Berkeley Journal of Religion and Theology, Vol. 1, No. 1. This is the inaugural issue and volume of the Journal. Featuring the first Karen Lebacqz Lecture at PSR, the 2014 Distinguished Faculty Lecture, articles by Purushottama Bilimoria and Colette Walker, and a book review.
Berkeley Journal of Religion and Theology, Vol. 3, No. 1. This is the regular issue journal. Featuring 2016 Distinguished Faculty lecture, the 2017 Surjit Singh Lecture, and articles by Pravina Rodrigues, Jennifer Fernandez, and Jaesung Ryu. Also featuring several book reviews.
Berkeley Journal of Religion and Theology, Vol. 2, No. 1. This is the regular issue Journal. Featuring 2015 Distinguished Faculty lecture, the 2016 Readings of the Sacred Texts Lecture, and the 2016 Surjit Singh Lecture, as well as articles by Shin Young Park, Brent Lyons, Wesley Ellis, and Jessica Tinklenberg. Featuring several book reviews as well.
Examines Balthasar's recovery of the doctrine of the spiritual senses in the mid-20th century, focusing on his model of the perceptual faculties through which one beholds the form that God reveals.
Residing at the intersection of constructive theology and critical social theory, this book provides a resource for both students and clergy to reinterpret Christian theology and re-imagine Christian faith in the twenty-first century. The author seeks “to encourage and equip Christian faith communities to move beyond the decades-long stalemate over human sexuality and gender identity” because “Queer gifts emerge in Christian communities when lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people no longer feel compelled to justify their presence in those communities.” Useful in both seminary classrooms and in congregational settings, the book is a contribution to the still-emerging field of queer theology, translating the rigors of scholarly research into transforming proposals for faith communities.
Volume 2, Issue 2 of the Berkeley Journal of Religion and Theology is a special issue honoring the work of Judith Berling and Arthur Holder. Judith Berling, the 4th academic dean of the Graduate Theological Union is retiring from the faculty, and Arthur Holder, the 6th academic dean, is stepping down from the deanship of the GTU. This issue brings students and colleagues of both Drs. Berling and Holder to celebrate their achievements and honor their service to the GTU by engaging their work. Featuring contributions by Margaret Miles, Henry Kuo, Lisa Dahill, Ken Butigan, Sandra Schneiders, William Short, Mary Mee-Yin Yuen, Jennifer Howe Peace, and Riess Potterveld.
What is life for? What may give it meaning? Does it have any meaning at all? A sage in ancient Israel brooded over these questions. In ancient India, too, such questions drove a despairing warrior to seek answers from his divine friend Krishna. The thoughts of the sage became the wisdom book Ecclesiastes; those of Krishna, the Bhagavad-gītā. Their wisdom speaks to our deepest concerns. In Vanity Karma, wisdom meets wisdom as these two perennial classics come together, both offering us profound understanding. And a deep and authentic spiritual understanding, we may find, can infuse our lives with meaning and with joy. Vanity Karma brings you on a journey through the full text of Ecclesiastes, a journey illuminated by traditional biblical scholarship, insights from the Bhagavad-gītā, a dash of autobiography, and a steady spiritual focus.
"Introduces students to key concepts in religious studies through a compelling problem-solving framework. This new textbook features the following: dynamic case studies opening each chapter that teach critical thinking skills and engage students in contemporary religious issues such as the intersection of science and religion; a wide range of examples from world religions throughout the text; clear introductions to classic and contemporary theories of religion, both Eastern and Western; [and] chapter summaries that include essential concepts, a list of key terms, and questions for individual reflection or class discussion. Religion today guides students in understanding the complex role that religion plays in the world, while also building a solid foundation in both religious studies and problem-solving skills"--
Focusing on the three monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Douglas Pratt argues that despite a popular focus on Islam, extremist Jews and Christians can also enact terror and destruction. Religion and Extremism stresses that the ideological rejection of diversity underlies religious extremism resulting in violent behaviours and, increasingly, in hardening social and religious attitudes and responses. An analysis of religiously-driven terrorism reveals the presence of a distinctive and rigid form of exclusivity found in these religions. In this regard, the contemporary resurgence in totalising claims of fundamentalist ideologues is cause for particular concern. Pratt reasons that however expressed, the motif of the 'Absolute' is central to all, but how that absolute is and has been received, interpreted and responded to, is a matter of great diversity. The author asserts that theological 'Absolutism' displays an underlying dynamic whereby these three religions may be led into extremism. Religion and Extremism also explores contemporary issues of Islamophobia and mutual extremism, identified as 'reactive co-radicalization', and concludes by reflecting on how extremism today might be countered.
Table of Contents An Introduction to the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence Matthew J. Gaudet Artificial Intelligence and Moral Theology: A Conversation Brian Patrick Green, Matthew Gaudet, Levi Checketts, Brian Cutter, Noreen Herzfeld, Cory Labrecque, Anselm Ramelow, OP, Paul Scherz, Marga Vega, Andrea Vicini, SJ, Jordan Joseph Wales Artificial Intelligence and Social Control: Ethical Issues and Theological Resources Andrea Vicini, SJ Can Lethal Autonomous Weapons Be Just? Noreen Herzfeld Artificial Intelligence and the Marginalization of the Poor Levi Checketts We Must Find a Stronger Theological Voice: A Copeland Dialectic to Address Racism, Bias, and Inequity in Technology John P. Slattery Can a Robot Be a Person? De-Facing Personhood and Finding It Again with Levinas Roberto Dell’Oro Metaphysics, Meaning, and Morality: A Theological Reflection on A.I. Jordan Joseph Wales Theological Foundations for Moral Artificial Intelligence Mark Graves The Vatican and Artificial Intelligence: An Interview with Bishop Paul Tighe Brian Patrick Green Epilogue on AI and Moral Theology: Weaving Threads and Entangling Them Further Brian Patrick Green