Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

The Scholar As Celebrant, Nathan B. Oman

Nathan B. Oman

No abstract provided.

"The Living Oracles": Legal Interpretation And Mormon Thought, Nathan B. Oman

Nathan B. Oman

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Religion On The Criminal Behavior Of Emerging Adults, Christopher Salvatore, Gabriel Rubin

Gabriel Rubin

Recent generations of young adults are experiencing a new life course stage: emerging adulthood. During this ‘new’ stage of the life course, traditional social bonds and turning points may not be present, may be delayed, or may not operate in the same manner as they have for prior generations. One such bond, religion, is examined here. Focusing on the United States, emerging adulthood is investigated as a distinct stage of the life course. The criminality of emerging adults is presented, a theoretical examination of the relationship between religion and crime is provided, the role of religion in emerging adults’ lives …

Reconsidering Christianity As A Support For Secular Law: A Final Reply To Professor Calhoun, Wayne R. Barnes

Wayne R. Barnes

This symposium has revolved around Professor Calhoun’s article, which posits that it is completely legitimate, in proposing laws and public policies, to argue for them in the public square based on overtly religious principles. In my initial response, I took issue with his argument that no reasons justify barring faith-based arguments from the public square argument. In fact, I do find reasons justifying the prohibition of “faith-based,” or Christian, arguments in the public square—and, in fact, I find such reasons within Christianity itself. This is because what is being publicly communicated in Christian political argumentation is that if citizens comply …

Christian-Jewish Relations 1000-1300: Jews In The Service Of Medieval Christendom, Devorah Schoenfeld

Devorah Schoenfeld

No abstract provided.

The Prospect Of Human Spiritual Unity Through The Cosmic Story, Philip Novak

Philip Novak

Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme have noted that, “we seem to be moving beyond any religious expression so far known to the human into a meta-religious age that seems to be a new comprehensive context for all religions.” That “new comprehensive context” is of course now known as Big History -- a.k.a. the Evolutionary Epic, Universe Story, or New Cosmic Story—the astonishing contemporary synthesis of modern sciences that tells a coherent story of the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago to the present.

Yet with the notable exception of the writings of Berry and …

The Legacy Of Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J.: His Words And His Witness, Anne-Marie Rose Kirmse, Michael M. Canaris, Cardinal Theodore E. Mccarrick

Michael Canaris

In his nearly 50-year career teaching philosophy and theology at Fordham and other distinguished universities, Avery Cardinal Dulles wrote and traveled extensively, writing 25 books and more than 800 articles, book reviews, forewords, introductions, and letters to the editor, translated into at least 14 languages and distributed worldwide. This work serves as a companion to the previous volume of McGinley Lectures, published as Church and Society (Fordham, 2008), and also provides an independent research guide for scholars, theologians, and anyone interested in American Catholicism in the decades immediately before and following the Second Vatican Council.

From his poems and reflections …

“Secularization, Objectivity, And Enlightenment Scholarship: The Theological And Political Origins Of Modern Biblical Studies.”, Jeffrey Morrow

Jeffrey L. Morrow, Ph.D.

No abstract provided.

Incriminating The Bride Of Christ: Assessing From A Balthasarian Perspective The Ecclesiological Impact Of Redefining Marriage, Daniel Avila

Daniel Avila

Examining the Marriage Definition Issue through the Lens of Hans Urs von Balthasar's Trinitarian Theology and the Impact on the Structure of the Church

Rethinking Religious Tradition And Authority In The Postmodern World, Chang Yau Hoon

Chang Yau HOON

No abstract provided.

Assimilation, Toleration, And The State's Interest In The Development Of Religious Doctrine, Richard Garnett

Richard W Garnett

Thirty-five years ago, in the context of a church-property dispute, Justice William Brennan observed that government interpretation of religious doctrine and judicial intervention in religious disputes are undesirable, because when civil courts undertake to resolve [doctrinal] controversies..., the hazards are ever present of inhibiting the free development of religious doctrine and of implicating secular interests in matters of purely ecclesiastical concern. This statement, at first, seems wise and fittingly cautious, even unremarkable and obvious. On examination, though, it turns out to be intriguing, elusive, and misleading. Indeed, Justice Brennan's warning presents hazards of its own, and its premises - if …

De-Gendering The Church Wedding: An Analysis Of The United Church Of Christ Marriage Rite For Persons Of The Same Sex In Light Of Catholic Teaching, Daniel Avila

Daniel Avila

An analysis pursuant to Catholic teaching of the United Church of Christ wedding ceremony revised to celebrate same-sex commitments as marriage.

An Observation On The Supreme Court Decision Of Prayer In Public Schools, Engel Vs. Vitale, David C. Taylor Jr

David C Taylor Jr

This paper explores areas of the 1962 Supreme Court decision of Engel vs. Vitale on the subject of Prayer in public schools. There will be a discussion of the historical background, the arguments given, and the support given for the basis of the Court’s decision. There will also be a discussion on the dissenting view of the Court, and a discussion of whether or not this was a liberal or conservative approach to interpreting the Constitution of the United States.

Religious Philosophy In Legion, Marten A. Dollinger

Marten A Dollinger

Despite cinematic shortcomings, the film Legion provides insight to an unusual understanding of Divine Command Theory.

You Make All Things New, Scott R. Paeth

Scott R. Paeth

This article examines the way in which the theology of Jonathan Edwards can contrib- ute to the construction of a Christian approach to ecological ethics that maintains crucial elements of the Christian theological tradition. By way of comparison, the article begins with an examination of the work of Rosemary Radford Ruether, whose approach to dealing with the ecological implications of the Christian tradition diverges sharply from the perspective offered by Edwards, and provides a useful contrast to his approach. The article then turns to an extensive discussion of Edwards’ view of nature and the theology of creation, particularly the relationship …

Ending The Clash Of Science, Religion, And Human Survival: A Model For Reintegrating Reason, Intuition, And Reality, Cari Bourette

Cari Bourette

Geschicte Und Historie: The Problem Of Faith And History, Brent A. R. Hege

Brent A. R. Hege

Faith at the Intersection of History and Experience is the first study in English of the theology of the German Lutheran theologian, Georg Wobbermin (1869–1943), who has been called a “captain of the liberal rearguard.” Widely read and discussed in his own lifetime, Wobbermin’s theology fell into obscurity as dialectical theology rose to prominence in the years following the First World War. Hege presents the major themes of Wobbermin’s theology, particularly his analysis of the relationship between faith and history and his development of a religio-psychological theological method that places faith at the intersection of history and experience. Wobbermin’s critiques …

Creation Technologies. The Technological Condition Of Humanity, Alexander D. Ornella

Alexander D Ornella

No abstract provided.

“The Bible In Captivity: Hobbes, Spinoza And The Politics Of Defining Religion.”, Jeffrey Morrow

Jeffrey L. Morrow, Ph.D.

No abstract provided.

The Desert Of The Real: Christianity, Buddhism & Baudrillard In The Matrix Films And Popular Culture, James F. Mcgrath

James F. McGrath

The movie The Matrix and its sequels draw explicitly on imagery from a number of sources, including in particular Buddhism, Christianity, and the writings of Jean Baudrillard. A perspective is offered on the perennial philosophical question ‘What is real?’, using language and symbols drawn from three seemingly incompatible world views. In doing so, these movies provide us with an insight into the way popular culture makes eclectic use of various streams of thought to fashion a new reality that is not unrelated to, and yet is nonetheless distinct from, its religious and philosophical undercurrents and underpinnings.

Law, Economics, And Religion, Vikas Kumar

Vikas Kumar

No abstract provided.

Returning To The Sources: The Literature Of Christian Librarianship, Gregory A. Smith

Gregory A. Smith

A Scientific Rationale For Belief In God?, Philip E. Graves

PHILIP E GRAVES

This paper presents a concise scientific rationale for the existence of God. The works of Ray Kurzweil and the many other artificial intelligence researchers provide a backdrop to the central thesis. An entity (computers or humans, it not mattering which) will eventually approach all-knowing. How much time passes before this occurs is not important. All-knowing is likely to be all-powerful insofar as knowledge leads to power, as has been our experience. One would suspect that this would be inclusive of time travel. The methods by which knowledge grows require “seed” facts to begin working. The seed facts can easily be, …

Dhimmitude And Disarmament, David B. Kopel

David B Kopel

Under shari'a law, non-Muslims, known as dhimmi, have been forbidden to possess arms, and to defend themselves from attacks by Muslims. The disarmament is one aspect of the pervasive civil inferiority of non-Muslims, a status known as dhimmitude. This Essay examines the historical effects of the shari'a disarmament, based on three books by Bat Ye'or, the world's leading scholar of dhimmitude. As Ye'or details, the disarmament had catastrophic consequences, extending far beyond the direct loss of the dhimmi's ability to defend themselves. The essay concludes by observing how pretend gun-free zones on college campuses turn the adults there into 21st …

Self-Defense In Asian Religions, David B. Kopel

David B Kopel

This Article investigates the attitudes of six Far Eastern religions - Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism - towards the legitimacy of the use of force in individual and collective contexts. Self-defense is strongly legitimated in the theory and practice of the major Far Eastern religions. The finding is consistent with natural law theory that some aspects of the human personality, including the self-defense instinct, are inherent in human nature, rather than being entirely determined by culture.

"Hti's Collaborations At Princeton And Beyond", Peter J. Casarella

Peter J. Casarella

From April 19-21, 2007, I had the distinct pleasure of accompanying HTI scholars Néstor Medina (Toronto School of Theology) and Jacqueline M. Hidalgo (Claremont Graduate University, California) to an international gathering of theologians as well as several influential religious journalists. The meeting took place at the Center of Theological Inquiry (CTI) in Princeton. HTI and CTI are neighbors, both located on the campus of Princeton Theological Seminary and separated only by Speer Library. Our journey across the street, so to speak, represents one of a few recent collaborative initiatives that have brought these two institutions closer together. It was also …

“The Rest Of The (Christmas) Story”, Scott R. Paeth

Scott R. Paeth

No abstract provided.

“Deciphering Da Vinci”, Scott R. Paeth

Scott R. Paeth

No abstract provided.

The Catholic Second Amendment, David B. Kopel

David B Kopel

At the beginning of the second millennium, there was no separation of church and state, and kings ruled the church. Tyrannicide was considered sinful. By the end of the thirteenth century, however, everything had changed. The Little Renaissance that began in the eleventh century led to a revolution in political and moral philosophy, so that using force to overthrow a tyrannical government became a positive moral duty. The intellectual revolution was an essential step in the evolution of Western political philosophy that eventually led to the American Revolution.

The Scottish And English Religious Roots Of The American Right To Arms: Buchanan, Rutherford, Locke, Sidney, And The Duty To Overthrow Tyranny, David B. Kopel

David B Kopel

Many twenty-first century Americans believe that they have a God-given right to possess arms as a last resort against tyranny. One of the most important sources of that belief is the struggle for freedom of conscience in the United Kingdom during the reigns of Elizabeth I and the Stuarts. A moral right and duty to use force against tyranny was explicated by the Scottish Presbyterians George Buchanan and Samuel Rutherford. The free-thinking English Christians John Locke and Algernon Sidney broadened and deepened the ideas of Buchanan and Rutherford. The result was a sophisticated defense of religious freedom, which was to …