Catharine Cookson
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195129441
- eISBN:
- 9780199834105
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019512944X.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Perceptions of authoritarian injustice or of anarchical laxity are just as harmful to the integrity of the justice system as actual impropriety. Casuistry offers clear, definable ...
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Perceptions of authoritarian injustice or of anarchical laxity are just as harmful to the integrity of the justice system as actual impropriety. Casuistry offers clear, definable paradigmatic limits to the free exercise right, and places the burden of proof on both the state and the religious adherent. This book proposes that a casuistical free exercise analysis, while not perfect, protects the courts’ integrity by offering a fairer and more just process for resolving the conflict of principles that lies at the heart of free exercise cases. To those who would reject casuistry as a new element without precedent, and as an arbitrary choice without any foundation or authority, the book notes that casuistry is quintessentially the process used in common law decision making, and actually has been used in deciding a significant number of major free exercise cases by the U.S. Supreme Court. What casuistry requires of the courts is a searching scrutiny with discernment and a willingness to make, explain, and justify these decisions to a fearful public and to a faithful “people of the wilderness.”Less
Perceptions of authoritarian injustice or of anarchical laxity are just as harmful to the integrity of the justice system as actual impropriety. Casuistry offers clear, definable paradigmatic limits to the free exercise right, and places the burden of proof on both the state and the religious adherent. This book proposes that a casuistical free exercise analysis, while not perfect, protects the courts’ integrity by offering a fairer and more just process for resolving the conflict of principles that lies at the heart of free exercise cases. To those who would reject casuistry as a new element without precedent, and as an arbitrary choice without any foundation or authority, the book notes that casuistry is quintessentially the process used in common law decision making, and actually has been used in deciding a significant number of major free exercise cases by the U.S. Supreme Court. What casuistry requires of the courts is a searching scrutiny with discernment and a willingness to make, explain, and justify these decisions to a fearful public and to a faithful “people of the wilderness.”
Sean McKeever and Michael Ridge
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199290659
- eISBN:
- 9780191603617
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199290652.003.0004
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
Particularism is commonly associated with a moral epistemology that takes perception as a model. This chapter argues that in so far as moral judgments are made by ‘just looking’, this does nothing to ...
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Particularism is commonly associated with a moral epistemology that takes perception as a model. This chapter argues that in so far as moral judgments are made by ‘just looking’, this does nothing to support particularism. A close examination of the role of rules and principles in chess helps make this point. Although metaphors of vision are commonplace in discussions of chess (the master ‘just sees’ that the position is weak), this rightly does nothing to undermine the confidence that rules and principles play an important role both in constituing the game of chess itself and in helping people find good moves. In the former case, there are rules which are constitutive of the game (bishops move diagonally). In the latter case, there are strategic maxims (a knight on the rim is dim). Here, the distinctions between different conceptions of principles drawn in Chapter 1 do some work. In particular, heavy use is made of the distinction between the theoretical and action-guiding roles of moral principles.Less
Particularism is commonly associated with a moral epistemology that takes perception as a model. This chapter argues that in so far as moral judgments are made by ‘just looking’, this does nothing to support particularism. A close examination of the role of rules and principles in chess helps make this point. Although metaphors of vision are commonplace in discussions of chess (the master ‘just sees’ that the position is weak), this rightly does nothing to undermine the confidence that rules and principles play an important role both in constituing the game of chess itself and in helping people find good moves. In the former case, there are rules which are constitutive of the game (bishops move diagonally). In the latter case, there are strategic maxims (a knight on the rim is dim). Here, the distinctions between different conceptions of principles drawn in Chapter 1 do some work. In particular, heavy use is made of the distinction between the theoretical and action-guiding roles of moral principles.
Niels Christian Hvidt
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195314472
- eISBN:
- 9780199785346
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195314472.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Many believe that prophecy ended either with the Old Testament canonical prophets, with John the Baptist, Jesus or the prophets in the early Church. Contrary to this thesis, this book posits from ...
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Many believe that prophecy ended either with the Old Testament canonical prophets, with John the Baptist, Jesus or the prophets in the early Church. Contrary to this thesis, this book posits from historical evidence and theological argument that Christian prophecy did not cease but has continued throughout Christianity as an inherent and important feature and function in the church. Prophetic charisms, often subsumed in the ambiguous term “private revelations” constitute a great challenge of discernment, but have, when healthy, played a vital historical role, especially in the Catholic tradition. Interest in prophecy continues to grow today, in particular in charismatic circles of the Christian world and especially in developing countries. This interest raises the need for theological elaboration of Christian prophecy.Less
Many believe that prophecy ended either with the Old Testament canonical prophets, with John the Baptist, Jesus or the prophets in the early Church. Contrary to this thesis, this book posits from historical evidence and theological argument that Christian prophecy did not cease but has continued throughout Christianity as an inherent and important feature and function in the church. Prophetic charisms, often subsumed in the ambiguous term “private revelations” constitute a great challenge of discernment, but have, when healthy, played a vital historical role, especially in the Catholic tradition. Interest in prophecy continues to grow today, in particular in charismatic circles of the Christian world and especially in developing countries. This interest raises the need for theological elaboration of Christian prophecy.
Niels Christian Hvidt
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195314472
- eISBN:
- 9780199785346
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195314472.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Prophecy has never gone without opposition, mainly due to the danger of false prophecy, a danger that can rightly be called the “Achilles heel” of prophecy. Without the process of testing the ...
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Prophecy has never gone without opposition, mainly due to the danger of false prophecy, a danger that can rightly be called the “Achilles heel” of prophecy. Without the process of testing the validity and truth of prophecy, prophecy will have no role to play in the life of the church. Throughout the centuries, various criteria have been developed that help towards the aim of discernment. They can be classified in intrinsic and extrinsic criteria. The intrinsic criteria relate to the physiology, psychology, and spiritual life of the prophet. The extrinsic criteria relate to how the church approves or rejects a prophetic revelation, and how we may define the nature of the church's judgment. The process of discernment and jugdment is necessary but contains an important ambiguity: it is the church that must judge a prophetic revelation, despite the fact that prophecy often is critical of the church that will judge it. Until that judgment is pronounced, must believers wait before they give heed to a prophetic message?Less
Prophecy has never gone without opposition, mainly due to the danger of false prophecy, a danger that can rightly be called the “Achilles heel” of prophecy. Without the process of testing the validity and truth of prophecy, prophecy will have no role to play in the life of the church. Throughout the centuries, various criteria have been developed that help towards the aim of discernment. They can be classified in intrinsic and extrinsic criteria. The intrinsic criteria relate to the physiology, psychology, and spiritual life of the prophet. The extrinsic criteria relate to how the church approves or rejects a prophetic revelation, and how we may define the nature of the church's judgment. The process of discernment and jugdment is necessary but contains an important ambiguity: it is the church that must judge a prophetic revelation, despite the fact that prophecy often is critical of the church that will judge it. Until that judgment is pronounced, must believers wait before they give heed to a prophetic message?
Laura M. Hartman
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199746422
- eISBN:
- 9780199918751
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199746422.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter summarizes and synthesizes the book's four major considerations that shape Christian thought about consumption. Three contemporary Christian authors—L. Shannon Jung, Elizabeth ...
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This chapter summarizes and synthesizes the book's four major considerations that shape Christian thought about consumption. Three contemporary Christian authors—L. Shannon Jung, Elizabeth Theokritoff, and James A. Nash—demonstrate the potential of this fourfold approach to an ethical assessment of consumption. Several examples, including transportation and meat eating, are employed to show the challenges and limits of Christian ethical consumption in daily life. This is an ethics of discernment, designed to equip consumers with insights and examples to inform their own consumption in a bewildering world defined by consumerism.Less
This chapter summarizes and synthesizes the book's four major considerations that shape Christian thought about consumption. Three contemporary Christian authors—L. Shannon Jung, Elizabeth Theokritoff, and James A. Nash—demonstrate the potential of this fourfold approach to an ethical assessment of consumption. Several examples, including transportation and meat eating, are employed to show the challenges and limits of Christian ethical consumption in daily life. This is an ethics of discernment, designed to equip consumers with insights and examples to inform their own consumption in a bewildering world defined by consumerism.
Timothy Chesters
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199599806
- eISBN:
- 9780191723537
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199599806.003.0002
- Subject:
- Literature, 16th-century and Renaissance Literature, European Literature
The first section of this chapter reviews the function of ghost stories in late medieval Europe. Particular attention is paid to the work of Jean Gerson, whose two tracts on discretio spirituum ...
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The first section of this chapter reviews the function of ghost stories in late medieval Europe. Particular attention is paid to the work of Jean Gerson, whose two tracts on discretio spirituum offered a powerful model of how female spiritual experience might be brought under male ecclesiastical control. The next section discusses the afterlife of Gersonian discernment in sixteenth-century France, with particular emphasis on a 1528 ghost narrative by Adrien de Montalembert. Following this is a section on Protestant accusations of priestly abuses of Purgatory and indulgences. These accusations often took the form of ghost hoax narratives—a popular subgenre in the mid-sixteenth century. The final section examines New Testament exegesis relating to ghosts, with particular emphasis on the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man and the resurrected Christ's appearance to the disciples in the locked room.Less
The first section of this chapter reviews the function of ghost stories in late medieval Europe. Particular attention is paid to the work of Jean Gerson, whose two tracts on discretio spirituum offered a powerful model of how female spiritual experience might be brought under male ecclesiastical control. The next section discusses the afterlife of Gersonian discernment in sixteenth-century France, with particular emphasis on a 1528 ghost narrative by Adrien de Montalembert. Following this is a section on Protestant accusations of priestly abuses of Purgatory and indulgences. These accusations often took the form of ghost hoax narratives—a popular subgenre in the mid-sixteenth century. The final section examines New Testament exegesis relating to ghosts, with particular emphasis on the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man and the resurrected Christ's appearance to the disciples in the locked room.
Anderson Blanton
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9781469623979
- eISBN:
- 9781469623993
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/northcarolina/9781469623979.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies
Revisiting classic ethnological theories on the contagious transmission of force, this chapter explores the place of material objects in the performance of divine communication and the practice of ...
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Revisiting classic ethnological theories on the contagious transmission of force, this chapter explores the place of material objects in the performance of divine communication and the practice of faith. Tracking between the devotional specificities of the practice of “standin’-in” within the context of southern Appalachia and the broader mass-mediated performances of healing prayer during the Charismatic Renewal, this section also articulates Oral Roberts’s famous notion of “the point of contact” as a physical conduit for the transmission of healing power.Less
Revisiting classic ethnological theories on the contagious transmission of force, this chapter explores the place of material objects in the performance of divine communication and the practice of faith. Tracking between the devotional specificities of the practice of “standin’-in” within the context of southern Appalachia and the broader mass-mediated performances of healing prayer during the Charismatic Renewal, this section also articulates Oral Roberts’s famous notion of “the point of contact” as a physical conduit for the transmission of healing power.
Richard Parish
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199596669
- eISBN:
- 9780191729126
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199596669.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
The preceding chapter introduced but did not fully address a central issue in the Christian experience, namely that of the assessment of what is claimed to be direct inspiration from God. This ...
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The preceding chapter introduced but did not fully address a central issue in the Christian experience, namely that of the assessment of what is claimed to be direct inspiration from God. This chapter therefore begins with an account of one of the most influential figures in the period, St François de Sales, whose devotional manuals, conceived in the spirit of Christian humanism, marked the century, albeit in ways that did not always correspond to his own spiritual ethos of accommodation to the circumstances of the believer. A range of writing is examined in this perspective. The second part of the chapter deals with experience that appears to fall outside the common realm, in particular that of visions (in particular of the Sacred Heart), possessions (especially those recorded at Loudun) and miracles (such as that of the Holy Thorn).Less
The preceding chapter introduced but did not fully address a central issue in the Christian experience, namely that of the assessment of what is claimed to be direct inspiration from God. This chapter therefore begins with an account of one of the most influential figures in the period, St François de Sales, whose devotional manuals, conceived in the spirit of Christian humanism, marked the century, albeit in ways that did not always correspond to his own spiritual ethos of accommodation to the circumstances of the believer. A range of writing is examined in this perspective. The second part of the chapter deals with experience that appears to fall outside the common realm, in particular that of visions (in particular of the Sacred Heart), possessions (especially those recorded at Loudun) and miracles (such as that of the Holy Thorn).
Robert E. Sinkewicz
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199259939
- eISBN:
- 9780191698651
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199259939.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter presents an English translation of the ascetic corpus writing of Evagrius of Pontus about the subject of thoughts. This treatise addresses the concerns of the monk still very much ...
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This chapter presents an English translation of the ascetic corpus writing of Evagrius of Pontus about the subject of thoughts. This treatise addresses the concerns of the monk still very much engaged in the practical life. The greater part of it is devoted to an exploration of the typology or categorization of the thoughts and a detailed examination of their mechanisms and the tactics employed by the demons who inspire them. This piece is believed to have been written as an advanced tactical manual designed to assist the monk in developing his faculty of discernment.Less
This chapter presents an English translation of the ascetic corpus writing of Evagrius of Pontus about the subject of thoughts. This treatise addresses the concerns of the monk still very much engaged in the practical life. The greater part of it is devoted to an exploration of the typology or categorization of the thoughts and a detailed examination of their mechanisms and the tactics employed by the demons who inspire them. This piece is believed to have been written as an advanced tactical manual designed to assist the monk in developing his faculty of discernment.
Nancy Sherman
- Published in print:
- 1991
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198239178
- eISBN:
- 9780191598395
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198239173.003.0002
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy
Here I consider the way in which practical reason involves a discrimination of salience. My concern is thus with practical reason as a kind of perception and sensitivity to changing particulars. I ...
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Here I consider the way in which practical reason involves a discrimination of salience. My concern is thus with practical reason as a kind of perception and sensitivity to changing particulars. I first introduce the issue in the context of Aristotle's discussion of equity (epieikeia) and flexible and fair judgement of cases in the law. I then extend the discussion by considering what Aristotle might regard as lacking in a Kantian account of moral choice that emphasizes universalizability. From here I turn to Aristotle's substantive account, and his view of perception as both an affective and cognitive capacity.Less
Here I consider the way in which practical reason involves a discrimination of salience. My concern is thus with practical reason as a kind of perception and sensitivity to changing particulars. I first introduce the issue in the context of Aristotle's discussion of equity (epieikeia) and flexible and fair judgement of cases in the law. I then extend the discussion by considering what Aristotle might regard as lacking in a Kantian account of moral choice that emphasizes universalizability. From here I turn to Aristotle's substantive account, and his view of perception as both an affective and cognitive capacity.
Henry S. Richardson
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198236009
- eISBN:
- 9780191598104
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019823600X.003.0021
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy
This essay presents an interpretation of the theory of animal movement that emphasizes the place Aristotle accords the good as the object of desire and the coordinate importance he assigns to desire ...
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This essay presents an interpretation of the theory of animal movement that emphasizes the place Aristotle accords the good as the object of desire and the coordinate importance he assigns to desire and discernment. This interpretation is based on two competing models: the desire-based model, where the shape of the account of any action is based on some one occurrent desire; and the good-based model, where the account starts from some object aimed at as good. It is argued that the texts of De Anima 3. 9-11 better fit the good-based model of animal motion than the desire-based model.Less
This essay presents an interpretation of the theory of animal movement that emphasizes the place Aristotle accords the good as the object of desire and the coordinate importance he assigns to desire and discernment. This interpretation is based on two competing models: the desire-based model, where the shape of the account of any action is based on some one occurrent desire; and the good-based model, where the account starts from some object aimed at as good. It is argued that the texts of De Anima 3. 9-11 better fit the good-based model of animal motion than the desire-based model.
Philip Endean
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198270287
- eISBN:
- 9780191683961
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198270287.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Karl Rahner's primary focus in his works is Ignatian discernment. Ignatian discernment concerns relating something with the notion of ‘transcendence’; when ‘transcendence becomes thematic’, man's ...
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Karl Rahner's primary focus in his works is Ignatian discernment. Ignatian discernment concerns relating something with the notion of ‘transcendence’; when ‘transcendence becomes thematic’, man's ‘nature’ is suited under God. This chapter discusses how Ignatian discernment takes on the experience of grace and how this influences the choices made by man, how to live the Christian life, and how to accept Christian faith. Rahner believed it was possible for one to have a non-objective awareness of God through analyzing and reorienting the self. Rahner asserts how one's ‘character’ is dependent on one's everyday decisions since man cannot just accept or reject the basic orientation towards God.Less
Karl Rahner's primary focus in his works is Ignatian discernment. Ignatian discernment concerns relating something with the notion of ‘transcendence’; when ‘transcendence becomes thematic’, man's ‘nature’ is suited under God. This chapter discusses how Ignatian discernment takes on the experience of grace and how this influences the choices made by man, how to live the Christian life, and how to accept Christian faith. Rahner believed it was possible for one to have a non-objective awareness of God through analyzing and reorienting the self. Rahner asserts how one's ‘character’ is dependent on one's everyday decisions since man cannot just accept or reject the basic orientation towards God.
Philip Endean
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198270287
- eISBN:
- 9780191683961
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198270287.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
One thing common to the Ignatian experience and to everyday Christianity is that they both lead to self-evidence; the same process is required in attaining the Ignatian experience and deciding to ...
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One thing common to the Ignatian experience and to everyday Christianity is that they both lead to self-evidence; the same process is required in attaining the Ignatian experience and deciding to believe in the Christian faith. One must have an understanding of analysis fidei or the relationship between absolute commitment of faith and the reasonability for someone to have such a commitment. By further analyzing the Ignatian notion of the experience of God, this chapter examines the relationship between Ignatian discernment and fundamental theology. Rahner proposes an ‘indirect method’ for establishing a rational basis for Christian faith that is supported by passages from his work entitled Hearer of the Word. This chapter also shows how Ignatius was able to establish his faith through his first-hand experiences of Christianity.Less
One thing common to the Ignatian experience and to everyday Christianity is that they both lead to self-evidence; the same process is required in attaining the Ignatian experience and deciding to believe in the Christian faith. One must have an understanding of analysis fidei or the relationship between absolute commitment of faith and the reasonability for someone to have such a commitment. By further analyzing the Ignatian notion of the experience of God, this chapter examines the relationship between Ignatian discernment and fundamental theology. Rahner proposes an ‘indirect method’ for establishing a rational basis for Christian faith that is supported by passages from his work entitled Hearer of the Word. This chapter also shows how Ignatius was able to establish his faith through his first-hand experiences of Christianity.
Thomas P. Gaunt, SJ (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- August 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190878153
- eISBN:
- 9780190878184
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190878153.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
The history of religious life in the Catholic Church of the U.S. is filled with change: periods of growth and decline, changes of ministries, and differences in the ethnic and socioeconomic ...
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The history of religious life in the Catholic Church of the U.S. is filled with change: periods of growth and decline, changes of ministries, and differences in the ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds of those who joined them. Yet as the numbers of new members diminish, some say that the future of religious life is in jeopardy. What is the state of religious life in the U.S. today? Which institutes are increasing in number and which are decreasing or ceasing to exist? From what ethnic and socioeconomic populations are they drawing their members? What new religious institutes are being founded and how successful are they? What influences a young person to consider religious life today? How are religious from other countries shaping religious life as they come to the U.S. to minister? Many of these questions are addressed by data from CARA studies of religious life conducted over the last ten years. The impact of an individual’s family dynamics and educational experience before entering religious life is examined, as well as the influence of an increasing number of Catholic volunteer programs. The emergence of lay associates and the birth of new religious institutes since Vatican Council II is investigated as new ways of living religious life. The increase in the number of sisters and priests studying and ministering in the U.S. from other countries is examined for its impact on religious life. In conclusion, recommendations are made for religious institutes and vocation directors who wish to attract new members.Less
The history of religious life in the Catholic Church of the U.S. is filled with change: periods of growth and decline, changes of ministries, and differences in the ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds of those who joined them. Yet as the numbers of new members diminish, some say that the future of religious life is in jeopardy. What is the state of religious life in the U.S. today? Which institutes are increasing in number and which are decreasing or ceasing to exist? From what ethnic and socioeconomic populations are they drawing their members? What new religious institutes are being founded and how successful are they? What influences a young person to consider religious life today? How are religious from other countries shaping religious life as they come to the U.S. to minister? Many of these questions are addressed by data from CARA studies of religious life conducted over the last ten years. The impact of an individual’s family dynamics and educational experience before entering religious life is examined, as well as the influence of an increasing number of Catholic volunteer programs. The emergence of lay associates and the birth of new religious institutes since Vatican Council II is investigated as new ways of living religious life. The increase in the number of sisters and priests studying and ministering in the U.S. from other countries is examined for its impact on religious life. In conclusion, recommendations are made for religious institutes and vocation directors who wish to attract new members.
Grazia Mangano Ragazzi
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199344512
- eISBN:
- 9780199346479
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199344512.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
The spiritual influence of St. Catherine of Siena (an Italian laywoman from the fourteenth century who is today a Doctor of the Church) has been increasing over the centuries. Her writings are now ...
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The spiritual influence of St. Catherine of Siena (an Italian laywoman from the fourteenth century who is today a Doctor of the Church) has been increasing over the centuries. Her writings are now available in critical editions in Italian, which have been translated into English and other languages. Among the many introductory works to Catherine’s life and spirituality, there was no monograph that would address discretion (or its synonym, prudence), a key concept of Catherine’s spiritual reflection that interacts with other crucial aspects of her teaching. This book aims to fill this gap. After summarizing the main traits of Catherine’s life, the book consists of four parts: a survey of how literary critics have reconciled Catherine’s illiteracy with the authenticity of her writings; an analysis of the main passages in which Catherine refers to discretion, prudence, and closely linked concepts; a historical comparison of Catherine’s thoughts and images on discretion and prudence with the earlier tradition (from Cassian to Gregory the Great, from Benedict to Richard of St. Victor, from Augustine to Thomas Aquinas), as well as her most significant contemporaries (Domenico Cavalca, Bridget of Sweden, John Colombini, Raymond of Capua); and a final part showing how discretion unifies Catherine’s spiritual reflection. The author’s general conclusions are followed by a summary bibliography in English, Italian, and French.Less
The spiritual influence of St. Catherine of Siena (an Italian laywoman from the fourteenth century who is today a Doctor of the Church) has been increasing over the centuries. Her writings are now available in critical editions in Italian, which have been translated into English and other languages. Among the many introductory works to Catherine’s life and spirituality, there was no monograph that would address discretion (or its synonym, prudence), a key concept of Catherine’s spiritual reflection that interacts with other crucial aspects of her teaching. This book aims to fill this gap. After summarizing the main traits of Catherine’s life, the book consists of four parts: a survey of how literary critics have reconciled Catherine’s illiteracy with the authenticity of her writings; an analysis of the main passages in which Catherine refers to discretion, prudence, and closely linked concepts; a historical comparison of Catherine’s thoughts and images on discretion and prudence with the earlier tradition (from Cassian to Gregory the Great, from Benedict to Richard of St. Victor, from Augustine to Thomas Aquinas), as well as her most significant contemporaries (Domenico Cavalca, Bridget of Sweden, John Colombini, Raymond of Capua); and a final part showing how discretion unifies Catherine’s spiritual reflection. The author’s general conclusions are followed by a summary bibliography in English, Italian, and French.
Mary J. Henold
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780823233311
- eISBN:
- 9780823241743
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823233311.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Drawing on a history course offered at Valparaiso University called Faith and Feminism in America, this chapter offers concrete examples of several teaching methods that reflect how feminist ...
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Drawing on a history course offered at Valparaiso University called Faith and Feminism in America, this chapter offers concrete examples of several teaching methods that reflect how feminist consciousness-raising among students intersects with the Jesuit practice of discernment. It discusses strategies that nurture the consciousness-raising central to feminist and Jesuit learning among a religiously mixed, though predominantly Protestant, and fairly conservative group of students.Less
Drawing on a history course offered at Valparaiso University called Faith and Feminism in America, this chapter offers concrete examples of several teaching methods that reflect how feminist consciousness-raising among students intersects with the Jesuit practice of discernment. It discusses strategies that nurture the consciousness-raising central to feminist and Jesuit learning among a religiously mixed, though predominantly Protestant, and fairly conservative group of students.
Susan M. Mountin
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780823233311
- eISBN:
- 9780823241743
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823233311.003.0014
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter examines the mixed messages that university campus ministry programs send to women concerning their role in the Church. It argues that a major challenge for Jesuit schools in the ...
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This chapter examines the mixed messages that university campus ministry programs send to women concerning their role in the Church. It argues that a major challenge for Jesuit schools in the twenty-first century will be nurturing and educating women for ministry. Drawing on the Manresa Project at Marquette University, it offers strategies for creating programs based on the Ignatian principles of introspection and discernment that “invite college students to think about both lay and ordained professional church ministry as a life goal”.Less
This chapter examines the mixed messages that university campus ministry programs send to women concerning their role in the Church. It argues that a major challenge for Jesuit schools in the twenty-first century will be nurturing and educating women for ministry. Drawing on the Manresa Project at Marquette University, it offers strategies for creating programs based on the Ignatian principles of introspection and discernment that “invite college students to think about both lay and ordained professional church ministry as a life goal”.
Michael J. McClymond and Gerald R. McDermott
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199791606
- eISBN:
- 9780199932290
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199791606.003.0043
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Although Edwards was a Calvinist and a Puritan, he had more in common with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy than one might expect. Similar to a number of Catholic theologians, discernment was ...
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Although Edwards was a Calvinist and a Puritan, he had more in common with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy than one might expect. Similar to a number of Catholic theologians, discernment was an important theme throughout his writings. Likewise, the role of obedience as a “condition” in justification as well as metaphysical reflection on God as “being” bear some resemblance to the Catholic tradition. The role of beauty in his theology resonates with the Eastern Orthodox tradition. The same can be said of his Trinitarian metaphysics and adherence to divinization.Less
Although Edwards was a Calvinist and a Puritan, he had more in common with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy than one might expect. Similar to a number of Catholic theologians, discernment was an important theme throughout his writings. Likewise, the role of obedience as a “condition” in justification as well as metaphysical reflection on God as “being” bear some resemblance to the Catholic tradition. The role of beauty in his theology resonates with the Eastern Orthodox tradition. The same can be said of his Trinitarian metaphysics and adherence to divinization.
David S. Cunningham (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- December 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190888671
- eISBN:
- 9780190888701
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190888671.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies
Colleges and universities have begun using the language of vocation and calling to help undergraduates think about the future direction of their lives. This language has been employed in both secular ...
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Colleges and universities have begun using the language of vocation and calling to help undergraduates think about the future direction of their lives. This language has been employed in both secular and religious contexts, but it has deep roots in a specific theological tradition. Given the increasingly multi-faith context of undergraduate life, many have asked whether this originally Christian terminology can truly become a new vocabulary for higher education. This volume’s 13 contributing scholars identify with a wide variety of faith traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Sikhism. Some claim more than one tradition; others would claim none. Rather than seeking to “translate” Christian language into other perspectives, they reflect on various facets of vocation from the standpoint of their own traditions. Both individually and collectively, they seek to expand the range of vocational reflection and discernment well beyond its traditional Christian origins, addressing themes such as religious pluralism and difference, the importance of multiple voices, the role of affective learning, the relationship between process and result, and the development of an integrated life. The authors recognize that all undergraduate students—regardless of their academic field, religious background, or demographic identity—need to make space for reflection, to overcome obstacles to vocational discernment, and to consider the significance of their own narratives, beliefs, and practices. Accomplishing these goals will require college campuses to reimagine their curricular and co-curricular programming in order to support their students’ interfaith reflections on issues of meaning and purpose, as well as personal identity.Less
Colleges and universities have begun using the language of vocation and calling to help undergraduates think about the future direction of their lives. This language has been employed in both secular and religious contexts, but it has deep roots in a specific theological tradition. Given the increasingly multi-faith context of undergraduate life, many have asked whether this originally Christian terminology can truly become a new vocabulary for higher education. This volume’s 13 contributing scholars identify with a wide variety of faith traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Sikhism. Some claim more than one tradition; others would claim none. Rather than seeking to “translate” Christian language into other perspectives, they reflect on various facets of vocation from the standpoint of their own traditions. Both individually and collectively, they seek to expand the range of vocational reflection and discernment well beyond its traditional Christian origins, addressing themes such as religious pluralism and difference, the importance of multiple voices, the role of affective learning, the relationship between process and result, and the development of an integrated life. The authors recognize that all undergraduate students—regardless of their academic field, religious background, or demographic identity—need to make space for reflection, to overcome obstacles to vocational discernment, and to consider the significance of their own narratives, beliefs, and practices. Accomplishing these goals will require college campuses to reimagine their curricular and co-curricular programming in order to support their students’ interfaith reflections on issues of meaning and purpose, as well as personal identity.
John A. Jillions
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- February 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780190055738
- eISBN:
- 9780190055769
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190055738.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion in the Ancient World, Religion and Society
How are claims to God’s guidance to be understood against the background of fears, fundamentalism, and violence inspired by religious belief? But equally, how are acts of humanity, love, and ...
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How are claims to God’s guidance to be understood against the background of fears, fundamentalism, and violence inspired by religious belief? But equally, how are acts of humanity, love, and sacrificial service to be understood, when they also claim to be inspired by God? How is healthy religion to be distinguished from unhealthy religion? Questions like these were the subject of lively debate in the first-century world of Corinth, where the views of Greek, Roman, Jewish, and early Christian residents mixed continually, and where Paul established one of the first Christian communities. While their differences were real, there was also common ground and a shared critique of destructive religion. This study looks at how believers and unbelievers confront questions about divine guidance, discernment, delusion, and rational thought. Part I looks at Greco-Roman views, focusing on the archeology of ancient Corinth and the writings of Homer, Virgil, Lucretius, Posidonius, Cicero, Seneca, Plutarch, and others. Part II surveys Jewish attitudes by looking at Philo and Josephus, Qumran, early rabbinic writers, and other intertestamental literature. Part III unpacks Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians to show that issues of divine guidance and discernment are woven throughout as Paul shapes a distinctly Christian approach. Part IV brings the historical strands together and considers religious experience research to draw some conclusions about discernment and delusion today in the hope that rational and mystical need not be mutually exclusive.Less
How are claims to God’s guidance to be understood against the background of fears, fundamentalism, and violence inspired by religious belief? But equally, how are acts of humanity, love, and sacrificial service to be understood, when they also claim to be inspired by God? How is healthy religion to be distinguished from unhealthy religion? Questions like these were the subject of lively debate in the first-century world of Corinth, where the views of Greek, Roman, Jewish, and early Christian residents mixed continually, and where Paul established one of the first Christian communities. While their differences were real, there was also common ground and a shared critique of destructive religion. This study looks at how believers and unbelievers confront questions about divine guidance, discernment, delusion, and rational thought. Part I looks at Greco-Roman views, focusing on the archeology of ancient Corinth and the writings of Homer, Virgil, Lucretius, Posidonius, Cicero, Seneca, Plutarch, and others. Part II surveys Jewish attitudes by looking at Philo and Josephus, Qumran, early rabbinic writers, and other intertestamental literature. Part III unpacks Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians to show that issues of divine guidance and discernment are woven throughout as Paul shapes a distinctly Christian approach. Part IV brings the historical strands together and considers religious experience research to draw some conclusions about discernment and delusion today in the hope that rational and mystical need not be mutually exclusive.
