This book provides a creative and highly imaginative critical theological genealogy of modern secular reason and the nature of modernity more generally. Francesca Murphy offers a critical perspective that shapes the exploration of modernity, driven by Catholic traditions and sources. Murphy's method is unique: she uses artificial intelligence as her framing parable, analyzing the nature and limits of the robotic 'reasoning' of several AI characters (Pistis, Gnosis and Cultus). This enables her to develop several interrelated themes, with further didactic chapters offering a mytho-poetic retelling of human history. Her reflections on the absence of creativity and any meaningful relation to 'time' further renders an acute critique of the limits of technological rationality. The end result is an unusual and compelling exploration of rationality and fundamental theological anthropology.

This is a comprehensive analysis of the doctrine of providence, from historical, philosophical-theological, systematic and practical perspectives. This text comprises a comprehensive analysis of the doctrine of providence, from historical, philosophical-theological, systematic and practical perspectives. The essays in this book discuss the doctrine of providence from four central angles. First, three chapters give an historical introduction to the modern interpretation of the notion of providence, examining how it was progressively naturalised and secularized in modern times. Second, over seven chapters, and from different perspectives, the book restates the Christian notion of providence in relation to the problem of evil and the theory of evolution. Third, in two chapters, the book exhibits providence as a core theme in systematic theology. Finally, over three chapters, the book shows the ethical and political relevance of the doctrine of providence today.

This textbook will give students a clear understanding of the connection between faith and reason. "Illuminating Faith" gives students a clear and accessible introduction to some of the major ways faith and the relationship between faith and reason have been understood within Western Christianity. In twenty-six short and easy to digest units it covers different accounts of faith beginning with Scripture, moving through the history of Christian thought, and ending with contemporary views.Along the way it explores some of the decisive theological and philosophy accounts of faith, such as faith seeking understanding, faith and supernatural virtue, faith and skepticism, and faith and science. Yet it also includes significant issues and movements not typically covered in introductory texts, such as documents from church councils, faith as knowledge, assent, and trust in the Protestant scholastics, faith and the heart in pietism, secularized accounts of faith, faith after Auschwitz, and faith and liberation. The goal of each unit is to introduce students to topical issues surrounding the nature of faith, to provide historical background for each topic, and to generate further discussion and reflection on the nature of faith. The result is a well balanced and unique introduction to various understandings of faith. Designed specifically with classroom use in mind, "Illuminating Faith" includes a glossary of words, an update-to-date bibliography, and each chapter ends with questions for discussion as well as suggestions for relevant reading material.

This unique contribution to the developing field of theological aesthetics links the theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar and that of Jacques Maritain to the Agrarian writers of the American South: Caroline Gordon, John Crowe Ransom, Allan Tate, and William Lynch. For all of these great twentieth-century writers, Christ is the image of reality and the ultimate form of beauty. Beauty, for so long the 'Cinderella' of the transcendentals, has been rediscovered in recent years largely through the work of Maritain and von Balthasar. Francesca Murphy studies this breakthrough in relation to its patristic, medieval, and modern background. Through a discussion of romanticism and postmodernism, of poetry and metaphysics, she reveals the importance of the sacramental imagination as the key to the renewal of Christology and of modern Christian literature.

What is Ecumenism? Is Christian unity a legitimate hope or just a pious illusion? The aim of this book is to analyze the real obstacles that stand in the path to unity and to propose solutions, where these are possible. Distinguished authors from the main Christian denominations offer a unique insight into the problem of Christian divisions and the relationships between Christian communities. This work is not a politically correct exercise in diplomacy; rather, it informs the reader about the actual state of the ecumenical dialogue.

What is Ecumenism? Is Christian unity a legitimate hope or just a pious illusion? The aim of this book is to analyze the real obstacles that stand in the path to unity and to propose solutions, where these are possible. Distinguished authors from the main Christian denominations offer a unique insight into the problem of Christian divisions and the relationships between Christian communities. This work is not a politically correct exercise in diplomacy; rather, it informs the reader about the actual state of the ecumenical dialogue.

Olivier-Thomas Venard's Thomas d'Aquin poete theologien trilogy, an in depth analysis of the scripture of St. Thomas Aquinas, is translated for a new audience in this streamlined anthology. Featuring selections from all three books in the trilogy, chosen in accordance with Venard's direction and discernment, it introduces not only arguments pertinent to the theme of this volume, but an invitation to explore the full breadth of Venard's work. Concentrating on the subjects of scripture, theology and literature, language as a theological question and the word of God, Murphy and Oakes capture the scope and energy of Venard's trilogy while collating many of its key passages. Ranging from the themes of a poetic gospel and Christology to the Thomist theories of semiology and the metaphysics of the Word, this volume sets scholars on the path to a deeper understanding of Aquinas's systematic theology.

A challenging critique of narrative theologies, including the works of George Lindbeck, Robert Jenson, and Herbert McCabe. Francesca Aran Murphy argues that the use of the concept of story or narrative in theology is circular and self-referential, and that the widespread notion that the role of the theologian is to 'tell God's story' has not helped theology to advance the reality of its doctrines. Murphy contends that the scriptural revelation on which Christian theology depends is not a story or a plot but a dramatic encounter between mysterious, free, and unpredictable persons. She offers her own alternative approach, making use of cinema and film theory, and engaging in particular in a dialogue with the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar.

A historical and systematic introduction to what the medieval philospher and theologian Thomas Aquinas (1225-74) said about faith in the Trinity. Gilles Emery, O.P., provides an explanation of the main questions in Thomas's treatise on the Trinity in his major work, the Summa Theologiae. His presentation clarifies the key ideas through which Thomas accounts for the nature of Trinitarian monotheism. Emery focuses on the personal relations of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, both in their eternal communion and in their creative and saving action. By highlighting the thought of one of the greatest defenders of the doctrine of the Trinity, he enables people to grasp the classical Christian understanding of God.

A historical and systematic introduction to what the medieval philospher and theologian Thomas Aquinas (1225-74) said about faith in the Trinity. Gilles Emery OP provides an explanation of the main questions in Thomas's treatise on the Trinity in his major work, the Summa Theologiae. His presentation clarifies the key ideas through which Thomas accounts for the nature of Trinitarian monotheism. Emery focuses on the personal relations of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, both in their eternal communion and in their creative and saving action. By highlighting the thought of one of the greatest defenders of the doctrine of the Trinity, he enables people to grasp the classical Christian understanding of God.

Olivier-Thomas Venard's Thomas d'Aquin poete theologien trilogy, an in depth analysis of the scripture of St. Thomas Aquinas, is translated for a new audience in this streamlined anthology. Featuring selections from all three books in the trilogy, chosen in accordance with Venard's direction and discernment, it introduces not only arguments pertinent to the theme of this volume, but an invitation to explore the full breadth of Venard's work. Concentrating on the subjects of scripture, theology and literature, language as a theological question and the word of God, Murphy and Oakes capture the scope and energy of Venard's trilogy while collating many of its key passages. Ranging from the themes of a poetic gospel and Christology to the Thomist theories of semiology and the metaphysics of the Word, this volume sets scholars on the path to a deeper understanding of Aquinas's systematic theology.

A highly readable and illuminating approach to biblical scholarship from the author of Christ the Form of Beauty.At a time when new approaches to biblical analysis are proliferating, Francesca Murphy opens up the literary dimension of the Bible using a lively form of narrative criticism, developing a doctrine of revelation which is both original and radically traditional. Murphy argues that the Bible is written imaginatively, and that the best way to understand its meaning is to imagine how to perform or dramatize it. She follows the sequence of heroes and heroines who carry the plot from Genesis to Revelation and presents a fresh and remarkable picture of biblical revelation as the performance of God's image in history, captured by its writers' moral imagination.

The Oxford Handbook of Divine Revelation offers a systemic approach to the notion of revelation in its various theoretical contexts. It provides in-depth coverage of the theoretical and historical fields in which the notion of revelation is discussed. It does not reflect the views of a certain school; under the horizon of contemporary discussions it offers the broadest understanding of the notion. Its main parts include biblical, theological, philosophical, historical, comparative, and scientific-cultural approaches. The contributors discuss the most important contemporary questions in theology, philosophy, and science. The Handbook offers a unique overview of the key problems of revelation, an overview missing from scholarly literature. Featuring contributions from leading scholars, the collection opens up further possibilities of scholarly work and spiritual vistas concerning the notion and the fact of divine revelation.

The Oxford Handbook of Christology brings together 40 authoritative essays considering the theological study of the nature and role of Jesus Christ. This collection offers dynamic perspectives within the study of Christology and provides rigorous discussion of inter-confessional theology, which would not have been possible even 60 years ago. The first of the seven parts considers Jesus Christ in the Bible. Rather than focusing solely on the New Testament, this section begins with discussion of the modes of God's self-communication to us and suggests that Christ's most original incarnation is in the language of the Hebrew Bible. The second section considers Patristics Christology. These essays explore the formation of the doctrines of the person of Christ and the atonement between the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and the eve of the Second Council of Nicaea. The next section looks at Mediaeval theology and tackles the development of the understanding of who Christ was and of his atoning work. The section on 'Reformation and Christology' traces the path of the Reformation from Luther to Bultmann. The fifth section tackles the new developments in thinking about Christ which have emerged in the modern and the postmodern eras, and the sixth section explains how beliefs about Jesus have affected music, poetry, and the arts. The final part concludes by locating Christology within systematic theology, asking how it relates to Christian belief as a whole. This comprehensive volume provides an invaluable resource and reference for scholars, students, and general readers interested in the study of Christology.

The Oxford Handbook of Christology brings together 40 authoritative essays considering the theological study of the nature and role of Jesus Christ. This collection offers dynamic perspectives within the study of Christology and provides rigorous discussion of inter-confessional theology, which would not have been possible even 60 years ago. The first of the seven parts considers Jesus Christ in the Bible. Rather than focusing solely on the New Testament, this section begins with discussion of the modes of God's self-communication to us and suggests that Christ's most original incarnation is in the language of the Hebrew Bible. The second section considers Patristics Christology. These essays explore the formation of the doctrines of the person of Christ and the atonement between the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and the eve of the Second Council of Nicaea. The next section looks at Mediaeval theology and tackles the development of the understanding of who Christ was and of his atoning work. The section on 'Reformation and Christology' traces the path of the Reformation from Luther to Bultmann. The fifth section tackles the new developments in thinking about Christ which have emerged in the modern and the postmodern eras, and the sixth section explains how beliefs about Jesus have affected music, poetry, and the arts. The final part concludes by locating Christology within systematic theology, asking how it relates to Christian belief as a whole. This comprehensive volume provides an invaluable resource and reference for scholars, students, and general readers interested in the study of Christology.

Description: For thirty years, Stratford Caldecott has been an inspirational figure in liturgy, fantasy literature, graphic novels, spirituality, education, ecology and social theory. Hundreds of people have learned from his spiritual approaches to the great existential questions. The Beauty of God's House is a Festschrift dedicated to him. The book seeks to cover the whole range of Caldecott's interests, from poetics to politics. Anyone interested in the field of theology and the arts will find much to intrigue them in this delightful multi-authored volume. The common core of Stratford's interests is in the beauty of the cosmos and how it reflects the beauty of God. This book is about the beauty of God's ""realm,"" and it conceives God's realm as the arts, politics, liturgy, religions, and human life. It touches on the many places where beauty and spirituality overlap. It is an engagement in theological aesthetics that goes well beyond the ""aesthetic.""

This textbook will give students a clear understanding of the connection between faith and reason. "Illuminating Faith" gives students a clear and accessible introduction to some of the major ways faith and the relationship between faith and reason have been understood within Western Christianity. In twenty-six short and easy to digest units it covers different accounts of faith beginning with Scripture, moving through the history of Christian thought, and ending with contemporary views.Along the way it explores some of the decisive theological and philosophy accounts of faith, such as faith seeking understanding, faith and supernatural virtue, faith and skepticism, and faith and science. Yet it also includes significant issues and movements not typically covered in introductory texts, such as documents from church councils, faith as knowledge, assent, and trust in the Protestant scholastics, faith and the heart in pietism, secularized accounts of faith, faith after Auschwitz, and faith and liberation. The goal of each unit is to introduce students to topical issues surrounding the nature of faith, to provide historical background for each topic, and to generate further discussion and reflection on the nature of faith. The result is a well balanced and unique introduction to various understandings of faith. Designed specifically with classroom use in mind, "Illuminating Faith" includes a glossary of words, an update-to-date bibliography, and each chapter ends with questions for discussion as well as suggestions for relevant reading material.

Description: This book discusses the relationship between theology and the humanities and their shared significance within contemporary universities. Taking up this complex question, twelve scholarly authors analyze the connections between theology and philosophy, history, scholarly literature, sociology, and law. Cumulatively, these essays make a case for the importance of reflecting on what binds the humanities and theology together. By meditating on ultimate, theological questions, this book brings the issue of the meaning and purpose of university education into a new light, exploring its deep significance for academic pursuits today. Endorsements: ""As debate about the social role and economic value of universities intensifies in the developed world, this collection is timely. The papers within it are a refreshingly lively reminder that these concerns have a history and that to address them requires serious and intellectually generous engagement with underlying philosophical and theological questions. This is altogether a most appropriate provocation."" -Susan Frank Parsons Editor, Studies in Christian Ethics ""In this collection of high-octane essays, many of the papers seek to dig deeper into the causes and cures of our cultural malaise, of which the crisis in identity afflicting university education is a symptom. The authors also move beyond doing 'theology and culture' to attempting a 'theology of culture'. There is a concern for dialogue and the observation of otherness. A common thread is that the humanities need theology for a proper account of the creature, and that theology is both wonderfully useful and properly useless (high minded) at the same time."" -Mark W. Elliott University of St Andrews ""In universities these days, there is a great deal of talk-much of it dull and overly abstract-about the loss of purpose in the university and especially about the malaise afflicting the humanities. Who would have thought that the introduction of theology into the discussion would be precisely what is needed to move from remote, arid speculation to concrete, inspiring proposals and examples? The learned and lively essays in Theology, University, Humanities: Initium Sapientiae Timor Domini advance the conversation about university education in surprising and welcome ways."" -Thomas Hibbs Baylor University About the Contributor(s): Christopher Craig Brittain is Lecturer in Practical Theology at the University of Aberdeen. He is the author of Adorno and Theology (2010) and is writing a book entitled Religion at Ground Zero. Francesca Aran Murphy is Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of Notre Dame. Her books include God is Not a Story (2007) and a commentary on I Samuel (2010).

This is a comprehensive analysis of the doctrine of providence, from historical, philosophical-theological, systematic and practical perspectives. This text comprises a comprehensive analysis of the doctrine of providence, from historical, philosophical-theological, systematic and practical perspectives. The essays in this book discuss the doctrine of providence from four central angles. First, three chapters give an historical introduction to the modern interpretation of the notion of providence, examining how it was progressively naturalised and secularized in modern times. Second, over seven chapters, and from different perspectives, the book restates the Christian notion of providence in relation to the problem of evil and the theory of evolution. Third, in two chapters, the book exhibits providence as a core theme in systematic theology. Finally, over three chapters, the book shows the ethical and political relevance of the doctrine of providence today.

This book provides a creative and highly imaginative critical theological genealogy of modern secular reason and the nature of modernity more generally. Francesca Murphy offers a critical perspective that shapes the exploration of modernity, driven by Catholic traditions and sources. Murphy’s method is unique: she uses artificial intelligence as her framing parable, analyzing the nature and limits of the robotic ‘reasoning’ of several AI characters (Pistis, Gnosis and Cultus). This enables her to develop several interrelated themes, with further didactic chapters offering a mytho-poetic retelling of human history. Her reflections on the absence of creativity and any meaningful relation to ‘time’ further renders an acute critique of the limits of technological rationality. The end result is an unusual and compelling exploration of rationality and fundamental theological anthropology.