Books in the Studies in Theology, Society and Culture series

This book commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, which concluded in 1965. A selection of essays by distinguished Irish theologians offers an objective assessment of the historical reception and pastoral implementation of Vatican II in Ireland with the benefit of half a century's hindsight.

This book offers a comparative theological exploration of the challenges and opportunities presented by the Qur'anic representation of Christianity as the People of the Book, ahl al-kitab, in the Qur'anic commentary tradition. It explores the use of the term in the context of our increasingly interconnected and pluralist societies.

This book is a theological reflection on the broken state of faith and of the Catholic Church in Ireland, following more than two decades of revelations of institutional and child sexual abuse and the Church's now acknowledged failure to respond to the abuse in an appropriate way. This has resulted in broken lives, broken faith and a broken church.

This book explores the concept of reconciliation from a theological point of view, presenting a new model of the theology of reconciliation within the context of Northern Ireland. Through the use of narrative research, it aims to give a voice to those peacebuilders who are using reconciliation as a common theme within the Northern Irish context.

This book studies the historical, religious and political concerns of the Iraqi Shi'i community as interpreted by the members of that community who now live in the United Kingdom and Ireland, following the 2003-2010 war and occupation in Iraq. It opens up a creative space to explore dialogue between Islam and the West, looking at issues such as intra-Muslim conflict, Muslim-Christian relations, the changing face of Arab Islam and the experience of Iraq in the crossfire of violence and terrorism - all themes which are currently emerging in preaching and in discussion among Iraqi Shi'a in exile. The book's aim is to explore possibilities for dialogue with Iraqi Shi'i communities who wish, in the midst of political, social and religious transition, to engage with elements of Christian theology such as pastoral and liberation theology.

In the twenty-five years since his death, Karl Rahner moved from being the most celebrated Roman Catholic theologian of the twentieth century to among the most neglected of the twenty-first. This title attempts to redress this imbalance, with the contributors treating all the major themes and legacies of his theology.

Examines David Coffey's treatment of the relation of Spirit Christology to Logos Christology, his reformulation of Rahner's axiom, and his suggestion that Spirit Christology offers an 'ascending' basis for a 'mutual love' Pneumatology, in the service of a renewed trinitarian theology.

How can one believe in a God of love amid all the evil and suffering found in the world? How does one do theology 'after Auschwitz', while vast numbers of people still have to endure violent oppression every day? This book seeks to address such questions from a standpoint informed by life in Africa, which in the face of extraordinary difficulties bears witness to Gospel hope by demonstrating forgiveness in action and promoting reconciliation. The work unfolds in two parts. In the first part, a description of the misery that characterises much of life in Africa in the recent past opens up to a theological consideration of the underlying causes and of God's response to them. In the second part, the joy which is so characteristic of life in Africa even in places of immense suffering sets the scene for detailed reflections on liturgy, memory, forgiveness and hope.

Where is our economy heading? What human qualities are being eroded as we rely on the modern market mechanism to coordinate our daily lives? This book poses a theological challenge to contemporary economic life through a re-discovery of the historical roots of the theological covenant in society.

This book aims to explore the reality of dual religious belonging and to promote a better understanding of this concept. With this purpose in mind, the author examines changes in the global religious landscape in recent decades and analyses the theory of dual (or multiple) belonging, as well as discussing dual religious 'belongers' such as Henri Le Saux, Jules Monchanin, Bede Griffiths and Raimundo Panikkar. The book also explores the critical elements of a theology of dual belonging by examining the sense of 'self'; the Buddhist idea of 'no-self'; religious identity; the symbol as a means of divine communication; the notion of truth; and the concept of how God speaks through different religions. Finally, the author considers the crucial idea of 'conversion' or 'transformation'.

Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, there was prolific misuse and abuse of the concept of divine wrath in church pulpits. In pursuit of a faithful understanding of what he calls a lost doctrine, the author of this study investigates the substantial history of how the wrath of God has been interpreted in Christian theology and preaching. Starting with the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures and moving historically through Christianity's most important theologians and societal changes, several models of divine wrath are identified. The author argues for the reclamation of a theological paradigm of divine wrath that approaches God's love and God's wrath as intrinsically enjoined in a dynamic tension. Without such a commitment to this paradigm, this important biblical aspect of God is in danger of suffering two possible outcomes. Firstly, it may suffer rejection, through conscious avoidance of the narrow misinterpretations of divine wrath that dominate contemporary theology and preaching. Secondly, irresponsible applications of divine wrath may occur when we neglect to engage and understand the wrath of God as inseparable from God's justice and love in Christian theology and proclamation.

This book investigates the "Gospel of Prosperity" preached by charismatic and neo-Pentecostal churches in Ghana, surveying its historical and ideological background, analysing its specific context within Ghana and finally looking at its theological and soteriological relevance compared with classical Christian (especially Catholic) teaching.