Kevin Madigan
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195322743
- eISBN:
- 9780199785407
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195322743.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
Theologians have always struggled to understand how humanity and divinity coexisted in the person of Christ. Proponents of the Arian heresy, which held that Jesus could not have been fully divine, ...
More
Theologians have always struggled to understand how humanity and divinity coexisted in the person of Christ. Proponents of the Arian heresy, which held that Jesus could not have been fully divine, found significant scriptural evidence of their position. The defenders of orthodoxy, such as Hilary of Poitiers, Ambrose of Milan, Jerome, and Augustine, believed that these biblical passages could be reconciled with Christ's divinity. Medieval theologians such as Peter Lombard, Thomas Aquinas, and Bonaventure, also grappled with these texts when confronting the rising threat of Arian heresy. They too faced the need to preserve Jesus' authentic humanity and to describe a mode of experiencing the passions that cast no doubt upon the perfect divinity of the Incarnate Word. However, they also confronted an additional obstacle. The medieval theologians had inherited from the Greek and Latin fathers a body of opinion on the passages in question, which by this time had achieved normative cultural status in the Christian tradition. However, the Greek and Latin fathers wrote in a polemical situation, responding to the threat to orthodoxy posed by the Arians. As a consequence, they sometimes found themselves driven to extreme and sometimes contradictory statements. These statements seemed to their medieval successors either to compromise the true divinity of Christ, his true humanity, or the possibility that the divine and human were in communication with or metaphysically linked to one another. As a result, medieval theologians also needed to demonstrate how two equally authoritative but apparently contradictory statements could be reconciled. This book examines the arguments that resulted from these dual pressures and finds that, under the guise of unchanging assimilation and transmission of a unanimous tradition, there were in fact many fissures and discontinuities between the two bodies of thought, ancient and medieval. Rather than organic change or development, the book finds radical change, trial, novelty, and even heterodoxy.Less
Theologians have always struggled to understand how humanity and divinity coexisted in the person of Christ. Proponents of the Arian heresy, which held that Jesus could not have been fully divine, found significant scriptural evidence of their position. The defenders of orthodoxy, such as Hilary of Poitiers, Ambrose of Milan, Jerome, and Augustine, believed that these biblical passages could be reconciled with Christ's divinity. Medieval theologians such as Peter Lombard, Thomas Aquinas, and Bonaventure, also grappled with these texts when confronting the rising threat of Arian heresy. They too faced the need to preserve Jesus' authentic humanity and to describe a mode of experiencing the passions that cast no doubt upon the perfect divinity of the Incarnate Word. However, they also confronted an additional obstacle. The medieval theologians had inherited from the Greek and Latin fathers a body of opinion on the passages in question, which by this time had achieved normative cultural status in the Christian tradition. However, the Greek and Latin fathers wrote in a polemical situation, responding to the threat to orthodoxy posed by the Arians. As a consequence, they sometimes found themselves driven to extreme and sometimes contradictory statements. These statements seemed to their medieval successors either to compromise the true divinity of Christ, his true humanity, or the possibility that the divine and human were in communication with or metaphysically linked to one another. As a result, medieval theologians also needed to demonstrate how two equally authoritative but apparently contradictory statements could be reconciled. This book examines the arguments that resulted from these dual pressures and finds that, under the guise of unchanging assimilation and transmission of a unanimous tradition, there were in fact many fissures and discontinuities between the two bodies of thought, ancient and medieval. Rather than organic change or development, the book finds radical change, trial, novelty, and even heterodoxy.
Bernard Green
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199534951
- eISBN:
- 9780191715990
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199534951.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This final chapter looks back at the book's intentions and makes some conclusions. The book has attempted to explore Leo the Great's formation and achievement as a theologian. Examining his ...
More
This final chapter looks back at the book's intentions and makes some conclusions. The book has attempted to explore Leo the Great's formation and achievement as a theologian. Examining his background it has tried to illuminate his motives as a preacher and writer and the resources available to him. By looking at the society and Church he addressed, it has attempted to shed light on the effect he hoped to achieve which in turn has allowed for the assessment of what he did in fact achieve. By reading his work, the development of his ideas, his growing skill and confidence as a theologian, and the characteristic preoccupations of his thought can be traced.Less
This final chapter looks back at the book's intentions and makes some conclusions. The book has attempted to explore Leo the Great's formation and achievement as a theologian. Examining his background it has tried to illuminate his motives as a preacher and writer and the resources available to him. By looking at the society and Church he addressed, it has attempted to shed light on the effect he hoped to achieve which in turn has allowed for the assessment of what he did in fact achieve. By reading his work, the development of his ideas, his growing skill and confidence as a theologian, and the characteristic preoccupations of his thought can be traced.
Oliver D. Crisp and Michael C. Rea (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199203567
- eISBN:
- 9780191708190
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199203567.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, Philosophy of Religion
Philosophy in the English-speaking world is dominated by analytical approaches to its problems and projects; but theology has been dominated by alternative approaches. Many would say that the current ...
More
Philosophy in the English-speaking world is dominated by analytical approaches to its problems and projects; but theology has been dominated by alternative approaches. Many would say that the current state in theology is not mere historical accident, but is, rather, how things ought to be. On the other hand, many others would say precisely the opposite: that theology as a discipline has been beguiled and taken largely deleterious. The methodological divide between systematic theologians and analytic philosophers of religion is ripe for exploration. This book attempts to bring a much-needed interdisciplinary conversation about the value of analytic philosophical approaches to theological topics. Most of the chapters are sympathetic to the enterprise of analytic theology; but with an eye towards balance.Less
Philosophy in the English-speaking world is dominated by analytical approaches to its problems and projects; but theology has been dominated by alternative approaches. Many would say that the current state in theology is not mere historical accident, but is, rather, how things ought to be. On the other hand, many others would say precisely the opposite: that theology as a discipline has been beguiled and taken largely deleterious. The methodological divide between systematic theologians and analytic philosophers of religion is ripe for exploration. This book attempts to bring a much-needed interdisciplinary conversation about the value of analytic philosophical approaches to theological topics. Most of the chapters are sympathetic to the enterprise of analytic theology; but with an eye towards balance.
Brian Davies
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198267539
- eISBN:
- 9780191600500
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198267533.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
The aim of this book is to give a general and introductory overview of the teaching and thought of Thomas Aquinas (1224–26 to 1274), a Dominican friar, and one of the greatest Western philosophers, ...
More
The aim of this book is to give a general and introductory overview of the teaching and thought of Thomas Aquinas (1224–26 to 1274), a Dominican friar, and one of the greatest Western philosophers, and Christian theologians. Books on Aquinas invariably deal either with his philosophy or his theology; Aquinas himself, however, made no such arbitrary division, and this book allows him to be seen as a whole, in introducing almost the full range of his thinking, and relating this to writers both earlier and later. The author points out that all Aquinas’ major conclusions can be found in his first important work – Commentary on the Sentences, and that he did not change his mind radically throughout his writings, although some emphases shifted. Nevertheless, in this book, Aquinas’ thinkings are followed broadly in accordance with the scheme he provides in Summa Theologiae, which is considered to be his greatest achievement and is the best‐known synthesis of his thinking. Ways in which the thinking in Summa Theologiae differs from his thinking presented elsewhere are noted, and some of the treatment is selective (for example politics and aesthetics are not dealt with directly). Discussion is also omitted of Aquinas’ contribution to thirteenth‐century debates on the legitimacy and running of certain religious orders in the Catholic Church, which is now merely of historical interest.Less
The aim of this book is to give a general and introductory overview of the teaching and thought of Thomas Aquinas (1224–26 to 1274), a Dominican friar, and one of the greatest Western philosophers, and Christian theologians. Books on Aquinas invariably deal either with his philosophy or his theology; Aquinas himself, however, made no such arbitrary division, and this book allows him to be seen as a whole, in introducing almost the full range of his thinking, and relating this to writers both earlier and later. The author points out that all Aquinas’ major conclusions can be found in his first important work – Commentary on the Sentences, and that he did not change his mind radically throughout his writings, although some emphases shifted. Nevertheless, in this book, Aquinas’ thinkings are followed broadly in accordance with the scheme he provides in Summa Theologiae, which is considered to be his greatest achievement and is the best‐known synthesis of his thinking. Ways in which the thinking in Summa Theologiae differs from his thinking presented elsewhere are noted, and some of the treatment is selective (for example politics and aesthetics are not dealt with directly). Discussion is also omitted of Aquinas’ contribution to thirteenth‐century debates on the legitimacy and running of certain religious orders in the Catholic Church, which is now merely of historical interest.
Roman Cholij
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199566976
- eISBN:
- 9780191701993
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199566976.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This is the first modern study in English of the life and thought of the ninth-century Byzantine theologian and monastic reformer, Theodore the Stoudite. The book provides a guide to and a complete ...
More
This is the first modern study in English of the life and thought of the ninth-century Byzantine theologian and monastic reformer, Theodore the Stoudite. The book provides a guide to and a complete analysis of all the primary source material attributed to Theodore. If the monastic leader is considered in the context of the tradition to which he belonged, it is clear that his religious formation occurred within a widely established school of Basilian and Palestinian Christian thought. This encourages a fresh engagement with the subtleties in Theodore's behaviour towards the Byzantine religious and secular leaders of his time and provokes new conclusions concerning the religious and secular issues which involved Theodore in controversy. The book refutes the established view of Theodore as a breaker of the traditional Byzantine church and state relationship, and provides new insights into Theodore's true understanding of the involvement of the Emperor in church affairs. In this analysis of the rites of holiness that belonged to Theodore's church, the book identifies a false tradition of sacramental mysteries in a misreading of Pseudo-Dionysios the Areopagite and so offers a new definition of the origins of the Orthodox sacramental tradition.Less
This is the first modern study in English of the life and thought of the ninth-century Byzantine theologian and monastic reformer, Theodore the Stoudite. The book provides a guide to and a complete analysis of all the primary source material attributed to Theodore. If the monastic leader is considered in the context of the tradition to which he belonged, it is clear that his religious formation occurred within a widely established school of Basilian and Palestinian Christian thought. This encourages a fresh engagement with the subtleties in Theodore's behaviour towards the Byzantine religious and secular leaders of his time and provokes new conclusions concerning the religious and secular issues which involved Theodore in controversy. The book refutes the established view of Theodore as a breaker of the traditional Byzantine church and state relationship, and provides new insights into Theodore's true understanding of the involvement of the Emperor in church affairs. In this analysis of the rites of holiness that belonged to Theodore's church, the book identifies a false tradition of sacramental mysteries in a misreading of Pseudo-Dionysios the Areopagite and so offers a new definition of the origins of the Orthodox sacramental tradition.
Peter Hinchliff
- Published in print:
- 1987
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198266884
- eISBN:
- 9780191683091
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198266884.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
The conventional picture of Benjamin Jowett (1817–93) is of the outstanding educator, the famous master of Balliol College, Oxford, whose pupils were extremely influential in the public life of ...
More
The conventional picture of Benjamin Jowett (1817–93) is of the outstanding educator, the famous master of Balliol College, Oxford, whose pupils were extremely influential in the public life of Britain in the second half of the 19th century. However, he is also recognized as a theologian since he contributed an essay titled ‘On the Interpretation of Scripture’ to Essays and Reviews, a collection published in 1860. The book's liberalism aroused great controversy, and it was eventually synodically condemned in 1864. It has been thought that having got into trouble over his essay, Jowett abandoned theology and became a purely secular figure. This book attempts to identify the ideas which caused Jowett to develop his theology, the thinkers who influenced him, and how his own religious ideas evolved. It argues that, after the Essays and Reviews controversy, he deliberately chose to disseminate those ideas through the college of which he became master. It also shows how he influenced other religious thinkers and theologians of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, arguing that he was more important in the history of English theology than is usually recognized.Less
The conventional picture of Benjamin Jowett (1817–93) is of the outstanding educator, the famous master of Balliol College, Oxford, whose pupils were extremely influential in the public life of Britain in the second half of the 19th century. However, he is also recognized as a theologian since he contributed an essay titled ‘On the Interpretation of Scripture’ to Essays and Reviews, a collection published in 1860. The book's liberalism aroused great controversy, and it was eventually synodically condemned in 1864. It has been thought that having got into trouble over his essay, Jowett abandoned theology and became a purely secular figure. This book attempts to identify the ideas which caused Jowett to develop his theology, the thinkers who influenced him, and how his own religious ideas evolved. It argues that, after the Essays and Reviews controversy, he deliberately chose to disseminate those ideas through the college of which he became master. It also shows how he influenced other religious thinkers and theologians of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, arguing that he was more important in the history of English theology than is usually recognized.
Richard Sturch
- Published in print:
- 1991
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198261988
- eISBN:
- 9780191682278
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198261988.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Among the wide range of criticisms of Christological orthodoxy now current, there has appeared until now no comprehensive summary of the attacks, and, consequently, no full defence of the orthodox ...
More
Among the wide range of criticisms of Christological orthodoxy now current, there has appeared until now no comprehensive summary of the attacks, and, consequently, no full defence of the orthodox position. By filling both needs this book makes a contribution to the detailed and controversial discussion of incarnational Christology. The structure of the book falls into three parts. In the first, the author presents a complete overview of current objections and of the reasons that have led many theologians to believe that traditional Christology needs drastic revision, or rests on a mistake. The second part seeks to analyse orthodox doctrine and the requirements of an accurate Christology. It concludes that the link between God and Man in Christ must reside in some common element, but that this would entail denying His humanity unless the element were some kind of ‘central self’. The third part considers the objections to traditional orthodoxy raised in the first, and argues persuasively that, in the light of the analysis in the second part, they are either unfounded or misdirected.Less
Among the wide range of criticisms of Christological orthodoxy now current, there has appeared until now no comprehensive summary of the attacks, and, consequently, no full defence of the orthodox position. By filling both needs this book makes a contribution to the detailed and controversial discussion of incarnational Christology. The structure of the book falls into three parts. In the first, the author presents a complete overview of current objections and of the reasons that have led many theologians to believe that traditional Christology needs drastic revision, or rests on a mistake. The second part seeks to analyse orthodox doctrine and the requirements of an accurate Christology. It concludes that the link between God and Man in Christ must reside in some common element, but that this would entail denying His humanity unless the element were some kind of ‘central self’. The third part considers the objections to traditional orthodoxy raised in the first, and argues persuasively that, in the light of the analysis in the second part, they are either unfounded or misdirected.
Richard Lennan
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198269557
- eISBN:
- 9780191683695
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198269557.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
In the years since the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has struggled to renew its self-understanding and revise its relationship to the world. This book examines the contribution made to ...
More
In the years since the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has struggled to renew its self-understanding and revise its relationship to the world. This book examines the contribution made to those debates by Karl Rahner (1904–84), one of the foremost Catholic theologians of this century. The book situates Rahner’s ecclesiology in the context of his whole theology, focusing in particular on the evolution of his thought over a fifty-year period. The book shows how Rahner’s approach to the Church was radicalised by his awareness of the rate of social change in the 20th century. Faithful to the Church’s tradition, Rahner was nonetheless convinced of the Church’s need to reform its structures and clarify its doctrines in order to respond to a pluralist society. Rahner’s vision of the future centred on a church committed both to preservation of its heritage and an openness to change.Less
In the years since the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has struggled to renew its self-understanding and revise its relationship to the world. This book examines the contribution made to those debates by Karl Rahner (1904–84), one of the foremost Catholic theologians of this century. The book situates Rahner’s ecclesiology in the context of his whole theology, focusing in particular on the evolution of his thought over a fifty-year period. The book shows how Rahner’s approach to the Church was radicalised by his awareness of the rate of social change in the 20th century. Faithful to the Church’s tradition, Rahner was nonetheless convinced of the Church’s need to reform its structures and clarify its doctrines in order to respond to a pluralist society. Rahner’s vision of the future centred on a church committed both to preservation of its heritage and an openness to change.
Thomas R. Nevin
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195307214
- eISBN:
- 9780199785032
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195307216.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This chapter focuses on Thérèse's stature as a theologian. Thérèse of Lisieux became a doctor of the church in the centenary year of her death, 1997. She stands with only two other women in this ...
More
This chapter focuses on Thérèse's stature as a theologian. Thérèse of Lisieux became a doctor of the church in the centenary year of her death, 1997. She stands with only two other women in this position: Teresa of Avila, so declared in 1970 with Catherine of Siena. The criteria for this exalting appointment center upon writings that reflect profound learning and deep sanctity so as to instruct the faithful in future generations. Thérèse did not just much teach Christian doctrine she embodied Christian life. She was not a souffleur of Christianity but someone who loved Christ and could see Christ in others. She could do so only in her weakness and littleness and that is what so oddly and surely proclaims her magnificence.Less
This chapter focuses on Thérèse's stature as a theologian. Thérèse of Lisieux became a doctor of the church in the centenary year of her death, 1997. She stands with only two other women in this position: Teresa of Avila, so declared in 1970 with Catherine of Siena. The criteria for this exalting appointment center upon writings that reflect profound learning and deep sanctity so as to instruct the faithful in future generations. Thérèse did not just much teach Christian doctrine she embodied Christian life. She was not a souffleur of Christianity but someone who loved Christ and could see Christ in others. She could do so only in her weakness and littleness and that is what so oddly and surely proclaims her magnificence.
Robert J. Daly
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195178067
- eISBN:
- 9780199784905
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195178068.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This chapter explores the discrepancy between sound eucharistic theology and the eucharistic theology of several official documents of the Roman Catholic magisterium. Historical research suggests ...
More
This chapter explores the discrepancy between sound eucharistic theology and the eucharistic theology of several official documents of the Roman Catholic magisterium. Historical research suggests that Robert Bellarmine is one of the “messengers”, if indeed not one of the “villains”, of this story. It is argued that the embarrassing dichotomy between the teaching of the contemporary official Roman magisterium and that of most contemporary liturgical theologians is due to the magisterium's continued acceptance of some of the shortcomings of post-Tridentine Catholic eucharistic theology. If there is to be progress towards a more broadly shared Catholic understanding of the Eucharist, the Roman magisterium must become less attached to explanations of the Mystery of Faith that are less than satisfactory.Less
This chapter explores the discrepancy between sound eucharistic theology and the eucharistic theology of several official documents of the Roman Catholic magisterium. Historical research suggests that Robert Bellarmine is one of the “messengers”, if indeed not one of the “villains”, of this story. It is argued that the embarrassing dichotomy between the teaching of the contemporary official Roman magisterium and that of most contemporary liturgical theologians is due to the magisterium's continued acceptance of some of the shortcomings of post-Tridentine Catholic eucharistic theology. If there is to be progress towards a more broadly shared Catholic understanding of the Eucharist, the Roman magisterium must become less attached to explanations of the Mystery of Faith that are less than satisfactory.
Michael L. Morgan
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195148626
- eISBN:
- 9780199870011
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195148622.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Auschwitz is the center of the twentieth century, its dark core, yet, in the postwar years in America few intellectuals dared to come to grips with the horror and the suffering. Jewish theologians ...
More
Auschwitz is the center of the twentieth century, its dark core, yet, in the postwar years in America few intellectuals dared to come to grips with the horror and the suffering. Jewish theologians too were slow to respond until, in the turbulent years of the sixties and beyond, a small number of Jewish thinkers came to realize that the survival of Judaism and continued Jewish life require first and foremost confronting Auschwitz; looking into the abyss had become unavoidable. In this book, Michael Morgan tells the story of these theologians, and offers the first comprehensive overview of post‐Holocaust Jewish theology. He gives an account of the encounter with the death camps in the postwar writings of figures such as Hannah Arendt, Elie Wiesel, and Primo Levi and describes the role of the Six Day War in 1967 on the development and reception of post‐Holocaust Jewish thought. In chapters on each of the central thinkers (Richard Rubinstein, Eliezer Berkovits, Irving Greenberg, Arthur Cohen, and Emil Fackenheim), he analyzes the way they have struggled with the dialectic of history and identity, and with the threat of radical rupture. Throughout the book, the intellectual developments are set in their historical context and there are chapters on the reception of post‐Holocaust Jewish thought and its legacy for today. This is a book of philosophical and theological analysis as well as a work of intellectual history and will interest a wide spectrum of readers.Less
Auschwitz is the center of the twentieth century, its dark core, yet, in the postwar years in America few intellectuals dared to come to grips with the horror and the suffering. Jewish theologians too were slow to respond until, in the turbulent years of the sixties and beyond, a small number of Jewish thinkers came to realize that the survival of Judaism and continued Jewish life require first and foremost confronting Auschwitz; looking into the abyss had become unavoidable. In this book, Michael Morgan tells the story of these theologians, and offers the first comprehensive overview of post‐Holocaust Jewish theology. He gives an account of the encounter with the death camps in the postwar writings of figures such as Hannah Arendt, Elie Wiesel, and Primo Levi and describes the role of the Six Day War in 1967 on the development and reception of post‐Holocaust Jewish thought. In chapters on each of the central thinkers (Richard Rubinstein, Eliezer Berkovits, Irving Greenberg, Arthur Cohen, and Emil Fackenheim), he analyzes the way they have struggled with the dialectic of history and identity, and with the threat of radical rupture. Throughout the book, the intellectual developments are set in their historical context and there are chapters on the reception of post‐Holocaust Jewish thought and its legacy for today. This is a book of philosophical and theological analysis as well as a work of intellectual history and will interest a wide spectrum of readers.
Michael L. Morgan
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195148626
- eISBN:
- 9780199870011
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195148622.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This brief introduction discusses the importance of understanding what the American Jewish response – and more importantly, the American Jewish theologians’ response – to the Holocaust has been, and ...
More
This brief introduction discusses the importance of understanding what the American Jewish response – and more importantly, the American Jewish theologians’ response – to the Holocaust has been, and what it has taught Jews about their approach to the past and the future. The author has approached this by an examination of the writings of five thinkers (Richard Rubinstein, Eliezer Berkovits, Irving Greenberg, Arthur Cohen, and Emil Fackenheim), each of whom in the 1960s and 1970s began to treat the Holocaust as a central and determining feature in his Jewish thinking. Each conceived of his theological task as understanding Judaism in terms of an act of coming to grips with Auschwitz, yet each has been influential in different ways, and for different constituencies. A brief summary is given of the writings of each of the five, and of some of the thoughts and conclusions raised. The introduction ends with an outline of the book.Less
This brief introduction discusses the importance of understanding what the American Jewish response – and more importantly, the American Jewish theologians’ response – to the Holocaust has been, and what it has taught Jews about their approach to the past and the future. The author has approached this by an examination of the writings of five thinkers (Richard Rubinstein, Eliezer Berkovits, Irving Greenberg, Arthur Cohen, and Emil Fackenheim), each of whom in the 1960s and 1970s began to treat the Holocaust as a central and determining feature in his Jewish thinking. Each conceived of his theological task as understanding Judaism in terms of an act of coming to grips with Auschwitz, yet each has been influential in different ways, and for different constituencies. A brief summary is given of the writings of each of the five, and of some of the thoughts and conclusions raised. The introduction ends with an outline of the book.
Michael L. Morgan
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195148626
- eISBN:
- 9780199870011
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195148622.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter covers the writings and interchanges of various Jewish theologians who wrote in America in the late 1940s, the 1950s, and the 1960s, who included existentialists, and Reform Jewish ...
More
This chapter covers the writings and interchanges of various Jewish theologians who wrote in America in the late 1940s, the 1950s, and the 1960s, who included existentialists, and Reform Jewish theologians. These writers include Emil Fackenheim, Will Herberg, Martin Buber, Franz Rosenzweig, Eugene Borowitz, Bernhard Heller, Jakob Petuchowski, Arthur Cohen, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Joseph Soloveitchik, Lou Silberman, Bernard Martin, Eliezer Berkovits, Richard Rubinstein, and many others. The chapter also covers the debates in various journals as well as ideas put forward in more substantial publications (essays, books, etc.).Less
This chapter covers the writings and interchanges of various Jewish theologians who wrote in America in the late 1940s, the 1950s, and the 1960s, who included existentialists, and Reform Jewish theologians. These writers include Emil Fackenheim, Will Herberg, Martin Buber, Franz Rosenzweig, Eugene Borowitz, Bernhard Heller, Jakob Petuchowski, Arthur Cohen, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Joseph Soloveitchik, Lou Silberman, Bernard Martin, Eliezer Berkovits, Richard Rubinstein, and many others. The chapter also covers the debates in various journals as well as ideas put forward in more substantial publications (essays, books, etc.).
Michael S. Kogan
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195112597
- eISBN:
- 9780199872275
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195112597.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter addresses the question: how far can Jews and Christians go in affirming the faith of the other? It presents a reassessment of Christianity by modern Jewish theologians: Franz Rosenzweig, ...
More
This chapter addresses the question: how far can Jews and Christians go in affirming the faith of the other? It presents a reassessment of Christianity by modern Jewish theologians: Franz Rosenzweig, Martin Buber, and Abraham Joshua Heschel. It then presents a reassessment of Judaism by three modern Christian theologians: Paul van Buren, A. Roy Echardt, and Clark M. Williamson. It argues that the dialogue does not and should not ask either faith tradition to give up any of its positive doctrines. What each must be willing to do is to reevaluate negative convictions. In altering the views of the other Judaism and Christianity should be recognised as having crucial roles to play in sacred history.Less
This chapter addresses the question: how far can Jews and Christians go in affirming the faith of the other? It presents a reassessment of Christianity by modern Jewish theologians: Franz Rosenzweig, Martin Buber, and Abraham Joshua Heschel. It then presents a reassessment of Judaism by three modern Christian theologians: Paul van Buren, A. Roy Echardt, and Clark M. Williamson. It argues that the dialogue does not and should not ask either faith tradition to give up any of its positive doctrines. What each must be willing to do is to reevaluate negative convictions. In altering the views of the other Judaism and Christianity should be recognised as having crucial roles to play in sacred history.
Michael S. Kogan
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195112597
- eISBN:
- 9780199872275
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195112597.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter assesses the opinions of two contemporary theologians regarding the Jewish-Christian dialogue. These are Rabbi Irving Greenberg and Reverend John Pawlikowski. It is argued that ...
More
This chapter assesses the opinions of two contemporary theologians regarding the Jewish-Christian dialogue. These are Rabbi Irving Greenberg and Reverend John Pawlikowski. It is argued that Greenberg's argument that Jesus is a “failed Messiah” is inaccurate and a nonstarter. It wrongly assumes the existence of one standard Jewish conception of “Messiah” at the time of Jesus; it also wrongly assumes that if God sent Jesus, it must have been his mission to effect the immediate consummation of the eschatological hopes of Israel. Pawlikowski, on the other hand, sought a Jewish theological reevaluation of Christianity that would encourage Christian theologians to develop new positive theologies of Judaism. He also expressed hope that Jewish religious thinkers might find a way to allow Judaism to open itself to enrichment by the life and teachings of Jesus and from the Christian tradition.Less
This chapter assesses the opinions of two contemporary theologians regarding the Jewish-Christian dialogue. These are Rabbi Irving Greenberg and Reverend John Pawlikowski. It is argued that Greenberg's argument that Jesus is a “failed Messiah” is inaccurate and a nonstarter. It wrongly assumes the existence of one standard Jewish conception of “Messiah” at the time of Jesus; it also wrongly assumes that if God sent Jesus, it must have been his mission to effect the immediate consummation of the eschatological hopes of Israel. Pawlikowski, on the other hand, sought a Jewish theological reevaluation of Christianity that would encourage Christian theologians to develop new positive theologies of Judaism. He also expressed hope that Jewish religious thinkers might find a way to allow Judaism to open itself to enrichment by the life and teachings of Jesus and from the Christian tradition.
Michael S. Kogan
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195112597
- eISBN:
- 9780199872275
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195112597.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter explores the shift in Jewish and Christian theologians' views on Christianity and Judaism, respectively. In 2000, a group of Jewish religious thinkers produced a comprehensive statement ...
More
This chapter explores the shift in Jewish and Christian theologians' views on Christianity and Judaism, respectively. In 2000, a group of Jewish religious thinkers produced a comprehensive statement expressing a Jewish view of the Christian faith. Presented as a “thoughtful Jewish response” to the dramatic shift in Christian attitudes toward Jews and Judaism, the statement “Dabru Emet” (Speak the Truth) listed a series of eight points: 1) Jews and Christians worship the same God; 2) Jews and Christians seek authority from the same book — the Bible; 3) Christians can respect the claim of the Jewish people on the land of Israel; 4) Jews and Christians respect the moral principles of the Torah; 5) Nazism was not a Christian phenomenon; 6) The differences between Jews and Christians will not be settled until God redeems the entire world; 7) A new relationship between Jews and Christians will not weaken Jewish practice; 8) Jews and Christians must work together for justice and peace. In September 2002, in response to “Dabru Emet”, the Christian Scholars Group on Christian-Jewish Relations issued its ten-point statement: “A Sacred Obligation: Rethinking Christian Faith in Relation to Judaism and the Jewish People”.Less
This chapter explores the shift in Jewish and Christian theologians' views on Christianity and Judaism, respectively. In 2000, a group of Jewish religious thinkers produced a comprehensive statement expressing a Jewish view of the Christian faith. Presented as a “thoughtful Jewish response” to the dramatic shift in Christian attitudes toward Jews and Judaism, the statement “Dabru Emet” (Speak the Truth) listed a series of eight points: 1) Jews and Christians worship the same God; 2) Jews and Christians seek authority from the same book — the Bible; 3) Christians can respect the claim of the Jewish people on the land of Israel; 4) Jews and Christians respect the moral principles of the Torah; 5) Nazism was not a Christian phenomenon; 6) The differences between Jews and Christians will not be settled until God redeems the entire world; 7) A new relationship between Jews and Christians will not weaken Jewish practice; 8) Jews and Christians must work together for justice and peace. In September 2002, in response to “Dabru Emet”, the Christian Scholars Group on Christian-Jewish Relations issued its ten-point statement: “A Sacred Obligation: Rethinking Christian Faith in Relation to Judaism and the Jewish People”.
Morwenna Ludlow
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199280766
- eISBN:
- 9780191712906
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199280766.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter focuses on two theologians who are especially reliant on the Cappadocians as sources, albeit in different ways. John Zizioulas places little emphasis on Gregory of Nyssa in particular, ...
More
This chapter focuses on two theologians who are especially reliant on the Cappadocians as sources, albeit in different ways. John Zizioulas places little emphasis on Gregory of Nyssa in particular, but this is perhaps significant in itself. His interpretation of early Eastern trinitarian theology, with its great stress on the revolutionary achievement of the Cappadocians, has had enormous influence on recent modern Anglo-American readings of their writings. David Brown provides one of the most detailed recent studies specifically of Gregory of Nyssa. His study has become a benchmark for a particular sort of appraisal of Trinitarian theology, in which the analytic study of sources plays a major part in the search for a coherent and cogent doctrine.Less
This chapter focuses on two theologians who are especially reliant on the Cappadocians as sources, albeit in different ways. John Zizioulas places little emphasis on Gregory of Nyssa in particular, but this is perhaps significant in itself. His interpretation of early Eastern trinitarian theology, with its great stress on the revolutionary achievement of the Cappadocians, has had enormous influence on recent modern Anglo-American readings of their writings. David Brown provides one of the most detailed recent studies specifically of Gregory of Nyssa. His study has become a benchmark for a particular sort of appraisal of Trinitarian theology, in which the analytic study of sources plays a major part in the search for a coherent and cogent doctrine.
Morwenna Ludlow
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199280766
- eISBN:
- 9780191712906
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199280766.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
Gregory of Nyssa treated the subjects of Christology, soteriology, eschatology, ethics, and spirituality (or mysticism) as one. From the foundational fact of Christ's incarnation arises his ...
More
Gregory of Nyssa treated the subjects of Christology, soteriology, eschatology, ethics, and spirituality (or mysticism) as one. From the foundational fact of Christ's incarnation arises his understanding of salvation; this salvation then has to be seen through the twin lenses of its consequences for our practical daily life — particularly our relations with our neighbours (ethics) and with God (spirituality) — and of its eschatological consequences. This chapter explores how Gregory's Christology has been seen as fitting into the history of Christian doctrine, which has a profound effect on how it is still read. It contends that with the exception of some Catholic theologians who have responded positively to the general idea of ‘an ontological unity of all humanity in Christ’, the attitude of systematic theologians to Gregory's Christology has been generally dismissive.Less
Gregory of Nyssa treated the subjects of Christology, soteriology, eschatology, ethics, and spirituality (or mysticism) as one. From the foundational fact of Christ's incarnation arises his understanding of salvation; this salvation then has to be seen through the twin lenses of its consequences for our practical daily life — particularly our relations with our neighbours (ethics) and with God (spirituality) — and of its eschatological consequences. This chapter explores how Gregory's Christology has been seen as fitting into the history of Christian doctrine, which has a profound effect on how it is still read. It contends that with the exception of some Catholic theologians who have responded positively to the general idea of ‘an ontological unity of all humanity in Christ’, the attitude of systematic theologians to Gregory's Christology has been generally dismissive.
Gerald R. McDermott
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195373431
- eISBN:
- 9780199871681
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195373431.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This introductory chapter descibes how the editor of this book came to be interested in the subject of Jonathan Edwards. It explains the interest Edwards has held for so many theologians and talks ...
More
This introductory chapter descibes how the editor of this book came to be interested in the subject of Jonathan Edwards. It explains the interest Edwards has held for so many theologians and talks about how admiration of Edwards is not universal in the theological world. There is much debate. The chapter goes on to mention the book's unique approach to discussing Edwards, with contributions from both Edwards scholars and non-Edwards scholars, and finally outlines the chapters that follow.Less
This introductory chapter descibes how the editor of this book came to be interested in the subject of Jonathan Edwards. It explains the interest Edwards has held for so many theologians and talks about how admiration of Edwards is not universal in the theological world. There is much debate. The chapter goes on to mention the book's unique approach to discussing Edwards, with contributions from both Edwards scholars and non-Edwards scholars, and finally outlines the chapters that follow.
Alison Kennedy
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199215300
- eISBN:
- 9780191706929
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199215300.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This chapter examines Priestley's different perspectives as a historian. The discussion is divided into three parts: the first is concerned with Joseph Priestley the historian, the second with ...
More
This chapter examines Priestley's different perspectives as a historian. The discussion is divided into three parts: the first is concerned with Joseph Priestley the historian, the second with Priestley the theologian as historian and Biblical critic, and the third with the importance of his legacy in this latter respect. A brief comparison is made between Priestley's approach to the relationship between religion and history and that of David Hume and Edward Gibbon, two great historians of the 18th century. Two works by Priestley are analyzed: Lectures on History and General Policy, delivered at Warrington Academy in the late 1760s and revised and finally published in 1788, which deals with his secular approach to history; and An History of the Corruptions of Christianity, published six years earlier, in 1782. The latter reveals a different approach to historical understanding within a theological context.Less
This chapter examines Priestley's different perspectives as a historian. The discussion is divided into three parts: the first is concerned with Joseph Priestley the historian, the second with Priestley the theologian as historian and Biblical critic, and the third with the importance of his legacy in this latter respect. A brief comparison is made between Priestley's approach to the relationship between religion and history and that of David Hume and Edward Gibbon, two great historians of the 18th century. Two works by Priestley are analyzed: Lectures on History and General Policy, delivered at Warrington Academy in the late 1760s and revised and finally published in 1788, which deals with his secular approach to history; and An History of the Corruptions of Christianity, published six years earlier, in 1782. The latter reveals a different approach to historical understanding within a theological context.
