A Dictatorship of Relativism?

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Publisher : Duke University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780822366690
Total Pages : 356 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (666 download)

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Book Synopsis A Dictatorship of Relativism? by : Jeffrey M. Perl

Download or read book A Dictatorship of Relativism? written by Jeffrey M. Perl and published by Duke University Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the last homily he gave before becoming Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger described modern life as ruled by a "dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely" of satisfying "the desires of one's own ego." An eminent scholar familiar with the centuries-old debates over relativism, Ratzinger chose to oversimplify or even caricature a philosophical approach of great sophistication and antiquity. His homily depicts the relativist as someone blown about "by every wind of doctrine," whereas the relativist sticks firmly to one argument--that human knowledge is not absolute. Gathering prominent intellectuals from disciplines most relevant to the controversy--ethics, theology, political theory, anthropology, psychology, cultural studies, epistemology, philosophy of science, and classics--this special double issue of Common Knowledge contests Ratzinger's denunciation of relativism. One essay relates the arguments of Ratzinger to those of two other German scholars--the conservative political theorist Ernst Wolfgang Böckenförde and the liberal philosopher and sociologist Jürgen Habermas--since all three men assume that social order depends on the existence of doctrinal authority (divine or otherwise). The contributors here argue for an intellectual and social life free of the desire for an "infantilizing" authority. One proposes that the Christian god is a relativist who prefers limitation and ambiguity; another, initially in agreement with Ratzinger about the danger relativism poses to faith and morals, then argues that this danger is what makes relativism valuable. The issue closes with the first English translation of an extract from a book on Catholic-Jewish relations by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, one of the Catholic Church's most progressive figures. Contributors. David Bloor, Daniel Boyarin, Mary Baine Campbell, Lorraine Daston, Arnold I. Davidson, John Forrester, Kenneth J. Gergen, Simon Goldhill, Jeffrey F. Hamburger, Julia Kristeva, Carlo Maria Cardinal Martini, Christopher Norris, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Richard Shusterman, Barbara Herrnstein Smith, Jeffrey Stout, Gianni Vattimo

The Dictatorship of Relativism

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Author :
Publisher : Saint Pauls
ISBN 13 : 9780818913167
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (131 download)

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Book Synopsis The Dictatorship of Relativism by : Gediminas T. Jankunas

Download or read book The Dictatorship of Relativism written by Gediminas T. Jankunas and published by Saint Pauls. This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The origin of relativism has been traced back to the famous statement of the Greek philosopher Protagoras: ôMan is the measure of all things, of those being that they are, of those not being, that they are not.ö It is Pope Benedict XVI's claim that in an unreflected, uncritical and naive way, the modern world has been ensnared into relativism. Because relativists do not accept anything as the absolute truth, Scripture and the teachings of the Catholic Church are considered contextual and therefore merely subjective in nature. This work shows how relativism was experienced by the young Joseph Ratzinger in Nazi Germany, how his world view was solidified when studying Augustine and Bonaventure, and how the Second Vatican Council, where he served as a peritus, was sensitive to this issue. His classic work on 20th century theology, Introduction to Christianity, was an attempt to overcome the rising tide of relativism as he saw it. This was further explored in the best-selling titles Truth and Tolerance and Without Roots. As Pope, he has returned to this subject time and again. The remedy he offers is profound yet simple: truth lies in Jesus Christ, the only and unique revelation of God. It is only by recognizing Jesus Christ, the Church and her liturgy, that the deleterious effects of relativism might be overcome. His is the voice which proclaims the problem to the world; his is also the voice offering ways to overcome it. This book shows us how. Book jacket.

Absolute Relativism: The New Dictatorship and What to Do about It

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Publisher : Catholic Answers
ISBN 13 : 9781933919461
Total Pages : 59 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (194 download)

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Book Synopsis Absolute Relativism: The New Dictatorship and What to Do about It by : Stefanick Chris

Download or read book Absolute Relativism: The New Dictatorship and What to Do about It written by Stefanick Chris and published by Catholic Answers. This book was released on 2011-05-01 with total page 59 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Welcome to the new tyranny "If it feels good, do it." "That's your opinion, and this is mine." "I don't want to impose my beliefs on others." And thus the Dictator of Relativism speaks as he has always spoken to seduce humanity into a false sense of freedom. Pope Benedict XVI, Christ's personally chosen defender of the Truth is fighting back. He recognized this in his homily on April 18, 2005, "We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's own ego and desires." Through a down-to-earth, easily accessible Question-and-Answer format, Stefanick's book shows: Why relativism inherently contradicts its own claims. What makes it one of the worst ideas in the history of ideas. How relativism has a direct influence on the morals and virtues of a nation. Why relativism doesn't even work "in real life." How relativism is counterproductive to the true practice of tolerance Why religion which makes claims to absolute truth is finally more tolerant than relativism. What Christianity has almost singlehandedly done to foster true tolerance in the world. How all laws legislate morality What the true meaning of "open-minded" means it's not what you think!

Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures

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Publisher : Ignatius Press
ISBN 13 : 168149096X
Total Pages : 132 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (814 download)

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Book Synopsis Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures by : Joseph Ratzinger

Download or read book Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures written by Joseph Ratzinger and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2009-09-03 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Foreword by Marcello Pera Written by Joseph Ratzinger shortly before he became Pope Benedict XVI, Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures looks at the growing conflict of cultures evident in the Western world. The West faces a deadly contradiction of its own making, he contends. Terrorism is on the rise. Technological advances of the West, employed by people who have cut themselves off from the moral wisdom of the past, threaten to abolish man (as C.S. Lewis put it)whether through genetic manipulation or physical annihilation. In short, the West is at war-with itself. Its scientific outlook has brought material progress. The Enlightenment's appeal to reason has achieved a measure of freedom. But contrary to what many people suppose, both of these accomplishments depend on Judeo-Christian foundations, including the moral worldview that created Western culture. More than anything else, argues Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, the important contributions of the West are threatened today by an exaggerated scientific outlook and by moral relativism-what Benedict XVI calls "the dictatorship of relativism"-in the name of freedom. Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures is no mere tirade against the moral decline of the West. Razinger challenges the West to return to its roots by finding a place for God in modern culture. He argues that both Christian culture and the Enlightenment formed the West, and that both hold the keys to human life and freedom as well as to domination and destruction. Ratzinger challenges non-believer and believer alike. "Both parties," he writes, "must reflect on their own selves and be ready to accept correction." He challenges secularized, unbelieving people to open themselves to God as the ground of true rationality and freedom. He calls on believers to "make God credible in this world by means of the enlightened faith they live." Topics include: Reflections on the Cultures in Conflict Today The Significance and Limits of Today's Rationalistic Culture The Permanent Significance of the Christian Faith Why We Must Not Give Up the Fight The Law of the Jungle, the Rule of Law We Must Use Our Eyes! Faith and Everyday Life Can Agnosticism Be a Solution? The Natural Knowledge of God "Supernatural" Faith and Its Origins

Relativism and Religion

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Publisher : Columbia University Press
ISBN 13 : 023154037X
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (315 download)

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Book Synopsis Relativism and Religion by : Carlo Invernizzi Accetti

Download or read book Relativism and Religion written by Carlo Invernizzi Accetti and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2015-11-10 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moral relativism is deeply troubling for those who believe that, without a set of moral absolutes, democratic societies will devolve into tyranny or totalitarianism. Engaging directly with this claim, Carlo Invernizzi Accetti traces the roots of contemporary anti-relativist fears to the antimodern rhetoric of the Catholic Church and then rescues a form of philosophical relativism for modern, pluralist societies, arguing that this viewpoint provides the firmest foundation for an allegiance to democracy. In his analyses of the relationship between religious arguments and political authority and the implications of philosophical relativism for democratic theory, Accetti makes a far-ranging contribution to contemporary debates over the revival of religion in politics and the conceptual grounds for a commitment to democracy. He presents the first comprehensive genealogy of anti-relativist discourse and reclaims for English-speaking readers the overlooked work of Hans Kelsen on the connection between relativism and democracy. By engaging with contemporary attempts to replace the religious foundation of democratic values with a neo-Kantian conception of reason, Accetti also makes a powerful case for relativism as the best basis for a civic ethos that integrates different perspectives into democratic politics.

On Conscience

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Publisher : Ignatius Press
ISBN 13 : 1681493608
Total Pages : 92 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (814 download)

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Book Synopsis On Conscience by : Joseph Ratzinger

Download or read book On Conscience written by Joseph Ratzinger and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2010-11-09 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prepared and co-published by the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, this book is a combination of two lengthy essays written by Cardinal Ratzinger and delivered in talks when he was head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Both talks deal with the importance of conscience and its exercise in particular circumstances. Ratzinger's reflections show that contemporary debates over the nature of conscience have deep historical and philosophical roots. He says that a person is bound to act in accord with his conscience, but he makes it clear that there must be reliable, proven sources for the judgment of conscience in moral issues, other than the subjective reflections of each individual. The always unique and profound insights that the new Pope Benedict XVI brings to perennial problems reminds the reader of his strong warning before the recent Papal conclave of the great dangers today of the "dictatorship of relativism."

Without Roots

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Publisher : Perseus Books Group
ISBN 13 : 9780465006342
Total Pages : 190 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (63 download)

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Book Synopsis Without Roots by : Pope Benedict XVI

Download or read book Without Roots written by Pope Benedict XVI and published by Perseus Books Group. This book was released on 2006-02-13 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pope Benedict XVI and the President of the Italian Senate offer a critique of the spiritual and political crises affecting Europe, discussing human rights, morality, relativism, terrorism, and relations with the United States.

Who Am I to Judge?

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Publisher : Ignatius Press
ISBN 13 : 1681497441
Total Pages : 192 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (814 download)

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Book Synopsis Who Am I to Judge? by : Edward Sri

Download or read book Who Am I to Judge? written by Edward Sri and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2017-01-12 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Don't be so judgmental!" "Why are Christians so intolerant?" "Why can't we just coexist?" In an age in which preference has replaced morality, many people find it difficult to speak the truth, afraid of the reactions they will receive if they say something is right or wrong. Using engaging stories and personal experience, Edward Sri helps us understand the classical view of morality and equips us to engage relativism, appealing to both the head and the heart. Learn how Catholic morality is all about love, why making a judgment is not judging a person's soul, and why, in the words of Pope Francis, "relativism wounds people." Topics include: • Real Freedom, Real Love • Sharing truth with compassion • Why "I disagree" doesn't mean "I hate you"

Light Of The World

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Publisher : Ignatius Press
ISBN 13 : 1681493004
Total Pages : 217 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (814 download)

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Book Synopsis Light Of The World by : Peter Seewald

Download or read book Light Of The World written by Peter Seewald and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2010-10-29 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Never has a Pope, in a book-length interview, dealt so directly with such wide-ranging and controversial issues as Pope Benedict XVI does in Light of the World. Taken from a recent week-long series of interviews with veteran journalist Peter Seewald, this book tackles head-on some of the greatest issues facing the world of our time. Seewald poses such forthright questions to Pope Benedict as: What caused the clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Church? Was there a "cover up"? Have you considered resigning? Does affirming the goodness of the human body mean a plea for "better sex"? Can there be a genuine dialogue with Islam? Should the Church rethink Catholic teaching on priestly celibacy, women priests, contraception, and same-sex relationships? Holy Communion for divorced-and-remarried Catholics? Is there a schism in the Catholic Church? Should there be a Third Vatican Council? Is there any hope for Christian unity? Is Christianity the only truth? Can the Pope really speak for Jesus Christ? How can the Pope claim to be "infallible"? Is there a "dictatorship of relativism" today? Twice before these two men held wide-ranging discussions, which became the best-selling books Salt of the Earth and God and the World. Then, Seewald's discussion partner was Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Vatican's chief doctrinal office. Now, Joseph Ratzinger is Pope Benedict XVI, the spiritual leader of the world's over one billion Catholics. Though Seewald now interviews the Pope himself, the journalist "pulls no punches", posing some of the thorniest questions any Pope has had to address. Believers and unbelievers will be fascinated to hear Benedict's thoughtful, straightforward and thought-provoking replies. This is no stern preachment or ponderous theological tract, but a lively, fast-paced, challenging, even entertaining exchange.

Democracy and Relativism

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Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1786610965
Total Pages : 130 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (866 download)

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Book Synopsis Democracy and Relativism by : Cornelius Castoriadis

Download or read book Democracy and Relativism written by Cornelius Castoriadis and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-11-07 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this vibrant debate with intellectuals influenced by Marcel Mauss, including Alain Caillé and Chantal Mouffe, the incisive Greek-French activist and philosopher Cornelius Castoriadis addresses the challenge of critical thinking in an international context. The first half explores the tradition of radical self-critique and the prospect of affirming its value in a non-ethnocentric way. While defending ancient Greek contributions to the Western tradition of radical self-critique — including the practice of “relativizing” one's own culture, of engaging in philosophical interrogation, and of establishing democratic institutions — Castoriadis is challenged to explore the trans-contextual features of any self-critical, or “autonomous,” social institution. In the second half Castoriadis offers a penetrating critique of representative democracy, and the discussion makes important strides toward a new conception of direct democracy, of political education, and of the institutional prerequisites for the continuation of radical self-critique in politics and philosophy.

Explorations in the Theology of Benedict XVI

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Publisher : University of Notre Dame Pess
ISBN 13 : 0268077134
Total Pages : 328 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (68 download)

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Book Synopsis Explorations in the Theology of Benedict XVI by : John C. Cavadini

Download or read book Explorations in the Theology of Benedict XVI written by John C. Cavadini and published by University of Notre Dame Pess. This book was released on 2016-02-28 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Benedict XVI’s writing as priest-professor, bishop, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and now pope has shaped Catholic theological thought in the twentieth century. In Explorations in the Theology of Benedict XVI, a multidisciplinary group of scholars treat the full scope of Benedict’s theological oeuvre, including the Augustinian context of his thought; his ecclesiology; his theologically grounded approach to biblical exegesis and Christology; his unfolding of a theology of history and culture; his liturgical and sacramental theology; his theological analysis of political and economic developments; his use of the natural law in ethics and conscience; his commitment to a form of interreligious dialogue from a place of particularity; and his function as a public, catechetical theologian.

Relativism and Post-Truth in Contemporary Society

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Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 331996559X
Total Pages : 199 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (199 download)

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Book Synopsis Relativism and Post-Truth in Contemporary Society by : Mikael Stenmark

Download or read book Relativism and Post-Truth in Contemporary Society written by Mikael Stenmark and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-09-17 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book approaches post-truth and relativism in a multidisciplinary fashion. Researchers from astrophysics, philosophy, psychology, media studies, religious studies, anthropology, social epistemology and sociology discuss and analyse the impact of relativism and post-truth both within the academy and in society at large. The motivation for this multidisciplinary approach is that relativism and post-truth are multifaceted phenomena with complex histories that have played out differently in different areas of society and different academic disciplines. There is hence a multitude of ways in which to use and understand the concepts and the phenomena to which they refer, and a multitude of critiques and defenses as well. No single volume can capture the ongoing discussions in different areas in all their complexity, but the different chapters of the book can function as exemplifications of the ramifications these phenomena have had.

Voltaire's Bastards

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Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1476718962
Total Pages : 657 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (767 download)

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Book Synopsis Voltaire's Bastards by : John Ralston Saul

Download or read book Voltaire's Bastards written by John Ralston Saul and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-07-02 with total page 657 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Argues that blind faith in reason has resulted in problems in every phase of social life, suggests reason is an administrative method rather than a moral force, and proposes some solutions.

Western Culture Today and Tomorrow

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Publisher : Ignatius Press
ISBN 13 : 1642290874
Total Pages : 178 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (422 download)

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Book Synopsis Western Culture Today and Tomorrow by : Joseph Ratzinger

Download or read book Western Culture Today and Tomorrow written by Joseph Ratzinger and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2019-08-05 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Well known for his important scholarly contributions to dogmatic theology and biblical commentary, Joseph Ratzinger has also written penetrating observations of our times. This book includes some of his keen insights about the social and political challenges confronting modern Western societies. Writing most of these chapters just before his election as pope, Ratzinger sought to remind Europeans, who at the time were crafting a new constitution, that the civilizational project we call “the West” is a cultural achievement with a history. Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome were the three foundation stones upon which Western civilization was built, he wrote. Their invaluable contributions form the basis for the Western understanding of human dignity and human rights, which spread from Europe to the United States and beyond. This book also includes, as an epilogue, a new essay by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on clerical sex abuse, which traces the moral disorder that preys upon the young to the collapse of faith both inside and outside the Church. “The witness of Christian lives nobly lived is the beginning of reconversion (or, in many cases, conversion) of the West—and that return to the truths taught by the God of the Bible is essential if the great Western civilizational project is not to crumble because of its current, postmodern incoherence. Joseph Ratzinger understood that danger long before many others. It would be well to attend to his prescription.” —George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center, from the Foreword

Pope Benedict XVI

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781618907363
Total Pages : 200 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (73 download)

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Book Synopsis Pope Benedict XVI by : Joseph Pearce

Download or read book Pope Benedict XVI written by Joseph Pearce and published by . This book was released on 2021-11-16 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pope Benedict XVI will go down in Church history as one of the greatest popes. In this heartfelt defense of Pope Benedict's words and works, a tribute to his life and legacy and a homage to his sanity and sanctity, Joseph Pearce's biography provides an unforgettable encounter with this great historical figure. As the defender of the Faith, Pope Benedict XVI fought tirelessly and largely successfully against the forces of secularism first as the indomitable Ratzinger and then as the incomparable supreme pontiff. As an uncompromising defender of the dignity of the human person, he fought the wickedness of the world in his unremitting battle against the dictatorship of relativism and its culture of death. Within the Church, he fought against the spirit of the world in his war on modernism and its worship of the spirit of the age, restoring the splendor of truth in his defense of orthodoxy and the splendor of the liturgy in his defense of tradition. Years from now, Catholics will still look back on Pope Benedict's enduring legacy with enormous gratitude. For he successfully steered the barque of Peter in charity and truth against the evil tides that sought to engulf the Church.

The Essential Pope Benedict XVI

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Author :
Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 006112883X
Total Pages : 516 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (611 download)

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Book Synopsis The Essential Pope Benedict XVI by : John F. Thornton

Download or read book The Essential Pope Benedict XVI written by John F. Thornton and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2008 with total page 516 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A collection of writings and speeches by Pope Benedict XVI introduces his perspectives on key issues marking his papacy, addressing topics ranging from abortion and priesthood sexual misconduct to anti-Semitism and Christian relations with Islam"--OCLC

The Catholic Church and the Nation-State

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Author :
Publisher : Georgetown University Press
ISBN 13 : 9781589017245
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (172 download)

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Book Synopsis The Catholic Church and the Nation-State by : Paul Christopher Manuel

Download or read book The Catholic Church and the Nation-State written by Paul Christopher Manuel and published by Georgetown University Press. This book was released on 2006-08-16 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presenting case studies from sixteen countries on five continents, The Catholic Church and the Nation-State paints a rich portrait of a complex and paradoxical institution whose political role has varied historically and geographically. In this integrated and synthetic collection of essays, outstanding scholars from the United States and abroad examine religious, diplomatic, and political actions—both admirable and regrettable—that shape our world. Kenneth R. Himes sets the context of the book by brilliantly describing the political influence of the church in the post-Vatican II era. There are many recent instances, the contributors assert, where the Church has acted as both a moral authority and a self-interested institution: in the United States it maintained unpopular moral positions on issues such as contraception and sexuality, yet at the same time it sought to cover up its own abuses; it was complicit in genocide in Rwanda but played an important role in ending the horrific civil war in Angola; and it has alternately embraced and suppressed nationalism by acting as the voice of resistance against communism in Poland, whereas in Chile it once supported opposition to Pinochet but now aligns with rightist parties. With an in-depth exploration of the five primary challenges facing the Church—theology and politics, secularization, the transition from serving as a nationalist voice of opposition, questions of justice, and accommodation to sometimes hostile civil authorities—this book will be of interest to scholars and students in religion and politics as well as Catholic Church clergy and laity. By demonstrating how national churches vary considerably in the emphasis of their teachings and in the scope and nature of their political involvement, the analyses presented in this volume engender a deeper understanding of the role of the Roman Catholic Church in the world.