bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Theology of the Cross and Theologies of Liberation
Authors: Wells Harold
Published: March 2013

"Theology of the cross" (as identified by Luther in contrast to "theology of glory") is most authentically itself in our time when it appropriates the key insights of "theology of liberation." Conversely, theology of liberation best fulfils its potential in the service of God's reign when, in faithfulness to Jesus Christ, it seeks to be a theologia cruces. This discussion is fitting, I believe, for a publication in honour of Professor David Demson, who is an unswerving advocate of theology of the cross in its commitment to solus Christus and sola gratia, and at the same time a sympathetic critic of the theologies of liberation.
For or Against the Nations: Yoder and Hauerwas, What's the Difference?
Authors: Harink Douglas
Published: March 2013

Stanley Hauerwas has at many points indicated his indebtedness to the work of John Howard Yoder. So one cannot but be intrigued by the titles of two recent works by these theologians on the relationship between the people of God and the wider world. In 1985 Hauerwas published a collection of essays with the title. Against the Nations: War and Survival in a Liberal Society, which he dedicated to Yoder (and Paul Ramsey). In 1997. Yoder published a collection of essays with the title. For the Nations: Essays Public and Evangelical. What do such opposing titles reveal? Is there some basic disagreement between these two who, in the view of many, are fundamentally allies in the same ("sectarian") cause? Or do the titles simply hide a more basic agreement. and therefore mislead about the stances of the two authors?
Hermeneutics and the Apostolic Form of the Church: David Demson's Question
Authors: Healy Nicholas
Published: March 2013

David E. Demson's book, Hans Frei and Karl Barth: Different Ways of Reading Scripture, displays in exemplary fashion the careful and insightful textual analysis Professor Demson's colleagues and students have come to expect of him. Taking, as he puts it, a neutral but not impartial view (HFKB, p. vi), Demson draws upon his profound and nuanced knowledge of Barth and Frei to compare and contrast the ways in which they interpret the gospel accounts of our Lord. He argues that the most significant hermeneutical distinction between the two theologians can be seen, first, in the more concrete and direct relation Barth develops between the identity of Jesus Christ and the identities of the apostles, and, second, in the way Barth places the church's identity within the apostolic identity, and (only) thereby within Jesus Christ. In drawing attention to Frei's underdeveloped account of these relations, Demson raises a significant question—and one that is significantly formulated — regarding the relation between Christology, hermeneutics and ecclesiology.
Richard Hooker and the Debates about Predestination 1580-1600
Authors: Neelands David
Published: March 2013

Richard Hooker apparently addressed the doctrine of predestination infrequently; his words on predestination, nonetheless, raised considerable alarm at the time among his opponents and critics. This conflict signals that the topic is an important one, but there is less than consensus on what position Hooker held on predestination and on whether there is evidence that it developed or changed during his public career. Recently, Hooker's view in the 1580s has been seen as anticipating that of the Dutch scholar James Arminius. His treatment of election in The Lawes of Ecclesiasticall Politie in the 1590s has similarly been interpreted as tending to a view of predestination based on human appropriation of grace and accompanying human works, although Hooker probably "held himself back" from disclosing his full opinion because of a de facto censorship on this topic imposed in the 1590s. Again, Hooker has been seen as coming close, at the end of his life, "to espousing an Arminian doctrine," "despite the reservations about this which still lingered from his earlier indoctrination in Calvinist doctrine.”
Love's Labour Gained: A Sermon on Matthew 20:1-16: The Parable ofthe Labourers in the Vineyard
Authors: Reid Hugh
Published: March 2013

With the fulfillment of a career in view, or at least a new point of departure reached, it seems appropriate to reflect on the rewards of labour and to take a moment to rediscover the Parable of the Vineyard. I say "rediscover" because I like to try, every time I approach a text, to read it with new eyes, like a child, or "like stout Cortez" upon his peak in Darien.
Theses on the Relation of the Existence, Essence and Attributes of God
Authors: Jüngel Eberhard
Published: March 2013

Theses on the Relation of the Existence, Essence and Attributes of God
Laudatio: David E. Demson
Authors: Ziegler Philip
Published: March 2013

The retirement of a valued teacher and colleague brings with it an admixture of joy and regret-joy in the accomplishments of many years of theological endeavour, regret that this endeavour will no longer be pursued as self-evidently in our midst as it has been. Such is certainly the case with the retirement this year of David Demson as Professor of Systematic Theology at Emmanuel College in the Toronto School of Theology. Apart from brief sabbaticals, David has taught theology at Emmanuel without interruption since 1964 when he was first appointed Lecturer in Christian Doctrine. This he has done with an unflagging passion for that understanding which Christian faith rightly seeks. For many of us who encountered David in both lecture hall and seminar room over the years, it was precisely this impassioned quaerens which in us first kindled, and then repeatedly re-kindled, an ardour for the ratio of the gospel of God.
Jesus Christ: The Same Yesterday, Today and Forever
Authors: Sonderegger Katherine
Published: March 2013

I turned fifty this past summer, and since then I have been in a rather reflective frame of mind. It has been nearly thirty years since I first started reading Barth, and I have begun to reflect on Barth's significance in new ways. The old ways remain, of course: after many years, I still respect his rigour, his precision, his sheer mastery and elegance; in fact, more each time I study him. It is not news, I imagine, that Karl Barth is a great dogmatic theologian; but I really mean more than that. Unlike so many of our cultural leaders these days, and I suppose in any day, Barth's work does not become dated, or threadbare with study, but rather remains fresh; indeed it grows in power as the others against whom we used to measure him quietly recede into the past. He is a true doctor of the church, and like all doctors, confessors and martyrs, Barth teaches us still. But as I have lately reflected on this wonderful achievement of Barth's, I have been struck by how little I understood it when I first started reading the Church Dogmatics.
Tribal Movements in America: A Contemporary Theological Horizon
Authors: Starkloff Carl
Published: March 2013

It has often been argued, correctly I believe, that the mission field is the most creative laboratory for liturgical and catechetical development. The purpose of this article is to carry forward the growing awareness of the challenge emanating from the 'young churches' to the creativity of all the theological disciplines as practiced by the traditional churches. Christian scholars have, of course, long since entered into dialogues with other 'world religions' , and more recently with traditional 'primal' religions. However, with the thorough historical and phenomenological work of scholar-missionaries like Bengt Sundkler, David Barrett and Harold Turner, a new and critical sub-heading has been added to the dialogue. I refer to those movements now commonly called New Religious Movements in primal societies. In this phenomenon, the 'mainline' theologian finds himself or herself not only challenged by a tribal reality, but sees that' self' reflected back in the form of an exported Christianity now absorbed by and adapted to a particularized world view. This is no longer an exotic form of merely missiological interest, to be reserved as an academic curio. The mere existence of over five thousand 'independent churches' in Africa, the new syncretisms of tribal religion and Christianity prominent in five continents make the topic a priority for systematic and pastoral theologians both in the university and in the field. One would not presume, in this short space, to pursue the idea that the phenomenon extends into our own modem EuroAmerican religious scene in many forms!
An Afro-American / African Theological Dialogue
Authors: Roberts J.
Published: March 2013

One of the most difficult assignments for a Christian theologian who has an interest in world-wide religious phenomena is to find a framework for discussion. And yet in this time of world history, when all humans live in a global village, the task is inescapable. The confluence of cultures, the provisions of science and technology and many other facts compel us to open up the dialogue to currents of religious life, experience and thought from all peoples. It is appropriate that those of us with 'roots' in Third World cultures should consider this task an urgent and serious one.
Metatheological Reflections on Recent Christian Acknowledgement of Muhammad as Prophet: Inter-Faith Dialogue and the Academic Study of Religion
Authors: Kahn Abrahim
Published: March 2013

One of the bothersome issues for Muslims in dialogue with Christians is the reluctance of Christians to recognize the prophethood of Muhammad. According to Islamic tradition, Muhammad is the last and greatest of the prophets. His prophethood is affirmed in the Shahiidah, or witness of faith, recited daily by millions of Muslims around the world. But in the history of Christianity, the picture is quite different. Muhammad was first badly maligned, declared an incarnation of falsehood, and considered chief among the damned souls. His alleged crime was the espousing of false religion that was a combination of 'charlatanism and stupidity'. By the eighteenth century, the pejorative and distorted picture of him in the West was beginning to change. Voltaire's judgment of him was not quite as harsh as judgments in medieval Christendom. Although his greatness and abilities were acknowledged, he was still considered a villain. In 1840, Carlyle's description of him was certainly a welcome change from a completely negative assessment. In this century, studies by Tor Andrae, Montgomery Watt, Regis Blachere and others have contributed to making available to academics a more objective picture of the historical Muhammad. But the question by Muslims to Christians, for positive acknowledgement of Muhammad’s prophetic status, remains a burning one.
An Anglican Basis for Inter-Faith Encounters
Authors: Slater Peter
Published: March 2013

The main text of this article is a position paper on inter-religious relations, viewed from an Anglican point of view. This was received by the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada in June, 1986, as the preamble to a set of guidelines for interfaith dialogue which were adopted at that meeting. The names of the sub-committee members responsible for the paper are given below. I As principal author and chair of the group I was asked to present the paper to General Synod and to respond to comments on an earlier draft. By way of introduction to the paper it seems useful to recapitulate the main points of that presentation.
Interiority, Universality, and Relativity in the Psychology of C.G. Jung
Authors: Dourley John
Published: March 2013

At the core of Jung's psychology is the process he calls individuation. It is a process in which the ego consciousness of the individual is progressively pervaded by the truth and power of the self. As Jung describes it, the process of individuation, to the extent that it is realized in any life, carries with it both a sense of personal wholeness, understood as the unification of the many and often conflicting components of one's personal being, and a broadened empathy for all of life beyond one's personal being. Thus understood, the process of individuation grounds the individual in his or her deepest personal truth while relating the individual to ever widening spheres of empathy with all that is.
Magnificat: Theology by Handmaiden
Authors: Cocks Nancy
Published: March 2013

The precarious but perceptive move between exegesis and proclamation requires a double-edged hermeneutic, one side for the biblical text and the other for the audience. Therefore, preaching is both a discipline and an art. It involves the serious grappling with the message of the text conveyed through language, style, and argument. It also involves the portrayal of human experience that draws the listener through the preacher's words to meet and respond to the text. As a preacher, one can recognize the persistent subjectivity in this interpretive task, a subjectivity in which both risk and creativity combine. The preacher aims to superimpose one interpretation of a text over a 'slice of life' , as it were, to explore the productive tension between the two. The result is a transformed understanding of both text and experience, if the preacher has been skillful in portraying the mutuality between the text and the interpreting community. The risk occurs in the temptation to reduce the tension between text and experience and to allow only a single voice to emerge. Creativity is needed if the text is to argue with human experience so as to arrive at an interpretation that will engage the listeners in the exchange. The exchange between listener and text carries within it the seeds of conversion, when the redescription of experience offered in the text turns around the listener's perspective on self and / or world. Yet the 'reorientation' of the listener also involves a reorientation toward the text so that it will be heard in a new frame of reference henceforth.
The Targums and the New Testament
Authors: Steinhauser Michael
Published: March 2013

With this reflective remark of reserved enthusiasm R. Le Deaut introduces the new edition of his classical book on the New testament and the Aramaic Bible, the Targum. One cannot help note how he tempers his words with the qualification 'almost'. Unfortunately many students of theology would list themselves in the company of those who are almost familiar with the term targum and with the significance of targumic texts for the early Christian communities. Therefore the aim of this article is to introduce the student of theology to the subject of Targums and the New Testament and, in general, to the state of targumic studies.
What Do Acts of Liberation Mean for God?
Authors: Schweitzer Don
Published: March 2013

The difficulty we have in taking seriously the sacrificial tradition reflected in the Old Testament profoundly affects the manner in which we read the New and also the way we look at the liturgical patterns that developed in the early Church. I want to suggest that the worship under the Old Covenant was taken up into, and adapted by, the Church. .
Changing Perceptions in Late Antiquity: Martin of Tours
Authors: Corbett John
Published: March 2013

Martin of Tours (ca 335-397 AD) served as the dominant model of sanctity in the early medieval west. His life and impact are well documented in the work of his younger contemporary and follower Sulpicius Severus. During the fifth century Martin's reputation spread through Europe, and his cult grew along with his reputation. By the latter half of that century both were sufficient to stimulate Paulinus of Perigueux to compose a Christian epic (in six books), De Vita S. Martin. In this poem Paulinus follows Sulpicius Severus rather closely for the details of Martin's life and miraculous deeds ( virtutes) , but, throughout, his interpretations and expansions very much reflect changing perceptions of Martin, as do the further details recorded in the last book, which document and reflect contemporary experience of Martin's healing intervention. The same process continues in the sixth century, as is evident from the poetic Life of Martin by Venantius Fortunatus and the four books of his contemporary, Gregory of Tours. As Bishop of Tours, Gregory was responsible for the supervision of Martin's shrine; he thus had a unique opportunity to witness the cult of Martin from close at hand. It seems that the 'social role' of the saint fixed by the mid sixth century (at the latest) was in the form which would become normative for the early middle ages. It is possible, by surveying the Martin literature, to document the various stages in the evolution of popular perceptions of the saint. These changing perceptions are interesting and significant in themselves.8 It can also be argued that they reflect changes in popular consciousness ('mentalites') over the years 350-600 AD.
Book Reviews
Authors: Clarke Ernest , Deutsch Celia , Johnson Matthew , Neelands David , Thaniel George , Haight Roger , Leonard Ellen , Hay J.
Published: March 2013

J. Alberto Soggin, A History of Ancient Israel. From the Beginnings to the Bar Kochba Revolt, A.D. 135, reviewed by Ernest G. Clarke

J. Maxwell Miller and John H. Hayes, A History of Ancient Israel and Judah, reviewed by Ernest G. Clarke

H. Jagersma, A History of Israel in the Old Testament Period, reviewed by Ernest G. Clarke

Peter Richardson with David Granskou, eds., Anti-Judaism in Early Christianity:Vol. I, Paul and the Gospels, reviewed by Celia Deutsch

Cyrille Vogel, Medieval Liturgy: An Introduction to the Sources, reviewed by Matthew Johnson

James Gollnick, Flesh as Transformation Symbol in the Theology of Anselm of Canterbury: Historical and Transpersonal Perspectives, reviewed by David Neelands

Daniel J. Sahas, Icon and Logos: Sources in Eighth-Century Iconoclasm, reviewed by George Thaniel

Schubert M. Ogden, On Theology, reviewed by Roger Haight, S.J.

Michael W. Higgins and Douglas R. Letson, eds., Women and the Church: A Sourcebook, reviewed by Ellen Leonard

Marie McIntyre, Female and Catholic: A Journal of Mind and Heart, reviewed by Ellen Leonard

R. Maurice Boyd, A Lover's Quarrel with the World, reviewed by J.C. Hay
The Hermeneutical Arc
Authors: Farris James
Published: March 2013

In contemporary interpretation theory, Hans-Georg Gadamer's metaphor of the 'two horizons' has become a familiar expression for the relation between the historically engaged interpreter and traditioned texts. Schooled by Heidegger, Gadamer will not accord heteronomous power to classical texts to impress understanding; nor, on the other hand, will he vest authorial power in the interpreter subject. He views understanding, rather, as a cognitive function completed in the fusion of two horizons. The understanding achieved is never absolute or abstract but lies within a continuum of encounters, each of them a moment of 'effective-historical consciousness' (wirkungsgeschichtliches Bewusstsein).
Crucified Woman: Art and the Experience of Faith
Authors: Dyke Doris
Published: March 2013

Art, as a prophetic reflection on the context in which we live, is an agent of transformation. In its power to look at the world, it calls us to transform that world. While often connected to or identified with the compelling power of beauty, art does not have to be beautiful to call us to see who we are. Paul Tillich taught that Protestantism requires us to look at the human situation in its depths of estrangement and despair; Artists see us in this way; they see and care who we are. They enable us to defend ourselves against destruction, or at least they warn us against it. Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, for example, uses the traditional Latin requiem text, interspersed with various poems of the English soldier Wilfred Owen. The book's title page proclaims: 'My subject is war and the pity of war. The poetry is in the pity. All a poet can do today is warn.'
Wilfred Cantwell Smith: The Theological Necessity of Pluralism
Authors: Berthong John
Published: March 2013

One of the most pressing theological and cultural problems of our day is pluralism. It is an especially difficult conundrum for contemporary Christian theology because most early modern and neo-orthodox theological systems have generally not addressed pluralism seriously, if they have noted it at all. Many Christian missiologists of the 19th and early 20th centuries hoped that the world could be converted entirely to Christianity, which would make the question of pluralism in a religious sense merely transitory. There were other faith communities, but they would, in due time, cease to exist as they became Christian. Hence, at least for• most theologians, the question of religious pluralism was vexing but certainly not central to their endeavours.
GATT-Fly and the Basis of Economic Development
Authors: Ruttan Brian
Published: March 2013

GATT, or the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, is the most powerful international policy-making body in world trade patterns. And GATT-Fly, originally defined as 'an inter-church project for an alternative trade policy', began its work in January 1973 with the support of five Christian denominations: Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and United.
Analogy and Human Community in Lublin Existential Personalism
Authors: Allen Prudence
Published: March 2013

In the following primarily descriptive article, I will place in a historical context developments in the theory of analogy as considered by Lublin Existential Personalism, and will suggest some consequences of this renewed interest in analogy for the philosophy of religion. More specifically, I will deal with some of the ways in which Lublin Existential Personalism has opened up a new field of reflection on the philosophical bases for communities of persons, and how these human communities reveal an aspect of 'creation in the image of God' through their analogical participation in the dynamic of the Trinity. In this consideration, the limits of philosophical debate and the movement into theological discussion will be made evident.
The Future of Biblical Theology: A Jewish and Christian Interpretation
Authors: Rendtorff Rolf
Published: March 2013

Recently, Jon D. Levenson published an article entitled 'Why Jews Are Not Interested in Biblical Theology'. Having read his article, one can only agree with him. If biblical theology really is as Levenson has portrayed it, there would be no reason why Jews should be interested. And there can be no doubt that there is a lot of truth in his depiction of past and present Christian biblical theology. However, the reader is left with the question of whether this really could be the last word on the issue. He or she wonders whether it would be apter to say that Jews are not interested in that kind of Christian, in particular Protestant, biblical theology because of its bias, and because of 'the failure of the biblical theologians to recognize the limitation of the context of their enterprise' .
Book Reviews
Authors: Henaut Barry , Steinhauser Michael , McLean Bradley , Wells Harold , Beverly James , Reimer A. , Hutchinson Roger , Hewitt Marsha , Shatzmiller Joseph , Gagan Rosemary , Moody Joseph , Warne R. , Cameron Craig , Fedwick Paul , Clarke Brian , Farris Stephen
Published: March 2013

Robert W. Funk, Bernard Brandon Scott and James R. Butts, The Parables of Jesus: Red Letter Edition: A Report of The Jesus Seminar, reviewed by Barry W. Henaut

Gerald O'Collins, Interpreting the Resurrection.' Examining the Major Problems in the Stories of Jesus' Resurrection, reviewed by Michael G. Steinhauser

Stephen Westerholm, Israel's Law and the Church's Faith: Paul and His Recent Interpreters, reviewed by Bradley H. McLean

JosephA. Fitzmyer, Paul and His Theology: A Brief Sketch, 2dEd, reviewed by Bradley H. McLean

Irving M. Zeitlin, Jesus and the Judaism of His Time, reviewed by Barry W. Henaut

John S. Kloppenborg, Q Parallels: Synopsis, Critical Notes and Concordance, reviewed by Michael G. Steinhauser

Paul W. Newman, A Spirit Christology: Recovering the Biblical Paradigm of Christian Faith, reviewed by Harold Wells

M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, reviewed by James A. Beverley

Gregory Baum, Theology and Society, reviewed by A. James Reimer

Albert R. Jonsen and Stephen Toulmin, The Abuse of Casuistry: A History of Moral Reasoning, reviewed by Roger Hutchinson

James P. Hanigan, Homosexuality: The Test Case for Christian Sexual Ethics, reviewed by Marsha A. Hewitt

Aaron Gurevich, Medieval Popular Culture: Problems of Belief and Perception, reviewed by Joseph Shatzmiller

Cyril Hamilton Powles, Victorian Missionaries in M eiji Japan. The Skiba Sect., reviewed by Rosemary Gagan

Margaret O'Gara, Triumph in Defeat: lrifallibility, Vatican I, and the French Minority Bishops, reviewed by Joseph N. Moody

Thomas P. Socknat, Witness Against War: Pacifism in Canada, 1900—1945, reviewed by R.R. Warne

Harry S. Stout, The New England Soul: Preaching and Religious Culture in Colonial New England, reviewed by Craig B. Cameron

Caroline Walker Bynum, Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women, reviewed by Paul J. Fedwick

Patrick W. Carey, ed., American Catholic Religious Thought: The Shaping of a Theological and Social Tradition, reviewed by Brian P. Clarke

Richard L. Eslinger, A New Hearing: Living Options in Homiletic Method, reviewed by Stephen Farris
Book Reviews
Authors: Clarke E. , Evers John , Brown Schuyler , Cotter Wendy , Cameron Ron , Kloppenborg John , Steinhauser Michael , Thompson Terry , Waddams S. , Crowley Paul , Nicol Iain , Harink Douglas , Vertin Michael , Slater Peter , Lapierre Michael , Starkloff Carl , McArdle Joe , Fritz Maureena , Kuikman Jackie , O'Regan James
Published: March 2013

J.H. Charlesworth, Jesus within Judaism: New Light from Exciting Archeological Discoveries, reviewed by E.G. Clarke

Robert W. Funk, The Poetics of Biblical Narrative, reviewed by John D. Evers

E.P. Sanders, ed., Jesus, the Gospels, and the Church: Essays in Honor of William R . Farmer, reviewed by Schuyler Brown

Rene Latourelle, The Miracles of Jesus and the Theology of Miracles, reviewed by Wendy J. Cotter

Marcus J. Borg, Jesus, A New Vision: Spirit, Culture, and the Life of Discipleship, reviewed by Ron Cameron

Halvor Moxnes, The Economy of the Kingdom: Social Conflict and Economic Relations in Luke's Gospel, reviewed by John S. Kloppenborg

Eldon Jay Epp and George W. MacRae, eds., The New Testament and Its Modern Interpreters: The Bible and Its Modern Interpreters, reviewed by John S. Kloppenborg

Stephen Neill and Tom Wright, The Interpretation of the New Testament, 1861-1986, reviewed by Schuyler Brown

W.D. Davies and Dale C. Allison, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, reviewed by Michael G. Steinhauser

G.A. Rawlyk, ed., Canadian Baptists and Christian Higher Education, reviewed by Terry Thompson

William Kaplan, State and Salvation: the Jehovah's Witnesses and their fight for civil rights, reviewed by S.M. Waddams

Lawrence Cunningham, ed., The Catholic Faith: A Reader, reviewed by Paul G. Crowley

Thomas P. Rausch, The Roots of the Catholic Tradition, reviewed by Paul G. Crowley

Francis R. Smith, The God Question: A Catholic Approach, reviewed by Paul G. Crowley

Joseph C. McLelland, Prometheus Rebound: The Irony of Atheism, reviewed by Iain G. Nicol

Michel Despland, Jean-Claude Petit, Jean Richard, eds., Religion et Culture, reviewed by Iain G. Nicol

James O. Duke and Robert F. Streetman, eds., Barth and Schleiermacher: Beyond the Impasse?, reviewed by Douglas K. Harink

Bernard Lonergan, Collection: Papers by Bernard Lonergan,, reviewed by Michael Vertin

David Lochhead, The Dialogical Imperative: A Christian Reflection on Interfaith Encounter, reviewed by Peter Slater

Walter Brennan, The Sacred Memory of Mary, reviewed by Michael J. Lapierre

William Johnson Everett, God's Federal Republic: Reconstructing Our Governing Symbol, reviewed by Carl F. Starkloff

Jean Sulivan, Morning Light: The Spiritual Journal of Jean Sulivan, reviewed by Joe McArdle

Grace M. Jantzen, Julian of Norwich, Mystic and Theologian, reviewed by Joe McArdle

Rabbi Dow Marmur, Walking Towards Elijah, reviewed by Maureena Fritz

Maureena Fritz, The Exodus Experience: A Journey in Prayer, reviewed by Jackie Kuikman

Miriam Therese Winter, Why Sing? Toward a Theology of Catholic Church Music, reviewed by James O'Regan
Tradition from a Jewish Perspective
Authors: Samuelson Norbert
Published: March 2013

Let me begin by saying what an adequate treatment of any concept (including "tradition") would look like from the perspective of Judaism. First, it would itself be traditional, in the sense that judgments about the concept would be based on a preparatory study that traces the living history of the critical term(s) used to express that concept through the entire course of Jewish intellectual history as recorded in communally authoritative texts. The analysis will have its origin in the Hebrew Scriptures. Then it would move on to classicalrabbinic literature, including the textual tradition of Jewish law and midrash (from the Mishnah and early collections of midrash through the two talmuds and subsequent responsa and commentaries on the Babylonian Talmud) as well as classical Jewish philosophy/theology (medieval rabbinic philosophical treatises and commentaries on the Hebrew Scriptures, from at least the world of Saadia [10th century, Muslim society] through at least the world of Joseph Albo [l5th century, Western Christian society ]). So far the plan of analysis is fairly simple, because the body of surviving, relevant material is relatively continuous and homogeneous.
Tradition Before The Future
Authors: McWilliam Joanne
Published: March 2013

The "before" of my title has a double meaning: both that of the Latin coram, tradition in the presence of the future and that of chronology, tradition vis-a-vis the future still to come. But "tradition" has reference to the past. Can it have any place in the world of "post-modernism," which treats the past cavalierly at best? More particularly, what of Christian tradition? Is there, for those reluctant to bury history and whose view is still shaped by a teleology (even one difficult to articulate), an understanding of tradition which is if not postmodern, at least modern-reformed? To put the question differently: What power does the past have over the Christian present, or the present over the past? And, if there is a present and future place for tradition, how do and will they differ from the various understandings of tradition and its roles in the past? In this paper I will discuss these questions under the headings: (1) tradition as history; (2) tradition independent of history; (3) hermeneutics and tradition; (4) tradition and rationality; (5) postmodern attitudes to tradition; and (6) creative imagination and tradition. Examples will be taken from classical and contemporary images of Christ.
Re-Thinking the God-terms - Tradition: the God Term
Authors: Farley Edward
Published: March 2013

I shall attempt to use Philip Rieff's notion, god-term, to re-think tradition. God-terms are not the ephemeral and faddish discourse of short-term academic or popular enthusiasms. They are the enduring terms by which human cultures have called their own corruptions to account. God-terms are the no-sayings of a culture. The expression, you shall not kill, is a god-term. Behind the no lie deep convictions of value. God-terms are both imperatives and forbiddings. They are called god-terms because in most societies they have some connection with the sacred.
Works ofLove and the Structure of Interpretation: The Likefor-Like of Neighbour and Metaphor
Authors: Polka Brayton
Published: March 2013

A central problem posed by Kierkegaard's works, by his edifying or acknowledged no less than by his pseudonymous works, is their universal applicability. The problem of universality is the issue posed by all texts, by the hermeneutical problem of self and other, of unique and universal. But, following Spinoza, Kant and Hegel who demonstrate that reason is the universally ethical practice of mutually acknowledging the authority of the golden rule — spirit recognizing spirit, in the language of The Phenomenology of Spirit — Kierkegaard raises the problem of interpretation to a new pitch. He both invests Christianity and its central figure, the God-man, with the truth — in opposition to what he calls the system, Christendom, paganism along with its archetypal figure Socrates, and also Judaism (the Old Testament) — and insists at the same time on the incommensurability of the single individual, the truth of subjectivity, the leap of faith. Kierkegaard not only identifies Christianity, truth and the individual- the individual is the truth of Christianity, Christianity is the individual truth, truth is the individual Christian and so on — but he also demonstrates, with unrelenting if infinitely subtle rigor, that Christianity, truth and the individual are historical. All three must come into existence historically in order to be Christian, true and individual. History and Christianity are identified, history and truth are identified, history and the individual are identified. Kierkegaard ultimately identifies existence itself with history, Christianity and the individual.
'This Weakness of God's is Stronger' (1 Cor. 1 :25) : An Inquiry Beyond the Power of Being
Authors: Van Beeck Frans
Published: March 2013

Is this form of witness — witnessborne in weakness — merely a matter of tactful and fitting deference to the transcendent in testifying, or is there a substantive appropriateness to it? That is, does witness borne in weakness represent and reveal something about Godself — something about God, in other words, that only weakness can represent and reveal? Ignatius seems to imply it does. He suggests that it takes a certain affinity with God to notice and appreciate God's work, and since God's work is "wrought in God's stillness," weakness has an inner affinity with the living God inasmuch as God relates to the world and humanity — an affinity that power does not have, or at least not to the same extent.
Kierkegaard's Attack on Christendom: Its Lexical History
Authors: McKinnon Alastair
Published: March 2013

It is widely assumed that what at least the English-speaking world identifies as Kierkegaard's attack on Christendom dates from the death of Bishop Mynster, that this attack is a clear and distinct break with his earlier authorship, and that these two parts of his writings have little if any real connection with each other. I think that this attack should instead be seen as dating from at least the writing of the Postscript and as much more closely connected with his earlier writing than generally supposed. As I will show, many of its key words have already been used in a similar sense in earlier works. But I would like first to note briefly two items which, together, prompted me to make this a study in cumulative word use, and which I hope will help you more readily grasp my argument's direction and force.
Cathepsin K Is Involved in Development of Psoriasis-like Skin Lesions through TLR-Dependent Th17 Activation
Authors: Hirai Toshitake , Kanda Takashi , Sato Kenji , Takaishi Mikiro , Nakajima Kimiko , Yamamoto Mayuko , Kamijima Reiko , DiGiovanni John , Sano Shigetoshi
Published: March 2013

Cathepsins (CTSs) are lysosomal cysteine proteases that play an important role in the turnover of intracellular proteins and extracellular proteins, such as the degradation of extracellular matrices and the processing of antigenic proteins. A CTS inhibitor, NC-2300, not only suppresses bone erosion by inhibition of cathepsin K (CTSK), but also ameliorates paw swelling at inflamed joints in adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. It has been demonstrated that the amelioration of joint inflammation by NC-2300 is mediated by the downregulation of cytokine expression in dendritic cells, which are essential for Th17 activation. In this work, we studied the role for CTSs in the pathogenesis of psoriasis-like lesion in K5.Stat3C mice, a mouse model of psoriasis, in which Th17 contributes to lesion development similar to psoriasis. Psoriatic lesions expressed increased levels of Ctsk and Ctss mRNA compared with uninvolved skin and normal control skin. Similarly, the epidermis and dermis in K5.Stat3C mice demonstrated increased CTSK activities, which were sensitive to NC-2300. Topical treatment with NC-2300 significantly ameliorated 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate–induced psoriasis-like lesions in K5.Stat3C mice, and downregulated the expression of IL-12, IL-23, and Th17 cytokines. In vitro experiments revealed that TLR7 activation of bone marrow–derived myeloid dendritic cells led to increase in IL-23 at mRNA and protein levels, which were downregulated by NC-2300. These results suggest that CTSK plays a role in development of psoriatic lesions through TLR7-dependent Th17 polarization.
Cutting Edge: Allergen-Specific CD4 T Cells Respond Indirectly to Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin To Promote Allergic Responses in the Skin
Authors: Larson Ryan P. , Comeau Michael R. , Ziegler Steven F.
Published: March 2013

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is an epithelial-derived cytokine that has been implicated in the initiation of allergic responses. CD4 T cells and dendritic cells are able to respond to TSLP in vitro; however, there has not been a careful dissection of the spatiotemporal response to TSLP by CD4 T cells in vivo during an allergic response. Previous work has suggested a requirement for TSLP in amplifying Th2 responses during allergen challenge by direct action on CD4 T cells; however, these studies did not determine whether there is an effect of TSLP on CD4 T cells during allergen sensitization. In this study we demonstrate an indirect role for TSLP on CD4 T cells during sensitization and challenge phases of an allergic response. This indirect effect of TSLP on CD4 T cells is due in part to the presence of TSLP exclusively in the allergen-sensitized and -challenged skin, rather than the draining lymph nodes.
Dissociation of Endotoxin Tolerance and Differentiation of Alternatively Activated Macrophages
Authors: Rajaiah Rajesh , Perkins Darren J. , Polumuri Swamy Kumar , Zhao Aiping , Keegan Achsah D. , Vogel Stefanie N.
Published: March 2013

Endotoxin tolerance is a complex phenomenon characterized primarily by decreased production of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and other inflammatory mediators, whereas the expression of other genes are induced or unchanged. Endotoxin tolerance is induced by prior exposure of murine macrophages/human monocytes, experimental animals, or people to TLR ligands. Although recent studies reported a possible relationship between endotoxin tolerance and differentiation of alternatively activated macrophages (AA-MΦs or M2), we show in this study that LPS pretreatment of IL-4Rα−/− and STAT6−/− macrophages, which fail to develop into AA-MΦs, resulted in tolerance of proinflammatory cytokines, as well as molecules and chemokines previously associated with AA-MΦs (e.g., arginase-1, mannose receptor, CCL2, CCL17, and CCL22). In contrast to LPS, wild-type (WT) MΦs pretreated with IL-4, the prototype inducer of AA-MΦs, did not induce endotoxin tolerance with respect to proinflammatory cytokines, AA-MΦ–associated chemokines, negative regulators, NF-κB binding and subunit composition, and MAPKs; conversely, IL-13−/− macrophages were tolerized equivalently to WT MΦs by LPS pretreatment. Further, IL-4Rα deficiency did not affect the reversal of endotoxin tolerance exerted by the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A. Like WT mice, 100% of LPS-tolerized IL-4Rα–deficient mice survived LPS + d-galactosamine–induced lethal toxicity and exhibited decreased serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines and AA-MΦ–associated chemokines induced by LPS challenge compared with nontolerized mice. These data indicate that the signaling pathways leading to endotoxin tolerance and differentiation of AA-MΦs are dissociable.
Impaired Neutrophil Function in 24p3 Null Mice Contributes to Enhanced Susceptibility to Bacterial Infections
Authors: Liu Zhuoming , Petersen Robert , Devireddy Laxminarayana
Published: March 2013

Lipocalin 24p3 (24p3) is a neutrophil secondary granule protein. 24p3 is also a siderocalin, which binds several bacterial siderophores. It was therefore proposed that synthesis and secretion of 24p3 by stimulated macrophages or release of 24p3 upon neutrophil degranulation sequesters iron-laden siderophores to attenuate bacterial growth. Accordingly, 24p3-deficient mice are susceptible to bacterial pathogens for which siderophores would normally be chelated by 24p3. Specific granule deficiency (SGD) is a rare congenital disorder characterized by complete absence of proteins in secondary granules. Neutrophils from SGD patients, who are prone to bacterial infections, lack normal functions, but the potential role of 24p3 in neutrophil dysfunction in SGD is not known. In this study, we show that neutrophils from mice genetically deficient for lipocalin 24p3 (24p3−/−) are defective in many neutrophil functions. Specifically, neutrophils in 24p3−/− mice do not extravasate to sites of infection and are defective for chemotaxis. A transcriptome analysis revealed that genes that control cytoskeletal reorganization are selectively suppressed in 24p3−/− neutrophils. Additionally, small regulatory RNAs (microRNAs) that control upstream regulators of cytoskeletal proteins are also increased in 24p3−/− neutrophils. Further, 24p3−/− neutrophils failed to phagocytose bacteria, which may account for the enhanced sensitivity of 24p3−/− mice to both intracellular (Listeria monocytogenes) and extracellular (Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus) pathogens. Listeria does not secrete siderophores, and additionally, the siderophore secreted by Candida is not sequestered by 24p3. Therefore, the heightened sensitivity of 24p3−/− mice to these pathogens is not due to sequestration of siderophores limiting iron availability, but is a consequence of impaired neutrophil function.
Differential Binding of Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex-E2 Epitopes by DRB1*08:01 and DRB1*11:01 Is Predicted by Their Structural Motifs and Correlates with Disease Risk
Authors: Chow I-Ting , James Eddie A. , Gates Theresa J. , Tan Venus , Moustakas Antonis K. , Papadopoulos George K. , Kwok William W.
Published: March 2013

DRB1*08:01 (DR0801) and DRB1*11:01 (DR1101) are highly homologous alleles that have opposing effects on susceptibility to primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). DR0801 confers risk and shares a key feature with other HLA class II alleles that predispose to autoimmunity: a nonaspartic acid at beta57. DR1101 is associated with protection from PBC, and its sequence includes an aspartic acid at beta57. To elucidate a mechanism for the opposing effects of these HLA alleles on PBC susceptibility, we compared the features of epitopes presented by DR0801 and DR1101. First, we identified DR0801- and DR1101-restricted epitopes within multiple viral Ags, observing both shared and distinct epitopes. Because DR0801 is not well characterized, we deduced its motif by measuring binding affinities for a library of peptides, confirming its key features through structural modeling. DR0801 was distinct from DR1101 in its ability to accommodate charged residues within all but one of its binding pockets. In particular, DR0801 strongly preferred acidic residues in pocket 9. These findings were used to identify potentially antigenic sequences within PDC-E2 (an important hepatic autoantigen) that contain a DR0801 motif. Four peptides bound to DR0801 with reasonable affinity, but only one of these bound to DR1101. Three peptides, PDC-E2145–159, PDC-E2249–263, and PDC-E2629–643, elicited high-affinity T cell responses in DR0801 subjects, implicating these as likely autoreactive specificities. Therefore, the unique molecular features of DR0801 may lead to the selection of a distinct T cell repertoire that contributes to breakdown of self-tolerance in primary biliary cirrhosis, whereas those of DR1101 promote tolerance.
Cutting Edge: A Novel, Human-Specific Interacting Protein Couples FOXP3 to a Chromatin-Remodeling Complex That Contains KAP1/TRIM28
Authors: Huang Chunjian , Martin Sunil , Pfleger Christian , Du Jianguang , Buckner Jane H. , Bluestone Jeffrey A. , Riley James L. , Ziegler Steven F.
Published: March 2013

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a pivotal role in the maintenance of immunological self-tolerance. Deficiency or dysfunction of Tregs leads to severe autoimmune diseases. Although the forkhead/winged-helix family member FOXP3 is critical for Treg differentiation and function, the molecular basis for FOXP3 function remains unclear. In this study, we identified and characterized a human-specific FOXP3-interacting protein, referred to as FIK (FOXP3-interacting KRAB domain–containing protein). FIK is highly expressed in Tregs and acts as a bridging molecule to link FOXP3 with the chromatin-remodeling scaffold protein KAP1 (TIF-1β/TRIM28). Disruption of the FOXP3–FIK–KAP1 complex in Tregs restored expression of FOXP3-target genes and abrogated the suppressor activity of the Tregs. These data demonstrate a critical role for FIK in regulating FOXP3 activity and Treg function.
Noradrenergic Neurons Regulate Monocyte Trafficking and Mortality during Gram-Negative Peritonitis in Mice
Authors: Seeley Eric J. , Barry Sophia S. , Narala Saisindhu , Matthay Michael A. , Wolters Paul J.
Published: March 2013

Effective host defense requires a robust, yet self-limited response to pathogens. A poorly calibrated response can lead to either bacterial dissemination due to insufficient inflammation or organ injury due to excessive inflammation. Recent evidence suggests that the cholinergic anti-inflammatory reflex helps calibrate the immune response. However, the influence of peripheral noradrenergic neurons, which are primarily sympathetic neurons, in regulating immunity remains incompletely characterized. Using a model of 6-hydroxydopamine–mediated noradrenergic nerve ablation, we show that elimination of noradrenergic neurons improves survival during Klebsiella pneumoniae peritonitis (67 versus 23%, p < 0.005) in mice. The survival benefit results from enhanced MCP-1–dependent monocyte recruitment and a subsequent decrease in bacterial loads. Splenectomy eliminated both the survival benefit of 6-hydroxydopamine and monocyte recruitment, suggesting that monocytes recruited to the peritoneum originate in the spleen. These results suggest that noradrenergic neurons regulate the immune response through two pathways. First, sympathetic nerve-derived norepinephrine directly restrains MCP-1 production by peritoneal macrophages during infection. Second, norepinephrine derived from the vagally innervated splenic nerve regulates splenic monocyte egress. Removal of these two modulators of the immune response enhances antibacterial immunity and improves survival. These results may have implications for how states of catecholamine excess influence the host response to bacterial infections.
Cutting Edge: Defective Follicular Exclusion of Apoptotic Antigens Due to Marginal Zone Macrophage Defects in Autoimmune BXD2 Mice
Authors: Li Hao , Wu Qi , Li Jun , Yang PingAr , Zhu Zilu , Luo Bao , Hsu Hui-Chen , Mountz John D.
Published: March 2013

Marginal zone macrophages (MZMs) act as a barrier to entry of circulating apoptotic debris into the follicles of secondary lymphoid organs. In autoimmune BXD2 mice, there is a progressive reduction in the function and numbers of MZMs. Absence of MZMs results in retention of apoptotic cell (AC) debris within the marginal zone (MZ) and increased loading of AC Ags on MZ B cells and MZ-precursor (MZ-P) B cells. The MZ-P B cells are capable of translocating the AC Ags to the follicular zone and stimulating T cells. Both MZMs and MZ-P B cells from BXD2 mice express low levels of tolerogenic signals and high levels of inflammatory signals. Thus, the current study suggests a multifaceted mechanism in which MZMs maintain tolerance to apoptotic autoantigens and suppress their translocation to follicles. Lack of clearance of apoptotic debris by MZMs drives follicular Ag–transportation by MZ-P B cells to stimulate an autoimmune response.