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Abstract: Six decades after his death, there is still no scholarly consensus regarding whether C.S. Lewis should be considered an important theologian of the twentieth century. This paper investigates where the belief that Lewis was not a theological writer worth taking seriously originated. Then it evaluates two approaches that have been introduced in recent scholarship, by P.H. Brazier and Alister McGrath, that seek to affirm Lewis as a modern theologian of distinction. The final and central part of this paper nuances McGrath's argument by surveying seven reasons Lewis had for not doing theology the way academics did – reasons that have often been overlooked in the relevant literature. I argue that Lewis's decision to remain 'outside the inner ring' of academic theologians was based on a set of risks he perceived were involved in doing theology professionally. In so doing, I suggest that Lewis's writings about religious topics deserve to be taken seriously by professional theologians and other readers. Besides Lewis scholarship in particular, this discussion matters for Christian theology in general because it explores what it means to be a theologian in an era of professionalisation and the conditions under which religious writers like Lewis can become theologians, both of which cast light on how we understand the nature of theology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past three decades, Alister E. McGrath's popularity has been constantly on the rise in China. More than 20 of his books have been translated into Chinese. To the Chinese intellectual mind, the most fascinating among McGrath's works are his writings on theology and science. This is not surprising due to China's ambitions to achieve scientific and technological dominance by boosting creativity. However, such a daunting task faces insurmountable difficulties due to a prevailing lack of innovation, which might contribute to the rising interest in McGrath's work on science and theology. Due to the dominant political ideology in China, theology is by and large put aside, if not marginalized. This essay suggests that the wide‐scale reception of McGrath's works by Chinese academia and churches not only opens a door for the public square to change their attitude toward Christian theology, but also challenges Chinese theology to contextualize McGrath's scientific theology on Chinese soil and to engage Chinese worldview with its pragmatic epistemology. This paper seeks to adapt McGrath's scientific theology on the topic of transhumanism, which has received increasing scholarly attention from the perspective of traditional Chinese philosophies and religions, such as Confucianism and Daoism. Unfortunately, Chinese theology has largely failed to grasp the opportunity to offer any significant constructive proposal to this interdisciplinary discussion. This paper argues that a Chinese theology of science built on a sympathetic and critical engagement with McGrath's scientific theology has a rich potential to dialogue with modern sciences and traditional Chinese philosophies and religions on transhumanism. Such constructive theology not only serves as a conversation partner, but also provides a theological critique to the prevalent scientism and humanism in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: While Boethius's definition of the person, 'an individual substance of a rational nature', plays a significant role in Christian theology and anthropology, its reception is by no means uncritical. In the last hundred years, virtually every element in it has been critiqued by theologians and secular scholars. Nevertheless, its context suggests that his understanding of the person is potentially far richer than supposed. This paper places Boethius's definition of the person in its historical framework and in the context of his own thought, especially Contra Eutyches and Consolation of Philosophy, in order to demonstrate that despite shortcomings, it represents a dynamic and holistic characterisation of the person. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper works from the ITC document, Synodality in the Life and Mission of the Church (2018), to outline four essential components of an emergent theology of synodality: the claim that synodality is constitutive of the Church, an ecclesiology of communion, the ecclesial title People of God, and the sensus fidei. The paper then critically assesses the interplay of these four elements in the ITC document, along with the Vademecum and the Preparatory Document which were disseminated with the beginning of the synodal process itself (2021). Certain issues from this interplay, it is argued, require further reflection as this emergent theology develops: the theological weight of consensus, the degree to which belonging to the Church is (or is not) essentially discursive in character, how the sensus fidei seems to imply that the practice of the faith is an integral element of meaningful synodal participation by Catholics, and indeed, finally, the participation of those who do not bear the name of Christian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores Dietrich Bonhoeffer's concept of "the nonreligious interpretation of biblical terms in a world come of age," best known from his Letters and Papers from Prison (LPP). As a case study of its possibilities, we will survey South African thinkers who have explored the concept in rapidly changing contexts. Our leading question is whether academic theology can develop a teleological narrative for a nation that has "come of age." When a nation or culture becomes so secular that it "outgrows" a traditional use of biblical terms, can those terms be reinterpreted to provide a teleological narrative for the nation? Bonhoeffer can be a resource for academic theologians to address issues in public theology, especially the suffering and oppression of communities still in pain despite a democratic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the goals of consensus‐based decision‐making (CBDM) and the academic theological classroom are quite distinct (most notably that in the classroom, there is no need to come to a group decision), both share the aim of honoring all voices and perspectives and ensuring that marginalized voices and experiences are elevated. It is an important tool for all to consider, particularly due to its benefits for students from different cultural backgrounds who may experience various forms of systemic inequality. This paper considers the strengths as well as limitations of CBDM‐related practices for facilitating conversation in a theological studies classroom, with specific emphasis on the speakers' list—a common CBDM tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analytic theology is often described as something like the application of analytic philosophy's tools to theological studies, but what this means can be unclear. In this paper, I offer a primer on analytic theology which clarifies this common description of the field. Particularly, following Sarah Coakley, I sketch an account of analytic theology on which it consists of a relation of familial resemblance. That is, analytic theologians are those who investigate theological loci in ways akin to those seen in contemporary analytic philosophy. In so doing, I also briefly describe how analytic theology is conceptually distinct from both philosophical theology and analytic philosophy of religion. I then provide a threefold typology for understanding analytic theology's literary landscape whereby its practitioners can generally be understood to produce works which are either philosophically‐inclined, theologically‐inclined, or mixed in their inclination. Finally, I offer a brief survey of new frontiers being explored by analytic theologians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the framework and pluriversalist vision of decoloniality, this article offers a conceptual mapping of theoretical debates and trends in recent discourse on the decolonization of theology in the Southern African context with a view to outlining key missiological implications of such debates. It posits a view of African decolonial theology as the foregrounding of local, indigenous, contextual knowledge in discourse and as the praxis of faith rooted in contextual analysis of historical realities. This contribution articulates the notion of "mission from the margins," derived from Together towards Life, as a decolonial mode of mission that gestures toward an epistemological shift in missional thinking. An initial version of this paper was presented at the seminar on decolonization organized by the World Council of Churches' Commission on World Mission and Evangelism that was held in Lisbon, Portugal, in June 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reconceives of secularization as a gradual process of increasing interaction between the (social) scientific and spiritual realms by examining the influence of Christian ideas of group confession on lay psychotherapeutic groups in Britain, Canada, and the U.S. in the early twentieth century. This article focuses on three religious group leaders of the interwar period: Frank Buchman (1878–1961), Gerald Heard (1889–1971), and Henry Burton Sharman (1865–1953). Influenced by Natural Theology and the holiness movement, they placed sin and its redemption within the world, reconceiving it as psychological individualism and its redemption as self-sacrifice to the group. This reconception endorsed the moral power of groups and influenced Alcoholics Anonymous and various groups within the Human Potential Movement. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over 700 years scholastic theologians of varying degrees of allegiance to the text(s) of Thomas Aquinas have discoursed on the mystery of Christ's being (esse): Did Christ have one or two acts of existence? Yet despite this frequent and recurring quaestio, nevertheless only a handful of scholastic commentators pause to note that this is not simply a debate between rival scholastic 'schools' in regard to a theological mystery, but that in fact there is an inconsistency within the Angelic doctor's own texts. And while in more recent scholarship this discrepancy has not only been noticed but explicated in various ways, nevertheless it is the contention of this paper that a satisfactory exposition of the meaning of esse secundarium has not yet been achieved. Consequently, I propose in this paper that esse secundarium is the created, substantial, but absolutely supernatural participation of the human nature of Jesus in the uncreated communication of the divine esse of the Word and provide a robust textual defense of this interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As "justice natives," today's undergraduate students are motivated to engage directly with the world around them in ways unseen throughout most previous generations. Interestingly, secular humanistic perspectives on changemaking are in keeping with a wide variety of biblical teachings and principles of Christian social thought. At the same time, educators and practitioners can better engage these students to lessen a disconnect that often seems to emerge between social justice causes and the modern church. This paper applies a praxis‐based approach, Kingian Theology, the Beatitudes from the gospels, elements of liberation theology, Wesley's thoughts about community engagement, and principles of both Catholic and broader Christian social thought to the modern idea of changemaking, positioning Christianity and the gospels as a liberating force for equality rather than as a colonizing or even racist‐associated oppressive ideology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nicholas of Cusa and his daringly speculative theology seem odd matches for Blaise Pascal, the constant critic of the philosophies en vogue during his life. A commonality they share is their mutual concern for the apparent disproportion between the infinite God and the finite human. In this paper, I compare and analyse the shape this question takes in Cusanus's De ludo globi and Pascal's Pensées. Both men observe a sort of 'ludic' character inherent to the pursuit of bridging finite and infinite. Cusanus's 'ball game' realises the universe and the human being's pursuit of salvation as a circular field in which the player seeks to reach the vanishing point of its centre. Pascal likewise portrays human life as a cosmic game that everyone must 'play' with their ethical decisions. Ultimately, they both come to register Christ as the agent and object of their games, the divine player who fashions finitude into infinity. I conclude by sketching a way to reconcile Pascal with natural theology based on his universal game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a longstanding argument that purports to show that divine foreknowledge is inconsistent with human freedom to do otherwise. Proponents of this argument, however, have for some time been met with the following reply: the argument posits what would have to be a mysterious non‐causal constraint on freedom. In this paper, I argue that this objection is misguided—not because after all there can indeed be non‐causal constraints on freedom (as in Pike, Fischer, and Hunt), but because the success of the incompatibilist's argument does not require the real possibility of non‐causal constraints on freedom. I contend that the incompatibilist's argument is best seen as showing that, given divine foreknowledge, something makes one unfree—and that this something is most plausibly identified, not with the foreknowledge itself, but with the causally deterministic factors that would have to be in place in order for there to be infallible foreknowledge in the first place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the intense philosophical and theological renaissance of the Russian Silver Age, the German Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa (1401–1464) received a unique appraisal in the work of Semyon Liudwigovich Frank (1877–1950), hailed by some as 'the greatest Russian philosopher'. This paper will show that five of Frank's central philosophical arguments can be traced directly to Cusa's writings. Once these key arguments are taken together with Frank's own comments about Cusa, it can be concluded that Frank saw himself as Cusa's modern successor, presenting his ideas in a different intellectual context. In this sense, we can speak of Frank as the 'Russian Cusanus'. The arguments in question include Cusa's docta ignorantia, our knowledge of being, the recognition of absolute being as 'non‐other', the identity of possibility and actuality in the absolute, and finally the coincidentia oppositorum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charles F. Mackenzie was an Anglican archdeacon in the 19th century in the newly formed Diocese of Natal. He was consecrated a missionary bishop for Central Africa in Cape Town in 1861, which was a significant development for the Anglican Church at the time. Mackenzie struggled to read the social landscape, becoming embroiled in colonial conflict. Consequently, congregants, colleagues, and historians have characterized him in markedly different ways, rendering a disputed legacy. This paper brings Mackenzie into conversation with another figure who is not without his own controversy: Martyn Percy. Applying Percy's implicit theological approach provides an important lens with which to view the social complexities, ecclesial conflicts and missional contexts which Mackenzie sought to navigate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst recent explorations in conciliar theology by Timothy Pawl and others, pressing questions about our theological readings of the councils have arisen – are we to treat the theology of the councils as unique to their historical context? Or as a unified body of 'conciliar' theology? This paper addresses these questions, using Eusebius of Caesarea as a unique example of Nicene theology. It defines the metrics for evaluating different definitions of the term 'Nicene' by distinguishing between judgements and concepts. Then, it 'measures' Eusebius' theology according to the two proposed definitions. Finally, it offers constructive comments for conciliar theology, claiming that conceptual language is clarified through the councils, even if its interpretation is not immediately fixed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper begins with two preliminary forays, the first into creation theology and its deployment in environmental ethics, and the second sketches some implications for 'integral ecology' of reading theological ethics through the lens of human freedom and autonomy. The third and main focus of the paper is an exploration of aspects of the philosophy of technology, thinking in terms of the 'technocratic paradigm' and human 'agency in context'. This analysis points to the potential for reimaging technologies for a sustainable planet and presents two examples: one new, the management of drone technologies and bird habitat; and one old, rethinking city transport though reinterpreting cycling as development at all income levels. This article is also intended as a contribution to the ongoing development of the concept of 'integral ecology' and its application: a concept that has now been added to related key principles of the common good in the Catholic social tradition: solidarity, subsidiarity, participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author of this passage suggests that hospitality is at the heart of both Christianity and politics. They draw on the writing of Martin Luther, who argues that Christians do not live in themselves but in Christ and their neighbor. This paper invites us to consider that Christian relationships should not be individualistic, as this removes them from the community and movement that Jesus established. Rather, Christians must act collectively to combat societal issues and oppression. By choosing to get involved civically, whether through elections, community organizing, or advocacy, individuals can choose to side with either self‐interest or radical hospitality. The author suggests that choosing radical hospitality is the way to live in Christ and our neighbor, and to truly demonstrate authentic love for those around us. The author is reflecting on their decision to engage in local politics after witnessing civil unrest and racial injustices in their community. They highlight the importance of public witness as a prophetic act, grounded in faith and a desire for justice. The author draws on the teachings of Martin Luther and the tradition of the Black church as inspiration for their political engagement, which they see as a way to serve their neighbors and demonstrate their love and teachings. They also acknowledge the challenges and complexities of political leadership, especially in the face of corruption and unethical practices. Overall, the author's message is one of hope and a commitment to working towards a more equitable and hospitable community for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenge of integrating best practice for teaching and learning is perennial. Within an Australian context, despite increases in student satisfaction over the decades, challenges remain concerning student classroom engagement, peer collaboration and the value and use of technology. Within my own religious and theological university environment, I have sought to address some of these challenges in the development of a Doing Theology Capstone Unit. This paper outlines the key subject information of the unit, followed by five key areas that informed the development. It is argued that by taking seriously the teaching and learning nexus, requires paying attention to these five key areas. The discussion section of this paper, therefore, explores demographics and diversity, active learning, constructive alignment, assessment and technology. These five areas are explored in relation to the developed curriculum for the Doing Theology unit. It is argued that by paying attention to these areas we can enable greater student engagement and peer‐to‐peer participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to constructively retrieve Anselm's theology of the Holy Spirit by responding to a recent criticism of his doctrine of atonement. This criticism is called the question of efficacy and focuses particularly on how Anselm holds humanity to participate in and receive the divine gift of atonement. In short, this paper argues that the Spirit's prevenient and subsequent grace allow for an individual to respond freely and in faith to Christ's work, resulting in three individually necessary and jointly sufficient conditions for union to be restored with God and human flourishing to obtain in Anselm's thinking. In order to argue this, the paper proceeds in four sections. First, it discusses the question of efficacy. Second, it discusses the Spirit's work in relation to an individual initially accepting Christ's Gift. The paper then proceeds by discussing the subsequent work of the Spirit and redemptive role of faith that are inherently tied to the initial work. The paper then concludes by analyzing alternative approaches to this question of efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The model of atonement presented in Anselm of Canterbury's Cur Deus Homo has aroused a host of worries from theologians. The gist of their criticism is that Anselm inscribes redemptive violence into theology and thus encourages passive acquiescence to abusive power structures or even licenses the violence of abusers. Some suggest that the way forward would be to jettison Anselm's account and develop alternatives that are not liable to the same abuses. This paper argues that while alternatives may be desirable, Cur Deus Homo looms so large in theological imaginations as to defy jettisoning. We should instead try to perform better readings. This paper presents a close reading of this text as a monastic meditation on mortality oriented less toward resolving a problem of systematic theology than drawing readers into a renewed experience of devotion to God. To do that, Anselm works to rewrite the meaning of human mortality, making it less about the necessity of losing one's life and more about the possibility of a gift of death. The ethical paradigm that emerges is far from a complete moral vision, but is still more alluring than the one about which Anselm's contemporary critics worry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the document of Giving the Best of Yourself by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, and presents an appreciation of the document and builds a case for sport as a practice of ascetical theology approached in terms of 'everyday holiness'. Sports are argued as bringing together discipline and joy, and aesthetics and asceticism. The importance of the mean in diverting pathologies in sport is argued. Appreciation of sports is set in contexts of holistic lifestyles for its transformational and sanctification aspects to be appreciated. Sports are presented as beneficial life‐long activity, and not simply for the young and physically advantaged. The article brings sport to theological articulation that is incarnational and christological and that leads to culturally situated implementations as applied ascetical theology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores Christianity's ambiguous relationship to capitalism by engaging Marx's notion of the fetishism of commodities as a way of rethinking Marxism's critique of religion from the standpoint of political economy. Following Etienne Balibar's distinction between the theory of ideology and Capital's theory of fetishism, I examine how the later Marx conceived of religion as socially conditioned by the society of commodity production, which takes on religious dimensions. Commodities are the basis for a concept of fetishism which commands total subjection, alienating human beings under capitalism. This critical focus also reveals Christianity in its totalizing role as a symbolic structure shaped by the inescapable logic of exchange‐value, money, and universal equivalents. Nonetheless, Christianity retains the impetus to anti‐fetishism, provided it unites with the Marxist science of critical perception. This anti‐fetishistic union focuses on the transparent and revolutionized social relations of real presence as the nonalienated reverse of fetishism's false presence. A critical apophaticism, tempered by the materialist amendments of Marika Rose and Slavoj Žižek, offers the bridge to such a union and highlights the anti‐fetishistic avenues of failure and utopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines works in two of the major streams of thought in contemporary Continental philosophy of religion and theology—theopoetics and political theology—that loosely hang together by two shared threads: philosopher‐cum‐(radical)theologian John D. Caputo and the question of how to live well with the Other. After examining each book in turn, I weave their thoughts together showing how both theopoetics and radical political theology have the same shared aim. This aim is, namely, to deconstruct harmful and outdated narratives about God that have created unjust political systems and relations with other religions, to in turn continually 'make‐true' the democracy to‐come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a new reception and revival of interest in the Pseudo‐Dionysius both in popular and academic circles, which has impacted Thomistic scholarship. Scholars roughly from the time of Vatican II have stressed the importance of Pseudo‐Dionysius to Thomistic thought, in reaction to a previous emphasis on the 'Aristotelian' and analytic aspects of Thomistic thought. Whilst this approach uncovered a largely neglected area, the converse now appears to be the case: the Dionysian influence on Thomas is disproportionately exaggerated, leading to a false identification of the two thinkers. This paper argues that whereas the negative theology of Pseudo‐Dionysius entailed the unknowability of God as the One beyond language, concept and being, Thomas developed a 'positive apophaticism' that transformed Denys in light of Augustine, Aristotle and, most importantly, Scripture itself. I first trace the roots of apophaticism showing how neo‐Platonism leads to equivocal God‐talk and why Aquinas goes further than Dionysius in his rejection of equivocity. I then show how the unknowability of God taught by Dionysius is qualified by Thomas through his teaching on the 'quidditative' knowledge in the next life and through the doctrine of analogy in the present life that makes possible the naming of God using positive 'perfection terms.' The primary perfection term is Being which, in contrast to the Dionysian God 'beyond being,' applies to God literally and pre‐eminently. This has implications for epistemology since, as Aristotle showed, knowledge and rational discourse are grounded in Being. The reason Denys' theology leads to an absolute unknowing is because He denies that God is identical with Being, whereas Aquinas' metaphysics, while denying univocal being, retains true speech about God, including logical discourse by analogy. I finally explain how in spite of believing Dionysius to be a first century apostolic convert, Thomas was able to transform his teaching because of presuppositions regarding the authority of Scripture that he interprets in light of Augustine, Aristotle and a developing understanding of a 'literal' sense that stands in contrast to the 'anagogical' hermeneutic of Dionysius. This results in an undermining of Dionysian elitism that anticipates the work of the Reformers, beginning with John Wyclif. In the contemporary context, Thomas' 'positive apophaticism' offers a powerful resource for addressing an increasingly agnostic culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper has two key aims. The first is to clarify the nature of Gödel's platonism. I offer an interpretation of Gödel's remarks on realism and intuition from which a clarified Gödelian position, called conceptual platonism, can be extracted. The second aim is to assess the philosophical merits of this theory. I defend it from charges of mysticism and theology, arguing instead that conceptual platonism is problematic for a more familiar reason. Given the familiarity of this problem, there are implications for a broad family of views in the philosophy of mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The church, sent by the missional God, participates in God's mission through both its deeds and its being. The church's witness is directly related to the unity of its believers. Racism disrupts unity in the church and can be countered only through intentional effort. This paper discusses how theological education can help to counter racism in the church. By "theological education" I refer to learning for all Christians, centred on individual and community formation. The cultivation of belonging is described as key to this formation, based on the fact that humans are created to live our lives together. Two relevant aspects of belonging are further described: our limited situational understanding as creatures and the community we foster together. The acceptance of our limited situational understanding takes a non‐foundationalist view to theology and realizes the need to broaden one's theological syllabus. As a community, it is important that relationality is fostered. Effort should be taken to recognize one's personal bias and also to understand the other on their own terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to reconsider Origen's theological system in the light of his treatise On First Principles. Was Origen a systematic thinker? If so, what kind of systematicity characterised his theology? Since the reception of the treatise was marked by theological quarrels, it is not possible to isolate its theology from the problems related to the transmission of the text. Therefore, the first part of the article tackles the text of On First Principles (I). The second part studies the structure, addressees and aim of the treatise; the paper then moves on to a discussion of the nature of Origen's systematic thinking, and an analysis of the pre‐existence of the soul to disclose the theological rationale lying behind On First Principles (II). Finally, the article outlines the theology of the treatise with a special focus on the two main features of Origen's systematic thinking: its aspiration to reach coherence and comprehensiveness. To grasp the deep consistency of Origen's thought, it is necessary to contemplate the history of salvation as a whole (III). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In May 2021, at Pentecost, a joint Pastoral letter was issued by the Catholic Bishops Conferences of England and Wales and of Scotland. This letter linked the feast day to the urgent need to care better for creation in the months leading to the G20 summit later in the summer and the COP‐26 conference in Glasgow in November of that year. This paper looks at the letter, taking some account of reactions to it, and begins to explore ways in which our theology of the Holy Spirit can inform our theology of care for the created order as a developing part of Catholic Social Teaching. Some 'footprints' of the Spirit: First, the witness of patristic theologians encourages us to see rationality pointing to order in creation as a fruit of the Spirit. Second, the picture of unity in diversity formed by the Spirit in the New Testament points to the need for cooperation in our response to the current crisis. The last footprint is urgency: in the scriptures the Spirit's activity is constantly seen as urgent, sometimes in an extreme way. This picture suits the urgency of the current crisis in relation to climate change and biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on one scientific aspect of eco‐theology, which I argue has not yet received sufficient attention either within public discussion or from theologians, namely, that of biodiversity. Given the entanglement between biodiversity loss, climate change, and poverty, understanding the biological context is significant ethically quite irrespective of the presuppositions of different philosophical approaches to eco‐theology. After beginning with a more general argument for why it is important for theologians and theological ethicists to engage with and understand different aspects of the relevant science, I will then survey scientific accounts of current biodiversity loss, including arguments for its relevance to social justice questions. I then provide an outline of the first steps towards a theological ethic on biodiversity, drawing on the insights of Pope Francis' Laudato Si' and Thomas Aquinas' understanding of the ecologically relevant virtues of practical wisdom and mercy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In September 1977, following a gathering of just under two thousand conservative North American Anglicans at St Louis, Missouri, emerged "The Affirmation of St Louis" (1977), an articulation of an Anglican vision born out of a conservative Anglo‐Catholic ecclesiology. Claiming to represent the "continuation" of orthodox Anglicanism, contrary to an alleged apostasy by the Anglican Church of Canada and the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States of America, "Continuing Anglicanism" emerged as an ecclesiology of a number of Anglican jurisdictions who exist to this day outside the Anglican Communion. This paper discusses the ecclesiology and history of this movement — notably, its foundational doctrinal articulation: "The Affirmation of St Louis." Viewed within the context of the history of Anglican theology, Continuing Anglicanism's conservative articulation is broadly but distinctly from the Anglo‐Catholic tradition. Continuing Anglicanism's claim to continuity is, therefore, accompanied with the problems of discontinuity. Viewed within the context of other Anglican bodies who have left the comprehensive boundaries of the modern Anglican Communion, the challenges of identity and unity have been persistent elements of the Continuing Anglican story since its formal inception in 1977. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a theologically‐orientated examination of some core themes of the works of the philosopher Mary Midgley (1919–2018), identifying areas of possible theological exploration and development. Particular attention is paid to her critique of the reductionist strategies of writers such as Richard Dawkins, her development of the 'mapping' metaphor for engaging complex issues, and her emphasis on the critical role of philosophy. Although the paper offers some brief examples of theological issues which are illuminated by Midgley's philosophical approach (such as soteriological mapping), the primary purpose of the paper is to highlight the theological hospitality that it offers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper asks whether there is a moral virtue of hope, and if so, what it is. The enterprise is motivated by a historical asymmetry, namely, that while Christian thinkers have long classed hope as a theological virtue, it has not traditionally been classed as a moral one. But this is puzzling, for hoping well is not confined to the sphere of religion; and consequently, we might expect that if the theological virtue is structurally sound, there will be a secular, moral analogue. This paper proposes that there is such an analogue and that it is closely linked to the everyday notion of "having your priorities straight," a phenomenon which is naturally understood in terms of the attitude of hope. It turns out that the priorities model provides an abstract way of characterizing a central but underexplored virtue, one which can be developed in secular or theological ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper continues as the second part of my study of the relationship of Fr. Lawrence Dewan OP and Etienne Gilson. My first paper explored their metaphysical differences, while this second paper explores their common commitment to Christian philosophy and to St. Thomas Aquinas' seminal work on the interrelationship of faith and reason as manifest most clearly in the interrelationship of revealed theology and philosophy. This leads us into a closer examination of Gilson's sustained treatment of this topic. However, we must acknowledge that this topic is often susceptible to unproductive philosophical and metaphysical abstraction. In order to avoid this, we depart from the standard method of treatment through an interdisciplinary appeal to the theological, philosophical, and historical implications of the bodily resurrection of Christ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper begins by exploring how Joseph Ratzinger's post‐doctoral work on the Theology of History in St Bonaventure is shaped by his interest in how theology can be grounded in salvation history. Through this lens, he examines Bonaventure's multi‐form theories of scripture and the place of St Francis in salvation history to show how prophetic interpretations of scripture are consistent with Christ as the apex of history. The paper goes on to demonstrate that these insights also influence Ratzinger's later work, particularly his reading of Dei Verbum, his recognition of the Mariological dimensions of hermeneutics, as well as his consideration of various prophetical manifestations of the life of the Church such as the monastic movement and the new ecclesial movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits Aquinas's understanding of theology as a science based on a participation in the divine scientia. Our modern presuppositions (in terms of "autonomous" reason and philosophy as a discipline utterly separate from theology) often appear to render Aquinas's claims implausible. In this contribution it is argued that (a) all sciences are fiduciary in the broad sense (with the exception of those that rely on principles per se nota) and (b) that first principles can only be accepted or rejected, but not refuted or demonstrated within the relevant discipline. From this, two conclusions can be drawn: first, despite its reliance on revelation theology's case is, therefore, not as peculiar as modern readers might initially assume: every discipline operates with key assumptions it simply accepts. Secondly, given the role of first principles, to characterise Aquinas's account of the assent of faith as fideist or voluntarist is beside the point, for you can only accept or reject first principles. The contribution ends by suggesting that assent to the articles of faith is not an extraneous acquiescence in assertions of divine authority either, as a reading of the first question of the Secunda Secundae makes clear. Indeed, the paper hints that we should not read the first question of the Prima Pars without engaging with the first questions of the Secunda Secundae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the Dominican, Robert Holcot's, Trinitarian theology is methodologically consistent with what one finds in the Franciscan theologian, William of Ockham's, Summa logicae. Both theologians, it is argued, develop a form of Trinitarian minimalism that rejects many of the developments in thirteenth‐century Trinitarian theology. Further, it is argued that the traditional two‐model approach to medieval Trinitarian theology, as found in Théodore de Regnon, Michael Schmaus, and Russell Friedman must be re‐evaluated in light of current research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on this issue of the Publisher dealing with research papers, news, and articles in field of theology.

Conflicts and wars often occur, with devastating consequences in society. Attaining reconciliation is a challenging task, especially if each side in the conflict articulates its identity in terms of victimhood through education, history, and memories. Can theology offer an adequate answer and help overcome conflicts and bring forgiveness? Each time we serve the liturgy, we are reminded to remember the future and remember Christ's ultimate forgiveness. In that sense, worship as a communal and God‐oriented event can remind us of our mission, which is participation in God's salvific work. This paper offers some theological insights as guidelines for Christians and their respective communities to pursue. Hopefully, theology will prove its ability and strength to foster reconciliation and unity in a suffering world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents some comparative themes examining the anthropologies of Bernard Lonergan, René Girard and the four noble truths in Buddhism. It also engages some specific aspects from the Tibetan lineage of Buddhism represented by Pema Chödron (Canada), following her teacher Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. The approach of the paper invokes the structure of John Thatamanil's The Immanent Divine: diagnosis, etiology, prognosis, prescription (solution) as an organizational way of presenting material on such diverse thinkers. Following an overview of these thinkers, I will highlight some of the themes such as suffering, violence, healing, compassion, and the role of affectivity in its relation to desire. It should become clear that such a practical approach to Buddhist‐Christian dialogue provides a fruitful starting point and underscores the value of learning other religious traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For Aquinas, the very meaning of perfection demands that there could be no absolute perfection that was not shared by three Persons. My first aim in this paper is to establish this point, which has been acknowledged only rarely by readers of Thomas, yet which follows unavoidably from Thomas's theology of the Word. I show as much by engaging with scholars who, rightfully attentive to Thomas's teaching on faith and reason, and to his rejection of "necessary reasons" for the Trinity, deny or fail to recognize this link between the meaning of perfection and the necessity of the Trinity. Such scholars, however, all end up running aground on claims that Thomas consistently registers. I hope to show, therefore, that new approaches to this area of Thomas's Trinitarian thought are needed: approaches that can acknowledge his presentation of perfection as necessarily Triune without violating the limits he places on natural reason. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum mechanics has recently indicated that, at the fundamental level, temporal order is not fixed. This phenomenon, termed Indefinite Causal Order, is yet to receive metaphysical or theological engagement. We examine Indefinite Causal Order, particularly as it emerges in a 2018 photonic experiment. In this experiment, two operations A and B were shown to be in a superposition with regard to their causal order. Essentially, time, intuitively understood as fixed, flowing, and fundamental, becomes fuzzy. We argue that if Indefinite Causal Order is true, this is good evidence in favor of a B‐theory of time, though such a B‐theory requires modification. We then turn to theology, suggesting that a B‐theoretic temporal ontology invites serious reconsideration of the doctrine of salvation. This paper concludes that the best explanation for salvation given a B‐theory is mind‐dependent salvific becoming, a type of psychological soteriological change that occurs through downward causation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an attempt to map out the development of Islamic and Christian feminist theologies in Indonesia within the framework of comparative feminist theology outlined by Jerusha Lamptey. As with Islamic feminist theology, Christian feminist theology in Indonesia is rooted in local thoughts and traditions, and in the larger discourses of Asian feminist theology. Though Lamptey's framework aimed to construct a I Muslima i feminist theology, her insight on the formation of a feminist theology can also be used to identify principles that bind diverse Christian and Islamic feminist theologies together. Regardless of whether the feminist theologian in question explicitly states that her/his theology is interreligious, the unique religious plurality found within Indonesia is inseparable from the feminist theologies that they constructed. [Extracted from the article]

Background: The Changsha Communiqué (2008) calls for a greater account to be taken of the ethical aspects of xenotransplantation as well as of public perception. This also applies to the field of hospital chaplaincy. So far, there has been no empirical exploration of the assessment and acceptance of xenotransplantation by pastoral workers in German‐speaking countries. In view of the prospect of clinical trials, in‐depth research is both sensible and necessary, since both xeno‐ and allotransplantation can have far‐reaching consequences for patients, their relatives, and the social environment. In addition to the tasks of health monitoring, questions of the individual handling with and integration of a xenotransplant must also be considered. They can affect one's own identity and self‐image and thus also affect religious dimensions. Hence, they make a comprehensive range of accompaniment necessary. Methods: This paper presents the first explorative results of a Dialogue Board with Christian, Jewish, and Muslim hospital chaplains. It explores pastoral challenges of xenotransplantation for the German‐speaking countries, in particular (a) self‐image and tasks of hospital pastoral care, (b) religious aspects of transplantation, and (c) religious aspects of xenotransplantation as anticipated by the hospital pastors. Results: Depending on their religious background, hospital chaplains see different pastoral challenges when xenotransplantation reaches clinical stage. In particular, the effects on the identity and religious self‐image of those affected must be taken into account. Three desiderata or recommendations for action emerged from the Dialogue Board: (a) initial, advanced and further training for hospital pastoral workers, (b) contact points for patients, and (c) interreligious cooperation and a joint statement. All participants of the Dialogue Board emphasized the chances of xenotransplantation and expressed their hope that xenogenic transplants could save patients or improve the quality of their life substantially. Conclusions: Xenotransplantation can affect the identity work of patients and relatives also in religious terms. In order to provide better pastoral and psychosocial support for these persons within the framework of the hospital, it is important to reflect on such challenges at an early stage and to develop concepts for pastoral further training and pastoral care in xenotransplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper, given at the 8th International Conference of Orthodox Theology, held in Thessaloniki, 21–25 May 2018, on the theme "The Holy and Great Synod of the Orthodox Church: Orthodox Theology in the 21st Century," reviews the preparation, organization, and convocation of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church in 2016 and makes suggestions for the next pan‐Orthodox synodal expression of the church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the first missionaries came to Africa, they described it as the Dark Continent: a continent whose people were steeped in savagery and superstition. These descriptions were unjustifiable, yet not altogether unreasonable. The Western Christian missionaries were responding to a 'difference' they could not readily comprehend. They found themselves in a context incredibly different from their own. But rather than look for answers that would help them understand their missiological context and environment, they judged all that was not European as pagan, superstitious, and primitive. However, the situation has dramatically changed, mainly as the result of the rapid social-economic and political developments that Africa is experiencing. These developments, both positive and negative, have far-reaching implications for missiology and mission. They require critical analysis and understanding, particularly for those who would be involved in mission. This paper describes some of the results of the rapid change that Africa is experiencing, results that in one way or another affect missiology and the missiological context in Africa. There is socio-economic development, yet there are still alarming levels of poverty leading to the development of other challenging situations and teachings. These include the mushrooming of prosperity gospel churches and movements, human trafficking and modern-day slavery, and information and communication technologies. Further, the paper seeks to describe how these developments enhance or hinder the involvement of African women in mission. Since mission of necessity requires an understanding and appreciation of the context of mission or the mission field, the paper suggests that relevant theological education of African women is of paramount importance if they are to be effectively involved in mission. Finally, the paper does not seek to provide answers to the challenges described. This is because mission and missiology are of necessity very context specific. Thus would-be missionaries need to understand the issues and respond to them in context-appropriate ways without compromising the integrity of the message of the gospel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The argument of this paper is that the legacy of "ecclesia semper reformanda" (churches in a continued reformation and renewal) in Africa should not only transform the theological perspective of the Lutheran communion, but also take stock of the diaconal, social, economic and political realities of its members. In other words, a theology done in Africa needs tools and methodologies that are more comprehensive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proportion of older people in the population is rapidly increasing, both nationally and globally. This demographic shift poses some pressing practical challenges for governments as they seek to provide care for an ageing population; but in addition, it raises sociocultural and theological questions about how the role and significance of older people is understood in contemporary developed economies. In response to these challenges, the present paper attempts to identify the outlines of an emerging Catholic Social Teaching on old age in the encyclicals and words of the last three popes. Two key themes are identified which inform a distinctive Catholic perspective on old age. These are the continuing pilgrimage, role and contribution of older people to the end of life on the one hand, and their challenge to the values of a 'throwaway culture' on the other. The foundational significance of these themes for an emerging Catholic witness form the basis for the concluding recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]