Der Islamische Staat in Syrien und im Irak, die Massaker von Boko Haram in Nigeria - immer neue religioes motivierte Terrorakte rufen weltweite Betroffenheit hervor, auch unter glaubigen Menschen. Weder Bibel noch Koran rechtfertigen einfach jegliche Gewalttat oder Krieg im Namen Gottes, wenn man sich mit Sprache und Sinn dieser Texte kritisch auseinandersetzt. Der Tagungsband der 16. OEkumenischen Sommerakademie Kremsmunster 2014 dokumentiert Vortrage mit unterschiedlichem konfessionellen, religioesen und weltanschaulichen Hintergrund. Sie alle beschaftigen sich mit der Thematik religioes motivierter Gewalt aus der Perspektive der Philosophie, der Praktischen Theologie und Religionspadagogik, der Religions-, Bibel- und Islamwissenschaft. Zu Wort kommen auch Reprasentanten der Friedensarbeit im Militar, in christlichen Vereinigungen und in der kirchlichen Pastoral.

The European Community has largely been considered a predominantly secular project, bringing together the economic and political realms, while failing to mobilise the public voice and imagination of churchmen and the faithful. Drawing on a wide range of archival sources, this is the first study to assess the political history of religious dialogue in the European Community. It challenges the widespread perception that churches started to engage with European institutions only after the 1979 elections to the European Parliament, by detailing close relations between churchmen and high-ranking officials in European institutions, immediately after the 1950 Schuman Declaration. Lucian N. Leustean demonstrates that Cold War divisions between East and West, and the very nature of the ecumenical movement, had a direct impact on the ways in which churches approached the European Community. He brings to light events and issues which have not previously been examined, such as the response of churches to the Schuman Plan, and the political mobilisation of church representations in Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg. Leustean argues that the concept of a 'united Europe' has been impeded by competing national differences between religious and political institutions, having a long-standing legacy on the making of a fragmented European Community.

Aquinas and Calvin on Romans is a comparative study of John Calvin's and Thomas Aquinas's commentaries on the first eight chapters of Paul's letter to the Romans. Focusing on the role of human participation in God's work of salvation, Charles Raith argues that Calvin's critiques of the "schoolmen" arising from his reading of Romans fail to find a target in Aquinas's theology while Calvin's principal positive affirmations are embraced by Aquinas as well. Aquinas upholds many fundamental insights that Calvin would later also obtain in his reading of Romans, such as justification sola fide non merito (by faith alone and not by merit), the centrality of Christ for salvation, the ongoing imperfection of the sanctified life, the work of the Spirit guiding the believer along the path of sanctification, and the assurance of salvation that one obtains through the indwelling of the Spirit, to name only a few. Even more, numerous identical interpretations arising in their commentaries makes it necessary to consider Calvin's reading of Romans as appropriating a tradition of interpretation that includes Aquinas. At the same time, the nonparticipatory dimensions of Calvin's reading of Romans becomes clear when set beside Aquinas's reading, and these nonparticipatory dimensions create difficulties for Calvin's interpretation, especially on Romans 8, that are not present in Aquinas's account. Raith therefore suggests how Calvin's reading of Romans, especially as it pertains to justification and merit, should be augmented by the participatory framework reflected in Aquinas's interpretation. The book concludes by revisiting Calvin's criticisms of the Council of Trent in light of these suggestions.

Ressourcement: A Movement for Renewal in Twentieth-Century Catholic Theology provides both a historical and a theological analysis of the achievements of the renowned generation of theologians whose influence pervaded French theology and society in the period 1930 to 1960, and beyond. It considers how the principal exponents of ressourcement, leading Dominicans and Jesuits of the faculties of Le Saulchoir (Paris) and Lyon-Fourviere, inspired a renaissance in twentieth-century Catholic theology and initiated a movement for renewal that contributed to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. The book assesses the origins and historical development of the biblical, liturgical, and patristic ressourcement in France, Germany, and Belgium, and offers fresh insights into the thought of the movement's leading scholars. It analyses the fierce controversies that erupted within the Jesuit and Dominican orders and between leading ressourcement theologians and the Vatican. The volume also contributes to the elucidation of the complex question of terminology, the interpretation of which still engenders controversy in discussions of ressourcement and nouvelle theologie. It concludes with reflections on how the most important movement in twentieth-century Roman Catholic theology continues to impact on contemporary society and on Catholic and Protestant theological enquiry in the new millennium.

Christianity Today Book of the Year award of Merit We generally assume that those sitting around us in church share our beliefs. But when our personal convictions are contested by fellow Christians, everything changes. We feel attacked from behind. When other Christians doubt or deny our convictions, we don't experience it as a mere difference of opinion, but as a violation of an unspoken agreement. Tim Muehlhoff and Rick Langer offer a guide to help Christians navigate disagreements with one another. In today's polarized context, Christians often have committed, biblical rationales for very different positions. How do we discern between core biblical convictions and secondary issues? How do we cultivate better understanding and compassion for those we disagree with? Muehlhoff and Langer provide lessons from conflict theory and church history on how to avoid the dangers of groupthink and how to negotiate differing biblical convictions to avoid church splits and repair interpersonal ruptures. Christian unity is possible. Discover how we can navigate differences by speaking in both truth and love.

Der uberwiegende Teil der Evangelischen und Katholischen Kirche ist in Formen der Tradition gefangen. Diese ruckwartsgewandte kirchliche Verkundigung erreicht viele Menschen des 21. Jahrhunderts mit ihren Erfahrungen nicht mehr. Auf Religionskritik der Aufklarung hat die Kirche ebenso halbherzig reagiert wie auf Initiativgruppen, die seit Jahrzehnten fur eine Veranderung eintreten. Die Institution Kirche muss ihre Funktion als Teil der Gesellschaft annehmen. Diese Themenstellungen greift das Buch auf. Es drangt auf die Umsetzung aktueller Forderungen der Aufklarung und tritt dafur ein, dass Aufklarung zu einem Bestandteil kirchlicher Arbeit wird. Kirche muss prufen, inwieweit Entwurfe zur gesellschaftlichen Erneuerung und Weiterentwicklung auch von ihr umzusetzen sind.

Zunehmend wird Religion als ein stoerender Faktor fur das gesellschaftliche Zusammenleben wahrgenommen. Dennoch enthalten Religionen eigene Ressourcen, die Autonomie des Politischen zu achten. Diese Ressourcen werden in dem Band prazise beschrieben. Dabei spielt der Toleranzbegriff eine erhebliche Rolle. Toleranz beschreibt nicht nur das Verhaltnis der Religionen zu Andersdenkenden, sondern auch umgekehrt das Verhaltnis nicht-religioeser Personen und Institutionen zu den Religionen. Dabei enthalt der Toleranzbegriff mehrere ethische Paradoxien, die eine theologische Interpretation erforderlich machen. Ohne eine theologische Bestimmung bleibt Toleranz ein widerspruchliches Konzept fur das friedliche Zusammenleben. Diese These wird auf prinzipieller und praktischer Ebene begrundet.

Wie kam es zu der kirchlichen Gemeinschaft zwischen den altkatholischen Kirchen der Utrechter Union in Europa und Nordamerika und der Iglesia Filipina Independiente auf den Philippinen? Die Aufsatze geben einen Einblick in die Entwicklung der oekumenischen Beziehungen am Anfang und in der Mitte des 20. Jahrhunderts. Aufgrund der Korrespondenz der beteiligten kirchlichen und politischen Persoenlichkeiten zeigen die Autoren auf, wie die beiden Kirchen sich von der Jahrhundertwende bis zum Zweiten Weltkrieg zuerst auseinander entwickelten und sich nach einer Kehrtwende auf der Seite der Iglesia Filipina Independiente und dank Vermittlung der amerikanischen Episkopalkirche wiederfanden. Wo heutzutage die OEkumene ins Stocken geraten zu sein scheint, ruft dieser Band in Erinnerung, wie viel schon erreicht wurde und auf welche Weise.

El Filioque es una de las cuestiones mas largas y complejas de la historia del dogma cristiano. Se cuenta todavia entre las causas de la division entre catolicos y ortodoxos. En 1995, a peticion de Juan Pablo II, el Pontificio Consejo para la promocion de la Unidad de los Cristianos publico un breve texto que expresa la comprension catolica del problema. Entre sus diversas implicaciones, el documento, conocido como Clarificacion romana, se centra en los aspectos dogmaticos, que expone a partir de una amplia base de referencias patristicas. El presente estudio analiza la Clarificacion en dos partes. La primera presenta los precedentes historicos y magisteriales del texto, su genesis y sus fuentes, y ofrece una sintesis de las reacciones ecumenicas que siguieron a su publicacion. Como via para un entendimiento, la segunda parte del texto propone una consideracion detenida de las fuentes patristicas, orientales y occidentales. En ella se presentan los principales pasajes sobre el origen del Espiritu Santo y su relacion con el Hijo, contextualizados en el pensamiento trinitario de cada Padre. En funcion de el se valora el uso que ha realizado la Clarificacion de sus fuentes.

Jung's correspondence with one of the twentieth century's leading theologians and ecumenicists On Theology and Psychology brings together C. G. Jung's correspondence with Adolf Keller, a celebrated Protestant theologian who was one of the pioneers of the modern ecumenical movement and one of the first religious leaders to become interested in analytical psychology. Their relationship spanned half a century, and for many years Keller was the only major religious leader to align himself with Jung and his ideas. Both men shared a lifelong engagement with questions of faith, and each grappled with God in his own distinctive way. Presented here in English for the first time are letters that provide a rare look at Jung in dialogue with a theologian. Spanning some fifty years, these letters reveal an extended intellectual and spiritual discourse between two very different men as they exchange views on the nature of the divine, the compatibility of Jungian psychology and Christianity, the interpretation of the Bible and figures such as Jesus and Job, and the phenomenon of National Socialism. Although Keller was powerfully attracted to Jung's ideas, his correspondence with the famed psychiatrist demonstrates that he avoided discipleship. Both men struggled with essential questions about human existence, spirituality, and well-being, and both sought common ground where the concerns of psychologists and theologians converge. Featuring an illuminating introduction by Marianne Jehle-Wildberger, On Theology and Psychology offers incomparable insights into the development of Jung's views on theology and religion, and a unique window into a spiritual and intellectual friendship unlike any other.

In the history of Western thought, Christian theology was once considered to be 'the Queen of Sciences'. Today it has been marginalised by a prevailing scepticism. Randal Rauser confronts the problem of developing a public voice for the theologian as engaged in true theological science while not compromising the commitment to the Christian community of faith. This book posits a viable account of theological rationality, justification, and knowledge that avoids the twin pitfalls of modern rationalism and postmodern irrationalism. Theology is freshly understood as a rigorous and rational truth-seeking discipline that seeks theoretical understanding of divine reality.
Throughout the modern era the predominant epistemological position has been classical foundationalism, a position now widely rejected by philosophers and theologians alike. Philosophers recognize that it fails to achieve a plausible account of rationality, justification or knowledge, while theologians recognize the extent to which classical foundationalist strictures have distorted Christian doctrine. In its place many philosophers and theologians alike have adopted a nonfoundationalist epistemology, which is in turn often associated with a problematic alethic and metaphysical antirealism. Engaging with the ideas of key thinkers from Descartes, Locke, and Kant, to Bruce Marshall and Alvin Plantinga, Rauser provides an accessible and provocative survey of the theological terrain of the modern - and postmodern - era, arguing in favour of a return to a moderate foundationalism.

Der vorliegende Band der Reihe New German-American Studies eroertert anhand der Lebensgeschichte des geburtigen Westfalen August Rauschenbusch und unter Anwendung gangiger Methoden der deutsch-amerikanischen und transatlantischen Geschichtsschreibung das Schicksal eines deutschen Amerikaauswanderers im 19. Jahrhundert. August Rauschenbusch migrierte 1846 als protestantischer Missionar nach Missouri und hatte spater eine angesehene Stellung als Professor und Ausbilder von Predigern an einem deutschsprachigen theologischen Seminar im Staat New York inne. Der Verfasser ruckt durch seine Untersuchung der Biographie eines deutschen Theologen und Einzelauswanderers in den USA heute vergessene oder bisher weitgehend vernachlassigte Forschungsfelder deutsch-amerikanischer Geschichte wieder ins Bewusstsein.

Band 1 der Reihe Edition Israelogie will Beitrage zu einer erneuerten Israellehre liefern. Als Forschungsbereich greift die 'Israelogie' u.a. auf Forschungsergebnisse zuruck, die sich mit Israel oder dem Judentum im Allgemeinen beschaftigen. Auch die Ergebnisse der alt- und neutestamentlichen Forschung werden berucksichtigt. Doch im Rahmen dieser Verlagsreihe soll 'Israelogie' grundsatzlich als ein Teilbereich der christlichen Dogmatik verortet werden. Dabei ist u.a. die Frage relevant, wie die christliche Lehrbildung durch dogmatische Aussagen zum theologischen Verhaltnis von Israel bzw. Judentum und christlicher Gemeinde bereichert und modifiziert werden kann. 'Israelogie' will die biblischen Lehraussagen uber Israel und das Judentum identifizieren und systematisieren und damit einen Beitrag dazu leisten, eine in sich konsistente, erneuerte christliche Dogmatik zu entwerfen, die eine christliche Israellehre auch - von der klassischen Abfolge der Loci theologici her gesehen - vor und ausserhalb der Ekklesiologie definiert. Die biblische Lehre uber Israel soll dabei eigenstandig, von den zentralen Aussagen des christlichen Glaubens ausformuliert und theologisch reflektiert werden.

For centuries pilgrims have travelled to the isle of Iona in search of the sacred, inspired by the example of St Columba, a 6th-century Irish monk who founded a monastery there, and whose influence is felt to the present day. Many modern-day pilgrims and seekers are also drawn to the island through the work of the Iona Community, an ecumenical Christian community acting for justice and peace, the rebuilding of the common life and the renewal of worship. The Iona Community runs a weekly pilgrimage around the island for those who visit, pausing for reflection at places of spiritual and historical significance, and at less obvious landmarks which offer inspiration for our daily lives and our engagement with the wider world.

A comprehensive collection provides guidance and deep insight from a variety of experts in this emerging field The rapidly developing field of interreligious studies fosters scholarship engaging two or more religious traditions at a time. Inherently multidisciplinary, the field brings the academic consideration of religions into conversation with the humanities and social sciences, employing relational, intersectional, experiential, and dialogical methodologies as it examines the interrelationship of individuals and groups with differing alignments toward religion. Edited by Lucinda Mosher, The Georgetown Companion to Interreligious Studies features an international roster of practitioners of or experts on Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Ruism, Humanism, and African, North American, and South American Indigenous lifeways. Each author offers a unique perspective on the nature of this emerging discipline. This companion provides fifty thought-provoking chapters on the history, priorities, challenges, distinguishing pedagogies, and practical applications of interreligious studies. Anyone who seeks a deeper appreciation of this relatively new academic field will find it useful as a textbook or research resource.

FEW BOOKS ON episcopacy deal with the inner life or practical problems of being a bishop, but this volume gives an inside view. It describes the initial challenge of adjusting to a new role with little preparation, and indicates the main ongoing pressures. This account combines personal experience with theological reflection. Convinced that being comes before doing, David Tustin first considers vital elements in the bishop's personal way of life: inner life, outer lifestyle, home and hospitality, and careful use of time. The rationale of what bishops actually do is then examined in seven key areas, together with suggestions about translating ideals into reality: teamwork; caring for people within and beyond the church; conducting worship; spreading the Christian message; sending new ministers; building bridges in society and within the church; fostering visible Christian unity. Emphasis is laid on bishops sharing their ministry with others, and reaching out beyond the church. This book offers examples of good practice. It draws together resources useful for new bishops, including excerpts from classic writers (Gregory the Great and Bernard of Clairvaux) and pointers to an ecumenical range of contemporary material unlikely to be in the hands of most readers. It is relevant to all who share in senior church leadership. A bibliography and index are included. DAVID TUSTIN was Bishop of Grimsby from 1979 to 2000, and since retirement has been an assistant bishop in the diocese of Lincoln. He was awarded a Lambeth DD in 1998 in recognition of his contribution to Christian unity, both in this country and internationally.

Providing a new, women-centered view of mainline Protestantism in the 20th century, Good and Mad explores the paradoxes and conflicting loyalties of liberal Protestant churchwomen who campaigned for human rights and global peace, worked for interracial cooperation, and opened the path to women's ordination, all while working within the confines of the church that denied them equality. Challenging the idea that change is only ever made by the loud, historian Margaret Bendroth interweaves vignettes of individual women who knew both the value of compromise and the cost of anger within a larger narrative that highlights the debts second-wave feminism owes to their efforts, even though these women would never have called themselves feminists. This lively historical account explains not just how feminism finally took root in American mainline churches, but why the change was so long in coming. Through its complex examination of the intersections of faith, gender, and anger at injustice, Good and Mad will be invaluable to anyone interested in the history of gender and religion in America.

This is a collection of writings on the Eucharist by one of the most important theological thinkers of our time. The theology of John Zizioulas presents a beautiful vision of the Church as Eucharistic communion, in which human persons both are gathered into Jesus Christ and are sent back into the world. In his previous books, Zizioulas focused on the way this communion is related to the communion of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which calls us to understand being as communion and provides the only foundation for otherness and identity. With its sustained attention directly to the Eucharistic communion, this volume provides the context for those discussions. Zizioulas here explores the biblical dimensions and eschatological foundation of the Eucharist, the celebration of the Eucharist by the Church, and the ethos of the Eucharistic community. These essays are provocatively concrete and practical, showing once again that Zizioulas' teaching on persons, communion and otherness has radical implications for the life of the Church and its relationship to the world.

John Mason Neale, the prolific and popular hymn-writer, was a major presence in the religious culture of Victorian England. Through his wide-ranging literary activity he promoted `sobornost', or mutual understanding and recognition between Eastern and Western churches. This study, which concentrates on history, hymnody, and fiction, will be of value to students and scholars of Victorian literature and culture, church historians, and all those interested in the progress of ecumenism and the relations between Eastern and Western Europe.

Cosmic Grace, Humble Prayer presents the powerful ecological vision of Patriarch Bartholomew, drawing together a comprehensive collection of his church statements and occasional addresses, some available in English only here. This second edition provides an updated selection of letters and addresses by the Patriarch, including such statements from 2003 to 2007. / Editor John Chryssavgis has organized these pieces chronologically and thematically, highlighting particular points of interest and importance. In addition, he provides a substantial historical and theological introduction to the initiatives and writings of Patriarch Bartholomew that also invites readers into the unparalleled environmental perspective of the Orthodox Church.

Receptive Ecumenism asks not what other churches can learn from us, but 'what can we learn and receive with integrity from our ecclesial others?' Since the publication of Receptive Ecumenism and the Call to Catholic Learning: Exploring a Way for Contemporary Ecumenism (OUP, 2008), this fresh ecumenical strategy has been adopted, critiqued, and developed in different Christian traditions, and in local, national, and international settings, including the most recent bilateral dialogue of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC III). The thirty-eight chapters in this new volume, by academics, church leaders, and ecumenical practitioners who have adopted and adapted Receptive Ecumenism in various ecclesial and cultural contexts, show how Receptive Ecumenism has grown and matured. Part One demonstrates how Receptive Ecumenism itself is capable of being received with integrity into very different ecclesiologies and ecclesial traditions. In Part Two, this approach to transformative ecumenical learning is applied to some recurrent ecclesial problems, such as the understanding and practice of ministry, revealing new insights and practical opportunities. Part Three examines the potential and challenges for Receptive Ecumenism in different international settings. Part Four draws on scripture, hermeneutics, and pneumatology to offer critical reflection on how Receptive Ecumenism itself implements transformative ecclesial learning. Addressing the 70th Anniversary of the World Council of Churches, Archbishop Justin Welby, said that 'One of the most important of recent ecumenical developments has been the concept of "Receptive Ecumenism"'. This volume provides an indispensable point of reference for understanding and applying that concept in the life of the Christian churches today.

Catholics without Rome examines the dawn of the modern, ecumenical age, when "Old Catholics," unable to abide Rome's new doctrine of papal infallibility, sought unity with other "catholics" in the Anglican and Eastern Orthodox churches. In 1870, the First Vatican Council formally embraced and defined the dogma of papal infallibility. A small and vocal minority, comprised in large part of theologians from Germany and Switzerland, judged it uncatholic and unconscionable, and they abandoned the Roman Catholic Church, calling themselves "Old Catholics." This study examines the Old Catholic Church's efforts to create a new ecclesiastical structure, separate from Rome, while simultaneously seeking unity with other Christian confessions. Many who joined the Old Catholic movement had long argued for interconfessional dialogue, contemplating the possibility of uniting with Anglicans and the Eastern Orthodox. The reunion negotiations initiated by Old Catholics marked the beginning of the ecumenical age that continued well into the twentieth century. Bryn Geffert and LeRoy Boerneke focus on the Bonn Reunion Conferences of 1874 and 1875, including the complex run-up to those meetings and the events that transpired thereafter. Geffert and Boerneke masterfully situate the theological conversation in its wider historical and political context, including the religious leaders involved with the conferences, such as Doellinger, Newman, Pusey, Liddon, Wordsworth, Ianyshev, Alekseev, and Bolotov, among others. The book demonstrates that the Bonn Conferences and the Old Catholic movement, though unsuccessful in their day, broke important theological ground still relevant to contemporary interchurch and ecumenical affairs. Catholics without Rome makes an original contribution to the study of ecumenism, the history of Christian doctrine, modern church history, and the political science of confessional fellowships. The book will interest students and scholars of Christian theology and history, and general readers in Anglican and Eastern Orthodox churches interested in the history of their respective confessions.

Originally written as a text book for the TEE College, this book has a much wider appeal. The 29 contributors reflect the rich diverse denominational traditions and backgrounds that make up the mosaic of the Church in South Africa. The 27 chapters examine ecumenism itself, ecumenical organisations (national, contextual and international), and differences between. Ecumenism's relationship and mission are presented. Necessarily a broad brush approach, the book aims to be informative and to enable one to understand the rich nature and history of ecumenism.