Standing responsibly between silence and speech
Subtitle: religion and revelation in the thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and René Girard
By: by Kevin Lenehan
Contributors: Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven (1970- )
Series: Louvain theological & pastoral monographs -- 42; Louvain theological & pastoral monographs -- 42.
Publisher: Peeters
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Leuven; Paris; Walpole, MA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 548
ISBN-13: 9789042925878
Copyright date: 2012
Subjects: Revelation; Christianity
Description: "Recently there is increased attention to the visibility and viability of Christian churches in post-secular, pluralised societies. Theology has responsibilities in responding to this new cultural context. This study brings into contemporary conversation two Christian thinkers, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and René Girard, whose work has been influential in Protestant and Catholic theology and practice in recent decades. The book offers a thorough introduction to the thought of Bonhoeffer and Girard, paying attention to the historical, ecclesial and cultural contexts that informed each author's work. The insights of the two thinkers are brought into a contemporary conversation around five fundamental theological topics: the Christian understanding of the person, the distinctiveness of Christian revelation, the person and work of Jesus Christ, the nature of the church, and the relationship of church and society. This conversation highlights the significance of the intellectual and spiritual resources each author offers for Christian thought and action today. Biography and theology are deeply intertwined in the thought of Bonhoeffer and Girard. Likewise, many Christians have found in their writings a way to integrate theology and action, forming practices and communities of Christian discipleship based on imitation of the One who leads us to each other. Bonhoeffer and Girard urge us to rethink Christian discipleship and the public role of the church in this era "after religion." According to the author, they challenge us to take the risk of a theological approach that is post-critical, revelational, relational and violence-renouncing."--Page 4 of cover.
Notes: Thesis (doctoral)--Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

Includes bibliographical references (pages xiii-liii).
Table of contents: title: Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945). Reading Bonhoeffer; title: The discovery of the church; title: The ecumenicity of the church; title: The church put to the test; title: The church incognito and of the future; title: The uses of "religion" in Bonhoeffer's theology; title: René Girard (1923- ). Reading Girard; title: Mimetic desire; title: The scapegoat mechanism; title: The biblical revelation of the victim; title: Christianity, history, apocalyptic; title: "Religion" and "the sacred" in Girard's thought; title: Bonhoeffer and Girard : resources for a theology of revelation. Human person : being unto others; title: Revealing encounters; title: Jesus Christ the Mittler; title: Church : becoming disciples together; title: Standing responsibly in the world.