Staging Resistance from the Clergy During the Holocaust

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 378-401
Author(s):  
Gene A. Plunka
Keyword(s):  
Edith Stein ◽  
Totalitarian Regime ◽  
Christian Humanism ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
Divine Justice ◽  
Moral Position ◽  
The Church

The resistance to the Holocaust from Catholic and Protestant clergymen came in myriad forms. A few clergy willingly gave up their lives, thus becoming martyrs for refusing to be judged by Nazi law, surrendering instead to divine justice. Such noble and heroic decisions in which a humble person surrenders life in defiance of a totalitarian regime opposed to Christian humanism is a subject most worthy of study. This essay focuses exclusively on stage representations of the extreme sacrifices the clergy made during the Holocaust as reflected by martyrdom in Arthur Giron’s Edith Stein and David Gooderson’s Kolbe’s Gift. The protagonists of these two plays, Edith Stein and Maximilian Kolbe, died and suffered greatly to uphold the moral position of the Church.

scholarly journals God en armoede in die Karoo – ’n Besinning oor ’n teologie van transformasie

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 321
Author(s):  
PI Van Niekerk
Keyword(s):  
Social Development ◽  
Image Of God ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Arid Area ◽  
Religious Communities ◽  
Social Involvement ◽  
Christian Humanism ◽  
The World ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Church

<strong>God and poverty in the Karoo – A reflection on a theology of transformation</strong> <br /> The Karoo is an outstretched arid area characterised by poverty and underdevelopment. This article focuses on the poverty of the Karoo people and the effect of their faith in God on social development and transformation. The future of the Karoo is vested in its people and religious communities. Previous research indicated that believers’ image of God had an effect on their attitude towards social development and transformation. A small sample of women in a Karoo town experienced God as loving, but not as a God that inspired people towards transformation. The test for the church lies in her social involvement in the world as its salvation is God’s concern. In Christian humanism the integrity of creation in a world filled with injustice and poverty is emphasised. Churches in the Karoo are encouraged to utilise a theology of transformation that is developmentally driven and inspired by a transforming image of God.

METHODOLOGY OF SOCIAL TEACHING OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE

2021 ◽  
pp. 68-81
Author(s):  
Bogdan Gulyamov
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Social Teaching ◽  
Christian Humanism ◽  
Social Doctrine ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Church

Orthodox social doctrine as a discipline is formed without the elements of scholastic thinking that are characteristic of Catholicism. This is due to the fact that social doctrine in Orthodoxy is thought of as an expression of tradition, not the teaching of the church. Also, the methodology of the social doctrine of the Ecumenical Patriarchate was significantly influenced by the fact that the initial principle for all reflections was the value of the dignity of the individual. The absolutization of this value has made it possible to create a Christian humanism that opposes the ideological extremes of modern cultural wars, including the abuse of the idea of human rights. The ROC uses methodological anti-scholasticism in the construction of social doctrine to legitimize the ideas of Orthodox fundamentalism. Against this background, the social doctrine of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is becoming a worldview alternative, critical to the development of Ukrainian theology and education.

Erasmus, Desiderius (c.1466–1536)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Rummel
Keyword(s):  
Political Thought ◽  
Divine Revelation ◽  
Christian Humanism ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
Christian Thought ◽  
Articles Of Faith ◽  
Absolute Knowledge ◽  
The Church ◽  
Textual Critic

Although Erasmus was not a systematic philosopher, he gave a philosophical cast to many of his writings. He believed in the human capacity for self-improvement through education and in the relative preponderance of nurture over nature. Ideally, education promoted docta pietas, a combination of piety and learning. Erasmus’ political thought is dominated by his vision of universal peace and the notions of consensus and consent, which he sees as the basis of the state. At the same time he upholds the ideal of the patriarchal prince, a godlike figure to his people, but accountable to God in turn. Erasmus’ epistemology is characterized by scepticism. He advocates collating arguments on both sides of a question but suspending judgment. His scepticism does not extend to articles of faith, however. He believes in absolute knowledge through revelation and reserves calculations of probability for cases that are not settled by the authority of Scripture or the doctrinal pronouncements of the Church, the conduit of divine revelation. Erasmus’ pioneering efforts as a textual critic of the Bible and his call for a reformation of the Church in its head and members brought him into conflict with conservative Catholic theologians. His support for the Reformation movement was equivocal, however. He refused to endorse the radical methods of the reformers and engaged in a polemic with Luther over the question of free will. On the whole, Erasmus was more interested in the moral and spiritual than in the doctrinal aspects of the Reformation. He promoted inner piety over the observance of rites, and disparaged scholastic speculations in favour of the philosophia Christi taught in the gospel. The term ‘Christian humanism’ best describes Erasmus’ philosophy, which successfully combined Christian thought with the classical tradition revived by Renaissance humanists.

scholarly journals Kritik terhadap Teologi Proses dan Pembelaan terhadap Pandangan “Greater Good” dalam Menanggapi Masalah Kejahatan

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-168
Author(s):  
Jessica Novia Layantara
Keyword(s):  
Problem Of Evil ◽  
Process Theology ◽  
John Calvin ◽  
Church Fathers ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
The Problem Of Evil ◽  
Greater Good ◽  
Free Will Defense ◽  
The Church

Selama berabad-abad, para teolog Kristen mencoba menanggapi pergumulan filosofis mengenai masalah kejahatan. Bapa-bapa Gereja dan tokoh-tokoh reformasi di masa lalu telah mencoba menanggapi permasalahan ini dengan argumen kebaikan yang lebih tinggi (greater good). Tetapi solusi-solusi semacam itu ditolak mentah-mentah setelah peristiwa Holocaust (Auschwitz), yang merupakan peristiwa kejahatan sangat dahsyat dan mengakibatkan penderitaan banyak sekali orang. Solusi tradisional dianggap sudah tidak relevan dalam menanggapi masalah kejahatan. Teologi proses kemudian mencoba menanggapi masalah ini dengan cara mereduksi atribut-atribut Allah. Tujuan karya tulis ini adalah untuk mengkritik pandangan kontemporer khususnya teologi proses dalam menanggapi masalah kejahatan, dan juga membela pandangan greater good sebagai solusi yang masih tetap dapat dipertahankan walaupun dengan beberapa penyesuaian. Kata-kata kunci: Teodisi, Soft-determinism, Kompatibilisme, Kedaulatan Allah, Masalah Kejahatan, Holocaust, Auschwitz, Teologi Proses, Pembelaan Kehendak Bebas, Teodisi Pembentukan Jiwa, Greater Good Theodicy, John Calvin, John Feinberg   English: Throughout the ages Christian theologians have attempted to understand, from a philosophical vantagepoint, the problem of evil. The Church Fathers as well as theologians during the era of the Reformation have offered a solution that argues from the basis of the greater good. However, solutions of that nature seem to ring hollow when one considers the magnitude and scope of the Holocaust (Auschwitz). In light of that historical reality traditional solutions to the problem of evil seem inadequate. Process theology attempts to overcome the impasse by restricting the attributes of God. The purpose of this article is to critically evaluate contemporary solutions to the problem of evil, especially process theology, as inadequate solutions. Further, to argue for the traditional positional argument of the greater good as offering a tenable solution. Keywords: Theodicy, Soft-determinism, Compatibilism, Sovereignty of God, Problem of Evil, Holocaust, Auschwitz, Process Theology, Free Will Defense, Soul-shaping Theodicy, Greater Good Theodicy, John Calvin, John Feinberg

scholarly journals A House with Many Mansions

2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 293-314
Author(s):  
Dries Bosschaert
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Social Context ◽  
Temporal Order ◽  
Theological Reflection ◽  
Christian Anthropology ◽  
Christian Humanism ◽  
The Social ◽  
Church And Society ◽  
Theology Of History ◽  
The Church

This contribution engages in presenting the underdeveloped thematic cluster of twentieth-century theological research designated by the umbrella-term, ‘Christian anthropology’ and in particular, the contribution of the Louvain Faculty of Theology to that field. It proposes a new structure for this (international) field of Christian anthropology by focusing on theological reflection of the human being (Christian humanism), the temporal order as such (Théologie des réalités terrestres), the history in which humanity is placed (theology of history), the social context (theology of society), as well as the identity of the laity and their role within the Church and society (theology of the laity). In each section the active efforts of different members of the Belgian Faculty of Theology to make progress in these different areas shall be presented for the period 1942–1962.

scholarly journals Israel and the Individual in Matthew and Midrash: Reassessing “True Israel”

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 425
Author(s):  
Nicholas J. Schaser
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
New Testament ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Church

Since the Holocaust, New Testament scholarship has become increasingly sensitive to issues of Christian anti-Judaism. While many Matthean specialists have acknowledged the problems with polemical interpretations of the Gospel, the idea that Matthew presents Jesus and/or the church is the “true Israel” continues to enjoy broad acceptance. The scholarly conflation of Jesus and Israel recycles the Christian polemic against a comparatively inauthentic or inadequate Judaism. This article argues that Matthew does not present Jesus or his church as the true Israel, and that the Jesus-as-Israel interpretation could be refined by comparing the Gospel with later rabbinic discussion that connects Israel with biblical individuals. Genesis Rabbah 40:6 juxtaposes verses about Abraham and Israel to reveal a comprehensive scriptural relationship between the nation and the patriarch without devaluing either party. The rabbis’ theological thesis is predicated on both similarity and separation between Abraham and his offspring. Insofar as both Matthew and Midrash present similar biblical content and exegesis, a comparative analysis can provide Gospel commentators with a view of the Jesus-Israel paradigm that avoids the Christianization of “true Israel.”

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