This book explores the idea of religious and theological interculturation from a Christian perspective as an approach to evangelisation. It explores aspects of culture and pluralism as these have been interpreted in post-Vatican II approaches to mission and evaluates interculturation from a number of perspectives, including language, symbol and metaphor. It draws insight from two New Testament encounters of Jesus with women, in Samaria (John) and in Tyre (Matthew and Mark), and goes on to explore some historical sources of interculturation in the missionary endeavours of the Jesuit Matteo Ricci. A particular case study is made of the contemporary experience of an African people (the Turkana of Kenya).

The book is the first major study to bring together the two early twentieth-century theologians Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German Lutheran pastor, and Simone Weil, French philosopher and convert to Christianity. Both were victims of Nazi oppression, and neither survived the war. The book explores the two theologians' reflections on Christian responsiveness to God and neighbour, being the interdependence of the two great commandments of the Jewish Law reiterated by Jesus. It sets out the common ground and the differing emphases in their interpretations. For Bonhoeffer, responsiveness was the transformation of the whole person effected by faith (Gestaltung), and the responsibility (Verantwortung) for one's actions which it implies. For Weil, responsive ness was the hope and expectation of grace (attente) reflected in attention, the capacity to listen to, understand and help others. Both Bonhoeffer and Weil faced a world dominated by aggression and horrendous suffering. Both endeavoured to articulate their responses, as Christians, to that world. The relevance of their thought to the twenty-first century is explored, in relation to perspectives on grace and freedom, on aggression, suffering, and forgiveness, and on the role of the church in society. Conclusions are illustrated by reference to contemporary theologians including Rowan Williams, Daniel Hardy, Frances Young and David Tracy.

This volume is about the partnership of the Christian churches in their dialogue with the European Institutions. In a context of plurality the discourse between religion, society and political institutions requires a descriptive and reflective theology that is both informed by the received tradition and provisional enough to share the universal quest for truth and justice. Contributors represent many aspects of European culture, history and recent political development. The book confronts European history, the contribution of civil society in gaining freedom from political oppression and the experience of the churches in victory and defeat. In treating discourse between and among people of political conviction and religious faith it adopts an accessible method and addresses politicians, religious leaders and thinkers in a common framework and language.