In recent American politics, the term "morality" has come to be used in a way almost entirely restricted to private family and sexual issues, leaving aside responsibility for immensely consequential decisions about initiating wars, oppressive policies, regressive tax structures, and disregard of the United Nations and international law. Public Dimensions of a Believer's Life is about human responsibility in public life and the moral and spiritual factors involved in exercising that responsibility. Monika Hellwig explores the decisions people have to make in human affairs at all levels of social organization, the values that guide these decisions, and the way those values are often apparently in conflict with one another. By looking at major moral issues in the political decisions, actions and failures to act, of the twentieth century in the light of the tradition of the cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance), Hellwig's work explores the moral implications of the political life in our own times.
This book is concerned with a contemporary appraisal of our Catholic heritage, with an attempt to describe coherently what it is that we have to pass on to newcomers and to future generations. Thus there is a whole range of questions concerning those to whom this heritage is offered that this book does not attempt to discuss at all -- most importantly the question concerning the age at which ritual and community experiences and explanations might be offered and the many questions concerning mode and techniques of communication." [Introduction].
That lay women and men increasingly serve as leaders of institutional ministries in the Church is nothing new. Yet, until now, these lay leaders have longed for theological resources and formational training to help them in their vocation and ministry. Called and Chosen: Toward a Spirituality for Lay Leaders is designed especially for women and men who, in collaboration with vowed religious and the ordained, shepherd Church ministries and touch the lives of countless people. Written by leading authorities in biblical studies, theology, spirituality, church history, and ecclesial leadership, the book is broken into four parts: Part one invites lay leaders to claim their own call and commitment by reflecting on the Catholic vision of spirituality, vocation, mission and ministry, and the experiences of other leaders. Part two grounds their work in the larger story of our institutional ministries by examining their biblical, theological, and historical roots. Part three probes the work of the Spirit in communities and institutions, against the backdrop of contemporary cultural realities, to help leaders develop the capacity to discern the Spirit's workings. Part four focuses on issues central to the role of a spiritual leader: the spirituality of administration, the task of building community, the use of power and authority and work of forming and mentoring others. Questions at the end of each chapter invite further reflection on the themes explored.
This book defends a startling idea: that the age-old theological and philosophical problems of original sin and evil, long thought intractable, have already been solved. The solution has come from the very scientific discovery that many consider the most mortal threat to traditional religion: evolution. Daryl P. Domning explains in straightforward terms the workings of modern evolutionary theory, Darwinian natural selection, and how this has brought forth life and the human mind. He counters objections to Darwinism that are raised by some believers and emphasizes that the evolutionary process necessarily enforces selfish behavior on all living things. This account of both physical and moral evil is arguably more consistent with traditional Christian teachings than are the explanations given by most contemporary "evolutionary" theologians themselves. The prominent theologian, Monika K. Hellwig, dialogues with Daryl Domning throughout the book to present a balanced reappraisal of the doctrine of original sin from both a scientist's and theologian's perspective.
In a time when the global and national economies seem to favor so few and harm so many, when the threats to the common good are so prevalent and so deep, how do people of faith think about these issues and act with those who are most vulnerable? Living the Catholic Social Tradition: Cases and Commentary addresses these challenges through contemporary theory and research conducted within the framework of the rich Catholic social tradition. Co-editors Kathleen Maas Weigert and Alexia Kelley combine four essays from leading scholars with eight concrete case studies based on community social justice projects across the country. This unique combination of theory and reflective practice provides university students and adult learners with a framework for understanding the Catholic social tradition and a demonstration of its positive social impact on the people it serves. The reader first learns about the challenges facing Catholic universities in educating the current generation about the Catholic social tradition. The next essays provide insights into the ways in which the tradition frames and contributes to social change; approaches to understanding the key concepts and documents that make up the tradition; and an understanding of the forces confronting change agents in major metropolitan areas. Undertaken by younger scholars and activists, the eight case studies tackle the issues that grass roots groups and visionary leaders face as they try to bring about positive change in their communities. Living the Catholic Social Tradition will help readers assess and address different social justice issues within the framework of Catholic social thought. In that process, readers are called upon to think how they might not only contribute to the tradition, but develop it further, thus bringing the Catholic social tradition alive in contemporary times.
In a series of chapters dealing with topics such as TWhat is sin' and TWhat authority does the local church have?', this volume summarises for the general reader what modern Roman Catholic theologians have written about such contentious issues. The book is something of a sequel to the author's TWhat Are the Theologians Saying?', written soon after the Second Vatican Council, around 20 years ago. Each chapter concludes with an annotated guide to further reading. Indexed. The author is Professor of Theology at Georgetown University, USA.
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