Theology Books

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Book SynopsisReading the Old Testament can seem like exploring an old, mysterious mansion, packed with of all sorts of strange rooms. The creation room, vast and sublime. The exodus room, with hardhearted pharaohs and dried-up seas. The war room, with bloody swords and crumbling walls. The tabernacle room, with smoking altars and dark inner sanctums. What does this odd and ancient world have to do with us, who are modern followers of Jesus? As it turns out, everything! Every chapter in the Old Testament, in a variety of ways, tells the story that culminates in Jesus the Messiah. What Christians today call the Old Testament is what Jesus and the earliest believers simply called the Scriptures. That was their Bible. From its pages, they taught about the Messiah’s divine nature, his priestly work, his ministry of salvation. The Christ Key will reintroduce readers to these old books as ever-fresh, ever-new testimonies of Jesus. By the end, you will see even Leviticus as a book of grace and mercy, and you will hear in the Psalms the resounding voice of Christ.

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Book SynopsisThe direct quotations in the letter to the Hebrews presumably go back to a template from the Septuagint, but have so far scarcely been explored. Gert J. Steyn explores this situation from a perspective of historical and textual criticism A structured structure that recognizes two different types of quotations, which are listed in pairs: primarily song lyrics and quotes from the Torah that mingle with psalm and prophetic words. Gert J. Steyn examines each quote on the background of the possible alternative template (s). In the course of the study, it becomes clear that the author of the letter himself has combined a whole series of quotes from the early Jewish and early Christian traditions.

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Book SynopsisAlready Scripture asks many questions regarding anthropological problems. In the 20th century, the scholarly field of anthropology has become a lot more complex heuristically, methodically and hermeneutically. Therefore, modern research needs to answer arisen questions considering a wide range of disciplines: Sociology, Philosophy, Ethics and also Empirical Research. This volume is an interdisciplinary project within theology. Contributions seek to not only reflect the state of the art in anthropological research from a theological point of view, but also provide a theological interpretation of one virulent question: What is a Human?

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Book SynopsisThe aim of Odgaard Møllers book is threefold: The first main section seeks to clarify how and why Jesus is presented in the pre-1968 writings of the Danish theologian and philosopher K.E. Løgstrup (1905-1981). Throughout his work, Løgstrups main focus has been a rehabilitation of the insight that life is something definite, because it is created. Here, Jesus primarily plays a methodological/strategic role as the one confirming and giving witness to Løgstrups interpretation of created life in a given time of his authorship. When faith in creation is formulated polemically against another interpretation of life, Jesus serves as Løgstrups ally in this discussion. In the second main section, this examination is extrapolated to include a discussion with Bultmann and two of his students in order to clarify the character of his Christology, not least whether -- or in what way -- this can be characterised as implicit Christology. Finally, in the light of Ricoeurs hermeneutic philosophy of religion, the third main section considers the systematic-theological validity of this picture of Jesus. The overall conclusion can be summed up in this way: The main line in Løgstrups work goes from created life to the human being Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus incarnates created life; therefore he is the true human being. This close connection between (created) Life and (true) Human Being is the kernel in Løgstrups thought. This makes his perception of Jesus and his Christology distinctive, original and specifically Løgstrupian.

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Book SynopsisIn very different ways the writings of the New Testament have shaped cultures until today. The Novum Testamentum Patristicum project will give a full documentation of ancient Christian receptions of the New Testament in late antiquity. This volume focuses on the different mainly narrative receptions of New Testament texts in ancient Christian apocryphal literature. While it has been accepted for a long time that apocryphal writings mainly wanted to fill the gaps of New Testament texts in more or less fantastic ways, the articles in this volume discover a rich and very different variety of re-writings, relectures, and receptions of New Testament texts, motifs and ideas.

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Book SynopsisAuthentikos Logos (NHC VI,3), also known as Authoritative Teaching,is a little studied story of a souls descent and ascent in the Nag Hammadi library. With her book Ulla Tervahauta fills a gap in the scholarship and provide the first monograph-length study that has this writingas its primary focus. The aim is to find a place and context for Authentikos Logos within early Christianity, but Tervahauta also adds new insight into the scholarship of the Nag Hammadi Library and study of early Christianity. Contrary to the usual discussion of the Nag Hammadi writings from the viewpoint of Gnostic studies, she argues that Authentikos Logos is best approached from the context of Christian traditions of late ancient Egypt between the third and the fifth centuries. Tervahauta discusses the story of the souls journey in light of various Christian and Platonic writings. Also, she analyses the relationship of Authentikos Logos with the Valentinian Wisdom myth and suggests that no firm evidence connects the writing closely with Valentinian traditions. And although a Platonic mind-set can be assumed, the writing combines motifs in a unique manner. For example, the four epithets used in the writing the invisible soul, the pneumatic soul, the material soul, and the rational soul are not found thus combined elsewhere. Discussion of matter (hyle) is connected with Christian scriptural allusions and the focus is on ethics and the evilness of matter. The body, on the other hand, is the souls place of contest and progress. The Pauline term pneumatic body (1 Cor 15:44) is used allusively and from a Platonic perspective. With this book Ulla Tervahauta makes an important contribution to the study of early Christianity in late ancient Egypt by discussing a writing thatshows knowledge and creative combination of literary traditions that circulated in late ancient Egypt.

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Book SynopsisFilling the historiographical gap, Yoo raises a fundamental question concerning the criticism of the Reformed doctrine of free choice in relationship to divine necessity as determinism. Unlike the deterministic interpretation of traditional Reformed thought on free choice, the substantive and careful study of John Edwards writings on free choice in the intellectual context of the seventeenth and the eighteenth century shows that in Edwards view, human beings retain the natural freedom from compulsion and freedom of contrary choice even after the Fall, and divine necessity such as decree, predestination, and foreknowledge does not exclude human free choice at all.

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Book SynopsisThe content of the book reconsiders the relation between visibility and transcendence. The focus is especially on the contribution to this issue from the theological tradition in protestant Europe between the 16th and the 21st Centuries. In the book a thematically broad field is covered embracing more than five centuries and a plurality of methods drawn from theology, philosophy, and the history and theory of art.

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Book SynopsisThe historical study of Protestantism is often limited to internal or national discussions. Yet a broader, international look means also studying the major upheavals that occurred throughout the world, such as wars and globalisation.This volume first reviews the history of the church in the 20th century from an international and interdisciplinary vantage point and takes a look at the most important themes and conflicts that marked that often tension-filled time, among others the two world wars, globalisation, the broad number of continuities and discontinuities, the influence of the 1960s on social life, and the debate on the role of gender in the history of Christianity.

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Book SynopsisJohn Calvin's understanding of works-righteousness is more complex than is often recognized. While he denounces it in some instances, he affirms it in others. This study shows that Calvin affirms works-righteousness within the context where faith-righteousness is already established, and that he even teaches a form of justification by works. Calvin ascribes not only a positive role to good works in relation to divine acceptance, but also soteriological value to believers' good works. This study demonstrates such by exploring Calvin's theological anthropology, his understanding of divine-human activity, his teaching on the nature of good works, and his understanding of divine grace and benevolence. It also addresses current debates in Calvin scholarship by exploring topics such as union with Christ, the relation between justification and sanctification, the relation between good works and divine acceptance, the role of good works in the Christian life, and the content of good works.

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Book SynopsisThe doctrines of covenant, faith, and the order of salvation are crucial components of early modern Reformed soteriology. In seventeenth-century England, these three major doctrines of Reformed theology, which had been taken over undeveloped from the Reformers, took a mature shape, but aroused controversies among diverse Protestant groups. Modern historical scholarship on Reformed orthodoxy has produced little significant research that deals with these doctrines synthetically. This examination explores the broader role of faith in relation to these two significant doctrines for salvation in the early modern Reformed theology, with specific reference to the thought of Thomas Goodwin. To this end, Hyo-Nam Kim examines Goodwins life to review his religious experience and to understand his socio-theological context. Goodwins soteriology was sharpened by his battles on two fronts: The first is the threat of Arminian, Neonomian, and Socinian soteriologies that tended to place meritorious value on faith and on human acts. The second is the Antinomian errors that undervalued faith and human responsibility. Goodwin regarded faith as a key concept for his soteriology. Faith plays a central role in the covenant theology not only because a lack of faith was the immediate cause of breaking the covenant of works, but because saving faith was ordained in the covenant of redemption, and actually functions in the covenant of grace, as the instrument and a condition for the recovery of the relationship of mankind with God. Examination of Goodwins ordo salutis provides specific insight into the place and function of faith in the covenant of grace since each element of an ordo salutis refers to the blessings prepared for the elect to be finally saved. Together with the role of faith in Goodwins covenant theology, therefore, the reconstruction of Goodwins ordo salutis and the close examination of the role of faith in each blessing confirm that although faith may be said to be both an instrument and a condition for salvation, faith is the perfect instrument both for making salvation totally Gods gracious work, and for showing that the elect are not passive objects in the covenant.

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Book SynopsisIn democracies of advanced plurality, religion is a contested and powerful part of public discussions and practices. Today, religious difference is articulated and negotiated controversially in interaction with other spheres of society. While there are clear tendencies of increasing polarization, we also encounter moments of acknowledgement and appreciation of plurality. Facing these complexities and challenges of our time, this volume scrutinizes contested practices where religious difference matters.Committed to an interdisciplinary exchange between theology, the study of religion and political philosophy, this volume is grounded in the attention for concrete practices and phenomena as well as the conviction that difference is both a productive concept and an enriching experience. Exploring practices of shared places, sexuality, justice and the commitment to the human being in education, migration and violent conflicts, the volume as a whole contributes to the analysis of contested social and political practices in order to investigate the significance and role of religion in contemporary societies, and thus it further develops theoretical reflection about religion in contemporary research.

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Book SynopsisThis volume invites scholars of the Catholic and Protestant Reformations to incorporate recent advances in transnational and transregional history into their own field of research, as it seeks to unravel how cross-border movements shaped reformations in early modern Europe. Covering a geographical space that ranges from Scandinavia to Spain and from England to Hungary, the chapters in this volume apply a transregional perspective to a vast array of topics, such as the history of theological discussion, knowledge transfer, pastoral care, visual allegory, ecclesiastical organization, confessional relations, religious exile, and university politics.The volume starts by showing in a first part how transfer and exchange beyond territorial circumscriptions or proto-national identifications shaped many sixteenth-century reformations. The second part of this volume is devoted to the acceleration of cultural transfer that resulted from the newly-invented printing press, by translation as well as transmission of texts and images. The third and final part of this volume examines the importance of mobility and migration in causing transregional reformations. Focusing on the process of 'crossing borders' in peripheries and borderlands, all chapters contribute to the de-centering of religious reform in early modern Europe. Rather than princes and urban governments steering religion, the early modern reformations emerge as events shaped by authors and translators, publishers and booksellers, students and professors, exiles and refugees, and clergy and (female) members of religious orders crossing borders in Europe, a continent composed of fractured states and regions.

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Book SynopsisIn 1611 Edmond Richer, the syndic of the Faculty of Theology of Paris, published a short but incisive defence of the conciliarist doctrine under the title De ecclesiastica et politica potestate. He claimed that this doctrine had been almost uninterruptedly followed by the University of the Paris since the time of the Council of Constance in the early 15th century. Within two years, at least six Latin, French or bilingual editions of the treatise saw the light as well as an English and a Dutch translation. The book was condemned at a meeting of the French bishops in March 1612 and its author was dismissed from his position of syndic of the Faculty of Theology a few months later. He withdrew from public life but remained influential. He continued to write in defence of the conciliarist doctrine and the so-called liberties of the Gallican Church until his death in 1631. He vehemently opposed Cardinal Bellarmine's doctrine of the indirect power of popes in temporal matters but never subscribed to the doctrine of the divine power of kings. Most of his books were published posthumously.Philippe Denis retraces Edmond Richer's career and examines his ecclesiological and political thinking. Without taking all the syndic's opinions at face value, this volume commits itself to taking seriously Richer's declared intention, which was to vindicate the teaching of the School of Paris and that of Jean Gerson in particular. Philippe Denis places the heated, sometimes aggressive, debates between Richer and his adversaries in the context of a double progression: that of the doctrine of an absolute monarchy, a form of government which had been developing since the troubles of the League, and that of the Ultramontane ideas, often disputed but supported with growing vigour, in France and elsewhere, in the context of the reception of the Council of Trent.Philippe Denis presents the English translation of his book originally published in French (Editions du Cerf in Paris, 2014).

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Book SynopsisIn the field of biblical hermeneutics one area which scholarship has neglected is Catholic biblical scholarship during the early modern era. A brief look through a standard textbook on hermeneutics reveals the all-to-common jump from Luther, Calvin and the other Reformers, straight to Spinoza and the pioneers of the historical critical method. Catholic figures during the Reformation and afterward are often considered too reliant on tradition, too entrenched in dogmatic disputes, and too ignorant of historical methods to be taken as serious scholars of Scripture. In this timely work, Dr. Murray addresses these misconceptions and systematically shows why they are inadequate and a more nuanced judgment is needed. Beginning with a much-needed overview of contemporary scholarship, the work examines the historical context and key influences on the Catholic approach to the Bible. After addressing the Council of Trent and the Jesuit Order, it then examines two influential Jesuit biblical scholars in the next two chapters, the Spanish Cardinal Franciscus Toletus (1532-1596) and the great Flemish exegete Cornelius a Lapide (1567-1637). Dr. Murray examines the life, works, secondary literature, and biblical hermeneutics of both great scholars showing that Catholics, just like their Reformed brethren, could be serious and quality exegetes. While they lacked the historical knowledge and tools of today, the work shows that the Jesuits were pioneers in showing how their faith and devotion could be compatible with a historical and scientific study of Scripture. Jesuit Biblical Studies After Trent is a must read for those seeking to understand how Catholics were approaching the Bible after the Reformation and for those seeking to learn how to integrate their personal faith with a scientific study of Scripture.

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Book SynopsisIt starts with the definition: what is a religious experience? What is the short circuit of synaptic connections in our brain? Where does the border go? Which experiences are considered "divine" and which are considered purely neuronal? In the footsteps of Michael Persinger, Andrew Newberg and Eugene dAquilis, the author explores the question of whether and to what extent neuroscientists can explain religious experiences at all. It defines the term "religious experience" and defines various criteria for assessing scientific research, especially for assessing the quality of strongly reductionist studies. Runehov comes to the conclusion that the perspectives should not only be thought of, but can complement each other fruitfully. This harbors great potential for interdisciplinary research and dialogue, which should not refer to "sacred or neural" but "sacred and neural".

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Book SynopsisThe contemporary world is marked by a sense of vulnerability not seen since the end of the Cold War. Climate change, migration, and political instability make people feel the inherent vulnerability of human life. Concepts of "risk" and "danger" are as relevant now as ever before for illuminating contemporary life. Yet, what changes in human lives if one interprets existence with "risk" and "danger" from the perspective of Christian faith? Does the Christian symbol system offer orientation for human lives in a time of crisis? Exploring the work of leading contemporary thinkers, Danish theologian Mikkel Gabriel Christoffersen develops a rich and varied account of Christian doctrine that enables human beings to live with risk and danger, in all vulnerability, with gratitude, courage and care for others. Christoffersen develops an interdisciplinary approach that allows him to draw upon sociological and anthropological reflections on life lived whilst facing risks and dangers. He brings these findings into conversation with Scandinavian, Anglo-American, and German theologians of risk. The result of his endeavor is a Trinitarian theology of risk that explores the extent to which one can consider the cross of Christ a risk of the incarnation rather than its very purpose. Focusing on vital existential questions makes Christoffersen's considerations vibrant and relevant to scholars and lay-people with an open-minded, intellectual interest in contemporary Christian theology.

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Book SynopsisAntonio Gerace dealt with the development of biblical scholarship in Louvain by analysing with seven authors who worked in the first part of the Sixteenth century and who are strictly linked to the Louvain milieu. In chronological order, they include Nicholas Tacitus Zegers (c.1495-1559), John Henten (1499-1566), Cornelius Jansenius of Ghent', Adam Sasbout, John Hessels (1522-1566), Thomas Stapleton, and Francis Lucas 'of Bruges'. Each author offered key-contributions that can effectively show the development of Catholic biblical scholarship in that period. This can be divided into three main thematic areas: 1) Text-criticism of the Latin Vulgate; 2) Exegesis of the Scriptures; and 3) Preaching of the Bible. Somehow, these three areas represent the 'study flow' of the Scriptures: the emendation of the Vulgate, aimed at restoring the text to a hypothetical 'original', and the philological approach to the Greek and Hebrew sources allowing for a better comprehension of the Bible. Such comprehension becomes the basis of commentaries made with the intention of explaining the meaning of the Scriptures to the faithful in the light of the Tradition. Furthermore, the Church needed to preach the Scriptures and their contents to the Catholic flock in order to safeguard them from any 'heretical' influence. Therefore, several homiletic works appeared so that priests could prepare their sermons appropriately. Therefore, Gerace divided his work into three parts, each devoted to one of the three research areas, following the 'study-flow' of the Scriptures.

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Book SynopsisChildren are denied basic human rights worldwide. The cultural and social disadvantage is an ethical and political scandal! A closer look reveals that the struggle for general human rights and the intensive examination of religion are often interlinked. Trygve Wyller (Oslo), Usha S. Nayar (Mumbai) and their internationally renowned team of authors ask how this situation can be improved globally. They expect that religion in particular can make a decisive contribution to the children's rights action plan and discuss positive approaches based on case studies around the world. With contributions by Marcia J. Bunge, Udi Mandel Butler, Yolanda Corona, Annemie Dillen, Marta Maria Espeseth, John M. Hull, Usha S. Nayar, Irene Rizzini, Jone Salomonsen, Alfons H. Teipen, John Wall, Trygve Wyller and Carlos Pérez Zavala.

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Book SynopsisThe authors of this volume investigate the analysis of visual sources and their indispensable role for understanding and interpreting religions, their symbol systems, and the wider traditions of which they are a part. A particular interest in this study is the focus on the methodological challenge of images from a comparative perspective. The common concern that ranges over all the contributions is the search for a methodological perspective where images may be analysed in a comprehensive way, with particular regard for the social, and wider intellectual settings, as well as the religious, in which the images are embedded. Accordingly, we seek to show that visual sources need to be interpreted from different angles. In the last decades, a broad range of publications has contributed to highlight the significance of images, and visual media in general, for understanding religious traditions, communities and discourses in both historical and contemporary perspective. In more recent research streams, focussing on visual media in religious traditions and symbol systems, various avenues have opened up and been explored focussing on the status of images and of the gaze of the viewer as central aspects. Furthermore, there are illuminating contributions dealing with the theoretical premises and settings with which to approach the visual as a central component of religion, on the one hand giving an overview of essential definitions and implications, on the other hand concentrating on specific techniques and/or media.

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Book SynopsisThe Christian experience in modern Europe is fragmented. It shows great diversity in various geographical contexts and, historically, a considerable alternation of extremes, high or low tides of engagement. One aspect of the Christianity in Europe's past is its mission history. The spread of Christianity from the West -- as one of its most important results -- into the continents of the Global South has been deeply ambivalent in character. On the one hand, the mission from the West helped to build the historical foundations for Christian education, "adolescence" and maturation to responsible "adulthood" in a global, diverse, segregated and pluralistic world. As a mature global player, Christianity was in a prime position to contribute to peaceful conflict resolution, in the religious, social and political fields. On the other hand, the darkness and utter insufficiency of the encounter between the European, Christian "self" and the many "others" worldwide brought along problematic projections of different beliefs attacked in a hostile way as "alien" and, inevitably, as "conquered". The consequences, particularly for the "primal other" -- the indigenous people -- were often disastrous. Werner Ustorf has been a leading missiologist worldwide for thirty years. This book not only analyses the interaction between mission and individual, the construction of the "self" and the "other" in a mission context, but also proves the analytical strength of theology in conceptualizing future Christian experiences in Europe. Ustorf illustrates that apart from traditional dimension of faith, a non-religious interpretation and critical trust in transcendence, is crucial for the formation of the new interculturation of Christianity in Europe. Thus, this book demonstrates how mission history can be transformed to a research concept for a global and pluralistic Christianity.

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Book SynopsisMissiological calls for self-theologizing among faith communities present the field of practical theology with a challenge to develop methodological approaches that address the complexities of cross-cultural, practical theological research. Although a variety of approaches can be considered critical correlative practical theology, existing methods are often built on assumptions that limit their use in subaltern contexts. Kirk VanGilder addresses these concerns by analyzing existing theological methodologies with sustained attention to a community of Deaf Zimbabwean women struggling to develop their own agency in relation to child rearing practices. He explores a variety of theological approaches from practical theology, mission oriented theologians, theology among Deaf communities, and African women's theology in relationship to the challenges presented by subaltern communities such as Deaf Zimbabwean women. Rather than frame a comprehensive methodology, VanGilder proposes attitudes and guideposts to reorient practical theological researchers who wish to engender self-theologizing agency in subaltern communities.

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Book SynopsisThree recent and commercially successful series of novels employ and adapt the resources of popular fantasy fiction to create visions of religious identity: J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter books, Phillip Pullmans Dark Materials and Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins Left Behind series. The act of creating fantasy counter-worlds naturally involves all three stories in the creation of what Mike Gray terms transfigurations of transcendence: hopeful albeit paradoxical encodings of the ambiguous, non-observable reality whose primary locus in modern society is the societally extra-systemic human individual. Popular fantasy fiction turns out to involve acts of world-creation that are inherently religious and inherently paradoxical.A substantive examination shows that all three are involved in more or less intentional re-narrations of traditional Christian beliefs and narratives. The "atheist" His Dark Materials series does not deny but re-imagines the Christian visions of selfhood; the "traditionalist" Left Behind series does not simply replicate but modifies its own declared values; the apparent secularity of the Harry Potter series is shaped by its creative reception of Christian patterns and narratives. While the stories visions of selfhood clearly clash, the basic paradoxes involved in their struggle to articulate transcendence expose significant parallels and a productive conversation with the Christian tradition.It is not simply that popular fantasy fiction is theologically relevant the Christian Heilsgeschichte, too, proves to be highly relevant in popular culture. However, while far from obsolescent, models of religious identity in contemporary society require criticism and creativity and, as evinced most powerfully in the Harry Potter stories, a flair for constructive engagement with paradox. Three recent and commercially successful series of novels employ and adapt the resources of popular fantasy fiction to create visions of religious identity: J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter books, Phillip Pullmans Dark Materials and Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins Left Behind series.The act of creating fantasy counter-worlds naturally involves all three stories in the creation of what Mike Gray terms transfigurations of transcendence: hopeful albeit paradoxical encodings of the ambiguous, non-observable reality whose primary locus in modern society is the societally extra-systemic human individual. Popular fantasy fiction turns out to involve acts of world-creation that are inherently religious and inherently paradoxical.A substantive examination shows that all three are involved in more or less intentional re-narrations of traditional Christian beliefs and narratives. The "atheist" His Dark Materials series does not deny but re-imagines the Christian visions of selfhood; the "traditionalist" Left Behind series does not simply replicate but modifies its own declared values; the apparent secularity of the Harry Potter series is shaped by its creative reception of Christian patterns and narratives. While the stories visions of selfhood clearly clash, the basic paradoxes involved in their struggle to articulate transcendence expose significant parallels and a productive conversation with the Christian tradition.It is not simply that popular fantasy fiction is theologically relevant the Christian Heilsgeschichte, too, proves to be highly relevant in popular culture. However, while far from obsolescent, models of religious identity in contemporary society require criticism and creativity and, as evinced most powerfully in the Harry Potter stories, a flair for constructive engagement with paradox.

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Book SynopsisStephen J. Hamilton attempts to create a portrait of born-again Christianity by providing a general introduction to the doctrine of regeneration, including its development in modernity, as well as short exegeses of relevant scriptural texts, followed by a close reading of four theologians Philipp Jakob Spener, Jonathan Edwards, Friedrich D.E. Schleiermacher, and Charles G. Finney who all associate the doctrine of regeneration with an experience of presence in the individual believer.In light of these analyses, he then traces a general theological structure of the born-again understanding of regeneration, including a catalogue of theological issues over which there is significant disagreement, in order to create a topography of born-again theologies. In the final section, he applies these results to contemporary conversion narratives of non-theologians. It is in such conversion narratives, the author argues, that theologians can discover an implicit, lived theology that reveals how doctrines are perceived and put into practice among Christians. Accordingly, this is to be understood as the result of the creative reciprocity between (often tacit) theological convictions and the experiences of the Christian life. The final chapter, as a coda to the entire work, offers some concluding reflections on the present cultural and political situation in the USA pertaining to born-again Christianity and argues against any oversimplifications of the relationship between born-again theologies, culture, and politics.

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Book SynopsisRecent developments in technology have given rise to the impression that the boundaries imposed by our bodiliness can somehow be overcome. The increasing philosophical interest in bodiliness as an unavoidable human condition can be seen as a response to this far too comfortable impression. The essays in this volume address the topic of bodiliness from a theological point of view. They show that our perceptions of, and relationships with, one another cannot be divorced from our bodily condition, and that this existential reality affects significantly how we understand our relationship with God. The contributions also address how we can best deal with the fragility of our bodily condition, as well as the challenges that technological and medical procedures for altering the appearance and constitution of our bodies pose. Special attention is given to how liturgical experience not only offers us a means to respond to these challenges but also to deepen our understanding of Christian communities as ineluctably bodily.

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Book SynopsisJust Gender Relations in Church and Society â more than just a Dream

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Book SynopsisIt has been said that this human birth is God''s greatest gift to us. Most of us hardy ever stop to assess the true value of this precious gift. Perhaps many of us are apt to imagine that we are leading busy, full lives, making the best possible use of God''s rare gift. Have you ever paused to ask yourself the question, Is my life truly rewarding, fulfilling and satisfying? Am I living the Life Beautiful? If this question has crossed your mind even once, you are sure to draw inspiration and spiritual sustenance from Dada J P Vaswani''s captivating account of the Lives of Saints. Dada''s profound admiration, love and reverence for these great souls transcends all narrow boundaries of race, nationality: caste, creed and community. Thus he writes with equal respect for Sadhvi Vasuki and Mother Teresa; Adi Shankara comes alive in these pages as does Father Damien; Albert Schweitzer is featured here, as is Hasan Darvesh; you will also get to learn about less well known men and women, who, in Sadhu Vaswani''s words, lived a hidden life in the Hidden One. Most moving among them all, is Dada''s memorable account of the life and teachings of his own Gurudev, Sadhu Vaswani. Open the book and start reading from any page -- you will find yourself blessed, inspired and rejuvenated.

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Book SynopsisIf you regard life as a journey towards Liberation, Salvation and attainment of eternal Bliss, then you are certain to agree that we all need the best guidance we can get to complete the journey successfully and reach the much desired destination. What better guidance can we hope for, than the lives of the great saints sent by God to live, walk and talk as one among us, great souls who have not only been our mentors and teachers, but role models whom we must try to emulate? And who better to tell us about these noble ones, than one who has not only read deeply of their lives and teachings, but bears witness to their message in deeds of daily living-Rev. Dada J P Vaswani, a living saint of our own times? Read Dada''s very own inspired account of the lives of these great saints-of Guru Nanak and Gautama Buddha; Baha''u''llah and Lord Dattatreya; Tulsidas and Purandardas; Rabiya and Avvaiyar; Tolstoy and Gurudev Ranade; Sri Ramakrishna and his scared consort, Ma Sharada; modern day sages like Kagawa and the one and only Helen Keller; and many others who lived the Life Beautiful in their own terms-these personal tributes are bound to leave you profoundly moved and truly uplifted. Let Dada''s rendering of the lives of these great saints show you how you, too, can make your life sublime!

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Book SynopsisCeremonial rites and rituals are crucial in Hindu life, with sixteen samskaras including marriage. Mantras in Sanskrit are used, and a book has been translated into English to help those lacking Hindi knowledge, especially migrants from the past century.

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Book SynopsisA unique situation exists in the Nordic countries where there is a Lutheran majority living in ecumenical cooperation with other churches and ecclesiastical communities. This book attempts to shed light on what the churches have discovered they hold in common and on areas where they recognise that there are divergencies between them, both in relation to ordination and ministry, and in particular to the theology and terminology of ordination. The book brings together the research and insights of 23 researchers from all the Nordic countries studying more than 200 different kinds of ''ordination'' rites from the Orthodox and Roman Catholic as well as Lutheran and non-Lutheran protestant traditions. After an introduction to the churches in the Nordic countries, the book presents 19 case studies from the Nordic countries. The last part includes some general ecumenical and liturgical perspectives on ordination and rites presented by international researchers.

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