28,892 research outputs found
The case for theological ethics: an appreciation of Ernil Brunner and Reinhold Niebuhr as moral theologians
No full textThe purpose of this thesis is to test the hypothesis that Christian ethics is not merely a department of general ethics, but is essentially theological. The reason for choosing these two theologians is that Brunner is in danger of eclipse, and Niebuhr deserves to continue being widely read. The thesis attempts to exhibit the methods each used to clarify the Christian faith and relate it to selected structures of society.METHOD: The thesis proceeds thus: 1) The first chapter is biographical and a study of their respective environments, as well as an appraisal of other theological and secular positions contemporary with them. 2) The second chapter is an examination of how each dealt with the subject of natural law. 3) The thesis moves on to examine their views on the questions of love, law and revel at ion. 4) At this point the thesis deals with both theologians separately to evaluate their particular emphases. 5) The final part of the thesis examines how each applied theological issues to particular situations. Those selected are 'The State' and 'The Problem of War'. The reason for the choice is that both were writing at a particularly turbulent period of world history. This part of the thesis is descriptive and not critical and is intended to serve as illustrative of the methods they used to apply theology to social and political issues
The transformation of persons and the concept of moral order : a study of the evangelical ethics of Oliver O'Donovan with special reference to the Barth-Brunner debate
No full textThis dissertation investigates the evangelical ethics of Prof. Oliver O’Donovan in order to explore the implications of his “evangelical realism” for theological anthropology, moral knowledge and the concept of moral order. The Barth-Brunner debate regarding natural theology provides a lens onto these issues. Theological case studies are used to test our findings.
Chapter 1 provides an overture to these issues, paying attention to current ideas about human nature and morality, and the growing influence of neuroscience and evolutionary psychology.
Chapter 2 focuses on Resurrection and Moral Order, elucidating the salient factors in its outline for evangelical ethics.
Chapter 3 diagnoses the challenges which a dialectical epistemology presents to the development of a doctrine of evangelical ethics.
Chapter 4 delves into O’Donovan’s treatment of the Barth-Brunner debate over natural theology, and discovers therein an illuminating correspondence between O’Donovan’s ethics and the concept of a human “capacity for revelation” (Offenbarungsmächtigkeit), which became a hinge issue in the debate. This provides a helpful lens onto O’Donovan’s concept of moral order.
Chapter 5 examines the intrinsic connection between the concept of moral order and the epistemic role of faith. Kierkegaard’s treatment of the paradoxical aspects of faith as an event of epistemic access figures prominently in this analysis.
Chapter 6 brings together the results of our analysis and applies them to the thesis that: the transformation of persons lies at the heart of evangelical ethics. The cosmology of faith emerges as a critical hermeneutical factor in the development of a doctrine of evangelical ethics. We explore here the doctrinal implications for Trinitarian theology.
Chapter 7 draws out practical implications of our thesis. We see the central place of prayer and worship in evangelical ethics, and point out implications for teaching. Lastly, we show practical applications of our thesis by examining the bio-ethical issues of human reproductive technologies, with special attention to O’Donovan’s work, Begotten or Made
Constantin Brunner Collection 1866-2010
No full textThe collection contains almost the complete estate of Constantin Brunner (i.e. Leo Wertheimer) as well as a substantial collection of documents and correspondence from the Brunner Circle and about Brunner's reception. The collection includes ca. 31,000 letters (among them ca. 5,000 letters by and to Brunner), 1,300 manuscripts (among them ca. 200 manuscripts by Brunner), 1,700 published works (among them ca. 200 works by Brunner, new editions and translations of his works), and 1,100 photographs (among them ca. 120 photographs of Brunner).This collection combines the Constantin Brunner estates in the archives of the Leo Baeck Institute New York and the Internationaal Constantin Brunner Instituut in The Hague.Constantin Brunner (actually named Leo Wertheimer) was born in Altona, Germany on August 27, 1862, the grandson of Rabbi Akiba Wertheimer. He studied at the Jewish Teachers Seminary in Cologne and at the Universities in Berlin and Freiburg 1893-95 with Leo Berg (later Otto Ernst), publisher of the periodical The Observer in Hamburg. Brunner lived since 1895 as an independent academic with his family in Berlin; 1913-30 in Potsdam and after l933 in exile in The Hague, where he died on August 27, 1937.With his Magnum Opus Die Lehre von den Geistigen und vom Volk (1908) he conceptualized a philosophical System connected to Spinoza and against Kant, Nietzsche and academic philosophy. Brunner fostered concrete and practical consequences of his ideal, the "spiritual reflection." In Our Christ (1921) he sketched a concept of the "Spiritual", thus engaging in Christian and Jewish debates about Jesus.Politically Brunner was a protagonist of emancipation. He took a determined position against German nationalism and racial theory, but also against Zionism (Der Judenhass und die Juden 1918.) Brunner considered himself a "recluse" and did not participate in academic discussions.Since the publication of his main work in 1908, but especially due to his personality, Brunner attracted the spiritually young, as well as intellectuals, politicians and artists, thus creating the â"Brunner-Circle". These friends, who corresponded with him and visited him, made Brunners' practical stipulation their own. Apart from Berlin, where a Constantin Brunner Society was formed in 1925, the main center was in Czernowitz, (the "Ethical Seminar" founded by Friedrich Kettner in 1919.) Since 1933 his followers dispersed all over the world. In 1947 they founded the "International Brunner Institute" in The Hague to publish Brunner's work once again and to advocate his memory.Biographies of Lotte Brunner, Lothar Bickel, Israel Eisenstein, Shilo Eisenstein, Magdalena Kasch, Selma van Leeuwen and Henri Lurié may be found in the accompanying finding aid.In 1948 Magdalena Kasch, one of Brunner's students and closest confidants, founded the Internationaal Constantin Brunner Instituut in The Hague to publish Brunner's work again.digitize
Towards a Christian Philosophy
No full textAuthor did not sign the LAC Non-Exclusive License form.The relationship between philosophy and Christianity has, of course, a long history, as do the discussions of that relationship. My own position is not dissimilar to that of many of the early Church Fathers, though of course that position must be elaborated differently for various historical and personal reasons, and hopefully enriched by attention to the history of Western philosophy. As with all such relations, one's understanding of this relation has a lot to do with one's understanding of the terms involved. To promote the possibility of "Christian philosophy" is also to comment on that "and" which might be understood to relate two otherwise distinct and irreconcilable terms. In the end I claim this "and" must be understood as that "love" which defines philosophy as the "love of wisdom" (and finally, the wisdom of love), and does so in terms which (almost) merge-with the surprising assistance of such thinkers as Martin Heidegger, Jacques Derrida, and Paul Ricoeur-with those of the Church Fathers cited. On the one hand, I intend nothing but the historical, orthodox, and catholic understanding of Christianity, especially with regard to the central figure of Jesus the Christ, the Trinitarian God whom He embodies, represents, and reveals, and the Scriptures given as The Bible. On the other hand, I present the specifically philosophical pertinence of this unique Person as such emerges from the texts of the "philosophers" considered, and in a manner which I claim does not force the issue by reading into their texts what is not there. Attending to a (Christian) philosophical reflection on (Christian) philosophy also offers elaborations of inherited doctrines, both Christian and philosophical, including a way to read and think unique to the outcome. Such is the adventure of this current work
The Christian Right and US Foreign Policy in the Twenty-first Century
No full textThe thesis discusses the role of the Christian Right in the US foreign policy decision making process. The research revealed that the Christian Right has long been fascinated with some international issues in general and US foreign policy in particular. The Christian Right’s interest in international issues increased markedly during years of the George W. Bush presidency. It successfully widened its activities from domestic social conservative issues to foreign policy issues by participating in, articulating and lobbying for its religious version of American foreign policy. In assessing the role of the Christian Right in US foreign policy making, this dissertation examines three aspects of US foreign policy, namely Israel, international religious freedom and global humanitarianism. Based on these aspects, the Christian Right is seen as skilled in framing and defining issues. The Christian Right seems effective in selecting and prioritizing international issues that have a reasonable chance of being selected by foreign policy decision makers, especially in Congress. Moreover, the Christian Right has shown its maturity in seeking engagement and cooperation with other organizations, secular and religious, in order to advance its international goals. Finally, in pursuing and conveying its international agenda, the Christian Right has adopted a more moderate and less overtly religious approach. Instead of using its traditional religious rhetoric, the Christian Right has successfully projected its foreign policy preferences into the conventional realist discourse of American foreign policy that is largely based on the objective of national interest and national security. Nevertheless, this study does not, in any way, conclude that the Christian Right was able to influence or determine the direction of US foreign policy and its outcomes; however, it does suggest that the Christian Right did contribute and have an impact on the formulation of some US foreign policy. As such, the research contends that the role of the Christian Right is similar to other interest group lobbies and that its perceived influence on US foreign policy should not be exaggerated. Finally, the research suggests that the emergence of the Christian Right as an actor in asserting its global agenda through US foreign policy can possibly provide an example of how religious beliefs and values can become a potential source of “soft power”. Together with the “climate of opinion” of the American public during the Bush administration, the “soft power” at domestic level could serve as a valuable new explanatory variable in understanding how the US foreign policy was formulated in the early 21st century
Sabbath, Psalms and Eucharist: Christopher Southgate considers Christian perspectives on the climate emergency
No full textThis is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Green Christian via the URL in this record In this brief article I want to explore what resources Christian thought might offer the
climate emergency, and those challenged by the slowness with which the generation
with the power (my own) are addressing the huge challenges that are ever more
evidently unfolding on our planet
Dare We Call it a Christian Business Division?
No full textThe author in this article explores the question: What, if anything, distinguishes a Christian business program from a secular program? The author answers the question by suggesting some areas he believes should be distinctive. His purpose is to open up a dialogue that has not occurred at the program level, not to claim all that could be said about this topic. Most discussion has focused on the macro picture of Christian colleges or the micro picture of how one’s faith might impact how one teaches a certain discipline. The article looks at themes or emphases in business programs that aspire to describe themselves as Christian
The theology of revelation and the epistemology of Christian belief : the compatibility and complementarity of the theological epistemologies of Karl Barth and Alvin Plantinga
No full textThis study brings Christian theology and Christian analytic philosophy into dialogue through an examination of the compatibility and complementarity of Karl Barth’s theology of revelation, and Alvin Plantinga’s epistemology of Christian belief. The first two chapters are aimed at elucidating the central features of Karl Barth’s theology of revelation and clarifying his attitude toward the place of philosophy in theology. We establish that, for Barth, human knowledge of God is objective, personal, cognitive knowing, enabled by the Spirit’s transforming gift of participation in revelation. We dispel the notion that Barth is hostile to philosophy per se and chart the boundaries he gives for its interface with theology.
In chapters 3 and 4, we focus on Alvin Plantinga’s Christian epistemology of warranted belief, and its relationship to Barth’s theology of revelation. A general alignment emerges in their shared inductive approach and agreed rejection of the necessity and sufficiency of human arguments for warranted Christian belief. Their contributions are complementary, with Barth providing what Plantinga lacks in theological depth, and Plantinga providing what Barth lacks in philosophical clarity and defense. Despite their general compatibility, two areas of significant potential incompatibility are flagged for closer analysis in the final two chapters.
In chapter 5, we consider their views on natural theology. We extend our thesis of complementarity with respect to negative apologetics, and argue for a harmonizing interpretation of their views with respect to a potential positive contribution from natural theology. The final chapter addresses the role of faith and the constitution of a genuine human knowledge of God. We conclude that Barth and Plantinga do not disagree about the personal and propositional character of revelation, but may disagree about the possibility of a generically theistic de re knowledge of God independent of the Spirit’s gift of faith
An die deutschvölkische Jugend
No full textConstantin BrunnerOriginal erschien als Sonderdruck aus: Brunner, Constantin: "Vom Einsiedler Constantin Brunner" ; Kapitel 1
Journal of African Christian Biography: v. 6, no. 4
No full textA publication of the Dictionary of African Christian Biography with U.S. offices located at the Center for Global Christianity and Mission at Boston University. This issue focuses on: Tributes to Andrew Walls and Benedict Ssettuuma (Uganda); Samuel T. O. Akande (Nigeria).
This issue of the Journal of African Christian Biography honors the memory of "Prof." Andrew Finlay Walls and Fr. Benedict Ssettuuma, Jr. It also celebrates the contribution of Dr. Michael Adeleke Ogunewu to the work of the DACB both as an author and a mentor-teacher. One of his biographies, that of Samuel T. O. Akande, is included. The issue also includes a serialized chapter from African Christian Biography by Roger Levine and a new section, "Teaching with the DACB," featuring the reflections of a North American student on what the DACB has taught her
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