Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Whosoever Will: A Review Essay, C. Fred Smith

Fred O. Smith Jr.

No abstract provided.

Beyond Ecological Democracy: Black Feminist Thought And The End Of Man, Eric D. Meyer

Eric Meyer

They Fell Silent When We Stopped Listening: Apophatic Theology And 'Asking The Beasts', Eric D. Meyer

Eric Meyer

The Catholic Enlightenment. The Forgotten History Of A Global Movement, Ulrich Lehner

Ulrich L. Lehner

No abstract provided.

Ethics As Grammar: Changing The Postmodern Subject, Brad Kallenberg

Brad J. Kallenberg

Wittgenstein, one of the most influential, and yet widely misunderstood, philosophers of our age, confronted his readers with aporias—linguistic puzzles—as a means of countering modern philosophical confusions over the nature of language without replicating the same confusions in his own writings. In Ethics as Grammar, Brad Kallenberg uses the writings of theological ethicist Stanley Hauerwas as a foil for demonstrating how Wittgenstein’s method can become concrete within the Christian tradition. Kallenberg shows that the aesthetic, political, and grammatical strands epitomizing Hauerwas’s thought are the result of his learning to do Christian ethics by thinking through Wittgenstein. Kallenberg argues that Wittgenstein’s …

Tradition-Based Rationality, Brad Kallenberg

Brad J. Kallenberg

The term “tradition-based rationality” derives from the works of Alasdair MacIntyre. Human reasoning, argued MacIntyre, is both tradition-constitutive and tradition-constituted. By the first phrase, he means that all reasoning, especially moral reasoning (i.e., thinking about what “good” means), involves people sharing a conceptual language (rather than a natural language like English or Chinese). For example, think of how widely three persons may differ on their use of the word “good” when applied to their jobs. The driver of a beer truck will claim his job is “good” because he is paid well; he is resoundingly welcomed wherever he goes; and …

The Master Argument Of Macintyre's 'After Virtue', Brad Kallenberg

Brad J. Kallenberg

In September of 1995 the Associated Press released a wire photo showing Russian lawmakers of both genders in a punching brawl during a session of the Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament.' Is this behavior an ethnic idiosyncrasy? Do only government officials duke it out over matters of great importance? Or have fisticuffs suddenly become politically correct? No, on all counts. Pick a topic, any topic -- abortion, euthanasia, welfare reform, military intervention in the Balkans -- and initiate discussion with a group of reasonable, well-educated people and observe the outcome. Chaos ensues. Of course the volume of the debate …

The 'P'-Word: Conversion In A Postmodern Environment, Brad Kallenberg

Brad J. Kallenberg

Allow me to write frankly about the “P”-word. There is great concern about the proliferation of the “P”-word. In the past decade, over 1,500 articles and 2,000 books have come into print bearing the "P"-word in their titles. Nearly 1,000 of these books are still in print. Everywhere we turn we find that we have been inundated with the “P”-word. And so we have come to fear for our culture. The "P"-word? “Postmodernism.” Granted, postmodernism is a slippery concept; there are many versions, many postmodernisms. But should Christians fear postmodernism? To be sure, the modern era proved to be no …

Virtue Ethics, Nikki Coffey Tousley, Brad Kallenberg

Brad J. Kallenberg

Virtue ethics emphasizes the development of moral excellence in terms of character qualities called virtues. Virtue are (1) habituated dispositions involving both an affective desire for the good and the skill to both discern and act accordingly; (2) learned through practice within a tradition (i.e., a historical community with a rich account of the "good"); and (3) directed toward this tradition's particular conception of the good (making virtues "teleological"). From a Christian perspective, virtue ethics is an ethics of discipleship, which emphasizes the development of the habits, practices, and wisdom necessary to pursue the "good" exemplified by Christ. Reading Scripture …

Dynamical Similarity And The Problem Of Evil, Brad Kallenberg

Brad J. Kallenberg

Discussions of evil commonly fault God for not “doing something.” Defenders of God respond that God had good reasons for not “doing something.” Detractors observe that if a human being can snatch the toddler from the path of the oncoming bus, why does not God snatch the bus from the path of the oncoming toddler? The underlying assumption in such discussions is that God’s “doing something” is similar to humans’ “doing something.” If human beings bear the image of their Creator as the Abrahamic faiths maintain, it is natural to suppose that divine action is similar to human action. But …

"But Mary Was Preserving These Matters, Carefully Bringing Together And Considering Them In Her Heart”: Ethical Listening, Contemplation, And The Cultivation Of A Sexuating Silence, Julie Kelso

Julie Kelso

Twice in Luke's gospel, and only ever in Luke's gospel, we are presented with the curious response of Mary to mysterious events concerning her son: "but Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart" (Lk 2:19) and "but his mother kept all these things in her heart" (Lk 2:52). We are never told exactly what Mary makes of these things she witnesses and hears. Her silence extends to us here, in the present, from this distant past. And indeed, this is quite a different response to that which she earlier gives her cousin Elizabeth, when she bursts into …

"Loyalties, Allegiances And Discipleship: Facing The Challenges", Michael Budde

Michael Budde

No abstract provided.

The Doctrine Of Election And The Moral Argument, A. Thornhill

A. Chadwick Thornhill

No abstract provided.

Gregory Of Nyssa And Jacques Derrida On The Human-Animal Distinction In The Song Of Songs, Eric D. Meyer

Eric Meyer

The Logos Of God And The End Of Man: Giorgio Agamben And The Gospel Of John On Animality As Light And Life., Eric D. Meyer

Eric Meyer

The Niebuhr Brothers For Armchair Theologians, Scott Paeth

Scott R. Paeth

This volume offers a compelling introduction to the life, times, and theological thought of H. Richard and Reinhold Niebuhr--the two most important American theologians of the twentieth century. Although the Niebuhr brothers shared the same heritage and experienced many of the same formative moments, their thought diverged at key points as their lives and careers developed. Scott R. Paeth's expert introduction to the Niebuhr brothers explores this history and the enduring influence of the Niebuhrs on religious and political thought. This lively introduction, which includes witty illustrations from Ron Hill, is an essential resource for understanding these enduring theological figures.

Shaping Public Theology: Selections From The Writings Of Max L. Stackhouse, Scott Paeth, E. Harold Brietenberg, Hak Joon Lee

Scott R. Paeth

Max L. Stackhouse is one of the most prolific and influential American theologians of the last half century, and he has been widely recognized for his contributions to the emerging field of public theology. This volume compiles some of Stackhouse's most significant shorter writings. These selections make clear his central role in the development of public theology as a distinct disciplinary perspective in the fields of Christian theology and theological ethics. Shaping Public Theology serves as an introduction to Stackhouse's extensive corpus; readers will see the depth and breadth of his comprehensive public theology while also gaining insight into his …

Development Of Catholic Moral Doctrine: Probing The Subtext, M. Kaveny

M. Cathleen Kaveny

No abstract provided.

Joining Or Changing The Conversation? Catholic Social Thought And Intellectual Property, Frank Pasquale

Frank A. Pasquale

No abstract provided.

"What Culture Of Violence?", Scott Paeth

Scott R. Paeth

No abstract provided.

Slaves To Contradictions: 13 Myths That Sustained Slavery, Wilson Huhn

Wilson R. Huhn

People have a fundamental need to think of themselves as “good people.” To achieve this we tell each other stories – we create myths – about ourselves and our society. These myths may be true or they may be false. The more discordant a myth is with reality, the more difficult it is to convince people to embrace it. In such cases to sustain the illusion of truth it may be necessary to develop an entire mythology – an integrated web of mutually supporting stories. This paper explores the system of myths that sustained the institution of slavery in the …

"The Responsibility To Lie And The Obligation To Report, Scott Paeth

Scott R. Paeth

This article is an examination of the moral complexity of the act of whistleblowing in the context of corporate corruption. Whistleblowing may be a morally admirable act underataken by morally ambiguous agents, but can only be fully understood in context. Using German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s essay “What Does It Mean to Tell the Truth?” This essay will examine how the kind of deception sometimes necessary in whistleblowing cases can be testimony to a larger and more profound truth.

'Marvel At The Intelligence Of Unthinking Creatures!': Contemplative Animals In Gregory Of Nazianzus And Evagrius Of Pontus., Eric D. Meyer

Eric Meyer

Hate Talk, Straight Thought And Wisdom: A Guide To Critical Thinking, Argumentation And Decision Making (Pdf), T. L. Brink

T. L. Brink

Eight Is Enough?: The Ethics Of The California Octuplets Case, Scott Paeth

Scott R. Paeth

The recent California octuplets case raises a number of important issues that need to be addressed in the context of the increasingly widespread practice of in vitro fertilization. This paper explores some of those issues as looked at from the perspective of protestant theological ethics and public theology, examining the moral responsibilities of the various participants in the process, both before and after the octuplets’ birth, including the mother, her doctors, the health care bureaucracy, the wider society, and the media. Each of these participants failed in significant respects to consider the ethical implications of the births in this complicated …

Jewish-Christian Studies On The Graduate Level, Lawrence E. Frizzell D.Phil.

Reverend Lawrence E. Frizzell, S.T.L., S.S.L., D.Phil.

This report reflects on work that prepares the next generation for their role as educators in Jewish-Christian studies and relations and was delivered at the Meeting of the Consultors of the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews and Representatives from Bishops Conferences Responsible for Dialogue with the Jews in Vatican City on October 30, 2012.

Blaise Pascal: From Birth To Rebirth To Apologist, Lew A. Weider

Lew A. Weider

No abstract provided.

The Moral Complexity Of Video Games, Scott Paeth

Scott R. Paeth

Over the past two decades, video games have reached a level of technological sophistication that enables them to immerse players in complex stories and relationships. The games require players to draw not only on their hand-eye coordination skills and puzzle-solving prowess but also on their moral imagination as they navigate complex relationships and their consequences. Today's video games are light years away from Pong and Asteroids, and they have the potential not only to offer richly textured narratives and fantastically realistic-seeming worlds but to aid in forming us as moral beings, for better and for worse.

Confidence In Christ And The Sin Unto Death -- When Should A Believer Not Pray? 1 John 5:13-21, Leo R. Percer

Leo Raines Percer

No abstract provided.

Gregory Of Nyssa On Language, Naming God's Creatures, And The Desire Of The Discursive Animal, Eric D. Meyer

Eric Meyer