Hans Boersma
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199229642
- eISBN:
- 9780191710773
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199229642.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, Church History
This chapter discusses the connection between sacrament and Church in de Henri de Lubac and Yves Congar. Both impacted the communion ecclesiology of Vatican II. De Lubac emphasized the reciprocal ...
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This chapter discusses the connection between sacrament and Church in de Henri de Lubac and Yves Congar. Both impacted the communion ecclesiology of Vatican II. De Lubac emphasized the reciprocal relationship between Eucharist and Church, which implied that the Eucharistic body had for its aim the realization of the communion of the ecclesial body. The Church herself was the sacrament of Christ's presence. Congar distinguished between the Church as structure or institution and the Church as life or community, and posited a sacramental relationship between the two. He developed a sacramental understanding of the ‘time of the Church’ as the ‘in between time’ (entre-deux). Over time, de Lubac and Congar developed different emphases. Nonetheless, both intended to restore a sacramental view of the Church by paying attention to the mystery of the intended reality: the unity of the Church in Christ.Less
This chapter discusses the connection between sacrament and Church in de Henri de Lubac and Yves Congar. Both impacted the communion ecclesiology of Vatican II. De Lubac emphasized the reciprocal relationship between Eucharist and Church, which implied that the Eucharistic body had for its aim the realization of the communion of the ecclesial body. The Church herself was the sacrament of Christ's presence. Congar distinguished between the Church as structure or institution and the Church as life or community, and posited a sacramental relationship between the two. He developed a sacramental understanding of the ‘time of the Church’ as the ‘in between time’ (entre-deux). Over time, de Lubac and Congar developed different emphases. Nonetheless, both intended to restore a sacramental view of the Church by paying attention to the mystery of the intended reality: the unity of the Church in Christ.
Richard Swinburne
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199212460
- eISBN:
- 9780191707193
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199212460.003.0011
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
The Bible consists of small units, woven together into ‘books’ which were put together into the two Testaments, which were put together into one Bible. The meaning of the sentences of a unit depends ...
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The Bible consists of small units, woven together into ‘books’ which were put together into the two Testaments, which were put together into one Bible. The meaning of the sentences of a unit depends on its context, including the identity of its author. When a unit is put into a book and the book eventually put into one Bible, the meanings of its sentences change since the context changes. The meaning of a sentence regarded as a sentence of the whole Bible depends crucially on who is the author of the whole Bible. If God inspired its compilation, then he is its ultimate author; and in that case passages of the Bible must be understood to have the meaning they would have if he had written it. For example all its sentences must be understood in such a way as to be consistent with each other, and with everything else God knows (for example the truths of science and history, and doctrinal truths certified by the Church). Our only grounds for believing the Bible to contain revealed truth are that the church declared that God authorized it.Less
The Bible consists of small units, woven together into ‘books’ which were put together into the two Testaments, which were put together into one Bible. The meaning of the sentences of a unit depends on its context, including the identity of its author. When a unit is put into a book and the book eventually put into one Bible, the meanings of its sentences change since the context changes. The meaning of a sentence regarded as a sentence of the whole Bible depends crucially on who is the author of the whole Bible. If God inspired its compilation, then he is its ultimate author; and in that case passages of the Bible must be understood to have the meaning they would have if he had written it. For example all its sentences must be understood in such a way as to be consistent with each other, and with everything else God knows (for example the truths of science and history, and doctrinal truths certified by the Church). Our only grounds for believing the Bible to contain revealed truth are that the church declared that God authorized it.
Mark S. Massa
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199734122
- eISBN:
- 9780199866373
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199734122.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter examines the theological role of the most famous twentieth-century Catholic theologian in the United States, Avery Dulles, in shaping the current divisions within the Catholic community ...
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This chapter examines the theological role of the most famous twentieth-century Catholic theologian in the United States, Avery Dulles, in shaping the current divisions within the Catholic community between liberals and conservatives. Central to the Dulles story was his famous 1974 book, Models of the Church, A Landmark Study in Catholic Ecclesiology and Theological Pluralism. Catholic conservatives claim that Dulles was a liberal who saw the light, repented of his ways, and joined the right (political and correct) side. Catholic liberals, on the other hand, claim that Dulles abandoned the progressive cause for conservatism, in the process gaining a cardinal’s hat for his efforts. This chapter argues that both of these positions are wrong, that Dulles really didn’t change very much theologically over the course of his forty-year career and that the current use made of his arguments by all sides in the argument have more to do with the unintended consequences of his thought.Less
This chapter examines the theological role of the most famous twentieth-century Catholic theologian in the United States, Avery Dulles, in shaping the current divisions within the Catholic community between liberals and conservatives. Central to the Dulles story was his famous 1974 book, Models of the Church, A Landmark Study in Catholic Ecclesiology and Theological Pluralism. Catholic conservatives claim that Dulles was a liberal who saw the light, repented of his ways, and joined the right (political and correct) side. Catholic liberals, on the other hand, claim that Dulles abandoned the progressive cause for conservatism, in the process gaining a cardinal’s hat for his efforts. This chapter argues that both of these positions are wrong, that Dulles really didn’t change very much theologically over the course of his forty-year career and that the current use made of his arguments by all sides in the argument have more to do with the unintended consequences of his thought.
Richard Kieckhefer
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- July 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195154665
- eISBN:
- 9780199835676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195154665.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
The kinetic dynamism of a classic sacramental church, with its longitudinal space for processions, is exemplified by the design and the use of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. The tendency of ...
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The kinetic dynamism of a classic sacramental church, with its longitudinal space for processions, is exemplified by the design and the use of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. The tendency of longitudinal space to become partitioned with screens and other barriers is discussed with reference to Saint Albans Cathedral, in England. The possibility of reconceiving and revitalizing classic sacramental space is demonstrated by the case of Saint Gregory of Nyssa, in San Francisco. The central plan is shown to be a variation on the longitudinal design. The verbal dynamism of a classic evangelical church, with auditorium seating on a ground floor and in a gallery, is exemplified by the early Congregational Chapel in Walpole, England. The tendency toward hybrid arrangements is shown in the Westerkerk at Amsterdam, which, though fundamentally Protestant, retains certain features of medieval design. The use of a modern communal church for gathering of the congregation is illustrated by the Methodist church at Northfield, Minnesota. Problems in the modern communal tradition are discussed with reference to the Church of the Autostrada outside Florence, Italy.Less
The kinetic dynamism of a classic sacramental church, with its longitudinal space for processions, is exemplified by the design and the use of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. The tendency of longitudinal space to become partitioned with screens and other barriers is discussed with reference to Saint Albans Cathedral, in England. The possibility of reconceiving and revitalizing classic sacramental space is demonstrated by the case of Saint Gregory of Nyssa, in San Francisco. The central plan is shown to be a variation on the longitudinal design. The verbal dynamism of a classic evangelical church, with auditorium seating on a ground floor and in a gallery, is exemplified by the early Congregational Chapel in Walpole, England. The tendency toward hybrid arrangements is shown in the Westerkerk at Amsterdam, which, though fundamentally Protestant, retains certain features of medieval design. The use of a modern communal church for gathering of the congregation is illustrated by the Methodist church at Northfield, Minnesota. Problems in the modern communal tradition are discussed with reference to the Church of the Autostrada outside Florence, Italy.
Shawn Francis Peters
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195306354
- eISBN:
- 9780199867714
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195306354.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter recounts the religion-based medical neglect-related deaths of several children in Oregon, including seven-year-old Tony Hays, who died in 1995 after his parents, members of a ...
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This chapter recounts the religion-based medical neglect-related deaths of several children in Oregon, including seven-year-old Tony Hays, who died in 1995 after his parents, members of a Fundamentalist sect known as the Church of the First Born, elected to treat his leukemia solely with prayer. A close study of events in Oregon – and of the religious beliefs of those involved – is especially fruitful because the state is home to one of the largest concentrations of faith-based neglect deaths in the country. Central to this section is a discussion of how prosecutors, judges, and lawmakers in Oregon struggled to balance statutory protections for the religious liberty of faith-healing parents against the state's obligation to safeguard the rights and welfare of children.Less
This chapter recounts the religion-based medical neglect-related deaths of several children in Oregon, including seven-year-old Tony Hays, who died in 1995 after his parents, members of a Fundamentalist sect known as the Church of the First Born, elected to treat his leukemia solely with prayer. A close study of events in Oregon – and of the religious beliefs of those involved – is especially fruitful because the state is home to one of the largest concentrations of faith-based neglect deaths in the country. Central to this section is a discussion of how prosecutors, judges, and lawmakers in Oregon struggled to balance statutory protections for the religious liberty of faith-healing parents against the state's obligation to safeguard the rights and welfare of children.
Richard Swinburne
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199212460
- eISBN:
- 9780191707193
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199212460.003.0008
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
The original Christian revelation was the teaching of Jesus about the broad outlines of which we can obtain moderately accurate information from the New Testament, treated as an ordinary historical ...
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The original Christian revelation was the teaching of Jesus about the broad outlines of which we can obtain moderately accurate information from the New Testament, treated as an ordinary historical document. This evidence indicates that he taught that he was divine and made atonement for our sins, and gave teachings about morality and the nature and plans of God. All of this teaching is intrinsically plausible. There is good historical evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus, and that shows that God has authenticated the teaching of Jesus and the church that he founded. This evidence is far better evidence for the truth of the Christian revelation than is any evidence that Jesus ‘fulfilled’ Old Testament prophecies, or the supposed ‘self-evidence’ of the Bible.Less
The original Christian revelation was the teaching of Jesus about the broad outlines of which we can obtain moderately accurate information from the New Testament, treated as an ordinary historical document. This evidence indicates that he taught that he was divine and made atonement for our sins, and gave teachings about morality and the nature and plans of God. All of this teaching is intrinsically plausible. There is good historical evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus, and that shows that God has authenticated the teaching of Jesus and the church that he founded. This evidence is far better evidence for the truth of the Christian revelation than is any evidence that Jesus ‘fulfilled’ Old Testament prophecies, or the supposed ‘self-evidence’ of the Bible.
G. E. M. De Ste. Croix
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199278121
- eISBN:
- 9780191707872
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199278121.003.0005
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter analyses how the Church, after enduring persecution during its first three centuries, emerged as a triumphant and highly effective persecuting force during the next three centuries, with ...
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This chapter analyses how the Church, after enduring persecution during its first three centuries, emerged as a triumphant and highly effective persecuting force during the next three centuries, with pagans, Jews, Manichees, and Christian heretics as its victims. In contrast to the pre-Christian Roman Empire, which was remarkably willing to accept most new religions, Christianity was a jealous religion and quickly used the privileges secured through Constantine's conversion to involve the Roman state in enforcing its wishes. The conflict in North Africa between Donatists and Catholics provided the trigger, but also demonstrated the problems of enforcing imperial wishes on groups whose earlier experience of persecution had stiffened their resolve. The evidence for the rigour of the Church's views on the persecution of heresy is analysed, before an editorial appendix considers the wider issue of religious toleration in classical antiquity and how the triumph of Christianity affected this.Less
This chapter analyses how the Church, after enduring persecution during its first three centuries, emerged as a triumphant and highly effective persecuting force during the next three centuries, with pagans, Jews, Manichees, and Christian heretics as its victims. In contrast to the pre-Christian Roman Empire, which was remarkably willing to accept most new religions, Christianity was a jealous religion and quickly used the privileges secured through Constantine's conversion to involve the Roman state in enforcing its wishes. The conflict in North Africa between Donatists and Catholics provided the trigger, but also demonstrated the problems of enforcing imperial wishes on groups whose earlier experience of persecution had stiffened their resolve. The evidence for the rigour of the Church's views on the persecution of heresy is analysed, before an editorial appendix considers the wider issue of religious toleration in classical antiquity and how the triumph of Christianity affected this.
Richard Swinburne
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199212460
- eISBN:
- 9780191707193
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199212460.003.0013
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This book has argued that the Christian revelation satisfies the four tests of a genuine revelation from God very well: the content of the original revelation is plausible, it was confirmed by a ...
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This book has argued that the Christian revelation satisfies the four tests of a genuine revelation from God very well: the content of the original revelation is plausible, it was confirmed by a miracle, it has been interpreted by a church in a plausible way, and the interpretation is plausibly true. No other purported revelation satisfies these tests nearly as well. There is plenty of scope for the Christian Church to develop its interpretations yet further.Less
This book has argued that the Christian revelation satisfies the four tests of a genuine revelation from God very well: the content of the original revelation is plausible, it was confirmed by a miracle, it has been interpreted by a church in a plausible way, and the interpretation is plausibly true. No other purported revelation satisfies these tests nearly as well. There is plenty of scope for the Christian Church to develop its interpretations yet further.
Catherine E. Clifford
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9781469625294
- eISBN:
- 9781469625317
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/northcarolina/9781469625294.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This essay takes a broad look at the concept and the exercise of authority in the Catholic tradition and then focuses on the process of decision making during the Council, leading to the Constitution ...
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This essay takes a broad look at the concept and the exercise of authority in the Catholic tradition and then focuses on the process of decision making during the Council, leading to the Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) and to the Decree on bishops (Christus Dominus). While these documents mark a definitive shift to a more collegial and less monarchical structure of authority, the postconciliar implementation has been difficult and inconclusive. Fifty years after the Council the Church still does not have a system in place that fully honors episcopal collegiality. In his first statements and initiatives Pope Francis has shown his commitment to redressing an overly centralized mode of church governance and to creating more room for decision making on the level of national and regional conferences of bishops.Less
This essay takes a broad look at the concept and the exercise of authority in the Catholic tradition and then focuses on the process of decision making during the Council, leading to the Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) and to the Decree on bishops (Christus Dominus). While these documents mark a definitive shift to a more collegial and less monarchical structure of authority, the postconciliar implementation has been difficult and inconclusive. Fifty years after the Council the Church still does not have a system in place that fully honors episcopal collegiality. In his first statements and initiatives Pope Francis has shown his commitment to redressing an overly centralized mode of church governance and to creating more room for decision making on the level of national and regional conferences of bishops.
James D. Tracy
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199209118
- eISBN:
- 9780191706134
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199209118.003.0010
- Subject:
- History, European Early Modern History
Holland's Baltic trade flourished as never before, and skilled immigrants helped revive local industries. But prosperity raised a political issue: should Holland trade with provinces loyal to Spain? ...
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Holland's Baltic trade flourished as never before, and skilled immigrants helped revive local industries. But prosperity raised a political issue: should Holland trade with provinces loyal to Spain? The more Holland's leaders pushed for free trade, the more confederates in the Union of Utrecht saw them as selling out the cause to boost profits. Meanwhile, Holland upheld the public supremacy of the Reformed religion. Yet Reformed religion embraced two theologies. One, based in Geneva, required a church free of state control; the other, based in Zurich, sanctioned governance of the Church by magistrates. Most Holland clergy preferred the former view, while magistrates favored the latter. Thus several towns had major conflicts over appointment of preachers; at the provincial level, each side ignored the other's pronouncements on church governance.Less
Holland's Baltic trade flourished as never before, and skilled immigrants helped revive local industries. But prosperity raised a political issue: should Holland trade with provinces loyal to Spain? The more Holland's leaders pushed for free trade, the more confederates in the Union of Utrecht saw them as selling out the cause to boost profits. Meanwhile, Holland upheld the public supremacy of the Reformed religion. Yet Reformed religion embraced two theologies. One, based in Geneva, required a church free of state control; the other, based in Zurich, sanctioned governance of the Church by magistrates. Most Holland clergy preferred the former view, while magistrates favored the latter. Thus several towns had major conflicts over appointment of preachers; at the provincial level, each side ignored the other's pronouncements on church governance.
Richard Swinburne
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199212460
- eISBN:
- 9780191707193
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199212460.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This book is divided into three parts. Part 1 (Chapters 1 to 4) investigates how truth can be conveyed in allegory, parable, or myth by analogy and metaphor, within false presuppositions about ...
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This book is divided into three parts. Part 1 (Chapters 1 to 4) investigates how truth can be conveyed in allegory, parable, or myth by analogy and metaphor, within false presuppositions about science and history. Part 2 (Chapters 5 to 6) considers what is shown when some book or creed constitutes a revelation from God. Its content needs to be intrinsically plausible and also to be confirmed by miracle. Part 3 (Chapters 7 to 12) assesses the claim that Christian doctrinal and moral teaching and the Christian Bible constitute revealed truth. It sets out the criteria for a society descended from the society of the apostles being the Church founded by Jesus Christ, and shown by his miraculous Resurrection to be a source of revealed truth. It argues that the authority of its teaching and of the Bible depends on their being authenticated by that church. It analyses the extent of analogy and metaphor in the Church's teaching, claims that the moral teaching is intrinsically plausible, and that the Bible is to be interpreted in the light of the Church's teaching and of our knowledge of science and history.Less
This book is divided into three parts. Part 1 (Chapters 1 to 4) investigates how truth can be conveyed in allegory, parable, or myth by analogy and metaphor, within false presuppositions about science and history. Part 2 (Chapters 5 to 6) considers what is shown when some book or creed constitutes a revelation from God. Its content needs to be intrinsically plausible and also to be confirmed by miracle. Part 3 (Chapters 7 to 12) assesses the claim that Christian doctrinal and moral teaching and the Christian Bible constitute revealed truth. It sets out the criteria for a society descended from the society of the apostles being the Church founded by Jesus Christ, and shown by his miraculous Resurrection to be a source of revealed truth. It argues that the authority of its teaching and of the Bible depends on their being authenticated by that church. It analyses the extent of analogy and metaphor in the Church's teaching, claims that the moral teaching is intrinsically plausible, and that the Bible is to be interpreted in the light of the Church's teaching and of our knowledge of science and history.
Susan Palmer
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199735211
- eISBN:
- 9780199918577
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199735211.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Since the Age of Enlightenment, France has upheld clear constitutional guidelines that protect human rights and religious freedom. Today, however, intolerant attitudes and discriminatory practices ...
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Since the Age of Enlightenment, France has upheld clear constitutional guidelines that protect human rights and religious freedom. Today, however, intolerant attitudes and discriminatory practices towards unconventional faiths have become acceptable and even institutionalized in public life. This book offers an examination of France's most stigmatized new religions, or sects, and the public management of religious and philosophical minorities by the state. The book tracks the mounting government-sponsored anticult movement in the wake of the shocking mass suicides of the Solar Temple in 1994, and the negative impact of this movement on France's most visible religious minorities, whose names appeared on a “blacklist” of 172 sects commissioned by the National Assembly. Drawing on extensive interviews and field research, the book describes the controversial histories of well-known international NRMs (the Church of Scientology, Raelian Movement, and Unificationism) in France, as well as esoteric local groups. The book also reveals the partisanship of Catholic priests, journalists, village mayors, and the passive public who support La Republique's efforts to control minority faiths—all in the name of “Liberty, Equality and Fraternity”.Less
Since the Age of Enlightenment, France has upheld clear constitutional guidelines that protect human rights and religious freedom. Today, however, intolerant attitudes and discriminatory practices towards unconventional faiths have become acceptable and even institutionalized in public life. This book offers an examination of France's most stigmatized new religions, or sects, and the public management of religious and philosophical minorities by the state. The book tracks the mounting government-sponsored anticult movement in the wake of the shocking mass suicides of the Solar Temple in 1994, and the negative impact of this movement on France's most visible religious minorities, whose names appeared on a “blacklist” of 172 sects commissioned by the National Assembly. Drawing on extensive interviews and field research, the book describes the controversial histories of well-known international NRMs (the Church of Scientology, Raelian Movement, and Unificationism) in France, as well as esoteric local groups. The book also reveals the partisanship of Catholic priests, journalists, village mayors, and the passive public who support La Republique's efforts to control minority faiths—all in the name of “Liberty, Equality and Fraternity”.
J.F. COAKLEY
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198267447
- eISBN:
- 9780191683268
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198267447.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity, Church History
This chapter begins with a description of the Church of the East. The Church of the East is simply the church of the ancient Persian Empire with a history dating back to the planting of anonymous ...
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This chapter begins with a description of the Church of the East. The Church of the East is simply the church of the ancient Persian Empire with a history dating back to the planting of anonymous merchants or prisoners from the Roman empire from the 2nd century onwards. The chapter then discusses the earliest stirrings of interest in England for an acquaintance with the Church of the East in the 19th century and the mission of George Percy Badger.Less
This chapter begins with a description of the Church of the East. The Church of the East is simply the church of the ancient Persian Empire with a history dating back to the planting of anonymous merchants or prisoners from the Roman empire from the 2nd century onwards. The chapter then discusses the earliest stirrings of interest in England for an acquaintance with the Church of the East in the 19th century and the mission of George Percy Badger.
James Davison Hunter
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199730803
- eISBN:
- 9780199777082
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199730803.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
The call to make the world a better place is inherent in the Christian belief and practice. But why have efforts to change the world by Christians so often failed or gone tragically awry? And how ...
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The call to make the world a better place is inherent in the Christian belief and practice. But why have efforts to change the world by Christians so often failed or gone tragically awry? And how might Christians in the 21st century live in ways that have integrity with their traditions and are more truly transformative? In To Change the World, James Davison Hunter offers persuasive–and provocative–answers to these questions. Hunter begins with a penetrating appraisal of the most popular models of world-changing among Christians today, highlighting the ways they are inherently flawed and therefore incapable of generating the change to which they aspire. Because change implies power, all Christian eventually embrace strategies of political engagement. Hunter offers a trenchant critique of the political theologies of the Christian Right and Left and the Neo-Anabaptists, taking on many respected leaders, from Charles Colson to Stanley Hauerwas. Hunter argues that all too often these political theologies worsen the very problems they are designed to solve. What is really needed is a different paradigm of Christian engagement with the world, one that Hunter calls “faithful presence”–an ideal of Christian practice that is not only individual but institutional; a model that plays out in our work and all spheres of social life. He offers real-life examples of what can be accomplished through the practice of “faithful presence.” Such practices will be more fruitful, Hunter argues, more exemplary, and more deeply transfiguring than any more overtly ambitious attempts can ever be.
Less
The call to make the world a better place is inherent in the Christian belief and practice. But why have efforts to change the world by Christians so often failed or gone tragically awry? And how might Christians in the 21st century live in ways that have integrity with their traditions and are more truly transformative? In To Change the World, James Davison Hunter offers persuasive–and provocative–answers to these questions. Hunter begins with a penetrating appraisal of the most popular models of world-changing among Christians today, highlighting the ways they are inherently flawed and therefore incapable of generating the change to which they aspire. Because change implies power, all Christian eventually embrace strategies of political engagement. Hunter offers a trenchant critique of the political theologies of the Christian Right and Left and the Neo-Anabaptists, taking on many respected leaders, from Charles Colson to Stanley Hauerwas. Hunter argues that all too often these political theologies worsen the very problems they are designed to solve. What is really needed is a different paradigm of Christian engagement with the world, one that Hunter calls “faithful presence”–an ideal of Christian practice that is not only individual but institutional; a model that plays out in our work and all spheres of social life. He offers real-life examples of what can be accomplished through the practice of “faithful presence.” Such practices will be more fruitful, Hunter argues, more exemplary, and more deeply transfiguring than any more overtly ambitious attempts can ever be.
Arthur Burns
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198207849
- eISBN:
- 9780191677823
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198207849.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, History of Religion
This book provides the first account of an important but neglected aspect of the history of the 19th-century Church of England: the reform of its diocesan structures. ...
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This book provides the first account of an important but neglected aspect of the history of the 19th-century Church of England: the reform of its diocesan structures. It illustrates how one of the most important institutions of Victorian England responded at a regional level to the pastoral challenge of a rapidly changing society. Providing a new perspective on the impact of both the Oxford Movement and the Ecclesiastical Commission on the Church, this book shows that an appreciation of the dynamics of diocesan reform has implications for our understanding of secular as well as ecclesiastical reform in the early 19th century.Less
This book provides the first account of an important but neglected aspect of the history of the 19th-century Church of England: the reform of its diocesan structures. It illustrates how one of the most important institutions of Victorian England responded at a regional level to the pastoral challenge of a rapidly changing society. Providing a new perspective on the impact of both the Oxford Movement and the Ecclesiastical Commission on the Church, this book shows that an appreciation of the dynamics of diocesan reform has implications for our understanding of secular as well as ecclesiastical reform in the early 19th century.
Nicholas V. Riasanovsky
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195156508
- eISBN:
- 9780199868230
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195156508.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter discusses the momentous reign of Peter the Great and its impact and influence on Russian intellectual life and culture. It explains that the dominant European intellectual climate of the ...
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This chapter discusses the momentous reign of Peter the Great and its impact and influence on Russian intellectual life and culture. It explains that the dominant European intellectual climate of the “Enlightenment,” or “Age of Reason” fit Peter the Great's character, orientation, and ambitions. It adds that his optimistic belief in reason, in the possibility and feasibility of reasonable solutions to human problems, ranging from technical matters of administration, economics, or finance to the broader issues of the nature of a genuine education, or of an ideal society and polity, constituted the leading inspiration of the age. It describes Peter the Great as an absolute ruler in theory and in practice. It tells of the reorganization of the Church in Russia—a long-lasting, logical, and integral part of Peter the Great's effort to modernize and even Westernize Russia.Less
This chapter discusses the momentous reign of Peter the Great and its impact and influence on Russian intellectual life and culture. It explains that the dominant European intellectual climate of the “Enlightenment,” or “Age of Reason” fit Peter the Great's character, orientation, and ambitions. It adds that his optimistic belief in reason, in the possibility and feasibility of reasonable solutions to human problems, ranging from technical matters of administration, economics, or finance to the broader issues of the nature of a genuine education, or of an ideal society and polity, constituted the leading inspiration of the age. It describes Peter the Great as an absolute ruler in theory and in practice. It tells of the reorganization of the Church in Russia—a long-lasting, logical, and integral part of Peter the Great's effort to modernize and even Westernize Russia.
Stephen J. Shoemaker
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199250752
- eISBN:
- 9780191600746
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199250758.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
The earliest centre of Marian cult in Palestine appears to have been an early Nativity shrine known as the Kathisma church, which by the early fifth century had become a focus of Marian piety. Not ...
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The earliest centre of Marian cult in Palestine appears to have been an early Nativity shrine known as the Kathisma church, which by the early fifth century had become a focus of Marian piety. Not long thereafter, the traditional site of Mary's tomb just outside the Jerusalem city walls emerged as a second important centre of Mary's veneration. In the early sixth century, a third Marian shrine was added to the Holy City, the Nea church, completed during the emperor Justinian's reign. The earliest feast of Mary in Palestine was 15 August, initially a celebration of Mary's role in the Nativity that eventually developed into a commemoration of her Dormition and/or Assumption. By the seventh century, this festival had expanded to encompass several days in mid‐August, in a stational liturgy that linked together all three of Jerusalem's Marian shrines.Less
The earliest centre of Marian cult in Palestine appears to have been an early Nativity shrine known as the Kathisma church, which by the early fifth century had become a focus of Marian piety. Not long thereafter, the traditional site of Mary's tomb just outside the Jerusalem city walls emerged as a second important centre of Mary's veneration. In the early sixth century, a third Marian shrine was added to the Holy City, the Nea church, completed during the emperor Justinian's reign. The earliest feast of Mary in Palestine was 15 August, initially a celebration of Mary's role in the Nativity that eventually developed into a commemoration of her Dormition and/or Assumption. By the seventh century, this festival had expanded to encompass several days in mid‐August, in a stational liturgy that linked together all three of Jerusalem's Marian shrines.
LEON LITVACK
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198263517
- eISBN:
- 9780191682582
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198263517.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This chapter discusses Neale’s Orthodox hymnody, focusing on the Hymns of the Eastern Church, first published in 1862. It also compares his work in hymnody with that of Danish Lutheran Nikolaj ...
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This chapter discusses Neale’s Orthodox hymnody, focusing on the Hymns of the Eastern Church, first published in 1862. It also compares his work in hymnody with that of Danish Lutheran Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig. Neale translated Latin hymns in order to give Anglicans a base in which to build a future corpus. In the case of Greek hymns, it seems that Neale saw a connection to those with his own Western tradition. With no guiding principles, he experimented, and produced various types of hymns, forming an eclectic collection. He had thousands of hymns from which to choose for inclusion in his little volume. The principles according to which he made his choice are suggested in this chapter by comparing him with orientalist Antoine Isaac Silvestre de Sacy. Like Neale in his Eastern hymns, de Sacy presented the Orient to his readers through extracts from his book Chrestomathie arabe.Less
This chapter discusses Neale’s Orthodox hymnody, focusing on the Hymns of the Eastern Church, first published in 1862. It also compares his work in hymnody with that of Danish Lutheran Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig. Neale translated Latin hymns in order to give Anglicans a base in which to build a future corpus. In the case of Greek hymns, it seems that Neale saw a connection to those with his own Western tradition. With no guiding principles, he experimented, and produced various types of hymns, forming an eclectic collection. He had thousands of hymns from which to choose for inclusion in his little volume. The principles according to which he made his choice are suggested in this chapter by comparing him with orientalist Antoine Isaac Silvestre de Sacy. Like Neale in his Eastern hymns, de Sacy presented the Orient to his readers through extracts from his book Chrestomathie arabe.
J.F. COAKLEY
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198267447
- eISBN:
- 9780191683268
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198267447.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity, Church History
This chapter discusses the movement in the Church of England to help the Church of the East between 1868 and 1884. It was 1868 before the movement began again to acquire momentum. Thereafter, ...
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This chapter discusses the movement in the Church of England to help the Church of the East between 1868 and 1884. It was 1868 before the movement began again to acquire momentum. Thereafter, although the pace of this movement was not exactly speedy, neither did it ever quite let up until a lasting mission was founded eighteen years later.Less
This chapter discusses the movement in the Church of England to help the Church of the East between 1868 and 1884. It was 1868 before the movement began again to acquire momentum. Thereafter, although the pace of this movement was not exactly speedy, neither did it ever quite let up until a lasting mission was founded eighteen years later.
P. G. Walsh
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780198269953
- eISBN:
- 9780191601132
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198269951.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
The treatise incorporates two main themes, virginity in itself, and the necessity of humility in consecrated virginity. Virginity itself is considered from three aspects: first, Christ and his mother ...
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The treatise incorporates two main themes, virginity in itself, and the necessity of humility in consecrated virginity. Virginity itself is considered from three aspects: first, Christ and his mother are adduced as ideal types of fecund virginity. Second, virginity surpasses conjugal fidelity in merit; the goods of marriage are human goods, but consecrated virginity is angelic. But marriage is not to be disparaged by consecrated virgins. In demeaning it, the manichees misinterpret I Cor. 7, and Jovinian is condemned for equating marriage with it. Third, the nature of the reward in heaven is outlined. The second main topic of the treatise is the importance of humility. Scriptural models are proposed—the centurion, the Canaanite woman, the tax collector, and finally Christ himself.Less
The treatise incorporates two main themes, virginity in itself, and the necessity of humility in consecrated virginity. Virginity itself is considered from three aspects: first, Christ and his mother are adduced as ideal types of fecund virginity. Second, virginity surpasses conjugal fidelity in merit; the goods of marriage are human goods, but consecrated virginity is angelic. But marriage is not to be disparaged by consecrated virgins. In demeaning it, the manichees misinterpret I Cor. 7, and Jovinian is condemned for equating marriage with it. Third, the nature of the reward in heaven is outlined. The second main topic of the treatise is the importance of humility. Scriptural models are proposed—the centurion, the Canaanite woman, the tax collector, and finally Christ himself.
