Hans Kung's Global Responsiblity, published in 1991, marked an important new stage in his work. On the one hand it led to his magisterial books on Judaism and Christianity, and on the other hand it led to the Declaration toward a Global Ethic, approved by the Parliament of the World Religions in 1993, and the setting up of the Global Ethic Foundation of which he is president. This book marks a further practical step forward. In it Kung enters into a detailed examination of current ethical issues in politics and economics in a way which will surprise those who regard him solely as a theologian. Discussed at every stage of its creation with experts in politics and economics, his argument shows a quite remarkable grasp of contemporary issues and has that professional touch which is so much a hallmark of all that he has written. Can politics break all the rules, whether in international politics, domestic questions or in their personal lives? Is power everything, and do the means justify the end? These are the questions dealt with in the first part, which offers historical surveys of Realpolitik and more idealistic attempts at an alternative along with discussions of the war in former Yugoslavia and the Gulf War. Is the welfare state doomed? Is the market a law to itself? Does the future lie with the transnational companies? How much scope is there fore ethics in a business world which increasingly seems to be dominated by financial scandals? These are the issues in the second part. As well as tackling all these difficult questions in depth, Hans Kung offers his own concrete suggestions for a more humane social order. His vision will fascinate all those concerned for a better world, of all religious beliefs or none. Hans Kung was President of the Global Ethic Foundation in Tuebingen, Germany.

In 1993, the World Parliament of Religions endorsed the "Declaration towards a Global Ethic" based on the premise that the only way to peace among nations was achieving peace among religions, and that peace would only come through dialogue and understanding. With this declaration, drafted by Rev. Dr. Hans Kung, representatives from all the world's religions agreed on principles for a global ethic and committed themselves to directives of non-violence, respect for life, solidarity, a just economic order, tolerance, and equal rights and partnership between men and women. But the declaration was just the first step.

In How to Do Good and Avoid Evil, the acclaimed Rev. Dr. Hans Kng and Walter Homolka illustrate how achieving these directives is possible by examining them through the lens of Judaism. The authors make the case for a fundamental consensus on binding values, irrevocable criteria and basic moral attitudes, which can be found in Judaism's universal message that action over belief offers hope of a better world. By exploring Judaism's focus on ethical conduct over declarations of faith, its intrinsic tolerance toward other religions based on openness to more than one way to salvation, and the application of human interpretation of scriptures, the authors show a working model for making ethical decisions possible in an ever-changing world.

This is a history of religion rather than a theological book. In the introduction, Erhard Gerstenberger argues that the Old Testament contains many different theologies and he pays attention to the context in which the Old Testament is studied. He follows this up with an outlined study of the history of Ancient Israel, and goes on to examine faith, cultic practices and ethics as illustrations of belief in God (or gods, or goddesses) in each of the different stages. The approach is essentially sociological with close attention paid to both archaeology and the biblical texts, and each chapter raises the issue of what these investigations mean for belief in the modern world.

Explore how the principles of a global ethic can be found in Judaism and how they can provide the ethical norms for all religions to work together toward a more peaceful humankind. In 1993, the Parliament of the World's Religions endorsed the "Declaration toward a Global Ethic" composed by Hans Küng. In it, representatives from all the world's religions agreed on principles for a global ethic and committed themselves to directives of nonviolence, respect for life, solidarity, a just economic order, tolerance, and equal rights and partnership between men and women. But the declaration was just the first step. In this impressive volume, Hans Küng, probably the most famous living Roman Catholic theologian, and Rabbi Walter Homolka, head of Germany’s Abraham Geiger rabbinical seminary and distinguished professor, draw on the Jewish tradition to show the riches that Judaism can offer people of all faiths and nonbelievers in achieving these directives. Presenting key sacred texts and theological writings, the authors make the case for binding values and basic moral attitudes that can be found in Judaism’s universal message of a better world. Exploring Judaism’s focus on ethical conduct over declarations of faith, the authors show that making ethical decisions is indispensable in an ever-changing world.

Universities are rarely structured to facilitate learning and when they are, it is often done so in a limited way.
This book looks at the theory and practice of learning and how universities can improve their quality and competence. It tackles the past failure of the quality and competence movements and advocates a move towards 'Universities of Learning'. The authors advocate an integration of elements that are often dealt with separately - theory and practice, teaching and research, and the levels of institution and individual - and handle these dimensions of integration in conjunction with each other.
This new paperback edition will be essential reading for all those who are concerned with improving learning in higher education. It includes an updated preface that takes account of developments since the publication of the hardback edition.

Christianity has carried on down the centuries, and its doctrine has been regarded as unaffected by changes in cultural, intellectual, social and political background. But there is more to Christianity than this and, particularly over the last two hundred years, there has been a growing awareness about how much change and diversity there is within the religion. This is a rich and complex story involving key individuals, events, intellectual developments, wars, migrations, cultural and scientific innovations, all of which are connected with particular times and places. Art, architecture, literature and music are also part of this fascinating story. The book is divided into separate chapters for each century, each of which contains an introduction. There is also additional information about the most important movements and developments in the unfolding story. It is beautifully presented with 12 maps, an 8 page colour plate section, 40 line drawings and a comprehensive index.

Weddings have come a long way since the first etiquette books were written. Today families come in such variety that more and more couples are sensibly throwing etiquette to the wind and relying instead on their own common sense. So where does the father of the bride fit into all of this? There are so many ways you can help, both emotionally and practically. You'll find that one of your responsibilities - apart from walking your daughter down the aisle and making a speech - is ensuring that the chaos of wedding details, and any family feuds or financial stress, don't ultimately get in the way of making your daughter's wedding day the happiest time in her life. This will be a big day for you, too, with the speech playing an important part in the proceedings. You'll want to get it just right so that you speak from the heart but enliven sentiment with humour, and your speech is remembered for years to come - for all the right reasons. This book is packed with valuable tips and advice about: - Conveying just the right messages to your daughter and her husband-to-be - Understanding what is traditionally expected of you - Keeping everyone calm and defusing any pre-wedding tensions and conflicts - Making a memorable speech - Helping everyone have a great time!

Universities are rarely structured to facilitate learning and when they are, it is often done so in a limited way. This book looks at the theory and practice of learning and how universities can improve their quality and competence. It tackles the past failure of the quality and competence movements and advocates a move towards 'Universities of Learning'. The authors advocate an integration of elements that are often dealt with separately - theory and practice, teaching and research, and the levels of institution and individual - and handle these dimensions of integration in conjunction with each other. This new paperback edition will be essential reading for all those who are concerned with improving learning in higher education. It includes an updated preface that takes account of developments since the publication of the hardback edition.

You have a wonderful opportunity to add to the magic of your daughter's wedding. Your words will linger in memories -- they may even be captured on video for future generations to hear. So what are the golden rules of speech making? How can you convey emotion, seriousness, and add a touch of humour? Should you offer advice to the happy couple, and what about the toast? The answers are all here in this vital book. Use it to add something special to an already special day.

I know exactly what you are thinking. It seemed such a good idea at the time, but now you are beginning to realise there's going to be more to it than just turning up on time and handing over the ring. Am I right, or am I right? Fear not. Whether the happy couple has a traditional white wedding vision or a modernist view of their big day, this handbook will show you how to become their perfect best man...a best man who knows how to combine the best of the old with the best of the new. The groom will be glad he chose you. So pour yourself a cold one, sit back and get ready to learn how to turn a stressful honour into a piece of (wedding) cake. Contents: Part 1 : The Best Man's Duties 1. The Appointment 2. Countdown to the big day 3. Stag dos and don'ts 4. The big day Part 2: Your Speech 6. Ground rules 7. Planning your speech 8. Writing your speech 9. Making your speech Sample speeches

This is a guide for prospective best men which aims to answer the anxieties about making the speech. It offers advice on speech-making essentials, great openings, strong middles, big finishes, plus putting it all together and delivering the speech itself. Contents: Learning the essentials; Saying it with humour; Being congratulatory and optimistic; Finding the ideal beginning and ending; Putting it together; Delivering your speech; Stories, jokes and one-liners for your speech; Sample speeches.

A fascinating alternative to the traditional image of Mary of Magdala, with a detailed examination of the Gospel of Mary.