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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]

Background Current medical research in the area of xenotransplantation is driven by the aim to save human lives and to improve the quality of life of those suffering from organ insufficiencies. Methods This study reflects the therapeutic intent of xenotransplantation from a theological-ethical perspective. Regarding statements of Christian communities, the analysis focuses mainly on catholic documents. This study takes into account the document on Prospects for Xenotransplantation by the Pontifical Academy for Life as well as a position paper on xenotransplantation released as a collaboration between the German Bishops Conference (Catholic) and the Evangelical Church in Germany (Protestant). Documents of other Christian denominations will be discussed in a separate paper. Aspects concerning the areas of medicine, social ethics and animal ethics are considered as well as biographical, psychosocial, culture-bound and ideological preconditions of acceptability. These aspects also include consequences for the construction of personal identity. Results and Conclusion With regard to an anthropocentrism that is based theologically and relationally, xenotransplantation-in general-can be viewed as a permissible form of therapy, given that the principles of biomedical ethics will be observed and that animals are treated with respect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: This paper is based on a theological symposium presented at the International Xenotransplantation Association's 14th Congress held in Baltimore, MD, September, 2017. Methods: The information explores the Jewish, Christian and Muslim theological perceptions and perspectives about cross‐species (ie pig‐to‐human) organ transplantation, the genetic alterations required in the organ‐source pig, and their potential to influence individual acceptance of the procedure. Results/Conclusions: This work should not be considered as the ultimate word about individual theological views, but rather as part of an ongoing conversation that will hopefully lead to wider consideration and exploration of these issues as xenotransplantation science advances towards clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though interest in religious faith is growing in development studies, more needs to be done to show how faith commitments shape approaches to development. This paper models for non-specialists ways in which the content of one particular faith tradition, the Christian tradition, might be brought to bear on development theory and practice. The particular issue explored is the belief in progress implicit in development. The paper argues that belief in the capacity of human beings to effect their own progress sits uneasily with the Christian tradition. It concludes that an authentically Christian account of hope may lead to a richer Christian understanding of the good of development. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theism is often supposed to be distinguished from atheism by the heavy weight of metaphysical belief that it carries. This paper argues that this is not as illuminating a way of distinguishing the theist's from the atheist's outlook as is often supposed. The key divergence consists not so much in matters of theoretical belief or philosophical argument as in practical differences in affective response and in the adoption of certain models for living. Two characteristically religious virtues, humility and hope, and two distinctively religious responses, awe and thanksgiving, are discussed in order to illustrate this. The paper's conclusion, while not denying a cognitive core to theism, argues that warranted assent to the metaphysical truth of God's existence cannot be a precondition for theistic hermeneusis and praxis. 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mysticism has long featured in discussions among psychoanalysts and mental health practitioners, anthropologists and scholars of religion. In this paper I analyse the life and visions of a twentieth century mystic in the Catholic Mediterranean. Through this case study I seek to compare the psychoanalytic and to a lesser extent the psychiatric discussions of 'hallucinations' with the theological explanations of visions. Via a Lacanian discussion of the case of the first Maltese saint I argue that there are interesting points of convergence between the two. An adequate understanding of the cultural context within which visions are articulated as meaningful experiences is essential to our understanding and clinical treatment of people presenting symptoms associated with religious content. A psychoanalytical understanding can serve to enrich and enliven theological discussions on madness as a path to sanctity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disconnection between contemporary understandings and ancient experiences of 'religion,' 'theology,' and the 'supernatural' has plagued attempts to understand Homeric imagination for more than a century. The chasm might be measured by judgments that the theomachy of Iliad 20 and 21, for instance, must be 'bad art,' 'black comedy,' or represents a 'comic agon' imitative of Near Eastern creation stories. In other words, it is not to be taken seriously. This paper defends religious sensibilities in the Iliad. It summarizes the problems of uncovering these sensibilities with an ear toward some basic issues in hermeneutics: the difficulties posed by the poem's diachronic development, conceivably over centuries, but more importantly difficulties internal to the poem, such as fickle Muses and the world they open for us. Finally, the tools of poetic extension and catachresis help to grasp the poem's sophistication in its representations of divine violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that gender must be central to our theorisations of emergent religious geopolitics. It does so through an engagement with Butler's reflections upon secular time ( Butler J 2008 Secular politics, torture, and secular time The British Journal of Sociology 59 1-23), and the 'cultural reanimation' of Roman Catholic cultural underpinnings of French culture in the defence of the torture and maltreatment of Islamic bodies. Drawing from both the broader, tactical gender geopolitics of the Catholic Church and the embodied experiences of Catholic faithful in Latin America, the paper argues that the concept of cultural reanimation fails to capture the skilful way in which the Holy See asserts a gender theology that transcends the individual faithful body, through to the body of humanity. The ambiguous position of religious institutions in contemporary geopolitics as both cultural and political facilitates the construction of boundaries and territories that transcend and cut through the politics of the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thought experimentation is part of accepted scientific practice, and this makes it surprising that philosophers of science did not seriously engage with it for a very long time. The situation changed in the 1990s, resulting in a highly intriguing debate over thought experiments. Initially, the discussion focused mostly on thought experiments in physics, philosophy, and mathematics. Other disciplines have since become the subject of interest. Yet, nothing substantial has been said about the role of thought experiments in nonphilosophical theology. This paper discusses the role of thought experiments in Christian theology in comparison to their role in quantum physics, as mentioned by John Polkinghorne in Quantum Physics and Theology. We first look briefly at the history of the inquiry into thought experiments and then at Polkinghorne's remarks about the role of thought experimentation in quantum physics and Christian eschatology. To determine the actual importance of thought experiments in Christian theology a number of new examples are introduced in a third step. In the light of these examples, in a fourth step, we address the question of what it is that explains the cognitive efficacy of thought experiments in quantum physics and Christian theology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stephen Jay Gould's NOMA (nonoverlapping magisteria) theory was meant to be an alternative to the traditional 'conflict model' regarding the relationship between science and religion. But NOMA has been plagued with problems from the beginning. The problem most acutely felt was that of demarcating the disciplines of science and theology. This paper is an attempt to retain the insights of NOMA and the conflict model, while eliminating their shortcomings. It acknowledges with the conflict model that the conflict is real, but not necessarily a fight unto death. It agrees with the NOMA that the two are different kinds of disciplines, and it goes on to spell out the difference in some detail. They turn out to be so radically different that the two cannot be reconciled by keeping one away from the other's turf, as NOMA suggests, but may be reconciled through a fusion of horizons in the Gadamerian sense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives. To assess the claim that conceptualisations of religion and spirituality should be grounded in theology, and acknowledge the global resurgence of religion. Background. Although there is widespread agreement in the nursing literature that 'spirituality' is a broader concept than 'religion,' and should be understood generically, this approximate consensus has occasionally been challenged. A recent paper by Barbara Pesut and colleagues argues that the generic view not only empties spirituality of powerful religious symbols and narratives, but underestimates the continuing social influence of religion, and its resurgence on a global scale. Accordingly, these authors suggest three principles for conceptualising spirituality and religion in health care, one of which is that conceptualisations should be grounded in philosophical and theological thinking, and should not ignore the global resurgence of religion. Method. Critical review. Conclusion. The Pesut principle privileges theology, disregarding other disciplines which theorise religion. Arguably, it privileges specifically Christian theology, the history of which suggests a politics of orthodoxy and an epistemology of authority and obedience. The global resurgence of religion is not, in fact, global, as the industrialised countries have experienced a marked shift towards secular-rational values; and the postindustrial phase of development is associated with self-expression values, which represent a challenge not merely to religious institutions (arguably an affirmation of 'spirituality') but to traditional elites and structures of all kinds. Finally, religion 'resurgent' is not an attractive model for health care, since many of its most obvious manifestations are incompatible with the ideology of health professionals. Relevance to clinical practice. In the secular societies of Europe, if not North America, there should be no expectation that nurses provide spiritual care. It is a requirement of the great separation between civil order and religion that the health services, as a public space, should remain thoroughly secular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A conference paper is presented about Mary the Mother of God and the Marian theology which states Mary's privileged position associated with the high status and government of the king, her son. The facts about Mariology are discussed focusing on the mother-son association of Mary as suggested by the texts of the Old Testament. Parts of the Sharakan, the poetical hymns on the Mother of God, that mention the motherhood, inviolate virginity and glorification of Mary are discussed.

This paper is an examination of the Christology and Pneumatology that C. S. Lewis read from the apparent prefiguring of elements of the Incarnation-Resurrection narrative in religious myths, and also his assertion that the incarnation-resurrection narrative operates on us both as fact and myth. After an initial examination of the term myth and mythopoeia, Lewis' writings on the myth that became reality (the Christ event) are discussed along with examples of prefigurement. Through his understanding of natural theology (rooted in that of Augustine, though fed by Lewis' daily reading of the Summa Theologiae) and his cautious respect for human imagination (from the poet, theologian and philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge) and in contrast to his earlier deference for the conclusions of the Victorian religionist and social anthropologist James George Frazer, Lewis came to regard these prefigurements as the work of the Holy Spirit – intimations of God's salvific action in Christ – though Lewis' orthodoxy saw human imagination as flawed through original sin. This leads us to ask three questions: first, how do these prefigured ideas come to be in these myths and how do these intimations, splintered fragments of the true light, relate to Lewis' understanding of Christ as the light of the world; second, how does the Incarnation-Resurrection narrative act/operate on us as a myth, whether spoken or read (a baptized imagination is crucial here for Lewis in both the creation and receiving/hearing of such narratives); and third, is there internal evidence for a mythopoeic interpretation within the Incarnation-Resurrection narrative? Our conclusions can be illustrated by a brief examination of Lewis' own Christian myth – Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia– originally written for a Christian audience but now read by mainly non-Christian/post-Christian children and adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a remarkable document that has escaped critical attention within the vast literature on John Rawls, religion, and liberalism: Rawls's undergraduate thesis, "A Brief Inquiry into the Meaning of Sin and Faith: An Interpretation Based on the Concept of Community" (1942). The thesis shows the extent to which a once regnant version of Protestant theology has retreated into seminaries and divinity schools where it now also meets resistance. Ironically, the young Rawls rejected social contract liberalism for reasons that anticipate many of the claims later made against him by secular and religious critics. The thesis and Rawls's late unpublished remarks on religion and World War II offer a new dimension to his intellectual biography. They show the significance of his humanist response to the moral impossibility of political theology. Moreover, they also reveal a kind of Rawlsian piety marginalized by contemporary debates over religion and liberalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early 1990s, a previously-neglected text, entitled Laterculus Malalianus, was attributed by Jane Stevenson to the hand of Theodore of Tarsus (archbishop of Canterbury, 668–690). The text is a well-spring of Christological concerns. Above all, it reflects an interest in Christ's restorative work as it applies to all humankind, expressed in language very much reminiscent of Irenaeus of Lyons and, more explicitly, Ephrem the Syrian. Chapter fourteen in particular displays these characteristics in a concise manner. Theodore's references there compel the reader to deal with a wide range of sources, suggesting thereby a learned, if eclectic, writer; further, they give us insight into the kinds of theological influences to which seventh-century Insular divines were subject. It is the intention of this paper to expose some notable aspects of this under-esteemed work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1929 the great James Kenney argued that the early Irish Stowe Missal must have been produced as a private service-book which a priest could easily carry around with him, but in recent decades scholars have claimed, either explicitly or implicitly, a different purpose for it. The codicological arguments proposed by Kenney are nevertheless still valid and this paper will argue that close linguistic examination of the manuscript's liturgical contents supports the theory that the Stowe Missal was an itinerarium, a book for a travelling cleric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karl Rahner's famous Rule,‘The“economic” Trinity is the“immanent” Trinity, and the“immanent” Trinity is the“economic” Trinity’, has had an enormous impact on trinitarian theology. Yet it is extraordinarily difficult to identify a reading of the Rule that meets two essential criteria: (1) it is interesting (that is, not trivial), and (2) it is possibly true. In this paper I consider three possible readings: strict realist, loose realist, and finally antirealist. Unfortunately, each reading leaves the Rule either trivial or obviously false and so fails to meet both criteria, thus calling into question the theological value of the Rule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

InCulture and ValueWittgenstein remarks that the truly“religious man” thinks himself to be, not merely“imperfect” or“ill,” but wholly“ wretched.” While such sentiments are of obvious biographical interest, in this paper I show why they are also worthy of serious philosophical attention. Although the influence of Wittgenstein's thinking on the philosophy of religion is often judged negatively (as, for example, leading to quietist and/or fideist-relativist conclusions) I argue that the distinctly ethical conception of religion (specifically Christianity) that Wittgenstein presents should lead us to a quite different assessment. In particular, his preoccupation with the categorical nature of religion suggests a conception of“genuine” religious belief which disrupts both the economics of eschatological-salvationist hope, and the traditional ethical precept that“ought implies can.” In short, what Wittgenstein presents is a sketch of a religion without recompense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the theology or, more accurately, the cosmology of a particular version of Maya religion in highland Guatemala. This version is consciously drawn from the ancient Maya tradition, especially the Pop Wuj (Popol Vuh), often called the Mayan Bible, but it incorporates other ideas and elements as well, including such modern ideas as inclusivity and freedom of membership. Thus while not directly influenced by liberation theology, it offers a potential alternative to it in its synthesis of the traditional and the modern. As in most indigenous religions, it considers the natural world to be sacred, and emphasizes the strong connections between the natural and the supernatural, between earth and the cosmos, and between the living and the dead. But it also presents a moral vision and a path of liberation from the harmful trends of ecological destruction and social disintegration that are such a part of the contemporary world. Finally, although it is deeply rooted in the local, it is also oriented toward the larger world, as its message and its practice are open to anyone, irrespective of nation of origin, ethnicity, or residence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper uses the fortunes of religion in the Nordic and Baltic States to identify weaknesses in the .supply-side model of religious behaviour promoted by Stark Finke and lannaccone. Changes in religious observance in the Nordic countries over the twentieth century, and comparisons between them, contradict a number of supply-side propositions Comparisons between the Baltic states similarly show no support for supply-side claims Instead both clusters suggest that the fate of religion owes more to its links with ethnicity, national consciousness and national conflict and to the theology and ecclesiology of the religion in question than to issues of state regulation.; [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To discuss the rationality of religious beliefs of the meaning of those beliefs must be made intelligible, sometimes to those who do not share our presuppositions. Is it possible to explain the meaning of such basic concepts as ‘Religion’, and ‘God’ without presupposing other religious concepts? The present paper is an attempt at such a radical interpretation of religion. This is done by wedding a full-fledged constructivist epistemology with insights from the mystical traditions of the East and the West. How such an epistemology can account for both the unity and plurality of religions is also indicated. In the process I give not only a new interpretation of ‘God’ but also suggest the reasons for the failure of the “proofs” for the existence of God. Thus, a new way is opened up for discussing the rationality of religious beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the nouvelle théologie movement and its role in the modernist crisis, where the foundational message of the gospel was reinterpreted in light of scientific advancements. Topics include the political implications of nouvelle théologie, the overlapping controversies it generated within ecclesiastical circles, and its influence on the Second Vatican Council.

After reviewing research by Roof, Mol and Kaill, this paper examines relationships among the following explanatory variables theological conservatism, localism, authoritarianism/dogmatism, and civil liberalism. Using data drawn from members of three Protestant denominations in Australia, it is found that, of these four variables, theological conservatism is the best predictor of frequency of church attendance, degree of involvement in other church activities, views about ecumenism, attitudes to change in church structures and practices, and moral conservatism But the other three explanatory variables are each more useful than theological conservatism in predicting degree of concern for social justice and degree of approval for church activism on social, political and economic issues The four explanatory variables are all fairly weak predictors of political-economic conservatism. It is argued that the affects attributed to localism, authoritarianism/dogmatism or lack of civil liberalism can be explained by a more general concept, breadth of perspective Modifications to Roof's theory are suggested it is hypothesized that at least among Protestant church members, the impact of breadth of perspective decreases, and the salience of theological orientation increases, as the proportion of the total population which regularly participates in church-oriented religion decreases.
This paper provides a critique and extension of studies undertaken by Roof (1976 and 1978), Mol (1969 and 1971) and Kaill (1971). Each of these studies deals inter alia with the relative importance of theological orientation and of some other variable in the explanation or prediction of church members' attitudes and behaviors.
It is clear that Roof's theory needs considerable qualification in the light of the data reviewed in the present paper. In particular, I would now hypothesize that at least among Protestant church members,[6] the impact of breadth of perspective decreases, and the... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a paper which assesses the relevance of sociobiological accounts of human nature in Catholic and Christian theology. Relationship between Christian theology and science; Corellation between sociobiology and theology; Ethical aspects of Catholic theology.

This article explores the relationship between Christianity, extractivism, and Amer‐European settler colonialism. It argues that Amer‐European Christianity is an extractivist religion, with beliefs and practices that are deeply intertwined with an extractivist relationship to the natural world and Indigenous peoples. In conversation with the work of Willie Jennings and exploring the impact of the doctrine of Christian discovery, the extractivist theology of John Locke, and the supersessionist use of divine election and covenant, this article exemplifies how Amer‐European Christianity has shaped and been shaped by settler colonial extractivism. It raises the question whether and how Amer‐European settler Christians may decolonize their extractivist relationship to Indigenous peoples and the natural world by learning from Indigenous peoples in dialogue with the work of the Osage theologian "Tink" Tinker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on using useful scholarly and pedagogical resources on the web. Topics include site specializes in providing resources for teaching religion and theology including video blogs, columns from teachers; and showing news about the various scholarly organizations in the field.

The new field of sustainability science that has arisen over the past three decades, largely oriented toward cities, under closer examination may prove to be wholly inadequate to deal with the issues it was initially designed to address. Built largely upon modernist value assumptions, its entire range of outlooks has failed to account for the character virtues needed to realize sustainable approaches for the future, which are better found working within different religious traditions' theologies and ethical outlooks. In light of this, the present article takes up a replicable agenda for analyzing how these particular character virtues—with special focus on parsimony and futuremindedness—work with regard to visions of sustainability that promise to bring about a more just transition in cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This section presents a bibliography on mission studies.

The author comments on the speech by Father John Meyendorff, chairman of the World Council of Churches' Faith and Order Commission (FOC), which was presented at the FOC's meeting in August 1971 in Louvain, Belgium. The author admired the theological depth and richness of Meyendorff's presentation. He also supported Meyendorff's emphasis on the eucharistic center of unity.

Introduces several articles about science and miracles. Christian views of miracles and the significance of Jesus' miracles in the Bible; Relevance of miracles to the dialogue between theology and science; Definitions of miracles; Importance of religious context for miracles.

Debates about the theological implications of recent research in the cognitive and evolutionary study of religion have tended to focus on the question of theism. The question of whether there is any disagreement about the conceptualization of the individual human being has been largely overlooked. In this article, I argue that evolutionary and cognitive accounts of religion typically depend upon a view of cognition that conceptually isolates the mind from its particular social and physical environmental contexts. By embracing this view of the mind, these accounts also unwittingly embrace an abstract individualist view of individual personhood that Christian theologians have explicitly battled against. Taken as a whole, the field leaves sufficient room for supplementary theories that are compatible with theological accounts of the relational individual, but in practice, no effort has been made to engage, or even to accommodate, any other view of individual personhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks at social and anthropological perspectives of conversion. It mentions the renewed interest of sociologists Charles Y. Glock and Rodney Stark on religion who suggested five general American theological denominations including liberals such as Methodists, moderates such as Presbyterians and conservatives such as American Lutherans. It also notes sociologists and anthropologists who say that conversion can be at the cultural or social level as well as the individual level.

I take a philosophical approach and seek to address the question of inter‐religious rituals and practices with reference to what Charles Taylor has called 'the immanent frame.' Whilst considering the dynamics of inter‐religious or cross‐religious ritual, this article will focus mainly on the idea of rituality occurring in an immanent frame or habitus (Pierre Bourdieu). I will argue that whilst there are specific cultic rituals that need to be negotiated as part of any form of explicit inter‐rituality, there is a larger potential that is suggested by a broader anthropological vision. Moreover, an 'immanent turn' by religions may be the positive step towards the joint creation of meaning and practice in the public sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article—the first of a linked set of three outlining the development and practice of a different approach to science/religion dialogue—begins with an overview of some persistent tensions in the field. Then, using a threefold heuristic of encounter, engagement, and expression, it explores the routes taken by James Ashbrook and Andrew Newberg to develop a dialogue between theology and neuroscience, discussing some of the problems associated with these and their implications for attempts to further develop neurotheology. Finally, it proposes a different way of thinking about this enterprise and points toward a new methodology for supporting this endeavor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores questions about chatbots in particular and artificial intelligence (AI) in general from a Pauline, that is, a Christian theological perspective. It does so in a way that focuses on a particular scene in the New Testament: Paul in the Athenian Areopagus, considering an altar to an "unknown God," quoting Greek poets and philosophers, and sharing curious theology as he dialogues with Stoic and Epicurean thinkers (Acts 17:16–34). By examining the sociohistorical nuances of this scene and their philosophical and theological implications, this article shows how the altar Paul considers philosophically and theologically becomes the focal point for an important dialogue about apocalyptic ends, or ideas about who we are, where we are going, and who or what is responsible for that who‐ness and where‐ness. In turn, this can teach us how to ask practical questions, which can uncover the unsuspected apocalyptic ends represented by, or even contained within, common technological objects such as chatbots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study depicts African “battle Christologies” as a risky act of resistance à la Jesus, that is, concomitant of Jesus’ own life in terms of their modus operandi. Their christic features are discussed in contradistinction to the mainstream Western christological tradition. Only by probing the dynamics of power and difference inherent in the cultural appropriations of Jesus can their specific performative consequences be accurately captured. In light of the study, some methodological considerations are being offered with regard to the way in which prophetic theology should be done in post‐apartheid South Africa and the Global South in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Donation after circulatory determination of death (DCDD) and xenotransplantation are advanced as possible solutions to the growing gap between the number of individuals in need of organ transplantation and the pool of donors. Investigating how various publics, including religious leaders, might view these “therapies” is essential for broad public and professional support and will be needed in order to make these solutions viable. This study, therefore, presents normative Islamic bioethical perspectives on donation after circulatory determination of death and xenotransplantation. First, we will discuss foundational Islamic ethico‐legal debates regarding organ donation. These debates can be grouped into three broad positions, those who consider organ donation categorically impermissible as a violation of human dignity (ḥurma and karāma), those who agree that organ donation is impermissible in principle, but allow it conditionally on the basis of dire necessity (ḍarūra), and those who permit organ donation based on notions of public interest (maṣlaḥa). Next, we will reflect upon the additional ethical dimensions DCDD and xenotransplantation add to these debates. We contend that the condition of minimal harm to the donor and the definition of death need to be accounted for within Islamic perspectives on DCDD. Xenotransplantation, on the other hand, highlights concerns about using pigs for therapeutic purposes. We conclude by commenting on additional questions that remain to be addressed in the Islamic bioethical debate over these practices and with recommendations for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Religious fictionalism is the theory that it is morally and intellectually legitimate to affirm religious sentences and to engage in public and private religious practices, without believing the content of religious claims. This article discusses the main features of fictionalism, contrasts hermeneutic, and revolutionary kinds of fictionalism and explores possible historical and recent examples of religious fictionalism. Such examples are found in recent theories of faith, pragmatic approaches to religion, and mystical traditions in religious theology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issues of justice and peace have been at the centre of Asian ecumenical theology, which has developed within the context of the Asian reality of multi-religiosity, on the one hand, and rampant poverty, on the other. This article examines how Asian ecumenical theological expressions, such as Dalit theology from India, Minjung theology from Korea, the many Asian womanist theologies, indigenous theologies, the theology of struggle from the Philippines, Burakumin theologies from Japan, and homeland theology from Taiwan, have sought to engage with these realities. It examines the impact of socio-political movements on theological formation through a focus on the life and work of the Indian ecumenical leader M. M. Thomas, and offers a detailed examination of Dalit and Minjung theologies as expressions of the Asian ecumenical theological engagement with justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theologies of disaster have to recognize exceptional disasters in the framework of a general human exposure to vulnerability, while engaging in the formation of human and religious resilience. Resilience is about 'bouncing back and forward' in and through precautionary and self-adaptive responses to disasters. Drawing up a distinction between personal tragedies and socially shared disasters, the basic argument is that the reconnection of disrupted communities lies at the center of both tragedy and disaster. This article describes a post-secular theology of tragedy and disaster that mainly stays in a vernacular language, referring to basic assumptions of the gospel while refraining from using the heavier repertoires of Christian doctrine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual activity and desire have often been seen as inimical to Christian spirituality and practice, and many people have come to view Christianity as austere and shaming regarding sexuality. However, sexuality, religion, and policy-making have become so intertwined, that to ignore how they intersect and affect particular individuals' lives does a disservice to students. This article presents resources and strategies for incorporating the topic of sexuality into liberal undergraduate and graduate theological classrooms. It provides guidance to instructors lacking research expertise in sexuality and focuses on three main pedagogical categories: perspective transformation; embodiment pedagogy; and sexual violence and trauma. One purpose of this article is to generate conversation: there is a need for further collaboration with colleagues who are experts in various disciplines to continue mining resources to offer diverse strategies and resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his book, On Being a Theologian of the Cross, Gerhard Forde asserts, '[T]he theology of the cross is an offensive theology. The offense consists in the fact that unlike other theologies it attacks what we usually consider the best in our religion.' If causing an offense against Christian theologians and the populace in general is considered a criterion for this theology, Shusaku Endo surely sets forth the theology of the cross in his novel, Silence. Although he would not identify his thesis by such a term, Endo presents the theology of the cross challenging the conventional understanding of the Christian faith. This short article explores Endo's book, Silence, examines how it demonstrates an articulation of the theology of the cross, and argues that Sebastian Rodrigues, the main character of the novel, is a theologian of the cross. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religion is a key source of core values and one of the most deeply psychological experiences; however, prior research has often inadequately measured religion's influence on consumption behaviors. Our research addresses criticisms of prior research by (1) reducing cultural bias by conducting research within one country, (2) examining both religious affiliation and religiosity, (3) exploring numerous consumption behaviors (social status desire, materialism views, sustainable behaviors, environmental views, and volunteering behavior) in a within-subjects design, and (4) testing religion's effect on consumption behavior with over 1,000 participants. Findings provide insight for consumer well-being. Specifically, consumers high in external religiosity are more materialistic, more sustainable, and more likely to volunteer than consumers low in external religiosity. Consumers high in internal religiosity are also more likely to be sustainable and hold pro-environmental views. In addition, Buddhists and Hindus are less likely to hold pro-environmental views than Christians. Buddhists are more materialistic than Christians, and Hindus are less desiring of social status than Christians. In addressing the criticisms of prior research in the context of consumption, our research builds on values-based and social-based theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reformation theology has two significant contributions to make to a renewal of environmental theology. Its heritage of sin exposes the fact that human efforts at intervention in the environment are only ambiguously good and in need of redemption themselves. Its heritage of freedom exposes some efforts toward environmental healing as works-righteousness, available to be transformed by God in hope for a heavenly and earthly future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented on the history of Palestinian nation since the 1948 and 1967 armed victories, military occupation, and territorial expansions of the creation of the state of Israel. It offers the six hermeneutical dilemmas in the project reading im Hebrew sacred scriptures in the context of the actual conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people state of Israel.

Despite the growth in research in philosophy of religion over the past several decades, recent years have seen a number of critical studies of this subfield in an effort to redirect the methods and topics of inquiry. This article argues that in addition to problems of religious parochialism described by critics such as Wesley Wildman, the subfield is facing a problem of relevance. In responding to this problem, it suggests that philosophers of religion should do three things: first, be critically self-aware about their aims of inquiry; second, investigate concepts used by other philosophers, scientists, and religious studies scholars to identify and dispel confusion about religions; and third, following the model of applied ethics, work to clarify concepts and advance arguments of contemporary practical urgency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments on the theme of the dogmatics of the Christian church highlighted in the October 2004 issue of the periodical "International Journal of Systematic Theology,". Plurality represented by the number of Christian doctrines across the dogmatic spectrum; Issues at stake presented in the papers.

The article discusses works about God's patience and Christian theology by theologian John Howard Yoder and Hans Frei. Topics discussed include Yoder's views on the role of Scripture in the recreation of church communities, the reading habits of Christian communities, and Frei's works on hermeneutics.

Reviewing the last fifty years of interaction between religion and science in Catholicism in Southern Europe, common traits are clearly evident: a late awareness of the importance of this interaction and a theological reluctance to address science or to account for its progress. Early signs of the engagement between religion and science appear as a consequence of the work of the French anthropologist and theologian Teilhard de Chardin. In Italy and Spain in the last fifteen years, we see a substantive growth in the rise of research centers and academic activities devoted to exploring the common ground between science, philosophy, and theology. However, despite all these efforts and the many positive signs, there remains a long way to go for theology to consider science as a true challenge and an inspiration and to integrate it into the theological curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]