Økumenik

Faithful Teaching is the twelfth dialogue of the U.S. Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue. It seeks greater mutual understanding of the two communions' respective processes of faithful teaching. In challenging times, the call to continue to preach and teach the gospel together resounds with new urgency.

Was heißt »Lehre« in den lutherischen Kirchen? Woran orientiert sie sich? Wie entsteht Verbindlichkeit? Welche Instanzen und Prozesse der Lehrbeurteilung haben sich entwickelt? Wer kann Lehrfragen wie entscheiden? Die vorliegende Studie stellt zunächst gegenwärtige Strukturen der Lehrverständigung im deutschen Luthertum dar und entfaltet exemplarisch historische Fallstudien lutherischer Lehrverantwortung (Bultmann-Kontroverse; Frauenordination; Apartheid; Rechtfertigungslehre). Ein zweiter Teil skizziert die Entstehung lutherischer Lehr- und Bekenntnisnormen im 16. Jh. und verfolgt im historischen Längsschnitt die Entwicklung von Konzepten kirchlicher Lehrverbindlichkeit bis in die Gegenwart. Abschließende Thesen erschließen die Relevanz lutherischer Lehrverantwortung für die ökumenischen Dialoge. [Doctrinal Responsibility - a Lutheran Perspective]What does »doctrine« mean in Lutheran churches? What is it based upon? How is it made binding? What instances and processes of doctrinal judgment have developed? Who can decide doctrinal questions and how? This study first presents current structures of doctrinal understanding in German Lutheranism and unfolds exemplary historical case studies of Lutheran doctrinal responsibility (Bultmann controversy; ordination of women; apartheid; doctrine of justification). A second part outlines the emergence of Lutheran doctrinal and confessional norms in the 16th century and traces the development of concepts of ecclesial doctrinal commitment in a historical cross-section up to the present. Concluding theses explore the relevance of Lutheran doctrinal responsibility for ecumenical dialogues.

Whatever Works is a unique collection of writing by feminists of diverse faiths from around the world. This anthology combines personal essays, poems, and academic musings with the goal of sparking conversations among women of all faith backgrounds. Religion plays a key role in defining and maintaining value systems, and yet it is often disregarded within feminism itself. This book shares the stories of highly diverse women with the hope that we can find collective solutions to the global problems that plague women and girls living under patriarchy.

This volume includes chapters that explain the basic tenets of Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism. Experts in their fields have written these chapters for the sole purpose of presenting their spiritual tradition in as transparent and accessible a form as possible.

C.S. Lewis¿s enlightened, foundational respect for the Jews as God¿s chosen people is a feature in much of his apologetic and theological writing. Although as a boy and young man Lewis reflected much of the implicit anti-Semitism inherent in the public-school-educated Edwardian establishment, this was replaced by deep respect when he became a Christian. Later on, Lewis¿s understanding was much enhanced by his wife, Joy Davidman (m. 1956); born to American Jewish parents, she was an adult convert to Yeshua Ha Mashiach - Jesus Christ - and Lewis referred to her as a Jewish Christian.A Hebraic Inkling examines in depth this Jewish-Hebrew influence in Lewis¿ life and works. Analysing some of his key writings in theology, philosophy, literature and apologetics, his rigorous stand against anti-Semitism and affinity for Jewish literature and culture is outlined, as well as his vision of how Christians are enfolded into the chosen people. This respect and affinity extended to Lewis¿ own family; when one of Joy¿s children sought to return to his mother¿s birth-faith, Lewis moved all to accommodate his wishes and raise him as a Jew, after Joy¿s untimely death.

The first edition of this work was translated into several languages, including Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese and others. When Sathya Sai Baba left His body in 2010, devotees know that he will take birth in the future to deal with a world in crisis and bring about the Golden Age of a transformed human race. The book summarises the main teachings of Sai Baba in terms familiar to Christians and shows how He meets the prophesied comings of many faiths.

Mother Teresa’s collected writings offer inspiration and guidance for all spiritual seekers.“This book’s contents and title say it all. Mother Teresa is a role model for each of us. Pray we may become as she was, and heal the world by using prayer to lead us on the path to spirituality and God.” —Bernie Siegel, M.D.St. Teresa of Calcutta, the woman we all knew as Mother Teresa, was a devout Catholic nun, deeply devoted to Jesus. She expressed her ceaseless devotion in many ways, central among them her well-known work with the poor and the sick. Her lesser-known expressions of faith included her deep respect for all religions and her burning wish for all people to grow closer to God. With a longing to reach as many souls as possible, she wrote, “I’ve always said we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better Catholic.”This carefully arranged collection of Mother Teresa’s writings promises to both inspire and guide all people, from any or no faith tradition, who are seeking to find and walk a spiritual path.

The sacred text of the Psalms, along with musical tunes, provides a robust context for religious dialogue. This book proposes a creative strategy for building Muslim-Christian friendship by using the lyrical poetry of the Psalms translated into the vernacular and composed in culturally relevant music.

Everyday Wisdom is an introduction for lived religion, interreligious studies, and interfaith engagement and leadership. Tying together the aims and learning objectives of interreligious-studies courses, the book proposes a framework for interreligious studies and interfaith leadership, aiming to be a core text in undergraduate and graduate study.

A Bible-only rosary! This booklet uses the traditional pattern of the Catholic rosary to meditate on the life of Christ, using only the Bible in order to foster communal prayer between Catholic and non-Catholic Christians.

Jesus in the Hands of Buddha is an enthralling memoir of Father Shigeto Oshida, a man who was at once a Japanese Zen Buddhist master and a Catholic Dominican priest. Guided by the hand of God and the Buddha dharma, he became the founder and director of the Takamori Hermitage in the Japanese Alps, a place where pilgrims have been drawn for decades. He was a unique pioneer in the encounter between religions East to West who felt he was led to the Catholic faith and the priesthood by a trick of God. Overwhelmed by the weight of European-styled Catholic culture inundating the Catholic Church in Japan, Oshida received permission from his superiors to strike out on his own and listen to the voice of God while remaining a Dominican priest and Zen master, thus becoming both hermit and healer in a community of pilgrims-the sick, the poor, and the disenchanted from around the world.

This volume presents different approaches to the concept of religion. Religion in modern societies is undergoing accelerated change. Traditional religious forms are dissolving and being overlaid with or replaced by new ones. This poses particular challenges for analyses of the current religious situation, which already presuppose an understanding of religion. But it is precisely this that is disputed in academic discourse about it. Against the background of this complex situation, this volume turns to the transformations of religion. It brings together inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to religion and its definition. In this way, it takes into account the fact that the transformations of religion can only be grasped by incorporating diverse methodological approaches.