The Apologetic Value of Human Holiness
The Apologetic Value of Human Holiness

Author: Victoria S. Harrison

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13: 9401008728

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The Apologetic Value of Human Holiness begins by providing the first comprehensive account of the model of human holiness developed by the leading theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar. In so doing, the book also provides the first detailed explication of his Christocentric philosophical anthropology. Part 2 argues that von Balthasar anticipates some key developments in late twentieth-century Anglo-American analytical philosophy, and that certain of these developments - in particular, the `internal realism' of Hilary Putnam - provide powerful support for von Balthasar's theological philosophy. The final part elucidates von Balthasar's core intuition that human holiness is of immense apologetic value for religious faith, and concludes with a new, `internalist' theory of religious pluralism. The Apologetic Value of Human Holiness will be seen as an important and original contribution to both Philosophy of Religion and Theology, and is likely to prove essential reading in upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate courses in both subjects.

Balthasar and Prayer
Balthasar and Prayer

Author: Travis LaCouter

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2021-12-02

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 0567701905

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This study renders an original and constructive Catholic theology of prayer drawing on the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988). Travis LaCouter explores the trinitarian, Christological, ecclesial, anthropological, and eschatological dimensions of prayer in Balthasar's theology, and shows how these combine to give a powerful account of prayer's proper theological scope and purpose. There is also a critical dimension of prayer which is arguably underdeveloped in some of Balthasar's key texts, but which LaCouter shows to have significant dialogical potential with contemporary accounts of parrhesia since Foucault. This approach demonstrates the centrality of prayer to Balthasar's entire theological system and does so in a way which itself constitutes an exercise in Catholic systematics. This study is also distinctive for establishing a method of proceeding through Balthasar's sprawling oeuvre (and the similarly vast secondary literature) by arguing for three “categories” of texts in Balthasar's writings and, separately, three “waves” of Balthasar readers. Thus, this study is a resource not just for those interested in prayer but for anyone interested in reading Balthasar today.

Solidarity with the World
Solidarity with the World

Author: Carolyn A. Chau

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2016-11-15

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 1498235875

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Is Christian mission even possible today? In "a secular age," is it possible to talk about the goodness of God in a compelling way? How should the church proceed? Carolyn Chau explores the question of Catholic mission in a secular age through a constructive interpretation of the work of two celebrated Catholic thinkers, philosopher Charles Taylor and theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar, arguing that Taylor and Balthasar together offer a promising path for mission today. Chau attends to Taylor's account of the conditions of belief today, and the genesis of the sociohistorical limits on contemporary "God-talk," as well as his affirmation of certain aspects of Western modernity's "culture." From Balthasar, Chau sifts out the distinctiveness of his view of the human person as defined by mission, and his encouragement of a kenotic self-understanding of the church. In the end, Chau claims that if modern persons in secular Western societies are seeking fulfillment and integrity, Christian spirituality remains a rich resource on offer.

The Wisdom of the Liminal
The Wisdom of the Liminal

Author: Celia Deane-Drummond

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2014-10-30

Total Pages: 358

ISBN-13: 0802868673

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In this book Celia Deane-Drummond charts a new direction for theological anthropology in light of what is now known about the evolutionary trajectories of humans and other animals. She presents a case for human beings becoming fully themselves through their encounter with God, after the pattern of Christ, but also through their relationships with each other and with other animals. Drawing on classical sources, particularly the work of Thomas Aquinas, Deane-Drummond explores various facets of humans and other animals in terms of reason, freedom, language, and community. In probing and questioning how human distinctiveness has been defined using philosophical tools, she engages with a range of scientific disciplines, including evolutionary biology, biological anthropology, animal behavior, ethology, and cognitive psychology. The result is a novel, deeply nuanced interpretation of what it means to be distinctively human in the image of God.

Configured to Christ: On Spiritual Direction and Clergy Formation
Configured to Christ: On Spiritual Direction and Clergy Formation

Author: James Keating

Publisher: Emmaus Road Publishing

Published: 2021-10-15

Total Pages: 277

ISBN-13: 1645851613

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The best clerical formation today prepares men to be divinely loved in their humanity. In Configured to Christ: On Spiritual Direction and Clergy Formation, Deacon James Keating shares what makes a priest or deacon peaceful, personally happy, and—to the extent he keeps receiving the love of God in prayer as a man of interiority and sacrament—a minister of God’s love to his people.

Love Itself Is Understanding
Love Itself Is Understanding

Author: Matthew A. Rothaus Moser

Publisher: Fortress Press

Published: 2016-11-01

Total Pages: 351

ISBN-13: 1506418996

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Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905–1988) sets out to reunite Truth and holiness by returning the saints to their proper place at the heart of philosophy, theology, and metaphysics. Love Itself is Understanding is one of the first systematic treatments of Balthasar’s theology of the saints. Matthew Rothaus Moser presents Balthasar as an alternative to Idealist philosophy, a thinker who develops a religious metaphysics in which the saints’ practices of prayer and contemplation are the chief mode of knowing that the Truth of Being is divine love. Love Itself is Understanding casts new light on dominant themes in Balthasar’s thought and invites a renewed vision of the theological and metaphysical significance of the spiritual practices of prayer, obedience, and charity.

T&T Clark Handbook of Theological Anthropology
T&T Clark Handbook of Theological Anthropology

Author: Mary Ann Hinsdale

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2021-01-28

Total Pages: 472

ISBN-13: 0567678334

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Including classical, modern, and postmodern approaches to theological anthropology, this volume covers the entire spectrum of thought on the doctrines of creation, the human person as imago Dei, sin, and grace. The editors have gathered an exceptionally diverse range of voices, ensuring ecumenical balance (Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox) and the inclusion of previously neglected perspectives (women, African American, Asian, Latinx, and LGBTQ). The contributors revisit authors from the “Great Tradition” (early church, medieval, and modern), and discuss them alongside critical and liberationist approaches (ranging from feminist, decolonial, and intersectional theory to critical race theory and queer performance theory). This is a much-needed overview of a rapidly evolving field.

Confucianism and Catholicism
Confucianism and Catholicism

Author: Michael R. Slater

Publisher: University of Notre Dame Pess

Published: 2020-05-31

Total Pages: 343

ISBN-13: 0268107718

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Confucianism and Catholicism, among the most influential religious traditions, share an intricate relationship. Beginning with the work of Matteo Ricci (1552–1610), the nature of this relationship has generated great debate. These ten essays synthesize in a single volume this historic conversation. Written by specialists in both traditions, the essays are organized into two groups. Those in the first group focus primarily on the historical and cultural contexts in which Confucianism and Catholicism encountered one another in the four major Confucian cultures of East Asia: China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. The essays in the second part offer comparative and constructive studies of specific figures, texts, and issues in the Confucian and Catholic traditions from both theological and philosophical perspectives. By bringing these historical and constructive perspectives together, Confucianism and Catholicism: Reinvigorating the Dialogue seeks not only to understand better the past dialogue between these traditions, but also to renew the conversation between them today. In light of the unprecedented expansion of Eastern Asian influence in recent decades, and considering the myriad of challenges and new opportunities faced by both the Confucian and Catholic traditions in a world that is rapidly becoming globalized, this volume could not be more timely. Confucianism and Catholicism will be of interest to professional theologians, historians, and scholars of religion, as well as those who work in interreligious dialogue. Contributors: Michael R. Slater, Erin M. Cline, Philip J. Ivanhoe, Vincent Shen, Anh Q. Tran, S.J., Donald L. Baker, Kevin M. Doak, Xueying Wang, Richard Kim, Victoria S. Harrison, and Lee H. Yearley.

SCM Core Text: Religion and Modern Thought
SCM Core Text: Religion and Modern Thought

Author: Victoria Harrison

Publisher: SCM Press

Published: 2013-01-03

Total Pages: 417

ISBN-13: 0334048192

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Written specifically for level 2 undergraduates, this textbook introduces readers to the extremely wide range of forms of religious thought, and the responses of religion to modern ideas, cultural phenomenon and events of the 20th century

T&T Clark Handbook of Christian Prayer
T&T Clark Handbook of Christian Prayer

Author:

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2021-12-16

Total Pages: 753

ISBN-13: 0567664384

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The essays collected in this volume provide a resource for thinking theologically about the practice of Christian prayer. In the first of four parts, the volume begins by reaching back to the biblical foundations of prayer. Then, each of the chapters in the second part investigates a classical Christian doctrine – including God, creation, Christology, pneumatology, providence and eschatology – from the perspective of prayer. The chapters in the third part explore the writings of some of the great theorizers of prayer in the history of the Christian tradition. The final part gathers a set of creative and critical conversations on prayer responding to a variety of contemporary issues. Overall, the T&T Clark Handbook of Christian Prayer articulates a theologically expansive account of prayer – one that is deeply biblical, energetically doctrinal, historically rooted, and relevant to a whole host of critical questions and concerns facing the world today.