning about ethical dilemmas in our tradition in our times.”—Miriam Heller Stern, national director, Rhea Hirsch School of Education, Los AngelesTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments How to Use This BookUsing the Book in a Classroom Setting Using the Book without a Teacher Introduction Theories of Ethical Decision Making How Jews Approach Ethical Problems Works and History of Classical Jewish LiteratureText 1—Deut. 17:8–11A Brief Jewish LexiconText 2—Eiruvin 13bClassical Literature as Understood by Modern Jews 1. Parents and Children Case Study #1: Who Chooses Where to Go to College? Case Study #2: Caring for a Parent with Dementia Case Study #3: Distancing from an Abusive Parent Text Study #1: Children’s Twin Obligations to Parents—Honor and ReverenceText 1a—Exod. 20:12 Text 1b—Deut. 5:16 Text 2—Lev. 19:3 Text 3—Mekhilta, Massekhta de-BaHodesh 8 Text 4a—Kiddushin 30b Text 4b—Kiddushin 30b (continued) Text 5—Kiddushin 30b–31aText Study #2: The Mitzvot Children Owe to ParentsText 6—Kiddushin 31b Text 7a—Shulḥan Arukh, Yoreh De’ah 240:21 Text 7b—Rashi on Lev. 19:3 Text 7c—Mishneh Torah, Laws of Rebellion 6:11 Text 8a—Shulḥan Arukh, Yoreh De’ah 240:4–5 Text 8b—Mishneh Torah, Laws of Rebellion 6:12 Text 8c—Golinkin, “Institutionalizing Parents with Alzheimer’s Disease” Text 9a—Kiddushin 31a–b Text 9b—Mishneh Torah, Laws of Rebellion 6:9 Text 9c—Mishneh Torah, Laws of Rebellion 6:10 Text 9d—Mishneh Torah, Laws of Rebellion 6:11 (continued) Text 10a—Midrash Tanhuma Eikev 3 Text 10b—Kiddushin 31b Text 11a—Dorff, Love Your Neighbor as Yourself Text 11b—Diamant, Choosing a Jewish LifeText Study #3: Parents’ Responsibilities to ChildrenText 12a—Kiddushin 29a Text 12b—Nevins, “Between Parents and Children” Text 13—Kiddushin 29a–bText Study #4: Problems in the Parent-Child RelationshipText 14—Shulḥan Arukh, Yoreh De’ah 240:18 Text 15—Dratch, “Honoring Abusive Parents” Text 16a—Jacob, “Responsibility of Children to Their Parents” Text 16b—Nevins, “Between Parents and Children”Conclusion 2. Honesty Case Study #1: Cheating on an Exam Case Study #2: Potential Plagiarism Case Study #3: Withholding Part of the Truth from a Prospective Employer Text Study #1: Truth Telling and Its LimitsText 1a—Exod. 20:13 Text 1b—Exod. 23:7 Text 1c—Lev. 19:11 Text 1d—Mecklenburg, HaKetav VeHaKabbalah on Exod. 23:7Text 2—Ketubot 16b–17a Text 3a—Yevamot 65b Text 3b—Bava Metzia 23b–24a Text 3c—Mishnah Nedarim 3:4Text Study #2: Whistleblowing and RebukeText 4—Tosefta Bava Kama 7:3 Text 5a—Leff, “Whistleblowing” Text 5b—Lev. 19:17 Text 5c—Mishneh Torah, Laws of Personal Qualities 6:7 Text 5d—Lev. 19:14 Text 5e—Sifra Kedoshim 2:14 Text 6—Shulḥan Arukh, Hoshen Mishpat 388:9Text 7—Mishneh Torah, Laws of Robbery and Lost Objects 11:3Text Study #3: Crediting Others for Use of Their Intellectual PropertyText 8—Tanhuma Bemidbar 22 Text 9a—Gittin 10b Text 9b—Berakhot 5b Text 9c—Tosefta Bava Kama 7:3 Text 10a—Deut. 19:14 Text 10b—Bava Batra 21b Text 11a—Shulḥan Arukh, Hoshen Mishpat 203:1 Text 11b—Arukh HaShulḥan, Hoshen Mishpat 212:3Text 11c—CCAR Responsum, “Copyright and the Internet”Conclusion 3. Social Media Case Study #1: Social Media Insults Case Study #2: Online Privacy Text Study #1: Permitted and Forbidden SpeechText 1a—Lev. 19:16 Text 1b—Rashi on Lev. 19:16 Text 2—Arakhin 15b Text 3a—Mishneh Torah, Laws of Personal Qualities 7:2 Text 3b—Hafetz Hayyim 1:8 Text 3c—Hafetz Hayyim 3:3 Text 4—Yoma 4b Text 5—Hafetz Hayyim 10:1 Text 6—Student, “A Torah Guide for the Digital Age”Text Study #2: PrivacyText 7—Mishnah Bava Batra 3:7; Bava Batra 60a Text 8a—Kurshan, Comments on Bava Batra 2a–b Text 8b—Dorff, Love Your Neighbor and Yourself Text 8c—Samlan, “The Ten Commandments of Social Media”Conclusion 4. Sex and Intimacy Case Study #1: Four Ideas about Jewish Sexual Ethics Case Study #2: LGBTQ Orientations Text Study #1: The Two InclinationsText 1a—Gen. 1:31 Text 1b—Ramban, Iggeret HaKodesh Text 2—Genesis Rabbah 9:7Text Study #2: Sex within MarriageText 3—Mishnah Ketubot 5:6; Ketubot 62b Text 4—Nedarim 20a–b Text 5a—Eiruvin 100b Text 5b—Shulḥan Arukh, Even HaEzer 25:2Text Study #3: The Power of Sexual DesireText 6—Kiddushin 81a Text 7a—Mishnah Kiddushin 1:1 Text 7b—Yevamot 61b Text 7c—Gittin 81b Text 7d—Mishneh Torah, Laws of Marriage 1:4Text Study #4: Sexual ValuesText 8a—Birkat Eirusin, Betrothal Blessing from the Wedding Ceremony Text 8b—Blessing Six of the Wedding Ceremony Text 9a—Novak Winer, Sacred Choices Text 9b—Salkowitz, “Reform Jewish Sexual Values” Text 10—Plaskow, Standing Again at SinaiText Study #5: LGBTQ SexualityText 11a—Lev. 18:22 Text 11b—Lev. 20:13 Text 12—Sanhedrin 54a–b Text 13a—Shulḥan Arukh, Even HaEzer 24:1 Text 13b—Bayyit Ḥadash on Even HaEzer 24:1 Text 14a—Nedarim 51a with Rashi’s commentary Text 14b—Torah Temimah on Lev. 18:22 Text 14c—Havrelock, “Acharei Mot: Boundaries of Rituals: The Sanctuary and the Body” Text 15—Mishneh Torah, Laws of Intercourse 21:8Text 16—Berakhot 19b Text 17—Dorff, Nevins, and Reisner, “Homosexuality, Human Dignity and Halakhah” Text 18—Reconstructionist Commission on Homosexuality, “Homosexuality and Judaism” Text 19—Litman, “‘Bisexual’ Identity: A Guide for the Perplexed”Conclusion 5. Medical Ethics at the Beginning of Life Case Study #1: Who Counts as a Parent? Case Study #2: Choosing Single Parenthood Case Study #3: Surrogate Motherhood Case Study #4: Parenthood through Cloning Text Study #1: The Mitzvah of ProcreationText 1—Gen. 1:27–28 Text 2—Yevamot 63b Text 3—Mishnah Yevamot 6:6 Text 4—Dorff, Matters of Life and Death Text 5a—Jacob, “Jewish Marriage without Children” Text 5b—Panitz, “Must a Jew Have Children? A Conservative Answer”Text Study #2: Assisted Reproductive TechnologiesText 6—Hagigah 14b–15a Text 7—Mishneh LaMelekh on Mishneh Torah, Laws of Matrimony 15:4 Text 8a—Ramban on Lev. 18:20 Text 8b—Waldenberg, Responsa Tzitz Eliezer Text 9—Broyde, “The Establishment of Paternity in Jewish and American Law” Text 10—Grossman, “Choosing Parenthood”Text Study #3: Surrogate MotherhoodText 11a—Gen. 16:1–4,15 Text 11b—Gen. 30:1–6 Text 11c—Spitz, “On the Use of Birth Surrogates” Text 12a—Gellman, “The Ethics of Surrogate Motherhood” Text 12b—Freundel, Contemporary Orthodox Judaism’s Response to Modernity Text 12c—Jakobovits, Jewish Medical Ethics Text 13a—Jacob, “Surrogate Mother” Text 13b—Spitz, “On the Use of Birth Surrogates” Text 13c—Loike and Tendler, “Gestational Surrogacy” Text 13d—State of Israel Ministry of Health, “Surrogacy in Israel”Text Study #4: Parenthood through CloningText 14—Sanhedrin 65b Text 15a—Menachem HaMeiri on Sanhedrin 67b Text 15b—Ashkenazi, Responsa Hakham Tzvi 93 Text 16—Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5 Text 17—Waldenberg, Responsa Tzitz Eliezer Text 18—Grazi and Wolowesky, Overcoming InfertilityConclusion 6. Abortion Case Study #1: Fetal Reduction of Twins Case Study #2: Abortion of a Fetus with a Deficit Case Study #3: When Contraception Fails Text Study #1: Halakhic Status of the FetusText 1a—Exod. 21:12 Text 1b—Exod. 21:22–23 Text 2—Mishnah Ohalot 7:6 Text 3a—Exod. 22:1–2 Text 3b—Rashi on Exod. 22:1–2 Text 3c—Sanhedrin 73b Text 4—Sanhedrin 72bText Study #2: Two Approaches to Abortion EthicsText 5a—Rashi on Sanhedrin 72b, s.v. “If its head came out” Text 5b—Mishneh Torah, Laws of Murder and Preservation of Life 1:9Text Study #3: Fetal PersonhoodText 6—Arachin 7a Text 7—Sanhedrin 84b Text 8a—Central Conference of American Rabbis, Resolution on Abortion Text 8b—Agudath Israel of America, National Public Policy Position Paper Text 9—Feldman, “Abortion: The Jewish View” Text 10—Bleich, Judaism and Healing Text 11—Meacham (leBeit Yoreh), Encyclopedia of Jewish Women Text 12—Waldenberg, Responsa Tzitz Eliezer Text 13—Feinstein, Responsa Iggrot Moshe Text 14—Jacob, “When Is Abortion Permitted?” Text 15—“Israel: Reproduction and Abortion: Law and Policy” Text 16—Alpert, “Sometimes the Law Is Cruel”Conclusion 7. Medical Ethics at the End of Life Case Study #1: Defining Death Case Study #2: Extending Life at What Cost? Case Study #3: Physician-Assisted Dying Text Study #1: Basic Principles of Jewish Medical EthicsText 1a—Ps. 24:1 Text 1b—Mishneh Torah, Laws of Proper Conduct 3:3 and 4:1 Text 2a—Mishnah Yoma 8:6–7 Text 2b—Yoma 85b Text 2c—Yoma 85a Text 3a—Exod. 21:18–19 Text 3b—Bava Kamma 85a Text 3c—Mishneh Torah, Laws of Murder and Preservation of Life 11:4–5Text Study #2: When Death Is InevitableText 4a—Semaḥot 1:1–1:4 Text 4b—Shulḥan Arukh, Yoreh De’ah 339:2 Text 5—Avodah Zarah 18a Text 6—Shulḥan Arukh, Yoreh De’ah 339:1 Text 7a—HaLevi, Natural and Artificial Life Text 7b—Waldenberg, Responsa Tzitz Eliezer Text 8a—Reisner, “A Halakhic Ethic of Care for the Terminally Ill” Text 8b—Sinclair, Tradition and the Biological Revolution Text 8c—Sherwin, Jewish Ethics for the Twenty-First Century Text 9a—Uniform Determination of Death Act (1980)Text 9b—Mishneh Torah, Laws of Shabbat 2:19 Text 9c—Mishnah Ohalot 1:6 Text 9d—Rosner, Biomedical Ethics and Jewish Law Text 9e—Waldenberg, Responsa Tzitz Eliezer Text 9f—Veatch, “The Evolution of Death and Dying Controversies”Text Study #3: SuicideText 10a—Semaḥot 2:1 Text 10b—1 Sam. 31:3–4 Text 11a—Lev. 19:14 Text 11b—Sifra Kedoshim 2:14 Text 12—Mishnah Gittin 5:9 Text 13—Cahana, “‘Who Shall Live . . . ’”Conclusion Notes Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisModern Musar explores the diverse ways Jews understand ten virtues: honesty and love of truth; curiosity and inquisitiveness; humility; courage and valor; temperance and self-restraint; gratitude; forgiveness; love, kindness, and compassion; solidarity and social responsibility; and justice and righteousness. Trade Review“By expanding musar literature to include not only the texts of the Musar movement and those influenced by them but also liberal and secular Jewish thinkers, Claussen forces the fields of modern Jewish thought and ethics to rethink their boundaries.”—Yonatan Y. Brafman, assistant professor of religion, Tufts University“Geoffrey Claussen’s Modern Musar is a major contribution to the contemporary literature of musar. Having assembled more than a simple anthology, Claussen takes excerpts from both the traditional and the most contemporary musar authors and places them in conversation with one another, guided by his own explanations and evaluations of the material. His willingness to broaden the conversation to include those who might not consider themselves musar writers is not only refreshing but also illuminating. It suggests the breadth of ethical writing within Judaic sources and invites the growing number of folks drawn to musar to take a similarly broader view of the field.”—Rabbi Ira F. Stone, Rosh Yeshiva, Center for Contemporary Mussar“A mind-expanding view of Jewish ethical character development and a pedagogic tour de force. In juxtaposing contrasting perspectives—rather than a single ‘paradigmatically Jewish’ view of moral virtue—on many ethical issues, Professor Claussen compels us to consider divergent views of qualities of soul. This work will become an indispensable text for students of mussar and of Jewish tradition in general.”—Rabbi Amy Eilberg, author of From Enemy to Friend: Jewish Wisdom and the Pursuit of Peace and senior faculty, the Mussar Institute“How clearly and emphatically Professor Claussen proves that Jewish thinkers of varying time periods, religious orientations, and genders understand Jewish virtues differently. With the diverse (and even quite troubling) primary textual sources he provides and clarifies, readers are bound to join the discourse and define their own Jewish understandings of virtues they hold as central in their own lives.”—Rabbi Vanessa Ochs, professor in the Department of Religious Studies, University of Virginia“Casting a wide net in the Jewish ethical canon and offering his invariably lucid commentary, Claussen illuminates the diversity of modern Jewish moral thought. Modern Musar will be an invaluable resource for scholars and general readers alike.”—Elias Sacks, director of the Program in Jewish Studies, University of Colorado Boulder“With this deeply learned study, Geoffrey Claussen opens an inspiring vista of Jewish ethical thinking through a series of debates and a range of diverse views. His lucid explanations make this book a fabulous introduction to Jewish ethics.”—Susannah Heschel, Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth CollegeTable of ContentsForeword by Louis E. Newman Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Honesty and Love of Truth (Yosher/Ahavat ha-Emet) 2. Curiosity and Inquisitiveness (Sakranut/Ḥakranut) 3. Humility (Anavah) 4. Courage and Valor (Ometz Lev/Gevurah) 5. Self-Restraint and Temperance (Shelitah Atzmit/Metinut) 6. Gratitude (Hakarat ha-Tov) 7. Forgiveness (Salḥanut) 8. Love, Kindness, and Compassion (Ahavah/Ḥesed/Raḥmanut) 9. Solidarity and Social Responsibility (Arevut/Aḥarayut) 10. Justice and Righteousness (Tzedek) Conclusion List of Source Texts Source Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Subject Index Index of Classical Texts

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis first anthology of the most important writings by Danny Siegel, spanning and modernizing fifty years of his insights intersperses soulful Jewish texts with innovative Mitzvah ideas to rouse individuals and communities to transform our lives, communities, and world. Trade Review"Danny Siegel is a magician and this book is a collection of his best tricks. Open it to any page and smile or weep. Read any essay or piece of poetry and recognize humanity at its most open-hearted. This volume should be in every library and many personal collections. Rabbis can mine its contents for sermons. Students, synagogues and schools can find ideas for individual and community projects. Foundation professionals can find inspiration for difficult moments (which we especially need now)."—Fred Isaac, Association of Jewish Libraries News and Reviews“No one has inspired the Jewish community to perform acts of kindness more than Danny Siegel, and this comprehensive collection of his most radiant works sings out to us all. Radiance is a spiritual masterpiece!”—Rabbi David Ellenson, chancellor emeritus, Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion“This volume is a unique mix of prose, poetry, classic texts, Torah insights, models of good deeds, portraits of Mitzvah heroes, and Danny Siegel’s unflagging affirmation of the good in people and in living. In a classic comic book trope, a hitherto ordinary person is hit by a powerful, mysterious ray and becomes endowed with superpowers. If you allow yourself to be hit by this collection’s rays of love and life wisdom, you will emerge a Mitzvah superhero.”—Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, author of For the Sake of Heaven and Earth: The New Encounter between Judaism and Christianity“It’s impossible to think about Mitzvah heroes and the way they inspire others to change the world without the work of Danny Siegel. Through his poetry, his stories, and, perhaps most of all, his person, Danny helps us to believe in the possibility of tikkun—healing and repair—for everything that is broken. Radiance is aptly named: this beautiful collection fills the reader with light and hope!”—Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback, Stephen Wise Temple, Los Angeles“In today’s world Siegel’s Radiance is a much-needed guide—each text becomes a source of action, and any Mitzvah, no matter how ostensibly small, changes the world.”—Harlene Appelman, executive director, Covenant Foundation“Danny Siegel was one of the first people in the 1960s to call for a new approach to Jewish communal life: seeking out ways to give and ‘do’ Tzedakah. Within a short time, young people, their parents, and entire communities were thinking differently about Tzedakah. Radiance, the best of Siegel’s transformational teachings through the years, is a welcome volume that continues to challenge and teach us today.”—Deborah E. Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies, Emory University“Danny Siegel is that rare writer who dazzles us by spelling out timeless values and inspiring suggestions that can change our lives—and the lives of those who may need our help.”—William Novak, coauthor of the best-selling memoirs of Lee Iacocca, Tip O’Neill, Nancy Reagan, Oliver North, Magic Johnson, and others“My father, Rabbi Noah Golinkin z”l, was one of Danny Siegel’s Tzedakah rebbes; Danny Siegel is my Tzedakah rebbe. We have learned in the Talmud: ‘Greater is one who convinces others to do [Tzedakah] than one who does’ (Bava Batra 9a). ‘One who learns in order to do, they enable him to learn and to teach, to observe and to do’ (Avot 4:5). Danny Siegel has taught tens of thousands of people how to do Tzedakah. May he continue to learn, to teach and to do—ad meah v’esrim, until 120.”—Rabbi David Golinkin, president, Schechter Institutes, JerusalemTable of ContentsA Rebbi's Proverb Foreword: Teaching Goodness by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin Acknowledgements Introduction: Seeking Out Places Where Light is Hidden by Rabbi Neal Gold About This Book How to Get the Most Out of This Book Using This Book in Your Personal and Organizational Life Notes on Language and Utility Part I: Prose1. Mitzvahs and How to Implement Them The Dress (1981) Gym Shoes and Irises (1982) Proposed Course Titles (1987) Why People Who Are Blind Should Own Their Own Cars or: How to Think Mitzvahs (1995) Holy Balloons (1997) Songs of Love (1997) Three Prongs (2000) Occupation: Mitzvahs (2000) David Copperfield (2000) The Starfish (2000) The Butterfly (2000) Wow à Duh! (2000) The Pedestal (2000) Whatever I Want for Myself, I Want for Other People (2000) 24 Questions Parents May Wish to Ask Themselves (2004) 100 Possible Reasons Why You May Have Decided to Do More Tikkun Olam—in No Particular Order of Importance (2006) A First Exercise: The Relationship Between Doing Tikkun Olam Jewishly and Your “Jewishness” (2006) The Four Questions (2006) The Good Stuff and the Crud (2006) Jewish Optimism—From Radical to Mainstream (2019) 2. Interpretations of Jewish Texts The Angels (1980) Commentary on Bava Batra 8a (1989) Life (1995) Life is the Good People (1995)Jewish Jewish Leadership (1995) DNA Analysts: Parashat Shemot (1996)Va-yishlah: Our Ancestor Jacob, the One with the Bad Hip, and Other Tales (1999) Teaching Jewish Texts Today (2019) 3. Portraits of Mitzvah Heroes The Giants of Jerusalem (1981) Trevor Ferrell (1988) Yossi Samuels and Shoshana Weinstock (1997) The Rabbanit Bracha Kapach (1988) Samantha Abeel: The Kid Who Got It All Wrong in Class (1998) Mitzvah Heroes are Everywhere—We Just Have to Know How to Look (2019) 4. Living a Life of Menschlichkeit My Father’s Personal Passover Ritual (1978) A Tribute to My Friends in the Rabbinate (1981) A Story I Once Heard from a Medical Student (1981) The Lamed Vavniks (1988) The College Interview (1988) Li’at in the Park (1988) Klal Yisrael—All Jews (1989) Tzedakah and Tzedek (2019) 5. How and Why to Give Tzedakah Money Away The First Tzedakah Report (1975) Theology and Tzedakah: Two Points (1982) The Second Rule of Tzedakah: There’s No Such Thing as a Small Mitzvah (1982) Does Tzedakah Money Really Belong to You? (2006) What Does It Mean “to Do Tzedakah Jewishly”? (2006) Should You Always Do Your Tzedakah Giving Anonymously? (2006) Will You Find “The Meaning of Life” by Doing Tzedakah? (2006) How Do You Evaluate Financial Information from a Tzedakah Program So You Can Decide to Whom to Give or Not to Give? (2006) From the Ziv Tzedakah Fund Final Report (2008) A Smaller World (2019) Part II: Poetry6. From Soulstoned (1969) Father Abraham–Genesis Chapter 22 Slightly Changed 7. From And God Braided Eve’s Hair (1976) The Crippler A Recent Immigrant Comes from the Soviet Union to His Family in the U.S. Selig and the Judge Personal Preference Hebrew Psalm 55 Mashiachtzeit or Davidson from Egged Knife, Birds 8. From Between Dust and Dance (1978) A Blessing Frumka 9. From Nine Entered Paradise Alive (1980) Surveying the Jewish Multitudes Erev Shabbas Blessing the Children The Tree and the Mashiach 10. From Unlocked Doors (1983) Children’s Games Rav Sheshet and the Angel Carolyn’s Last Snow 11. From The Lord is a Whisper at Midnight (1985) The Geese and Hoopoes Praise You Number My Days This Way A Prayer for Teachers of Torah 12. From The Garden (1985) All Red White and Blue, We American Kids Wallenberg I Wallenberg II Snows of My Childhood 13. From Before Our Very Eyes (1986) Sunflower Seeds and Name-Brand Shirts A Certain Holiness Summer 1976, Wine in the Streets 14. From The Meadow Beyond the Meadow (1991) Anthropology With a Kiss The Old Tapestry in the Den The Imaginary Conference of the International College of Poets, Tampa, June 12-15, 1982 Spring Storm The Four Children Be Not Irrelevant 15. From A Hearing Heart (1992) King Solomon Asks for a Hearing Heart Above All, Teach This Newborn Child Bat Mitzvah Speech of a Fifty-Year-Old Woman Mitzvah Therapy The Late Bloomer Where Heaven and Earth Touch So Closely, They Appear to Be Kissing A Recitation for Students of Anatomy Statement by a Woman Who Has Chosen to Be a Jew Commencement Address for Rabbinical School Speech to the Camp Counselors Just Before the Kids Arrive A Dream: A Touch of Glory 16. From Healing: Readings and Meditations (1999) The 23rd Psalm (Adapted)–A Responsive Reading The Restaurant of Broken Dreams 17. From From the Heart (2012) Muse The Bears In Loco Eshet Chayil

Read more less

Book SynopsisRethinking the great literary prophets whose ministry ran from the eighth to the sixth centuries BCE—Amos, Hosea, First Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Second Isaiah, and Job—Thinking about the Prophets examines their often-shocking teachings in light of their times, their influence on later thinkers, and their enduring lessons for all of us. Trade Review"Erudite and accessible, this insightful analysis will appeal to any reader interested in the Bible, the philosophy of religion, or simply the history and literature of the ancient world."—Publishers Weekly“Thinking about the Prophets is a significant contribution to understanding the institution of Israelite prophecy as fundamentally an ethical project and to understanding the prophets as moral thinkers taking their rightful place in the long history of moral social thinkers in the Jewish and Western philosophical tradition.”—Steven P. Kepnes, professor of world religions and of religion and Jewish studies, Colgate University “Seeskin innovatively shows us that the prophets were thinkers too and that their thinking has had an indelible impact on Western understandings of God, the world, and human responsibility. Erudite and accessible as well, this work would be an excellent text in college-level courses on biblical literature or Jewish thought and in adult education settings.”—Judith R. Baskin, Philip H. Knight Professor of Humanities Emerita, University of Oregon Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Preface: Children of Prophets Introduction: What Is a Prophet? 1. Amos: Moral Idealism 2. Hosea: Divine Pathos 3. First Isaiah, Part 1: War and Peace 4. First Isaiah, Part 2: The Coming of the Messiah 5. Jeremiah: Suffering for the Sake of God 6. Ezekiel: Freedom and Responsibility 7. Second Isaiah: Monotheism Takes Hold 8. Job: Innocent Suffering Conclusion: The Legacy of the Prophets Notes Bibliography

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisFeatures essays that examine the relationship between political philosophy and faith. This volume also investigates the continued intellectual and political vitality of revelation as it is understood by its own adherents.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe relationship between religion and violence has been the subject of intense academic and public discussion. Clarke seeks to understand how justifications for religious violence develop and considers how these differ from ordinary secular justifications of violence.Table of ContentsPreface ix 1 Justification, Religion, and Violence 1 2 Religion 27 3 Morality 58 4 Justifying Violence,War, and CosmicWar 89 5 The Afterlife 114 6 The Sacred 134 7 Recent Justifications of Religious Violence 153 8 Tolerance 183 9 Reducing Religious Violence 198 References 215 Name Index 243 Subject Index 251

Read more less