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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Aspects of religions (non-Christian) > Religious institutions & organizations > Religious social & pastoral thought & activity
John J. Fitzgerald addresses here one of life's enduring questions
- how to achieve personal fulfillment and more specifically whether
we can do so through ethical conduct. He focuses on two significant
twentieth-century theologians - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and
Pope John Paul II - seeing both as fitting dialogue partners, given
the former's influence on the Second Vatican Council's
deliberations on the Jews, and the latter's groundbreaking
overtures to the Jews in the wake of his experiences in Poland
before and during World War II. Fitzgerald demonstrates that
Heschel and John Paul II both suggest that doing good generally
leads us to growth in various components of personal fulfillment,
such as happiness, meaning in life, and freedom from selfish
desires. There are, however, some key differences between the two
theologians - John Paul II emphasizes more strongly the
relationship between acting well and attaining eternal life,
whereas Heschel wrestles more openly with the possibility that
religious commitment ultimately involves anxiety and sadness. By
examining historical and contemporary analyses, including the work
of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, the philosopher Peter Singer, and
some present-day psychologists, Fitzgerald builds a narrative that
shows the promise and limits of Heschel's and John Paul II's views.
Protests of neoliberal globalization have proliferated in recent
years, not least in response to the financial crisis, austerity and
increasing inequality. But how do religious groups organize
themselves in response to these issues? This book systematically
studies the relationship of religious activism towards neoliberal
globalization. It considers how religious organizations often play
a central role in the resistance against global capitalism,
endeavouring to offer alternatives and developments for reform. But
it also examines the other side of the coin, showing how many
religious groups help to diffuse neoliberal values, promote and
reinforce practices of capitalism. Drawing on a unique set of case
studies from around the world, the chapters examine a range of
groups and their practices in order to provide a thorough
examination of the relationship between religion and the global
political economy.
Letters to Myself is a compilation of letters written by women to
the women they were. These letters took courage and strength for
each woman to write, in most cases, opening wombs that had not
completely healed.
Radical Relationships helps couples rebuild and grow their
relationships. Couples learn to recognize wrong and selfish
patterns, and learn to develop new partner-focused patterns of
communication, love and service. Couples are encouraged to grow
closer to God and one another.
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