In this book of reflections, Rowell encourages readers to pay attention, because we often find God in unusual places. He reflects on how we often miss God in the usual places such as the Bible, church, or home.

One of the central arguments of post-metaphysical theology is that language is inherently 'metaphysical' and consequently that it shoehorns objects into predetermined categories. Because God is beyond such categories, it follows that language cannot apply to God. Drawing on recent work in theology and philosophy of language, Kevin Hector develops an alternative account of language and its relation to God, demonstrating that one need not choose between fitting God into a metaphysical framework, on the one hand, and keeping God at a distance from language, on the other. Hector thus elaborates a 'therapeutic' response to metaphysics: given the extent to which metaphysical presuppositions about language have become embedded in common sense, he argues that metaphysics can be fully overcome only by defending an alternative account of language and its application to God, so as to strip such presuppositions of their apparent self-evidence and release us from their grip.

Following an insightful evaluation of the Gospel evidence, Clifford concludes that the kingdom of God as proclaimed by Jesus is a reality in the light of which we have to come to terms with the modern world-a world where natural catastrophes and humanly created disasters are common occurrences.

Otherness is a dominant motif in contemporary thought from the realm of science to the arts, and the otherness of God is likewise a major theme of current philosophical and religious thought. This volume offers essays on the nature of God and the fundamental tasks of philosophy and theology written by internationally recognized thinkers in the distinct fields of philosophy, religious studies, and theology.

The Otherness of God traces the lineage of its theme from Plato and Aristotle through Neoplatonic, medieval, and Renaissance expression, and on through Reformation thought and German idealism to dialectical theology and deconstruction. In spite of a variety of approaches, the contributors all recognize that one may still think theologically -- indeed, must do so -- even when one fundamentally challenges the very conceptualization of the nature of the divine that has traditionally dominated metaphysical theism. This provocative collection, drawn primarily from an interdisciplinary conference at the University of Virginia, should attract those interested in the philosophy of religion, the history of philosophy and theology, and the theological interpretation of secular culture.

The innovative strategies, scathing attacks, and lasting impact that marked a sweeping critique of traditional Christian thought

"An important contribution to scholarship on rhetoric and religion because it examines the role of reason and evidence in issues dividing the Deists and Anglicans in matters of Christian spirituality. It sheds light on the role that style and evidence -- especially ridicule and testimony -- played in the controversy". -- Lester C. Olson, University of Pittsburgh

The Radical Rhetoric of the English Deists illuminates the major battlefields of a rhetorical war waged for the religious mind of Britain and eventually of Europe and the colonies. Focusing on the works of lesser-known but highly influential Deists whose radically controversial spirit and willingness to absorb enormous personal risks made Deist controversy so intriguing and consequential, lames A. Herrick examines the seventy-year polemic between the English Deists and the Church of England. He contends that Deism owes its enduring significance to the rhetorical acumen, textual resources, and iconoclastic motivation of skilled controversialists who sought nothing less than the destruction of Christianity.

"This outstanding book . . . is a genuinely pivotal contribution to the lively current debate over divine foreknowledge and human freedom. . . . Hasker's book has three commendable features worthy of immediate note. First, it contains a carefully crafted overview of the recent literature on foreknowledge and freedom and so can serve as an excellent introduction to that literature. Second, it is tightly reasoned and brimming with brisk arguments, many of them highly original. Third, it correctly situates the philosophical dispute over foreknowledge and freedom within its proper theological context and in so doing highlights the intimate connection between the doctrines of divine omniscience and divine providence." Faith and Philosophy" God, Time, and Knowledge] is an elegantly written, forcefully argued challenge to traditional views, and a major contribution to the discussion of divine foreknowledge." Philosophical Review"This is a very competent, thorough analysis of the conflict between free will and divine foreknowledge (or, on some acounts, timeless divine knowledge of our future). It is exceptionally clear." Theological Book Review"

Where does God s revelation reside, in the event or in the interpretation? If history is about the creation of meaning, what does it mean to say that God reveals God s self in history? Those who take seriously scripture as revelatory must wrestle with such fundamental questions and their far-reaching implications. Dan Via addresses these and related issues in this original volume. The title of the book, particularly the and/as, demands exposition. To speak of God s revelation and human reception is to suggest that God s self-disclosure is something other than and prior to the human response that it elicits. To speak of God s self-manifestation as human reception is to suggest that revelation does not occur apart from the specific ways in which it is received by human beings and that human response is in fact, a positive and constitutive factor in the actualization of revelation. In brief, then, this book is a study of what several New Testament writers understand by the revelation of God to humankind, including both the and and the as. An opening chapter sketches in a selective way a provisional definition of revelation that embraces a horizon reaching back into neo-orthodoxy while also coming close to the present. Then follow chapters on the word as content and the elusive historical element, including the place of the historical Jesus in revelation; a discussion of Paul based on 2 Cor. 2:14-4:15, with special reference to the four elements of the revelation situation; the use of the historical setting of Mark as a constituent of actualized revelation for all four Gospels followed by similar chapters on Mathew and John. A concluding chapter redescribes the four constituent elements of the revelation situation and relects on some of their interrelationships. Here, then, is a resourceful and thorough study of an important issue in New Testament and systematic theology, and one that takes human action and reception into full account. Dan O. Via is Emeritus Professor of New Testament as Duke University Divinity School and author of Self-Deception and Wholeness in Paul and Matthew.

While much work has been done on goddesses of the ancient world and the male gods of pre-Christian Scandinavia, the northern goddesses have been largely neglected. Roles of the Northern Goddess presents a highly readable study of the worship of these goddesses by men and women. With its use of evidence from early literature, popular tradition, legend and archaeology, this book investigates the role of the early hunting goddess and the local goddesses who were involved in all aspects of the household and the farm. What emerges is that the goddess was both benevolent and destructive, a powerful figure closely concerned with birth and death and with destiny of individuals.

Badcock begins by surveying what both the Old and New Testaments have to say about the Spirit. Next he traces the history of the theology of the Spirit, examining a number of crucial episodes and questions in the field of pneumatology in the history of Christian thought, and then proceeds to develop a contemporary theology of the Spirit.

Throughout the centuries the church has taught that the vast majority of humankind will suffer eternal punishment. But is this teaching truly biblical? In this provocative book Jan Bonda scrutinizes church tradition and Scripture -- especially Paul's letter to the Romans -- and concludes that neither Paul nor the prophets to whom he appeals show any trace of supporting the doctrine of eternal damnation. On the contrary, they tell us that God wants to save all people and that he will not rest until that goal has been achieved.

This compelling book addresses important questions on the meaning of suffering: Why must we suffer? Does suffering have a purpose? How can we grow through our suffering to find peace, and give peace to others? O'Malley suggests that while reflection and introspection cannot in themselves give meaning to suffering, suffering that is beyond our control can be transformed through action.

Everyone understands human pain. But many Christians have difficulty comprehending God's pain, especially God's pain in the death of Christ. Is it atonement or child abuse? To speak of God in pain, says Barbara Brown Taylor, is not only to address the biblical stories of Christ's suffering and death, but also to proclaim the God who is present in our pain. This volume of teaching sermons on suffering presents different approaches to the problem of God in pain. In each sermon, Taylor speaks with sensitivity and profound insight as she addresses pain and both its human and divine impact.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Part I: Pain of Life: The Gift of Disillusionment; A Cure for Despair; Learning to Hate Your Family; Divine Anger; Feeding the Enemy; The Betrayer in Our Midst; Buried by Baptism; The Suffering Cup; Pick Up Your Cross; Unless a Grain Falls; The Dress Rehearsal; Surviving Crucifixion; Portents and Signs; and The Delivery Room. Part II: Pain of Death: Believing What We Cannot Understand; Someone to Blame; The Triumphant Victim; The Myth of Redemptive Violence; The Silence of God; The Will of God; The Suffering of God; May He Not Rest in Peace.

BARBARA BROWN TAYLOR, an Episcopal priest in the diocese of Atlanta, holds the Butman Chair in Religion and Philosophy at Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia. She is widely sought after as a preacher and guest lecturer, and is the author of five books, including Preaching Life and Bread of Angels.She was named by Baylor University as one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English language.

God's beauty is omnipresent, particularly in the Scriptures, in the liturgy, and in human friendship. In"Enjoying God's Beauty," Father Navone discusses how to find God in the beauty of the world and in all of God's creation.

The joy of seeing the beauty of God in our lives - the eye of love" that is Christian faith and "the look of love" that is Christian contemplation beholding the Beloved in all things - is at the heart of Christian life. In "Enjoying God's Beauty," Father Navone provides an overview of the Christian experience of God's beauty in all things.

"Enjoying God's Beauty" focuses on three approaches to the Christian experience of beauty. The first approach to enjoying God's beauty follows the assumption that wherever there is Christian life, there is Christian Vision and action. The second approach revolves around the Church's Scriptures. Father Navone focuses on the Church's invitation to contemplate in its scriptural iconography true images of God, ourselves, and the world. The third approach involves our experience of life in the Church. Father Navone focuses on the theologies of beauty of Thomas Aquinas and Jonathan Edwards based on their experience within the community of Christian faith. Finally, he examines the healing and integrating Spirit of God's love within the Church and the world and how it invites reflection on the universal scope of Beauty Itself (God).

Just as there is no joy without love, there is no contemplation without beauty. In "Enjoying God's Beauty," Father Navone shows that the power of beauty moves us to gaze with love upon the Beloved, an act in the Christian faith better known as contemplation.

Chapters are "Windows on Beauty," *In a Glass Darkly, - *Beauty Begets Beauty, - *Time to Enjoy, - *To Enjoy Is to Glorify, - *The Look of Love, - *The 'Beautiful' Shepherd, - *Scriptural Icons, - *Sight to the Blind, - *Predestined for Glory, - *Edwards and Aquinas, - *Beauty in Liturgy, - and *Radiant Spirit. -

John Navone, SJ, is Professor of Theology at the Gregorian University in Rome and at the Gonzaga University summer school. He has written three other books published by Liturgical Press: "Toward a Theology of Beauty, Seeking God in Story, " and "Self-Giving and Sharing: The Trinity and Human Fulfillment.""

Thomas P. Flint develops and defends the idea of divine providence sketched by Luis de Molina, the 16th-century Jesuit theologian. The Molinist account of divine providence reconciles two claims thought to be incompatible: that God is the all-knowing governor of the universe and that individual freedom can prevail only in a universe free of absolute determinism. The Molinist concept of middle knowledge holds that God knows, though he has no control over, truths about how any individual would freely choose to act in any situation, even if the person never encounters that situation. Given such knowledge, God can be truly providential while leaving his creatures genuinely free.

The purpose of this book is to tell of the author's personal experiences with the Holy Spirit and the omnipresence of God. Those who don't believe in the omnipresence and have no experience with the Holy Spirit will have great difficulty in understanding what is written within this book. Believers, however, should have no difficulty in knowing whence his writings comes. This book is written to the glory of God. The author's experiences have all been real and they have continued throughout his life to this very day. The author does not try to explain or justify them, because they are beyond explanation and they need no justification.

An invitation to step into the open spaces where the wind of God's Spirit is blowing. It demonstrates that renewal is not a hobby for Christians to enjoy in privacy, but means being driven out on the Cavalry road, public rejection, private struggles, and an encounter with the wonder of God.

The doctrine of the Trinity has recently been rescued from relative obscurity in Christian theology, but its profound implications have not yet been fully realized. In "These Three are One," David Cunningham articulates a Trinitarian perspective that challenges a wide range of modern assumptions about God and the created order.

Cunningham seeks to rehabilitate the Augustinian tradition of locating the "triune marks" left upon the world by its Creator. He explores ancient rhetoric, communication theory, and literature - as well as more traditional theological sources - in order to illuminate not only the Christian doctrine of God, but also its radical critique of contemporary culture.

According to Cunningham, Trinitarian theology challenges many of our most cherished practices, including our craving for violence, our neglect of children, and our misguided quest for homogeneity. His book confounds the popular notion that the doctrine of the Trinity is esoteric and irrelevant; on the contrary, it shows it to be at the very heart of Christian life and thought.

Philosopher Arthur F. Holmes surveys the historical ways of grounding moral values objectively in the nature of reality, pausing along the way to consider such major landmarks in Western thought as Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Ockham, the Reformers, Kant, Hegel, and Nietzsche. Holmes is not convinced that we live in a value-free universe, that fact and value are ultimately unrelated, or that we have to create all our own values rather than discovering the good. He explores the fact-value connection in the larger context of metaphysical and theological views. What emerges is a pervasive-and convincing-link between religious and moral beliefs.

This study illustrates how the isolated prophet or mystic is no longer relevant and that it is only through the formation of prophetic communities of faith that our modern sense of fragmentation can be addressed.

The biblical Jubilee that was celebrated once every fifty years is referred to in Leviticus 25 as the "Sabbath of Sabbaths". Its requirements included that the land lie fallow, all debts be forgiven, captives be freed, and a celebration held. Maria Harris considers the implications of a living Jubilee for today and for the next century. She offers a compelling argument that a living Jubilee is a comprehensive spirituality that would have a positive political, economic, and moral impact on individuals, families, religious congregations, institutions, and nations.

Partial Contents: God in Himself; First Idea of God; God's Description of Himself; How to Proceed in this Contemplation; Mystery of the Father; The Word, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity; Only Begotten Son; How St. John came by the Expression the Word; Wonders of the Third Person; Blessed Three in One; God in His Works; World of Matter from Stars to Matter; Romance of Our Little Earth; Divine View Point; God in the Heart of the Mystic.

A major work from one of today's leading theologians, Divine Empathy attempts to "think the unthinkable," how God comes forth actively and redemptively to meet the human situation. Apologetic but not polemical, Farley's work sympathetically engages yet moves beyond both the classical tradition as well as contemporary anti-theisms in formulating a concept of God that is strikingly original, intellectually honest, and comprehensive. Farley's treatise employs the "facticity of redemption," the actual experience of freedom and empowerment, as the primordial source for our thinking about God (Part 1), God-symbols (Part 2), and God's activity (Part 3), including the figure of Jesus. Farley's astute analysis leads inexorably to a view of divine creativity and empathy that is one of the more profound religious visions of our time.

Professor Thiselton compares and assesses modern and postmodern interpretations of the self and society on their own terms and in relation to Christian theology. He explores especially claims that appeals to truth constitute no more than disguised bids for power and self-affirmation whether in society or in religion.