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Theology in the Democracy of the Dead by Matt Jenson Pdf
G. K. Chesterton wrote, "Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead." This book pays homage to major theologians of the Christian tradition that tell the history of theology. Matt Jenson engages in charitable yet critical exposition and dialogue with eleven select thinkers, offering a lucid, synthetic account of their theology with a view to ongoing systematic theological issues. He engages directly with core primary texts and treats individual theologians in greater depth and nuance than most overview textbooks.
Religion and Democracy by Torsten Meireis,Rolf Schieder Pdf
"Democracy isn't dead, it just smells funny". This variation of a quip about jazz by Frank Zappa sums up our current experience with democracy: even though most countries profess to have some sort of democracy, a change for the worse seems underfoot. As public theology has a strong affinity to democracy, a critical, interdisciplinary, ecumenical and interreligious assessment of how religions may help in furthering democratic forms of government seems appropriate. This book tries to undertake steps in this direction. It consists of three sections: the first tries to identify challenges and resources in the relationship between religion and democracy. The second part reflects on the frameworks of that relationship, and the third section tries to identify examples of tasks that need to be accomplished. All the texts have been contributed by members of the newly founded Berlin Institute for Public Theology, who agree on the necessity of a public theological effort, especially with regard to the question of democracy, but disagree on what this effort needs to consist in.
Radical Democracy and Political Theology by Jeffrey W. Robbins Pdf
Alexis de Tocqueville once wrote that "the people reign over the American political world like God over the universe," unwittingly casting democracy as the political instantiation of the death of God. According to Jeffrey W. Robbins, Tocqueville's assessment remains an apt observation of modern democratic power, which does not rest with a sovereign authority but operates as a diffuse social force. By linking radical democratic theory to a contemporary fascination with political theology, Robbins envisions the modern experience of democracy as a social, cultural, and political force transforming the nature of sovereign power and political authority. Robbins joins his work with Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri's radical conception of "network power," as well as Sheldon Wolin's notion of "fugitive democracy," to fashion a political theology that captures modern democracy's social and cultural torment. This approach has profound implications not only for the nature of contemporary religious belief and practice but also for the reconceptualization of the proper relationship between religion and politics. Challenging the modern, liberal, and secular assumption of a neutral public space, Robbins conceives of a postsecular politics for contemporary society that inextricably links religion to the political. While effectively recasting the tradition of radical theology as a political theology, this book also develops a comprehensive critique of the political theology bequeathed by Carl Schmitt. It marks an original and visionary achievement by the scholar the Journal of the American Academy of Religion hailed "one of the best commentators on religion and postmodernism."
Radical Democracy and Political Theology by Jeffrey W. Robbins Pdf
Alexis de Tocqueville once wrote that "the people reign over the American political world like God over the universe," unwittingly casting democracy as the political instantiation of the death of God. According to Jeffrey W. Robbins, Tocqueville's assessment remains an apt observation of modern democratic power, which does not rest with a sovereign authority but operates as a diffuse social force. By linking radical democratic theory to a contemporary fascination with political theology, Robbins envisions the modern experience of democracy as a social, cultural, and political force transforming the nature of sovereign power and political authority. Robbins joins his work with Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri's radical conception of "network power," as well as Sheldon Wolin's notion of "fugitive democracy," to fashion a political theology that captures modern democracy's social and cultural torment. This approach has profound implications not only for the nature of contemporary religious belief and practice but also for the reconceptualization of the proper relationship between religion and politics. Challenging the modern, liberal, and secular assumption of a neutral public space, Robbins conceives of a postsecular politics for contemporary society that inextricably links religion to the political. While effectively recasting the tradition of radical theology as a political theology, this book also develops a comprehensive critique of the political theology bequeathed by Carl Schmitt. It marks an original and visionary achievement by the scholar the Journal of the American Academy of Religion hailed "one of the best commentators on religion and postmodernism."
Author : Daniel J. Peterson,G. Michael Zbaraschuk Publisher : State University of New York Press Page : 220 pages File Size : 51,5 Mb Release : 2014-04-11 Category : Religion ISBN : 9781438450476
Resurrecting the Death of God by Daniel J. Peterson,G. Michael Zbaraschuk Pdf
Considers the legacy and future of radical theology. In 1966, an infamous Time magazine cover asked “Is God Dead?” and brought the ideas of theologians William Hamilton and Thomas J. J. Altizer to the wider public. In the years that followed, both men suffered professionally and there was no notable increase to the small number of thinkers considered death of God theologians. Meanwhile, Christian fundamentalism staged a striking comeback in the United States. Yet, death of God, or radical, theology has had an ongoing influence on contemporary theology and philosophy. Contributors to this book explore the origins, influence, and legacy of radical theology and go on to take it in new directions. In a time when fundamentalism is the greatest religious temptation, this volume makes the case for the necessity of resurrecting the death of God. Daniel J. Peterson is an Instructor at Seattle University and the author of Tillich: A Brief Overview of the Life and Writings of Paul Tillich. G. Michael Zbaraschuk is Assistant Professor of Religion at Pacific Lutheran University.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,Martin Luther,Henryk Sienkiewicz,Dante Alighieri,Henry Van Dyke,David Hume,James Allen,Ralph Waldo Emerson,Andrew Murray,John Bunyan,Grace Livingston Hill,Thomas Paine,Voltaire,Lew Wallace,John Milton,Charles M. Sheldon,Ludwig Feuerbach,G. K. Chesterton,Friedrich Nietzsche,Thomas à Kempis,Leo Tolstoy,Fyodor Dostoevsky,Charles Spurgeon,Prentice Mulford,St. Teresa of Ávila,Saint Augustine,Florence Scovel Shinn,H. Emilie Cady,Gregory of Nyssa,Pope Gregory I,Athanasius of Alexandria,John of Damascus,Brother Lawrence,Arthur Pink
Author : Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,Martin Luther,Henryk Sienkiewicz,Dante Alighieri,Henry Van Dyke,David Hume,James Allen,Ralph Waldo Emerson,Andrew Murray,John Bunyan,Grace Livingston Hill,Thomas Paine,Voltaire,Lew Wallace,John Milton,Charles M. Sheldon,Ludwig Feuerbach,G. K. Chesterton,Friedrich Nietzsche,Thomas à Kempis,Leo Tolstoy,Fyodor Dostoevsky,Charles Spurgeon,Prentice Mulford,St. Teresa of Ávila,Saint Augustine,Florence Scovel Shinn,H. Emilie Cady,Gregory of Nyssa,Pope Gregory I,Athanasius of Alexandria,John of Damascus,Brother Lawrence,Arthur Pink Publisher : DigiCat Page : 20246 pages File Size : 51,7 Mb Release : 2023-11-22 Category : Religion ISBN : EAN:8596547730149
Christian Collection: Scripture, History, Theology, Spirituality and Fiction by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,Martin Luther,Henryk Sienkiewicz,Dante Alighieri,Henry Van Dyke,David Hume,James Allen,Ralph Waldo Emerson,Andrew Murray,John Bunyan,Grace Livingston Hill,Thomas Paine,Voltaire,Lew Wallace,John Milton,Charles M. Sheldon,Ludwig Feuerbach,G. K. Chesterton,Friedrich Nietzsche,Thomas à Kempis,Leo Tolstoy,Fyodor Dostoevsky,Charles Spurgeon,Prentice Mulford,St. Teresa of Ávila,Saint Augustine,Florence Scovel Shinn,H. Emilie Cady,Gregory of Nyssa,Pope Gregory I,Athanasius of Alexandria,John of Damascus,Brother Lawrence,Arthur Pink Pdf
DigiCat presents the essential works of Christian faith - the scriptures, the history of Christianity, the most important philosophical works on religion & spirituality, as well as most famous Christian novels and stories: Scripture: Bible First Clement Second Clement Didache Epistle of Barnabas Shepherd of Hermas The Infancy Gospel of Thomas Apocalypse of Peter History: History of the Christian Church Creeds of Christendom Philosophy of Religion: The Confessions of St. Augustine On the Incarnation (Athanasius) On the Soul and the Resurrection (Gregory of Nyssa) On the Holy Spirit (Basil) Pastoral Care (Gregory I) An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith (John of Damascus) Summa Theologica (St. Thomas Aquinas) The Imitation of Christ (Thomas à Kempis) A Treatise on Christian Liberty (Martin Luther) The Interior Castle (St. Teresa of Ávila) The Practice of the Presence of God (Brother Lawrence) The Age of Reason (Thomas Paine) The Natural History of Religion (David Hume) The Religious Affections (Jonathan Edwards) The Essence of Christianity (Ludwig Feuerbach) Beyond Good and Evil (Nietzsche) All of Grace (Charles Spurgeon) Humility: The Journey Toward Holiness (Andrew Murray) Orthodoxy (Chesterton) The Everlasting Man (Chesterton) The Sovereignty of God (Arthur Pink) The Kingdom of God Is Within You (Tolstoy) Religious Fiction: Divine Comedy (Dante) Paradise Lost (John Milton) The Pilgrim's Progress (John Bunyan) Zadig (Voltaire) Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (Lew Wallace) Quo Vadis (Henryk Sienkiewicz) In His Steps (Charles M. Sheldon) The Story of the Other Wise Man (Henry Van Dyke) The Ball and the Cross (Chesterton) The Enchanted Barn (Grace Livingston Hill) The Grand Inquisitor (Dostoevsky) Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (Goethe) Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Nietzsche) Spirituality: The Conduct of Life (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Lessons in Truth (H. Emilie Cady) As a Man Thinketh (James Allen) Thoughts are Things (Prentice Mulford) The Game of Life and How to Play It (Florence Scovel Shinn)
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,Martin Luther,Henryk Sienkiewicz,Henry Van Dyke,David Hume,James Allen,Ralph Waldo Emerson,Andrew Murray,John Bunyan,Grace Livingston Hill,Thomas Paine,Voltaire,Lew Wallace,John Milton,Charles M. Sheldon,Ludwig Feuerbach,G. K. Chesterton,Friedrich Nietzsche,Thomas à Kempis,Leo Tolstoy,Fyodor Dostoevsky,Charles Spurgeon,Prentice Mulford,St. Teresa of Ávila,Saint Augustine,Florence Scovel Shinn,Dante,H. Emilie Cady,Gregory of Nyssa,Pope Gregory I,Athanasius of Alexandria,Basil the Great,John of Damascus,Saint Thomas Aquinas,Brother Lawrence,Arthur Pink
Author : Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,Martin Luther,Henryk Sienkiewicz,Henry Van Dyke,David Hume,James Allen,Ralph Waldo Emerson,Andrew Murray,John Bunyan,Grace Livingston Hill,Thomas Paine,Voltaire,Lew Wallace,John Milton,Charles M. Sheldon,Ludwig Feuerbach,G. K. Chesterton,Friedrich Nietzsche,Thomas à Kempis,Leo Tolstoy,Fyodor Dostoevsky,Charles Spurgeon,Prentice Mulford,St. Teresa of Ávila,Saint Augustine,Florence Scovel Shinn,Dante,H. Emilie Cady,Gregory of Nyssa,Pope Gregory I,Athanasius of Alexandria,Basil the Great,John of Damascus,Saint Thomas Aquinas,Brother Lawrence,Arthur Pink Publisher : DigiCat Page : 20247 pages File Size : 55,7 Mb Release : 2023-11-15 Category : Fiction ISBN : EAN:8596547722373
50 Christian Books: Scripture, History, Theology, Spirituality and Fiction by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,Martin Luther,Henryk Sienkiewicz,Henry Van Dyke,David Hume,James Allen,Ralph Waldo Emerson,Andrew Murray,John Bunyan,Grace Livingston Hill,Thomas Paine,Voltaire,Lew Wallace,John Milton,Charles M. Sheldon,Ludwig Feuerbach,G. K. Chesterton,Friedrich Nietzsche,Thomas à Kempis,Leo Tolstoy,Fyodor Dostoevsky,Charles Spurgeon,Prentice Mulford,St. Teresa of Ávila,Saint Augustine,Florence Scovel Shinn,Dante,H. Emilie Cady,Gregory of Nyssa,Pope Gregory I,Athanasius of Alexandria,Basil the Great,John of Damascus,Saint Thomas Aquinas,Brother Lawrence,Arthur Pink Pdf
DigiCat presents to you this unique Christianity collection with carefully picked out religious works from the earliest times to modern days, showing the development of Christian religion and spirituality. Scripture: Bible First Clement Second Clement Didache Epistle of Barnabas Shepherd of Hermas The Infancy Gospel of Thomas Apocalypse of Peter History: History of the Christian Church (Philip Schaff) Creeds of Christendom (Philip Schaff) Philosophy of Religion: The Confessions of St. Augustine On the Incarnation (Athanasius) On the Soul and the Resurrection (Gregory of Nyssa) On the Holy Spirit (Basil) Pastoral Care (Gregory I) An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith (John of Damascus) Summa Theologica (Saint Thomas Aquinas) The Imitation of Christ (Thomas à Kempis) A Treatise on Christian Liberty (Martin Luther) The Interior Castle (St. Teresa of Ávila) The Practice of the Presence of God (Brother Lawrence) The Age of Reason (Thomas Paine) The Natural History of Religion (David Hume) The Religious Affections (Jonathan Edwards) The Essence of Christianity (Ludwig Feuerbach) Beyond Good and Evil (Nietzsche) All of Grace (Charles Spurgeon) Humility (Andrew Murray) Orthodoxy (Chesterton) The Everlasting Man (Chesterton) The Sovereignty of God (Arthur Pink) The Kingdom of God Is Within You (Tolstoy) Religious Fiction: Divine Comedy (Dante) Paradise Lost (John Milton) The Pilgrim's Progress (John Bunyan) Zadig (Voltaire) Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (Lew Wallace) Quo Vadis (Henryk Sienkiewicz) In His Steps (Charles M. Sheldon) The Story of the Other Wise Man (Henry Van Dyke) The Ball and the Cross (Chesterton) The Enchanted Barn (Grace Livingston Hill) The Grand Inquisitor (Dostoevsky Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (Goethe) Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Nietzsche) Spirituality: The Conduct of Life (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Lessons in Truth (H. Emilie Cady) As a Man Thinketh (James Allen) Thoughts are Things (Prentice Mulford) The Game of Life and How to Play It (Florence Scovel Shinn)
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,Martin Luther,Henryk Sienkiewicz,Henry Van Dyke,David Hume,James Allen,Ralph Waldo Emerson,Andrew Murray,John Bunyan,Grace Livingston Hill,Thomas Paine,Voltaire,Lew Wallace,John Milton,Charles M. Sheldon,Ludwig Feuerbach,G. K. Chesterton,Friedrich Nietzsche,Thomas à Kempis,Leo Tolstoy,Fyodor Dostoevsky,Charles Spurgeon,Prentice Mulford,St. Teresa of Ávila,Saint Augustine,Florence Scovel Shinn,Dante,H. Emilie Cady,Gregory of Nyssa,Pope Gregory I,Athanasius of Alexandria,Basil the Great,John of Damascus,Saint Thomas Aquinas,Brother Lawrence,Arthur Pink
Author : Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,Martin Luther,Henryk Sienkiewicz,Henry Van Dyke,David Hume,James Allen,Ralph Waldo Emerson,Andrew Murray,John Bunyan,Grace Livingston Hill,Thomas Paine,Voltaire,Lew Wallace,John Milton,Charles M. Sheldon,Ludwig Feuerbach,G. K. Chesterton,Friedrich Nietzsche,Thomas à Kempis,Leo Tolstoy,Fyodor Dostoevsky,Charles Spurgeon,Prentice Mulford,St. Teresa of Ávila,Saint Augustine,Florence Scovel Shinn,Dante,H. Emilie Cady,Gregory of Nyssa,Pope Gregory I,Athanasius of Alexandria,Basil the Great,John of Damascus,Saint Thomas Aquinas,Brother Lawrence,Arthur Pink Publisher : DigiCat Page : 20247 pages File Size : 44,8 Mb Release : 2023-11-22 Category : Fiction ISBN : EAN:8596547730132
50 Christan Books - Scripture, Theology, Philosophy and Spirituality (Including Christian Novels) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,Martin Luther,Henryk Sienkiewicz,Henry Van Dyke,David Hume,James Allen,Ralph Waldo Emerson,Andrew Murray,John Bunyan,Grace Livingston Hill,Thomas Paine,Voltaire,Lew Wallace,John Milton,Charles M. Sheldon,Ludwig Feuerbach,G. K. Chesterton,Friedrich Nietzsche,Thomas à Kempis,Leo Tolstoy,Fyodor Dostoevsky,Charles Spurgeon,Prentice Mulford,St. Teresa of Ávila,Saint Augustine,Florence Scovel Shinn,Dante,H. Emilie Cady,Gregory of Nyssa,Pope Gregory I,Athanasius of Alexandria,Basil the Great,John of Damascus,Saint Thomas Aquinas,Brother Lawrence,Arthur Pink Pdf
DigiCat presents to you this unique Christianity collection with carefully picked out religious works from the earliest times to modern days, showing the development of Christian religion and spirituality. Scripture: Bible First Clement Second Clement Didache Epistle of Barnabas Shepherd of Hermas The Infancy Gospel of Thomas Apocalypse of Peter History: History of the Christian Church (Philip Schaff) Creeds of Christendom (Philip Schaff) Philosophy of Religion: The Confessions of St. Augustine On the Incarnation (Athanasius) On the Soul and the Resurrection (Gregory of Nyssa) On the Holy Spirit (Basil) Pastoral Care (Gregory I) An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith (John of Damascus) Summa Theologica (Saint Thomas Aquinas) The Imitation of Christ (Thomas à Kempis) A Treatise on Christian Liberty (Martin Luther) The Interior Castle (St. Teresa of Ávila) The Practice of the Presence of God (Brother Lawrence) The Age of Reason (Thomas Paine) The Natural History of Religion (David Hume) The Religious Affections (Jonathan Edwards) The Essence of Christianity (Ludwig Feuerbach) Beyond Good and Evil (Nietzsche) All of Grace (Charles Spurgeon) Humility (Andrew Murray) Orthodoxy (Chesterton) The Everlasting Man (Chesterton) The Sovereignty of God (Arthur Pink) The Kingdom of God Is Within You (Tolstoy) Religious Fiction: Divine Comedy (Dante) Paradise Lost (John Milton) The Pilgrim's Progress (John Bunyan) Zadig (Voltaire) Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (Lew Wallace) Quo Vadis (Henryk Sienkiewicz) In His Steps (Charles M. Sheldon) The Story of the Other Wise Man (Henry Van Dyke) The Ball and the Cross (Chesterton) The Enchanted Barn (Grace Livingston Hill) The Grand Inquisitor (Dostoevsky Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (Goethe) Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Nietzsche) Spirituality: The Conduct of Life (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Lessons in Truth (H. Emilie Cady) As a Man Thinketh (James Allen) Thoughts are Things (Prentice Mulford) The Game of Life and How to Play It (Florence Scovel Shinn)
Author : John W. De Gruchy Publisher : Cambridge University Press Page : 314 pages File Size : 45,6 Mb Release : 1995-06 Category : Political Science ISBN : 0521458412
Christianity and Democracy by John W. De Gruchy Pdf
The need for global democratisation is now widely recognised, but there is considerable debate about what this means and how it can be achieved. In this important study John de Gruchy examines the historic and contemporary roles of Christianity in the development of democracy. He traces the gestation of modern democracy in medieval Christendom, and then describes the virtual breakdown of the relationship as democracy becomes the polity of modernity. Five twentieth-century case studies - the USA, Nicaragua, sub-Saharan Africa, Germany and South Africa - demonstrate the extent to which ecumenical Christianity has begun to reconnect with democracy and act as its contemporary midwife. De Gruchy argues that democracy needs to rediscover its spiritual heritage, while Christianity needs to develop a theology adequate for its participation in the realisation of a just democratic world order.
Religious Disagreement and Pluralism by Matthew A. Benton,Jonathan L. Kvanvig Pdf
Epistemological questions about the significance of disagreement have advanced alongside broader developments in social epistemology concerning testimony, the nature of expertise and epistemic authority, the role of institutions, group belief, and epistemic injustice, among others. During this period, related issues in the epistemology of religion have re-emerged as worthy of new consideration, and available to be situated with new conceptual tools. Does disagreement between, and within, religions challenge the rationality of religious commitment? How should religious adherents think about exclusivist, inclusivist, and pluralist frameworks as applied to religious truth, or to matters of salvation or redemption or liberation? This volume explores many of these issues at the intersection of the epistemology of disagreement and religious epistemology. It engages in careful reflection on religious diversity and disagreement, offering ways to balance epistemic humility with personal conviction. Recognizing the place of religious differences in our social lives, it provides renewed efforts at how best to think about truths concerning religion.
Radical Political Theology by Clayton Crockett Pdf
In the 1960s, the strict opposition between the religious and the secular began to break down, blurring the distinction between political philosophy and political theology. This collapse contributed to the decline of modern liberalism, which supported a neutral, value-free space for capitalism. It also deeply unsettled political, religious, and philosophical realms, forced to confront the conceptual stakes of a return to religion. Gamely intervening in a contest that defies simple resolutions, Clayton Crockett conceives of the postmodern convergence of the secular and the religious as a basis for emancipatory political thought. Engaging themes of sovereignty, democracy, potentiality, law, and event from a religious and political point of view, Crockett articulates a theological vision that responds to our contemporary world and its theo-political realities. Specifically, he claims we should think about God and the state in terms of potentiality rather than sovereign power. Deploying new concepts, such as Slavoj Žižek's idea of parallax and Catherine Malabou's notion of plasticity, his argument engages with debates over the nature and status of religion, ideology, and messianism. Tangling with the work of Derrida, Deleuze, Spinoza, Antonio Negri, Giorgio Agamben, Alain Badiou, John D. Caputo, and Catherine Keller, Crockett concludes with a reconsideration of democracy as a form of political thought and religious practice, underscoring its ties to modern liberal capitalism while also envisioning a more authentic democracy unconstrained by those ties.
Resurrecting the Death of God by Daniel J. Peterson,G. Michael Zbaraschuk Pdf
Considers the legacy and future of radical theology. In 1966, an infamous Time magazine cover asked Is God Dead? and brought the ideas of theologians William Hamilton and Thomas J. J. Altizer to the wider public. In the years that followed, both men suffered professionally and there was no notable increase to the small number of thinkers considered death of God theologians. Meanwhile, Christian fundamentalism staged a striking comeback in the United States. Yet, death of God, or radical, theology has had an ongoing influence on contemporary theology and philosophy. Contributors to this book explore the origins, influence, and legacy of radical theology and go on to take it in new directions. In a time when fundamentalism is the greatest religious temptation, this volume makes the case for the necessity of resurrecting the death of God. Resurrecting the Death of God shows why Altizer continues to ride the stream of contemporary conversations in academic theology and continental philosophy without ever losing his luster. Carl A. Raschke, author of Postmodernism and the Revolution in Religious Theory: Toward a Semiotics of the Event
While compiling a comprehensive bibliography of the works of Jaroslav Pelikan for a Festschrift celebrating his 80th birthday in 2003, I occasionally brought to light an article or lecture that Jary himself had all but forgotten. This is not surprising, given his prolific, fifty-eight-year publishing history. Called "the premier historical theologian of our time," Pelikan took on the history of Christianity and Christian doctrine in its entirety--from East to West and from the apostolic age to contemporary issues. Indeed, to say he is the "premier" or "foremost" scholar in this field is an understatement, for he is the only scholar recognized as the authority for the immense field of all of Christian history. This Wipf and Stock series aims to reprint a selection of Pelikan's writings that are no longer in print, such as Historical Theology, an erudite survey of the history of theology as both bound by tradition and ever- changing, or The Melody of Theology, a collection of brief reflections on important theological topics which one reviewer called "the ultimate bed- side book." The versatility of Pelikan's thinking is apparent in another work reprinted in this series, The Excellent Empire, which juxtaposes Gibbons Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire with the "rise and triumph" of the Christian Church. Pelikan's facile mind comprehended big, expansive ideas and as an author he could synthesize, analyze, compare, and interpret large periods of history. His sweeping views of theological history, as in From Luther to Kierkegaard, are invaluable for understanding the field, but he could also zero in on a particular author or topic, as in his elegant study of Faust the Theologian, or his last publication, a commentary on The Acts of the Apostles. From great editorial projects such as Luther's Works (55 volumes) to succinct and cogent essays such as Whose Bible Is It?, Jaroslav Pelikan considered himself "a chronicler of one of the most overwhelming explosions in the history of the human mind and spirit," that is, Christianity and its impact on theology, philosophy, culture, and world history. The reprinting of Pelikan's writings is a worthy undertaking not only because they were so influential in the twentieth century, but also because they will stand the test of time and continue to influence students, schol- ars, ministers, and laypeople. Though scholarly in nature and dealing with complex themes, Pelikan's work is nonetheless accessible and his topics are compelling. Jesus Through the Centuries (1985) and Mary Through the Centuries (1996) were popular best-sellers. Other examples include his Bach Among the Theologians (1989), which is required reading for musicians. And several of his books began as public lecture series, including Imago Dei (1990), What Has Athens to Do with Jerusalem? (1997) and Interpreting the Constitution (2004), in addition to the Jesus and Mary works. Pelikan's writings show us the interrelation of Christian tradition and intellectual history within broad cultural frames of reference drawn from philosophy, music, the visual arts, literature, rhetoric, political and legal theory, and the natural sciences. Crossing boundaries and making connections was Pelikan's strength. He knew the primary literature and the languages in which they were written. He saw the larger picture and he painted it with breathtaking majesty and mastery. Jaroslav Pelikan was a man of many achievements. In addition to his prodigious publishing career, he also served in positions of distinction from Dean of the Graduate School at Yale to president of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He received prestigious awards such as the Jefferson Award of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the John W. Kluge Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Human Sciences (bestowed by the Library of Congress which in 2000 named him a "Living Legend"), and accepted some forty-six honorary degrees. Now through this reprint series, the legend continues and the man lives on through his writings. Valerie Hotchkiss, Andrew S. G. Turyn, Endowed Professor and Director of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign June 2013
Contemporary Chinese churches show an extreme privatization tendency, advocating that religion is a private affair and has nothing to do with politics. So Christians are only about the salvation of their own personal souls, and they do not care about all public affairs. In order to escape the harsh reality, not hesitate to distort the true principle of separation of church and state, and even frequently bring out the words of Jesus "God belongs to God and Caesar belongs to Caesar" to prove that religion must draw a clear line with politics, and do not interfere with each other. On the other hand, it is also wrong for the church as a religious organization directly gets involved in the elections or gives the churchgoers pressure to vote for the church's favored candidate. The church is not supposed to be a tool for politicians' elections but for the spiritual salvation of the people, including churchgoers or not churchgoers, regardless of their political attitudes. Although the Bible can interpret a variety of different theological themes, political theology, peace theology, human rights theology, liberation theology, women's theology, ecological theology, etc., it will always be for the liberation of the victims, the oppressed and the criticism of the murderer of suffering! For the righteousness of the oppressed and suffering people is the most indispensable part of Christians' love for their neighbors and eventually for society as a whole! Is the only evidence of a Christian's love for God.