Divine Diversity
Divine Diversity

Author: Ben Abrahamson

Publisher: Createspace Independent Pub

Published: 2014-11-24

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 9781503286399

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If you have a passion for interfaith dialogue, an interest in the Middle East, or a curiosity about Islamic-Jewish relations, this is the book for you. Rabbi Ben Abrahamson's renowned discussions with Muslims and his work in Cultural Diplomacy is herein captured in scintillating debates among an exciting variety of participants. He explains, "Rabbinic Judaism teaches that proper Muslims are perfect believers, complete in every way, guaranteed a portion in the World to Come. I believe this view reflects a fundamental teaching originally shared as part of all the Abrahamic religions.” His dialogue between Muslims and Jews have blossomed into discussions that are at once bracing and respectful. This book, based on such dialogue, is the result. With approbations from Rabbi Yoel Schwartz of Yeshivat Dvar Yerushalayim and Sheikh Dr. Hoja Ramzy of Oxford University.For more information about Ben's work:www.facebook.com/ben613www.facebook.com/alsadiqin

God and Knowledge
God and Knowledge

Author: Nathaniel Gray Sutanto

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2020-02-20

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 0567692299

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Nathaniel Gray Sutanto offers a fresh reading of Herman Bavinck's theological epistemology, and argues that his Trinitarian and organic worldview utilizes an extensive range of sources. Sutanto unfolds Bavinck's understanding of what he considered to be the two most important aspects of epistemology: the character of the sciences and the correspondence between subjects and objects. Writing at the heels of the European debates in the 19th and 20th century concerning theology's place in the academy, and rooted in historic Christian teachings, Sutanto demonstrates how Bavinck's argument remains fresh and provocative. This volume explores archival material and peripheral works translated for the first time in English. The author re-reads several key concepts, ranging from Organicism to the Absolute, and relates Bavinck's work to Thomas Aquinas, Eduard von Hartmann, and other thinkers. Sutanto applies this reading to current debates on the relationship between theology and philosophy, nature and grace, and the nature of knowing; and in doing so provides students and scholars with fresh methods of considering Orthodox and modern forms of thought, and their connection with each other.

Divine Becoming
Divine Becoming

Author: Charlene Embrey Burns

Publisher: Fortress Press

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 9781451405019

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The universally human element of Jesus' incarnation Despite the feverish pace of publishing in historical Jesus studies, biblical scholars and theologians have not notably progressed in addressing the meaning and significance of the figure of Jesus in ways credible for contemporary persons. In this creative and insightful work, Burns seeks to understand the significance of Jesus and his incarnation through the category of participation. The central theological claims in the traditional concept of incarnation are anchored and illumined by Jesus' particular ability for empathy, sympathy, attunement, and entrainment. This notion, derived from the psychological research of Daniel Stern, allows Burns to show that incarnation — the capacity to participate in the life of others — is present not only in Jesus but to some extent in all people and in all religions. It further illumines features of God's trinitarian life and our lifelong journey into God (deification).

Circling the Elephant
Circling the Elephant

Author: John J. Thatamanil

Publisher: Fordham University Press

Published: 2020-06-02

Total Pages: 183

ISBN-13: 0823288536

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Christian theologians have for some decades affirmed that they have no monopoly on encounters with God or ultimate reality and that other religions also have access to religious truth and transformation. If that is the case, the time has come for Christians not only to learn about but also from their religious neighbors. Circling the Elephant affirms that the best way to be truly open to the mystery of the infinite is to move away from defensive postures of religious isolationism and self-sufficiency and to move, in vulnerability and openness, toward the mystery of the neighbor. Employing the ancient Indian allegory of the elephant and blind(folded) men, John J. Thatamanil argues for the integration of three often-separated theological projects: theologies of religious diversity (the work of accounting for why there are so many different understandings of the elephant), comparative theology (the venture of walking over to a different side of the elephant), and constructive theology (the endeavor of re-describing the elephant in light of the other two tasks). Circling the Elephant also offers an analysis of why we have fallen short in the past. Interreligious learning has been obstructed by problematic ideas about “religion” and “religions,” Thatamanil argues, while also pointing out the troubling resonances between reified notions of “religion” and “race.” He contests these notions and offers a new theory of the religious that makes interreligious learning both possible and desirable. Christians have much to learn from their religious neighbors, even about such central features of Christian theology as Christ and the Trinity. This book envisions religious diversity as a promise, not a problem, and proposes a new theology of religious diversity that opens the door to robust interreligious learning and Christian transformation through encountering the other.

What's in a Divine Name?
What's in a Divine Name?

Author: Alaya Palamidis

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2024-03-18

Total Pages: 896

ISBN-13: 3111326519

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Divine Names are a key component in the communication between humans and gods in Antiquity. Their complexity derives not only from the impressive number of onomastic elements available to describe and target specific divine powers, but also from their capacity to be combined within distinctive configurations of gods. The volume collects 36 essays pertaining to many different contexts - Egypt, Anatolia, Levant, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome - which address the multiple functions and wide scope of divine onomastics. Scrutinized in a diachronic and comparative perspective, divine names shed light on how polytheisms and monotheisms work as complex systems of divine and human agents embedded in an historical framework. Names imply knowledge and play a decisive role in rituals; they move between cities and regions, and can be translated; they interact with images and reflect the intrinsic plurality of divine beings. This vivid exploration of divine names pays attention to the balance between tradition and innovation, flexibility and constraints, to the material and conceptual parameters of onomastic practices, to cross-cultural contexts and local idiosyncrasies, in a word to human strategies for shaping the gods through their names.

Creation's Diversity
Creation's Diversity

Author: Willem Drees

Publisher: T&T Clark

Published: 2008-05-01

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 9780567033291

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This collection of substantial essays explores the question of how to relate environmental engagement in the context of religious convictions. In the first part of the book, 'A Diversity of Visions of Creation', six essays address various views of creation. In the second part of the book, 'Sustaining Creation's Diversity', the concept of sustainability is analyzed critically, given the dynamic character of natural reality as unveiled by the sciences. This is followed by some reflections on ethical and theological considerations regarding the idea that we ought to sustain diversity.

The Book of Shadows
The Book of Shadows

Author: Halue Mane

Publisher: Ahzuria Publishing

Published: 2024-08-16

Total Pages: 174

ISBN-13:

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This book offers a complete and detailed overview of Wicca, a neopagan religion that, although formalized in the 20th century, revives and reinvents ancestral practices of witchcraft, paganism, and folk magic. Wicca is presented as a spiritual path that values individuality, personal responsibility, and a deep connection with nature. Unlike many organized religions, Wicca does not have rigid dogmas, allowing practitioners to adapt their beliefs and rituals to reflect their personal needs and experiences. The book explores the history of Wicca from its origins with Gerald Gardner to its global spread, highlighting the role of key founders and the various traditions that have emerged over time. Special focus is given to the fundamental principles of the religion, such as the duality between the God and Goddess, respect for natural cycles, and the importance of ethics in magical practice. The essential practices of Wicca are also addressed, such as the creation and consecration of the magic circle, the celebration of the Sabbats and Esbats (solar and lunar festivals), and the use of magical tools like the athame, the wand, and the cauldron. The role of the four elements—Earth, Air, Fire, and Water—in ritual practice is explored in depth, showing how these elements underpin the Wiccan worldview and influence magical practices. Another central aspect covered is the Book of Shadows, the personal and sacred record of each practitioner's experiences and knowledge, which serves as a guide throughout their spiritual journey. The book also discusses Wiccans' personal relationship with their deities, the importance of syncretism and adaptation in modern Wicca, and how the religion continues to evolve in response to cultural and social changes. Combining history, theory, and practice, this book is an indispensable read for both beginners and experienced Wiccan practitioners. It offers not only a practical guide to Wiccan practice but also a profound reflection on the values and spirituality that sustain this ever-growing religion.