The forgotten legacy of religious Jewish anarchism, and the adventures and ideas of its key figures, finally comes to light in this book. Set in the decades surrounding both world wars, No masters but God identifies a loosely connected group of rabbis and traditionalist thinkers who explicitly appealed to anarchist ideas in articulating the meaning of the Torah, traditional practice, Jewish life and the mission of modern Jewry. Full of archival discoveries and first translations from Yiddish and Hebrew, it explores anarcho-Judaism in its variety through the works of Yaakov Meir Zalkind, Yitshak Nahman Steinberg, Yehudah Leyb Don-Yahiya, Avraham Yehudah Heyn, Natan Hofshi, Shmuel Alexandrov, Yehudah Ashlag and Aaron Shmuel Tamaret. With this ground-breaking account, Hayyim Rothman traces a complicated story about the modern entanglement of religion and anarchism, pacifism and Zionism, prophetic anti-authoritarianism and mystical antinomianism. -- .

In recent years there has been a bold revival in the field of natural theology, where "natural theology" can be understood as the attempt to demonstrate that God exists by way of reason, evidence, and argument without the appeal to divine revelation. Today's practitioners of natural theology have not only revived and recast all of the traditional arguments in the field, but, by drawing upon the findings of contemporary cosmology, chemistry, and biology, have also developed a range of fascinating new ones. Contemporary Arguments in Natural Theology brings together twenty experts working in the field today. Together, they practice natural theology from a wide range of perspectives, and show how the field of natural theology is practiced today with a degree of diversity and confidence not seen since the Middle Ages. Aimed primarily at advanced undergraduates and graduate students, the volume will also be of interest to researchers in philosophy, theology, biblical studies, and religious studies, as an indispensable resource on contemporary theistic proofs.

Based on a constructive reading of Scripture, the apostolic and patristic traditions and deeply rooted in the sacramental experience and spiritual ethos of the Orthodox Church, John Zizioulas offers a timely anthropological and cosmological perspective of human beings as "priests of creation" in addressing the current ecological crisis. Given the critical and urgent character of the global crisis and by adopting a clear line of argumentation, Zizioulas describes a vision based on a compassionate and incarnational conception of the human beings as liturgical beings, offering creation to God for the life of the world. He encourages the need for deeper interaction with modern science, from which theology stands to gain an appreciation of the interconnection of every aspect of materiality and life with humankind. The result is an articulate and promising vision that inspires a new ethos, or way of life, to overcome our alienation from the rest of creation.

This is the first English-language anthology to provide a compendium of primary source material on the sublime. The book takes a chronological approach, covering the earliest ancient traditions up through the early and late modern periods and into contemporary theory. It takes an inclusive, interdisciplinary approach to this key concept in aesthetics and criticism, representing voices and traditions that have often been excluded. As such, it will be of use and interest across the humanities and allied disciplines, from art criticism and literary theory, to gender and cultural studies and environmental philosophy. The anthology includes brief introductions to each selection, reading or discussion questions, suggestions for further reading, a bibliography and index - making it an ideal text for building a course around or for further study. The book's apparatus provides valuable context for exploring the history and contemporary views of the sublime.

In this study Jurgen Becker presents a new historically grounded explanation of the phrases "kingdom of God" and "God's reign" - the central terms of Jesus' proclamation. He draws on a range of sources to trace Jesus'special position within early Judaism. At the same time, he retains his focus on Jesus' ministry, viewed as the beginning of the history of early Christianity. The proclamation of the kingdom is thus seen by Becker as the founding moment of a distinct community of faith.

The 'ethical turn' in anthropology has been one of the most vibrant fields in the discipline in the past quarter century. It has fostered new dialogue between anthropology and philosophy, psychology, and theology, and seen a wealth of theoretical innovation and influential ethnographic studies. This book brings together a global team of established and emerging leaders in the field and makes the results of this fast-growing body of diverse research available in one volume. It is split into five parts, covering the philosophical and other intellectual sources of the ethical turn; inter-disciplinary dialogues; emerging conceptualizations of core aspects of ethical agency such as freedom, responsibility, and affect; and the diverse ways in which ethical thought and practice are institutionalized in social life. Authoritative and cutting-edge, it is essential reading for researchers and students in anthropology, philosophy, psychology and theology, and will set the agenda for future research in the field.

In time for Pope Francis's new initiatives. We now have the potential to end two thousand years of hostility will we succeed? New in paperback

With keen wisdom and a masterful understanding of history, Rabbi James Rudin, an acclaimed authority in the field of Jewish-Christian relations, provides the context necessary for Christians and Jews to recognize the critical challenges posed by the past and the future of their two religions.

Spanning twenty centuries of controversy, horror and promise, Rudin s narrative examines:

The sources of both conflict and commonality between the two religions The need to address and redress past wrongs The agenda required to create a shared future free of bigotry

It includes proven approaches for successful interreligious dialogues, including tips on session organization, project ideas and a discussion guide to enhance Christians and Jews knowledge of each other."

The Bible suggests that unbelievers are a crop ready for harvest. When harvested, they are taken to the threshing floor, where husks and chaff are removed to reveal the precious seed (Matt. 3:11-12; 9:35-38). This book develops the concept of 'Threshing floor' by simple reference to a typical sub-urban town-house or mansion with nine floors, each of them being a 'Threshing Floor'. For various reasons, many Christians are uncomfortable to approach someone else for counselling. Fatally wounded by fellow Christians, whether leaders or not, they quietly withdraw from the Church. Alternatively, they stay put, but deeply wounded and hurt, they limp along and remain in the Church. They become religious. This book offers a new, innovative, 'D.I.Y' approach to Christian Counselling, whereby one approaches others only in the event of failure of the D.I.Y. process. Touching on various character and behavioural attributes, the Bible is explored to clinically analyse scriptures, offering chances for the wounded and those who wound others to get 'self-threshed' by the Word of God on different theoretical 'floors' in the 'House God' (Psalm 23:6). When fully threshed, they serve in God's house with a sweet spirit, agape love, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Practical theology has outgrown its traditional pastoral paradigm. The articles in this handbook recognize that faith, spirituality, and lived religion, within and beyond institutional communities, refer to realms of cultures, ritual practices, and symbolic orders, whose boundaries are not clearly defined and whose contents are shifting. The International Handbook of Practical Theology offers insightful transcultural conceptions of religion and religious matters gathered from various cultures and traditions of faith. The first section presents 'concepts of religion'. Chapters have to do with considerations of the conceptualizing of religion in the fields of 'anthropology', 'community', 'family', 'institution', 'law', 'media', and 'politics' among others. The second section is dedicated to case studies of 'religious practices' from the perspective of their actors. The third section presents major theoretical discourses that explore the globally significant diversity and multiplicity of religion. Altogether, sixty-one authors from different parts of the world encourage a rethinking of religious practice in an expanded, transcultural, globalized, and postcolonial world.

This book is the first greater attempt to construct a dialogical theology from a Jewish point of view. It contributes to an emerging new theology that promotes the interrelatedness of religions in which encounter, openness, hospitality and permanent learning are central. The monograph is about the self and the other, inner and outer, own and strange; about borders and crossing borders, and about the sublime activities of passing and translating. Meir analyses and critically discusses the writings of great contemporary Jewish dialogical thinkers and argues that the values of interreligious theology are moored in their thoughts. In his view interreligious dialogue supposes attentive listening, humility, a critical attitude towards oneself and others, a good amount of self-relativism and humor. It is about proximity, dialogical reading, engagement and interconnectedness.

Through a series of fascinating essays "Creation's Diversity" examines the concept of environmental engagement in the context of religious convictions."Creation's Diversity" opens with a substantial introduction by Willem B. Drees, exploring how to relate environmental engagement in the context of religious convictions. Daniel Ciobotea, Metropolit of Moldavia and Bucovina (Romania) speaks from the Orthodox tradition in arguing for the compatibility of science and faith in appreciating the rationality and mystery of the universe.In the first part of the book, 'A Diversity of Visions of Creation', six essays address various views of creation. Anna Primavesi is inspired by the gaia-theory that presents the whole biosphere as intimately intertwined. Regina Kather takes her point of departure in a philosophical analysis of human beings as biological products and producers of culture. David Goodin concerns the Biblical narratives regarding the Leviathan, as a sea monster to be destroyed and as one of God's impressive creatures, to be played with. Christopher Southgate mines the religious tradition, especially the idea that God limits 'himself' (kenosis) so as to create room for a free response and genuine responsibility on the side of creatures such as we. Two more chapters, by Alfred Kracher and Tony Watling analyze the mythical roles of nature and technology and of cosmologies inspired by science (e.g. the gaia-theory) and by religious traditions (e.g., creation narratives).The second part of the book, 'Sustaining Creation's Diversity', analyses critically the concept of sustainability, given the dynamic character of natural reality as unveiled by the sciences (Sam Berry, Jan J. Boersema). This is followed by some reflections on ethical and theological considerations regarding the idea that we ought to sustain diversity (Chris Wiltsher, Peter P. Kirschenmann). Zbigniew Liana considers diversity in a more cultural context, as the diversity of ideas, while the concluding chapter by Dirk Evers reflects on the task of theology in sustaining diversity in a situation of growing religious pluralism.

A Profound and Stirring Call to Action in Our Troubled World from One of America's Great Religious Leaders

"Conscience may be understood as the hidden inner compass that guides our lives and must be searched for and recovered repeatedly. At no time more than our own is this need to retrieve the shards of broken conscience more urgent." from the Introduction

This clarion call to rethink our moral and political behavior examines the idea of conscience and the role conscience plays in our relationships to government, law, ethics, religion, human nature and God and to each other. From Abraham to Abu Ghraib, from the dissenting prophets to Darfur, Rabbi Harold Schulweis probes history, the Bible and the works of contemporary thinkers for ideas about both critical disobedience and uncritical obedience. He illuminates the potential for evil and the potential for good that rests within us as individuals and as a society.

By questioning religion's capacity and will to break from mindless conformity, Rabbi Schulweis challenges us to counter our current suppressive culture of obedience with the culture of moral compassion, and to fulfill religion s obligation to make room for and carry out courageous moral dissent."