This title presents distinguished scholars on Calvin and his surprising up to date relevance addressing three central current issues: faith - ecumenism - public responsibility. This inspiring collection of essays spells out the relevance of John Calvin's theology for today in three areas: Faith? Calvin's theology asks how God deals with the persistent presence of human sin. For Calvin, the chief end of life is to know God and devote our life to his glory. The still topical point is that we are freed from our fixation with ourselves, thereby recognising and living out our true reality in relation to God. Ecumenism? The unity of the Church in Christ is of central importance to Calvin. We must do our utmost to make it visible. In Calvin's view, if there is agreement in the understanding of God and grace, all other differences have no divisive importance. This still characterises Reformed understanding today. Public responsibility? Calvin posed the question about the church's public responsibility as no other Reformer did. Part 3 reveals the sources of the worldwide impact of Calvin's and Reformed theology on politics, the law, scholarship and the organising of life in society, including civil society.

In this collection, six leading theologians on political theology explore the contemporary states and potential future of the discipline. Offering a highly nuanced and complex picture of "older" and "newer" Political Theology, these scholars examine the multifaceted interconnections and tensions between political theologies, liberation theologies, feminist theologies, and theologies that see themselves as "postcolonial" or "decolonizing."

Among other topics, the authors address the ecumenical and global nature of political theology; the lack of critical feminist analysis in most political, liberation, and postcolonial theologies; the statements regarding political theology in the encyclicals of Benedict XVI; and the specific tasks that political theology must address to remain effective and relevant.

Contributors include Jurgen Moltmann, Johann Baptist Metz, Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza, Francis Schussler Fiorenza, Klaus Tanner, and Michael Welker."

This book documents the conference on The Science and Religion Dialogue: Past and Future, held at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, October 25-29, 2012. The conference commemorated the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sir John Templeton and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the John Templeton Foundation. It brought together about 60 active participants, all of them prominent scholars from many countries and many academic fields. Most of them have been engaged in the Science and Religion Dialogue for the last two or three decades. This book reports on multi-year international and interdisciplinary research projects at leading institutions. The contributions start with presentations by Hans Joas, Martin Nowak and John Polkinghorne and range from Astronomy, Mathematics, Physics and Biology to Philosophical Theology and Religious Ethics. Special topics of the dialogue between Science and Religion are also dealt with, such as Eschatology and Anthropology; Cosmology, Creation, and Redemption; Evolutionary Biology and the Spirit; and The Role of Thought Experiments in Science and Theology.

Clashes of Knowledge is the first volume of a series called Knowledge and Space dealing with spatial disparities of knowledge and the impact of the spatial context on the production and application of knowledge. The contributions in this book explore the conflicts between various types of knowledge, especially between orthodox and heterodox knowledge systems, which range from religious fundamentalism to heresies within the scientific community itself. Does the traditional distinction between belief and knowledge still make sense? How is the difference between knowledge and belief understood in different cultural contexts? How have the religious-based knowledge systems been displaced in their hegemonic role by scientific knowledge? In which ways do the agents of hegemonic, orthodox knowledge interact with the representatives of deviating, heterodox knowledge? These and many other questions are addressed in this volume.

The nature of money and its impact on society has long interested scholars of economics, history, philosophy, law, and theology alike, and the recent financial crisis has moved these issues to the forefront of current public debate. In this study, authors from a range of backgrounds provide a unified examination of the nature and the purpose of money. Chapters cover the economic and social foundations of money; the historical origins of money in ancient Greece, China, the ancient Middle East, and medieval Europe; problems of justice connected to the use of money in legal systems and legal settlements, with examples both from ancient history and today; and theological aspects of monetary and market exchange. This stimulating interdisciplinary book, with its nontechnical and lively discussion, will appeal to a global readership working in the interfaces of economics, law and religion.

The nature of money and its impact on society has long interested scholars of economics, history, philosophy, law, and theology alike, and the recent financial crisis has moved these issues to the forefront of current public debate. In this study, authors from a range of backgrounds provide a unified examination of the nature and the purpose of money. Chapters cover the economic and social foundations of money; the historical origins of money in ancient Greece, China, the ancient Middle East, and medieval Europe; problems of justice connected to the use of money in legal systems and legal settlements, with examples both from ancient history and today; and theological aspects of monetary and market exchange. This stimulating interdisciplinary book, with its nontechnical and lively discussion, will appeal to a global readership working in the interfaces of economics, law and religion.

Die vorliegende Arbeit moechte zeigen, wie Karl Barth in seiner Auseinandersetzung mit dem Religionsbegriff zu den Thesen 'Religion als Unglaube' und 'die christliche Religion als die einzig wirkliche und wahre Religion' in der Kirchlichen Dogmatik (KD) 17 - Gottes Offenbarung als Aufhebung der Religion -gelangt. Sie beschaftigt sich mit Barths AEusserungen zum Verhaltnis von Religion und Wahrheit im Zeitraum von 1909 bis 1938 und richtet sich auf die konstruktive Rolle von 'Religion' und damit auf die Frage, welche argumentative Rolle und Funktion Barth dem Religionsbegriff zuweist. Daruber hinaus koennte die konstruktive Rolle von 'Religion' in Barths Theologie der zeitgenoessischen Religionswissenschaft eine neue Perspektive eroeffnen.

Do traditional distinctions between "belief" and "knowledge" still make sense? How are differences between knowledge and belief understood in different cultural contexts? This book explores conflicts between various types of knowledge, especially between orthodox and heterodox knowledge systems, ranging from religious fundamentalism to heresies within the scientific community itself. Beyond addressing many fields in the academy, the book discusses learned individuals interested in the often puzzling spatial and cultural disparities of knowledge and clashes of knowledge.

God revealed himself in Jesus Christ! The Christian faith has professed and proclaimed this for 2000 years. What is he saying? Jesus of Nazareth did not work long in Galilee and Jerusalem, perhaps only a year. He healed people, taught them, but also caused horror, fear and hatred. Individuals saw: Here is more than one great teacher and prophet. Since his crucifixion and resurrection appearances, people have testified: Jesus Christ lives - he lives in a new form. The risen and exalted Christ works in the power of his Spirit. He is God of God, he has creative power. Large sections of humanity can be won over to the kingdom of Christ. Many people, however, misuse his name for self-serving ends, even for their own interests in power and conquest. But he persistently works through his word, his spirit. His kingdom is persistently coming: in love and mercy, in the search for truth and justice, in powers of exaltation and redemption. The powers of this kingdom awaken in people a passion to deepen their knowledge of God and to seek justice. They are emergent in many acts of love and forgiveness. They also radiate publicly, often in a secularized and political way, among people who strive for education and health care for all, who want to shape free communities and civil societies and who continue to demand unconditional respect for human rights and human dignity. The emanating powers of this kingdom promise and characterize fulfilled life - on a small and large scale, temporally and eternally. Michael Welker's Christology, now in its fourth edition, opens up these connections. With this she answers the question of what the Christian faith says when it testifies: God reveals himself in Jesus Christ.

Die Studie befasst sich mit Karl Barths (1886-1968) Rezeption der Theologie Isaak August Dorners (1809-1884). Sie untersucht, wie sich Barth, ein dialektischer Theologe, zu einem in Schleiermachers Tradition stehenden Vermittlungstheologen verhalt. Barths Rezeption der Theologie Dorners erfolgte von seiner fruhen Munsteraner Zeit (1926) bis zum Ende der 30er Jahre. Einerseits steht Barth in dieser Zeit aufgrund seiner schon vorher feststellbaren Entwicklung als dialektischer Theologe der neuprotestantischen Theologie kritisch gegenuber und er problematisiert Dorners Theologie, da sie die anthropozentrische, spekulative Theologie der Neuzeit nicht uberwinden konnte. Andererseits nimmt er in Dorners Theologie eine Moeglichkeit zur adaquaten Erfassung der Souveranitat Gottes wahr. Das gilt besonders fur dessen Trinitatslehre.

In this collection, six leading theologians on political theology explore the contemporary states and potential future of the discipline. Offering a highly nuanced and complex picture of "older" and "newer" Political Theology, these scholars examine the multifaceted interconnections and tensions between political theologies, liberation theologies, feminist theologies, and theologies that see themselves as "postcolonial" or "decolonizing."Among other topics, the authors address the ecumenical and global nature of political theology; the lack of critical feminist analysis in most political, liberation, and postcolonial theologies; the statements regarding political theology in the encyclicals of Benedict XVI; and the specific tasks that political theology must address to remain effective and relevant. Contributors include Jurgen Moltmann, Johann Baptist Metz , Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza, Francis Schussler Fiorenza, Klaus Tanner, and Michael Welker.

This inspiring collection of essays spells out the relevance of John Calvin's theology for today in three areas: Faith ? Calvin's theology asks how God deals with the persistent presence of human sin. For Calvin, the chief end of life is to know God and devote our life to his glory. The still topical point is that we are freed from our fixation with ourselves, thereby recognising and living out our true reality in relation to God. Ecumenism ? The unity of the Church in Christ is of central importance to Calvin. We must do our utmost to make it visible. In Calvin's view, if there is agreement in the understanding of God and grace, all other differences have no divisive importance. This still characterises Reformed understanding today. Public responsibility ? Calvin posed the question about the church's public responsibility as no other Reformer did. Part 3 reveals the sources of the worldwide impact of Calvin's and Reformed theology on politics, the law, scholarship and the organising of life in society, including civil society.

Jrgen Moltmann's distinctive insights in trinitarian theology - especially about the relations within God and God's presence in creation - are revolutionary for theology and set the stage for these further explorations. The esteemed group of contributors in this volume probes new ways of understanding the triune character of God. Among the contributors are: Nicholas Constas Sarah A. Coakley Harvey G. Cox Jr. Lyle Dabney David Fergusson David H. Kelsey Daniel Migliore Gerald O'Collins John Polkinghorne William Schweiker Dirk Smit Bryan D. Spinks Kathryn Tanner Ronald F. Thiemann Miroslav Volf John Webster Nicholas Wolterstorff

All the large churches in the world agree on this: communion is the highest expression of the church unity. Yet it is exactly the act of communion that historically has given rise to vehement controversies among the churches. This new book not only explores the meaning of holy communion but also marks a turning point on the way to common understanding.Welker gives a clear explanation of holy communion based on the biblical tradition and evaluates the ecumenical discourse on communion of the past thirty years. In the process he answers such often posed questions as "What do we mean when we say that Christ is present in communion?" "How are Christ's body and blood connected with bread and wine?" "What is the difference between the Christian Supper and the Jewish Passover meal?" and "Are children allowed to share in communion?"