bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
From the Separateness of Space to the Ideality of Sensation. Thoughts on the Possibilities of Actualizing Hegel's Philosophy of Nature
Authors: Wandschneider Dieter 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe Cartesian concept of nature, which has determined modem thinking until the present time, has become obsolete. It shall be shown that Hegel's objective-idealistic conception of nature discloses, in comparison to that of Descartes, new perspectives for the comprehension of nature and that this, in turn, results in possibilities of actualizing Hegel's philosophy of nature.If the argumentation concerning philosophy of nature is intended to catch up with the concrete Being-of-nature and to meet it in its concretion, then this is impossible for the finite spirit in a strictly a priori sense — this is the thesis supported here which is not at all close to Hegel. As the argumentation rather has to consider the conditions of realization concerning the Being-of-nature, too, it is compelled to take up empirical elements — concerning the organism, for instance, system-theoretical aspects, physical and chemical features of the nervous system, etc. With that, on the one hand, empirical-scientific premises are assumed (e.g. the lawlikeness of nature), which on the other hand become (now close to Hegel) possibly able to be founded in the frame of a Hegelian-idealistic conception. In this sense, a double strategy of empirical-scientific concretization and objective-idealistic foundation is followed up, which represents the methodical basic principle of the developed considerations.In the course of the undertaking, the main aspects of the whole Hegelian design concerning the philosophy of nature are considered — space and time, mass and motion, force and law of nature, the organism, the problem of evolution, psychic being — as well as Hegel's basic thesis concerning the philosophy of nature, that therein a tendency towards coherence and idealization manifests itself in the sense of a (categorically) gradually rising succession of nature: from the separateness of space to the ideality of sensation. In the sense of the double strategy of concretization and foundation it is shown that on the one hand possibilities of philosophical penetration concerning actual empirical-scientific results are opened, and on the other hand — in tum — a re-interpretation of Hegel's theorem on the basis of physical, evolution-theoretical and system-theoretical argumentation also becomes possible. In this mutual crossing-over and elucidation of empirical and Hegelian argumentation not only do perspectives of a new comprehension of nature become visible, but also, at the same time — as an essential consequence of this methodical principle — thoughts on the possibilities of actualizing Hegel's philosophy of nature.
Antigone: towards a Hegelian Feminist Philosophy
Authors: Hutchings Kimberly 
Published: August 2016

To engage with Hegel's philosophy from a feminist perspective is necessarily to be confronted with questions about the politics of reading (specifically the politics of reading canonic philosophical texts). Politics, that is, both in the obvious, traditional ideological sense (since feminism involves an explicit political agenda) and in the less obvious sense of the politics of the relation between reader and text. For some scholars this automatically places feminist readers in the category of a dubious scholarship which rests on a mistaken understanding of the meanings of both politics and truth.It seems to me a mistake — and an inexcusable conceit — to say as some now do, that all scholarship is somehow ‘political’ or is itself politics practised by other means. That view demeans both politics and scholarship. Now this is not to say that a scholar's motives must not be political, only that the methods and results of her researches must be judged according to scholarly standards and not political ones. The aim of scholarship is to seek and to tell the truth, as best one can discern it, and not to promote any particular partisan cause. (Ball, 1995: 24)Ball here confines the role of politics in the traditional (ideological) sense to the Weberian category of ‘value’, which may motivate and orient scholarship but which cannot provide the criteria according to which scholarly work is carried out or its findings are judged. He dismisses the relevance of the category ‘politics’ to the understanding of the relation between reader and text as such and instead, argues that ‘truth’ is what that relation should be about. Yet, the work of interpretation and reflection in the reading of texts insofar as it involves a process of interaction between reader and text always problematises, I would argue, the distinction between politics and truth upon which Ball's analysis relies. There are various models on offer, both descriptive and prescriptive for what the process of textual interpretation does or should involve. One can contrast the notion of ‘scholarly standards’ as the route to the true meaning of a text with Skinner's new historicism, the virtuous circle of hermeneutics or the destabilising ambitions of deconstruction (Tully, 1988; Bamett, 1998). These approaches elicit very different interpretive results but they also differ in their assumptions about what is or ought to be taken as authoritative for understanding and interpretation and in this sense they are characterised by a politics of the interplay between reader and text. This is a modest claim but one which disrupts the politics/truth distinction even if it doesn't necessarily imply the end of distinguishing between good and bad, valid and invalid understanding/interpretation.
Hegel and the Meaning of the Present Moment
Authors: Shanks Andrew 
Published: August 2016

“The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point is to change it.” As a critique of Feuerbach, which is what it primarily is, this verdict of Marx's seems to me fair enough. But to what extent does it also apply to that other great philosopher with whom Marx is preoccupied: Hegel?Superficially, it might appear that Hegel too is only an ‘interpreter’ of the world. Does he not, after all, repudiate any ambition to ‘give instruction as to what the world ought to be’ in his Preface to the Philosophy of Right? And does he not then famously go on to argue thatphilosophy in any case always comes on the scene too late to give it. As the thought of the world, it appears only when actuality is already there cut and dried after its process of formation has been completed […] The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk —?Well, yes. But the particular sort of ‘instruction’ in question here is the devising of political Utopias, or the drafting of detailed programmes of government. And this is by no means the only way in which thinking may move beyond simple ‘interpretation’ to become strategically effective in worldly terms.
Justice for Wage Earners: Retrieving Insights from the Catholic Community
Authors: Lamoureux Patricia Ann 
Published: August 2016

ABSTRACTThroughout much of the history of Catholic social teaching, the question of wage-earner justice has been of central import. In response to the condition of workers who do not receive sufficient compensation to maintain a decent livelihood for themselves and their families, a theory of just wage has evolved. There is wisdom to be gleaned from the tradition that can enrich the contemporary debate on just wage. The challenge lies in discerning what is normative from that which is socially and culturally biased. It will be informative to explore the meaning of just wage from a wide spectrum of perspectives, including the sometimes forgotten voice of women. This article examines the contributions of several levels of the Catholic faith community and retrieves essential insights that can contribute to a revitalized just wage discourse.
Of Fork and Spoon or Fingers and Chopsticks: Interreligious Dialogue in Ecclesia in Asia
Authors: Chia Edmund 
Published: August 2016

ABSTRACTThe Synod of Bishops for Asia which was held in Rome in April 1998 aroused much interest. The long awaited Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in Asia (EA), was finally released in November 1999. Its reception is the topic of the present article. At issue is the tension between the proclamation of Christ and interreligious dialogue in Asia. The Asian bishops are unanimous in upholding the importance of evangelization but have different understandings of how that should be carried out. Rome insists on the “one and only” way it knows. The present article looks at this dialogue between Rome and Asia.
Providence, Power and the Holy Spirit
Authors: Carr Anne E. 
Published: August 2016

ABSTRACTThis essay envisions the meaning of providence according to recent feminist and process theologies of power and attempts to distinguish the meaning of providence from the action of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It compares the classical meaning of providence with those elements in modern and contemporary thought that warrant changes in our understanding of these themes, while it maintains the continuity of Christian tradition. In doing so, it offers some reflection on the relationship between theology and spirituality, and suggests a new synthesis between the immanence and transcendence of God in the experience of Christians today. In light of the biblical idea of justice as right relations, the mystical and political are integrated.
Theology as Work: The Mandatum and the Rights of Labor
Authors: McCormick Patrick T. 
Published: August 2016

ABSTRACTMany oppose the mandatum as a threat to the academic freedom of Catholic scholars and the autonomy and credibility of Catholic universities. But the imposition of this juridical bond on working theologians is also in tension with Catholic Social Teaching on the rights and dignity of labor. Work is the labor necessary to earn our daily bread. But it is also the vocation by which we realize ourselves as persons and the profession through which we contribute to the common good. Thus, along with the right to a just wage and safe working conditions, Catholic Social Teaching defends workers' rights to a full partnership in the enterprise, and calls upon the church to be a model of participation and cooperation. The imposition of the mandatum fails to live up to this standard and threatens the jobs and vocations of theologians while undermining this profession's contribution to the church.
So You're Looking for a Chairperson?
Authors: Gaffney J. Patrick 
Published: August 2016

Although few want ads for “Chairperson of Theology Department” appear in the Chronicle of Higher Education, nonetheless, it is more than rumor that a number of colleges and universities are searching for that “ideal” leader for the theology/religious studies department. The basic difficulty faced by search committees is that they find it difficult to draw up a job description of the position. Usually a letter announcing the opening simply declares that the university desires an “administrator-theologian,” dodging any details. A more lengthy ad—which did appear in The Chronicle—added: “who is willing to work in harmony with ecclesiastical authorities,” which makes the post even more mysterious, if not ominous.However, in defense of search committees, it can safely be said that it is almost impossible to define the task of departmental chairpersons. Faculty consider them part of administration, administration declare that they are essentially one of the faculty; they should be leaders in their discipline, but are given little time for research; they should be better-than-average performers in the classroom, but their teaching abilities are allowed to rust as they become more and more a cog in bureaucratic machinery. Moreover, in some institutions they are expected to be no more than the “secretary” of the faculty, while in others (at least according to the ‘manual’) they are endowed with dictatorial powers. In any case, they are surely “responsible for the department,” although realistically, their powers are so sorely limited by established procedures, bone-marrow budgeting, a freeze on hiring, that they are fortunate if they can even maintain the status quo.
The Faith of the Historical Jesus
Authors: Mackey James P. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThis is a sequel to the author's “The Theology of Faith” in Horizons of Fall, 1975. In that first survey article it was suggested that Christian faith is now seen as a radical commitment to God precisely through the ordinary things of our world and our history. The present article asks the questions: was this the faith of Jesus, the founder of our faith? Can one speak of Jesus as a man of faith at all? And if one can, how did Jesus himself become the object of a confession of faith, as he certainly did become in our tradition?
Robert Johann—an Ontological Basis for an Ethics of Responsibility
Authors: Malloy Edward A. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThis article places Robert Johann's ethics of responsibility within the context of his evolved philosophical position which is decisively influenced by the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and John Dewey. Building on a perspective that he called “ontological pragmatism,” Johann began to explore the ethic of responsibility developed by H. Richard Niebuhr in The Responsible Self. However, Johann's version is significantly different from that of Niebuhr. After describing Johann's ethics of responsibility, I conclude by criticizing his moral methodology as insufficiently developed and by charging that his anthropology fails to account for certain crucial dimensions of human experience.
The New Religious Dimension in Western Marxism: II
Authors: Siebert Rudolf J. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractBoth Marxists and phenomenologists have a critical attitude toward religion. For the phenomenologist critique means clarification of meaning; for the Marxist it means the emancipation of men and women from the quasi-natural forces of opaque and ossified traditions, from irrational authorities, and from the ideology which but-tresses unjustifiable dialectical contradictions in civil and socialist society. Marxists such as Georg Lukacs, Max Horkheimer, and Leszek Kolakowski apply ideology critique to the dimension of religion. Lukacs acknowledges not only reactionary, but also progressive aspects in the Catholic and Protestant form of Christianity. For Horkheimer, complete emancipation from faith in a power independent from history and at the same time determining it belongs to the most primitive intellectual clarity and veracity of modern humanity. But Horkheimer continues to read the Bible. He observes and suffers deeply from the immeasurable gap between the moral norms and values which Europeans have acknowledged since the introduction of Christianity and the behaviour of the European Christians, which is the difference between Christian theory and practice. Kolakowski finds the antagonism between the philosophy of the priest and the philosophy of the jester in all spheres of human life, including religion. The priest eternalizes and guards the absolutes acknowledged at certain times in certain societies. The jester, on the other hand, continually questions what societies consider ultimate and doubts everything “given” in any social formation. Finally Horkheimer sums up the whole Western Marxist theory of religion in his assertion that the concept of God kept alive the idea that there are other norms besides those to which the finite world considered as nature, society and history gives expression. The concept of Infinity preserves an awareness of the finality of human life and of the inalterable aloneness and abandonment of humanity. Horkheimer cannot affirm any philosophy or politics which does not also embrace a theological moment. Theology is the hope and the longing that the injustice which characterizes the world as society, state and history today may not have the last word.
Religious Studies by Correspondence: One Department's Beginning
Authors: Carmody John 
Published: August 2016

Education by correspondence is now a quite flourishing enterprise. Penn State presently enrolls about 25,000 persons for credited courses; Brigham Young, Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin are universities with comparable programs. In each case, people outside the normal college population are being offered opportunities for further professional or personal growth. My department at Penn State has decided to offer religious studies by correspondence, and I have written the first course: Religious Studies 1: Introduction. What follow are specimens from this course—possible stimuli for your department's consideration of religious studies by correspondence, as well as fillips about the nature of religious studies, Jainism, and Taoism.The first materials below come from a “General Introduction.” In my total booklet they are followed by general directions from the correspondence division about the preparation of a lesson report (LIF), examinations, final grades, etc. The two sample lessons illustrate typical booklet units based (as correspondence courses usually are) on a core textbook. Following Man's Religions, by John Noss, my course has twenty lessons (see “Table of Contents” appended). Lesson 4, on Jainism, exemplifies the usual commentary. Lesson 9, on Merton's Chuang Tzu, aims at varying the objective fare with something more lyric.In these twenty units, then, I have tried to compose an equivalent of a regular three credit (quarter system) course. The reading materials amount to about 1,100 ordinary pages, while the student's written work amounts to about 50 typed pages. This surely does not substitute for a live teaching presence, but it may bring ultimate concerns to a new and receptive audience.
The Belief of the Poet: Was It Kept from the Poetry? T. S. Eliot and “Orthodoxy of Sensibility”
Authors: Kauffman S. Bruce 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThroughout his numerous literary critical and theoretical essays, T. S. Eliot frequently discussed the relationship between a poet's belief—particularly, religious belief—and the sensibility informing the poet's work. Eliot contended that if a poet's belief is truly significant to his poetry the significance should be evident not simply through inclusion or reference to certain dogmatic formulae or symbols but, more profoundly, in how the poet sees and receives the world: belief should have a palpable effect on the sensibility that readers encounter in the literary work.Now, of course, one of the most conspicuous facts of Eliot's own career is his acceptance, in middle age, of Christian belief. And Eliot's poetry after his conversion is often drenched in Christian motifs and images. But to what extent can Eliot's Christianity be said to have transformed his poetic sensibility?This paper first rehearses Eliot's theoretical position and then employs that position in considering poems and plays Eliot wrote after he had accepted the Christian witness of faith. The conclusion is that Eliot, in his poetry did not fully achieve the “orthodox” sensibility he posited as the Christian poet's ideal.
A Methodological Flaw in Tracy's Revisionist Theology
Authors: O'Brien William J. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractWhat is remarkable about David Tracy's Blessed Rage for Order is the absence of what Bernard Lonergan has designated as the specifically theological principle: conversion. The present writer regards this absence as a flaw, despite the ambiguity of “conversion” in general and of Lonergan's use of the term in particular. An attempt at clarification is made, showing how “conversion” can operate as Lonergan intends. In contrast, the methodologically self-conscious style of the proposed revisionist theology appears to be self-defeating.
A Reply to Donald Heinz
Authors: Efroymson David P. 
Published: August 2016

Professor Heinz's welcome and provocative essay serves us all. What we are about is both important and delicate enough to demand being constantly rethought. And Heinz will make us think. Many will find focussed and verbalized in his essay a vigorous defense of what they will wish they had said. And for those who disagree, there is the opportunity and obligation to identify what it is they oppose, and why.Two disagreements will be expressed here: one is simply a matter of fact, but worth noting; the other is a matter of principle, and is worth debating. The factual matter is simply that, as far as I can detect, the “generally prevailing paradigm” which Heinz laments, at least as it involves “refraining from anything theological,” is not as prevalent on Catholic campuses as it may be elsewhere. The kind of theology that goes on is varied; there may be less of what Patrick Gaffney wants than of what Anne Carr thinks is necessary, but theology goes on. And not all of it can be characterized by either “objectivity” or “neutrality.” Heinz would, I believe, find some of it to his liking.
The New Religious Movements: Some Theological Reflections
Authors: Saliba John A. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe rise and spread of new religious movements, like the Unification Church, the Children of God, and the Hari Krishnas, have brought a lot of reactions from Jews and Christians alike. This paper examines the problem of how Christians should react and respond to these proselytizing groups. It is stressed that ridiculing the so-called cults is hardly an academic procedure and much less a viable theological and pastoral solution. Two responses, one by the National Council of Churches and one by the Lutheran Church are briefly described and evaluated. Finally, some guidelines towards a Christian theological and pastoral approach to the cults are proposed.
Gregory Baum on the Revelatory Work of the Holy Spirit
Authors: Schweitzer Don 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThis article explores Gregory Baum's notion of how the Holy Spirit leads the church to a new understanding of Jesus as the Christ. It begins by examining Baum's interpretation of the doctrinal development at Vatican II, then analyzes the innovative understanding Baum has developed based on how the Spirit works to reformulate the church's message through a process of cultural conversion. It relates Baum's theory to preceding reflection on the development of dogma, then takes up Rosemary Ruether's criticism that Baum's position deprives Scripture of its transcendence. It concludes by developing a way of relating Word and Spirit that combines Baum's openness to the spirit with Ruether's concern for the transcendence of Scripture.
Christian Rituals: An Essay in Sacramental Symbolisms
Authors: Lawler Michael G. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractBoth anthropologists and theologians, each in their separate ways, are interested in rituals and their symbol-units. Victor Turner, from extensive fieldwork, has evolved a definition of ritual as “prescribed formal behavior for occasions not given over to technological routine, having reference to beliefs in mystical beings or powers.” Monica Wilson has insisted that “it is the values of the group that are revealed” in rituals and their symbol-units. The present essay is located at the interface of anthropology and theology. It surveys pertinent anthropological information and then analyzes the Christian rituals of baptism, confirmation and eucharist, and their symbol-units, to clarify and focus their meanings and the values and ontology of the Christian group which are revealed in them.