Theology Of Religions Research Articles

Refugee migration today

Constructing theological resources is a crucial task in the current context of refugee crises to support the refugees in distress as well as to encourage Christians to come forward, protect and welcome them, and persuade states to do so. One way of doing this is to bring the reality of migration to the centre of theological reflection, which can influence the way theologizing is done today. Drawing methodological insights from liberation theologies, a theology of migration will involve interpretation of the foundational beliefs and theological concepts in Christianity in the light of migration, emphasize an active Christian public engagement and enable the rethinking of theology of religions and interreligious dialogue as migrants bring with them multiple religious traditions, identities and worldviews.

The Significance of Troeltsch’s Glaubenslehre in the Context of Theology of Religion: In the Milieu of multi-religious Situation of Korea

The Significance of Troeltsch’s Glaubenslehre in the Context of Theology of Religion: In the Milieu of multi-religious Situation of Korea

Conceptual enquiry and the experience of “the transcendent”: John Hick’s contribution to the dialogue

ABSTRACTJohn Hick (1922–2012) was an influential analytical philosopher of religion and liberal Christian philosophical theologian who taught in Britain and the United States. His work on religious epistemology, the theology of religions and, to some extent, eschatology has close links with his understanding of the philosophy of religious experience. This paper offers a detailed analysis and critical evaluation of these significant elements of Hick’s philosophical and theological thought, focusing in particular on his theory of religious knowledge and the role played by religious concepts within religious experience, and the relevance of these reflections for his pluralistic account of the variety of religions and his criterion of religious truth. Hick’s response to the challenges of contemporary neuroscience and the philosophy of mind is also reviewed. The paper reflects on the relevance of these views to accounts of an experience of transcendent reality collected through the empirical psychology of religion.

Convergence or Divergence in Theology of Religions?

If there is an ongoing convergence in understanding of mission between the two traditions of the global church named as conciliar and evangelical, can we trace this in the theology of religions? This study investigates this question by studying two recent and comprehensive mission documents,Together towards Life(ttl) and theCape Town Commitment(ctc). Theology of religions is a topic fundamental and decisive for understanding the nature of Christian mission. The article concludes that the World Council of Churches (wcc) seemed to come closest to the evangelical theology of religions in the years leading up to 1989. Throughttl, thewccofficially seems to confirm an inclusivism with a wider opening towards pluralist aspects. The evangelical emphasis on proclamation, truth and uniqueness of Christ inctcis not compatible with this development. A shift of direction in theology of religions since 1989 is detectable inttl, while evangelical theology of religions is relatively stable in its fundamental thinking.如果在协会派与福音派这两种普世教会的传统中，对宣教的认识有融合的话，那么我们能否在它们的宗教神学中追溯到些什么呢？本文就此对Together towards Life(ttl) 和Cape Town Commitment(ctc) 两份复杂的宣教文献进行研究考查。宗教神学是对基督教宣教本质的理解最基本也是最根本的课题。本文得出的结论是。普世协会 (wcc) 似乎在1989年前的几年，与福音派的宗教神学最贴近。透过ttl，wcc正式确认了其对多元主义完全敞开的包容主义，而福音派着重的宣告，真理及基督的独一性是与此发展互不兼容的。自 1989 年以来， 可以找到ttl里宗教神学的改变，而福音派的宗教神学其基本思想却是相对稳定的。Si existe en realidad un proceso de convergencia en la comprensión de la misión entre las dos tradiciones de la iglesia mundial: la conciliar y la evangélica; ¿podemos descubrirlo en la teología de las religiones? Para responder a esta pregunta, este estudio analiza dos documentos exhaustivos y recientes sobre la misión: Juntos por la vida (ttl, siglas en inglés) y el Compromiso de Ciudad del Cabo (ctc, siglas en inglés). La teología de las religiones es un tema fundamental y decisivo para comprender la naturaleza de la misión cristiana.El artículo concluye que el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (wcc, siglas en inglés) parece acercarse más a la teología evangélica de las religiones perteneciente a los años anteriores a 1989. A través dettl, elwccparece confirmar oficialmente un inclusivismo con una apertura más amplia hacia aspectos pluralistas. El énfasis evangélico sobre la proclamación, la verdad y la singularidad de Cristo enctcno parece compatible con este proceso. Se detecta enttlun cambio de orientación en la teología de las religiones desde 1989, mientras que la teología evangélica de las religiones es relativamente invariable en su pensamiento fundamental.This article is in English.

Fifty Years and Learning: Developments in the Roman Catholic Church's Encounter with Religions

In this article the author argues that the Roman Catholic Church does not have a firm theological position on other religions, as its engagement with them as partners in dialogue has emerged only since the Second Vatican Council. The article provides an overview of the Roman Catholic Church's theology and teachings on non-Christian religions, beginning with the council's shortest, but by no means least-significant, document, Nostra aetate. The author claims that an examination of Nostra aetate's redaction history, the text itself, and the text in relation to other conciliar texts, reveals an optimistic view of salvation and other religions. The author then traces further doctrinal developments in the magisterium of John Paul ii. The length of his papacy, coupled with his personal commitment to dialogue, resulted in significant developments and milestones. The teachings of Benedict xvi and Francis are briefly surveyed. A last section explores ever-evolving theologies and practices that shape the church's approach to other religions today: comparative theology, theologies of dialogue, and theologies of religion.

‘Responsible Interim’: Revising Hermeneutics and Ethics in the Era of Globalization and Religious Plurality. Philosophical and Sociological Reflections on the Modern State of Religion

AbstractComing from a more comparative point of view as far as Theology of Religions and Interreligious Studies are concerned – though to a certain extent as well as a pluralist in the sense of hope for universal understanding and well-being – I want to ask how Interreligious and Intercultural Hermeneutics are a necessary tool when we try to set up minimal standards for a Global Ethics in the reality of nowadays multicultural societies. I introduce for Ethics as well as for Hermeneutics the concept of ‘Responsible Interim’ – the latter reflecting the fact that human beings do have universals only under the ‘eschatological reserve’ (in Christian terminology), as ‘Suchness in Emptiness’ (in Buddhist terminology). I will proceed from universal truth questions and more general questions of philosophy of religion towards questions of cultural i.e. religious contexts shaping ethical and religious view(s) and convictions. Can smallest common denominators be found? How does legal rule help to establish and keep them? How does society, how do individuals change by starting from a spiritual, creative and holistic and maybe even transpersonal point of view – a view of co-creation and incarnatio continua in religious, i.e. in Christian terminology again?

Toward a Trinitarian Theology of Religions: A Pentecostal-Evangelical and Missiological Elaboration

One of the most substantive efforts in recent constructive Trinitarian theology of religions is by Gerald McDermott and Harold Netland. This article interacts with their proposal and expands their ideas from a perspective that foregrounds the work of the Holy Spirit (pneumatology). While evangelical thinking about the religions can remain disjunctive at the discursive level, evangelical mission vis-à-vis those in other faiths demands a more dynamic Trinitarian praxis than that developed by the authors. I thus propose a more pneumatologically informed Trinitarian theology of holistic Christian mission to undergird evangelical practice in our pluralistic world.

Paul Tillich and Pentecostal theology: spiritual presence and spiritual power

Preface Introduction: 1. Why is the Correlation between Paul Tillich and Pentecostal Theology Important, and Who Cares? Amos Yong 2. Spiritual Power and Spiritual Presence: Contemporary Renaissance in Pneumatology in Light of a Dialogue between Pentecostal Theology and Tillich Veli-Matti Karkkainen 3. Spirit and Nature: Pentecostal Pneumatology in Dialogue with Tillich's Pneumatological Ontology Wolfgang Vondey 4. To the Ground of Being and Beyond: Toward a Pentecostal Engagement with Ontology Rhys Kuzmi 5. God as Being and Trinity: Pentecostal-Tillichian Interrogations Steven M. Studebaker 6. Tillich's Picture of Jesus as the Christ: Toward a Theology of the Spirit's Saving Presence Terry L. Cross 7. Spiritual Presence: Role of Pneumatology in Paul Tillich's Theology Frank D. Macchia 8. Pneumatological Participation: Embodiment, Sacramentality, and the Multidimensional Unity of Life Andreas Nordlander 9. Tillich's Sacramental Spirituality in a New Key: A Feminist Pentecostal Proposal Lisa P. Stephenson 10. Political Theology from Tillich to Pentecostalism in Africa Nimi Wariboko 11. What Have Pentecostals to do with The Religion of the Concrete Spirit? Tillich's Theology of Religions in Twenty-First Century Global Renewal Context Tony Richie 12. Demonic from the Protestant Era to the Pentecostal Era: An Intersection of Tillichian and Pentecostal Demonologies and its Implications David Bradnick 13. Eschatology in the Theology of Paul Tillich and the 'Toronto Blessing': Ontological and Relational Implications of Love Peter Althouse 14. Paul Tillich, Pentecostalism, and the Early Frankfurt School: A Critical Constellation Pamela Holmes Response: 15. Socialist Spirit in Tillich, Pentecostalism, and the Neoliberal Demonic Today Mark Lewis Taylor 16. A Spirited Encounter: Promise of Ecstasis and the Constraints of Supranaturalism John J. Thatamanil List of Contributors Index

Beyond denial and exclusion: The history of relations between Christians and Muslims in the Cape Colony during the 17th–18th centuries with lessons for a post-colonial theology of religions

Learning from the past prepares one for being able to cope with the future. History is made up of strings of relationships. This article follows a historical line from colonialism, through apartheid to post-colonialism in order to illustrate inter-religious relations in South-Africa and how each context determines these relations. Social cohesion is enhanced by a post-colonial theology of religions based on the current context. By describing the relationship between Christians and Muslims during the 17th–18th centuries in the Cape Colony, lessons can be deduced to guide inter-religious relations in a post-colonial era in South Africa. One of the most prominent Muslim leaders during the 17th century in the Cape Colony was Sheik Yusuf al-Makassari. His influence determined the future face of Islam in the Cape Colony and here, during the 18th century, ethics started playing a crucial role in determining the relationship between Christians and Muslims. The ethical guidance of the Imams formed the Muslim communities whilst ethical decline was apparent amongst the Christian colonists during the same period. The place of ethics as determinative of future inter-religious dialogue is emphasised. Denial and exclusion characterised relationships between Christians and Muslims. According to a post-colonial understanding of inter-religious contact the equality and dignity of non-Christian religions are to be acknowledged. In the postcolonial and postapartheid struggle for equality, also of religions, prof Graham Duncan, to whom this article is dedicated, contributed to the process of acknowledging the plurality of the religious reality in South Africa.

Introducing the Astley–Francis Theology of Religions Index: construct validity among 13- to 15-year-old students

The ‘theology of religions’ is concerned with the interpretation and evaluation of the divergent truth-claims and views of salvation that are asserted or implied by different religious traditions. This study proposes a new multi-choice index that distinguishes between six current positions within the theology of religions, characterised as Atheism, Agnosticism, Exclusionism, Inclusivism, Pluralism, and Interreligious perspective, with a further subdivision between two expressions of the pluralism perspective. The construct validity of this new measure is supported by the performance of the instrument in respect of a network of theories (regarding how these different positions may relate to the factors of sex, age, personal religiosity and attitude toward religious diversity) among a sample of 10,754 13- to 15-year-old students from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Karl Barth’s Theology as a Resource for a Christian Theology of Religions, written by Sven Ensminger

Karl Barth’s Theology as a Resource for a Christian Theology of Religions, written by Sven Ensminger

Pluralismo religioso, direitos humanos e democracia

<p>Apresenta os resultados de pesquisa realizada em torno de questões que emergem do quadro de pluralismo religioso e se relacionam com a temática da defesa dos direitos humanos e com aspectos em torno dos processos de aprofundamento da democracia. Metodologicamente, foi priorizado em um primeiro momento um balanço de questões que demarcam o caminho para uma teologia ecumênica das religiões, pois elas geram novas perspectivas teológicas para os temas tratados. Em seguida, destacamos (i) aspectos da tendência atual dos processos de privatização das experiências religiosas, com a premissa que tais aspectos não favorecem a relação religião e direitos humanos, e (ii) as relações entre teologia ecumênica e direitos humanos, privilegiando o diálogo com a noção de globalização contra-hegemônica, de Boaventura de Souza Santos Entre os resultados da pesquisa, destacamos bases teóricas que mostram que faz-se necessária para a teologia das religiões uma atenção especial à articulação entre a capacidade de diálogo dos grupos religiosos e os desafios em torno da defesa dos direitos humanos. Também indicamos que uma espiritualidade ecumênica que emerge do pluralismo religioso terá como valor a dimensão de alteridade e isso incidirá nos processos religiosos e sociais, favorecendo perspectivas utópicas, democráticas e doadoras de sentido.</p>

Novas fronteiras do pluralismo religioso

<p>Como entender a crescente população, no Brasil e no mundo, que não tem afiliação religiosa: os sem religião? Estaríamos entrando em uma era irreligiosa ou pós-religiosa, na qual restaria das religiões tradicionais, em todas as latitudes, apenas uma espiritualidade introspectiva de meditação silenciosa? Essa modelização da religiosidade não é funcional ao onipresente sistema de dominação capitalista – e ao seu “evangelho” liberal? A educação religiosa, no contexto de complexidade dessa nova “aldeia global”, com seu pluralismo religioso e pós-religioso, poderia ou deveria tratar apenas das dimensões pedagógicas que existem entre e para além de todas as tradições de fé? Estaríamos caminhando para a possibilidade até de uma teologia geral das religiões e uma teologia pós-religiões, que vá além não de uma religião, mas das religiões enquanto tais, e seja centrada na espiritualidade? Ou tal pretensão teológica não passa de uma filosofia (equivocada) da história? Este artigo, partindo da metodologia teórica, ensaia as primeiras respostas para essas questões.</p>

Karl Barth’s Theology as a Resource for a Christian Theology of Religions by Sven Ensminger

<i>Karl Barth’s Theology as a Resource for a Christian Theology of Religions</i> by Sven Ensminger

Book Review: A Trinitarian Theology of Religions: An Evangelical Proposal. By Gerald McDermott and Harold Netland

Book Review: A Trinitarian Theology of Religions: An Evangelical Proposal. By Gerald McDermott and Harold Netland

Finding God in Buddhism: A New Trend in Contemporary Buddhist Approaches to Islam

The purported absence of a highest god who creates and governs the universe in the Buddhist worldview has often been regarded as an obstacle to dialogue and mutual understanding between Buddhists and Muslims. However, there has emerged a trend among contemporary Buddhist scholars to discuss a Buddhist equivalent of such a god in order to relate to Islam doctrinally. This article examines three examples of such an attempt, respectively representing the Theravāda, Tibetan, and Japanese Pure Land traditions, as endeavors in the theology of religions. The article demonstrates that these accounts all seek to overcome the psychological gap between Buddhists and Muslims created by perceived doctrinal remoteness between the two traditions, by drawing parallels between the Islamic concept of God and Buddhist notions of the ultimate reality, be it the dhamma, emptiness, Adi Buddha, or Amida Buddha. It will be argued that, although highly unconventional, this line of approach has been motivated by the agenda shared among these Buddhist scholars to promote interreligious harmony and understanding on a global scale. Such agendas tend to be developed in reaction to interreligious conflicts or through personal involvement with Muslims.

Gerald R. McDermott and Harold A. Netland, A Trinitarian Theology of Religions: An Evangelical Proposal

Gerald R. McDermott and Harold A. Netland, <i>A Trinitarian Theology of Religions: An Evangelical Proposal</i>

Mission on the Move for Justice and Peace

Mission on the move: Toward witnessing in religiously plural societies "Mission on the Move" means mission still moving out of traditional perceptions of what mission is; and if "witness" is a new word for mission, it means re-conceptualizing what "witness" means in multi-faith/ religiously plural societies. This is a difficult process as the concept of "mission" carries with it a long history and biblical authority. Further, it has often been aligned with political powers and misused for non-religious purposes. Its practice has focused on converting the other into one's own religious likeness rather than sharing (in a variety of ways) the transformative power of the gospel in one's own life. The European Project for Interreligious Learning (EPIL) is an educational project for Christian and Muslim women from five countries in Europe and the Middle East. It is a two-year intensive learning process that was originally developed and launched as a cooperation by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Protestant Academy Boldern, Switzerland. It owes much to concepts of ecumenical learning and "Learning in Community" and to the liberation pedagogy of Paulo Freire. The first phase of this project (comprising three cycles) took place 2000-2013. In the course of each two-year cycle, participants spent five weeks in live-in situations where they had to deal with cultural and religious differences and explore how these might be harnessed to live more peacefully and fairly. "Interreligious dialogue and engagement should be the way for religions to relate to one another." This statement from the Birmingham Pluralist Summit (September 2003) (1) was the basis of the learning process. There would be no proselytizing and no attempt at missionization on either side. For the Christian participants in EPIL, this marked a relational shift from "mission" (as a hierarchical relationship) to witnessing in the form of presence to and with "the other." Learnings about religion became narratives and conversation--telling each other what religion meant concretely in the lives of participants. It was a work of "translation" that taught students more and at a deeper level about their own faiths than about the faith of the respective other. At the same time it heightened the students' sense of respect, even awe at the richness of religious experiences. And in the course of time it developed into something close to "the communication of love in action," (2) an attentiveness to the needs of the other woman, her limitations, her potential, and the realization of her humanness. If the classical response to "the other" used to be fear of difference (with all the consequences, including suppression and even elimination of the other) there has occurred a shift to valuing diversity, to perceiving it as enriching and helpful in solving the many problems of daily living together. In the discourse developing on a pluralist "theology of religions"/ "interreligious theology" we observe a shift from holding one's own religious truths as only truths (exclusivist approach) to acknowledging that "the great world religions with their diverse teachings and practices constitute authentic paths to the supreme Good." (3) To be "on the move" then could refer in a sense to a concept of living together in complex societies with a multitude of cultural expressions and religious beliefs. A concept that allows us to be attentive to insights and ideas emerging in many locations and that preserves a certain fluidity and openness to different ways of life and different approaches to problem solving. This works on the assumption that cooperation, respect, and acceptance of the different religious perspectives can produce results that draw all into the process of building life together within a culture of justice and peace. Being "on the move": EPIL's pedagogical concept In the educational process of EPIL, being on the move has been the most decisive factor. …

Method, Meaning, and the Theologies of Religions

The theologies of religions respond to important questions about the meaning of Christian faith in a religiously pluralistic world, but the debates among their various positions are often criticized for militating against actual engagement with the world’s religions. Most often these theologies presume the need for a framework that relates Christianity to the religions. This article uses the work of Bernard Lonergan to propose foundations for a theology of religions that undercuts the imposition of conceptualist frameworks, attends to the yet unfolding histories of Christianity and the religions, and grounds Christian doctrine in the context of pluralism.

The theology of religions revisited

This article begins by responding to the challenges and criticisms coming from those who reviewed The Second Vatican Council on Other Religions. It insists on the need to examine other living faiths as ways not only of salvation but also of (divine) revelation (which elicits human faith). A positive view of other religions (1) does not undermine missionary proclamation, and (2) should be strengthened by invoking the intercessory priesthood of Christ (the ‘sacerdotal principle’) and the force of love that empowers prayer for others. To conclude, the article pleads for an integral interpretation of Vatican II texts that examines not only the authorial intentions but also the reception of the texts and the insights coming from readers (including popes, bishops and theologians).