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In The Existential Philosophy of Etty Hillesum Meins G.S. Coetsier breaks new ground by demonstrating the Jewish existential nature of Etty Hillesum’s spiritual and cultural life in light of the writings of Martin Buber, Emmanuel Levinas and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Hillesum’s diaries and letters, written between 1941 and 1943, illustrate her struggle to come to terms with her personal life in the context of the Second World War and the Shoah. By finding God under the rubble of the horrors, she rediscovers the divine presence between humankind, while taking up responsibility for the Other as a way to embrace justice and compassion. In a fascinating, accessible and thorough study, Coetsier dispels much of the confusion that assails readers when they are exposed to the bewildering range of Christian and Jewish influences and other cultural interpretations of her writings. The result is a convincing and profound picture of Etty Hillesum's path to spiritual freedom.
After moving for ten plus years towards an ever closer union, the European Union and its citizens now face the choice whether to establish a full-fledged common polity. This decision requires a Europe-wide debate that includes the candidate states. European citizens must discuss what (if any) common values, principles and basic policies they share. A European identity involves the Union's institutions becoming rooted in the "soul" of the citizens, whatever its relationship might be to the existing national and local identities. Only then will the EU possess democratic legitimacy and support. These two volumes are written by authors with a political and intellectual interest in the European p...
The theory and data of environmental science suggest that growth in rates of population, consumption and environmental degradation, as a result of the activities of industrialized societies, has created an ecological crisis to which modern societies must adapt. However, adaptation is problematic. Max Weber studied adaptive social change during the industrial revolution. The evolution of this new way of life was initially problematic because individuals who established industrialism were socialized under feudalism. In this dissertation, I consider The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism as a theoretical treatise framed by modern human ecology in order to study social change in the c...
In our mobile world, travel memoirs are a staple. And books about prayer line the shelves of readers who seek to grow spiritually through the timeless practice of conversing with God. But books combining travel with prayer are rare, and it is within this void that Daniel Pawley's masterful memoir of traveling the world, with prayer as its backdrop, establishes itself as an essential companion to both subjects. Starting with a travel/prayer template bequeathed in childhood by his parents, Pawley then recalls life-altering experiences as an adult in fifty locations spread across six continents, each illuminated by the soulful prayers of ancient and modern seekers. Inspired stops in places like exotic Bali and raucous Morocco, as well as pain-framed settings such as Chernobyl and Auschwitz, combine to weave a tapestry seen more vibrantly in prayer's revealing light. The result is a narrative of prayer's mysterious ability to provide hope and stabilizing faith in a world threatened by hate, division, and unbelief.
Our history, mythologies, and even popular entertainment are filled with stories upholding the concept of sacred vows and covenants-between warriors, rulers and subjects, friends, and allies. Take, for example, King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table or the Three Musketeers. However, the concept of "blood brothers" and sworn oaths is not a product of Western Civilization as we might suspect; the history of covenants goes back to the days before Christ. So where did it originate? And how did it develop? Here Dr. Meyer van Rensburg seeks to answer these questions while also addressing the significance of covenant in the Christian's life today. Covenant: God's Love-deal with us provides a vast...
In the last years of his life, Dietrich Bonhoeffer began work on an idea that he called unbewußtes Christentum, "unconscious Christianity." While Bonhoeffer’s other ideas from this period have been extensively studied and are important in the field of theology and beyond, this idea has been almost completely ignored. For the first time in Bonhoeffer scholarship, Eleanor McLaughlin provides a definition of unconscious Christianity, based on a close reading and analysis of the texts in which Bonhoeffer mentioned the term. From a variety of surviving texts, from a scribbled marginal note in his Ethics manuscript to the fiction he wrote in prison, she constructs a detailed definition of unconscious Christianity that sheds light not only on Bonhoeffer’s late work but his theological development as a whole.
In Healing, author Sherrie M. Steiner promotes social change to grapple with the global environmental problems that threaten our collective future. The book combines scientific and faith-based motives to compel the reader to participate in social renewal. In Healing, Steiner mixes hard-hitting realism with hopeful possibility in her assessment of the vulnerabilities of modern civilization. Steiner addresses numerous socio-political issues, including economic growth, energy policy, and sustainability. Ultimately, however, she says that it is the choices we make about who we become in the days ahead that will determine our healing. Technically, this book is about environmental sustainability, but the subtext is altogether quite different. This is a book about a future filled with hope.
This Handbook offers an overview of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's (1906-1945) biography and intellectual context; his contributions to all areas of doctrinal theology, ethics and public life; the significance of his thought for some contemporary issues and debates; and an evaluation of some existing resources for studying Bonhoeffer.