Loving Your Neighbor

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Loving Your Neighbor Loving your neighbor Encouraging constructive interfaith engagement – A Reader Loving your neighbor Encouraging constructive interfaith engagement – A Reader © 2020 The Lutheran World Federation This work, including all of its parts, is protected by copyright. Any use beyond the strict limits of copyright law without permission is strictly prohibited and punishable by law. Cover photo: Participants in an interfaith training workshop for youth in Medan, jointly organized by the LWF and the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies. Photo: A. Yaqin Design and layout: The Lutheran World Federation The Lutheran World Federation – A Communion of Churches 150, route de Ferney, PO Box 2100 CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Contents Preface .............................................................................................................5 Eva Christina Nilsson Introduction ......................................................................................................7 Sivin Kit The Challenge of Religious Pluralism to Christian Theological Reflection [1988] ............................................................................................15 J. Paul Rajashekar Some Theological Issues Between Muslims and Christians [1988] ...................23 Olaf Schumann The Theological Challenges of the Encounter Between Christianity and Other Religions in Europe [1995] ............................................................................. 33 Reinhart Hummel The Theological Challenges of the Encounter Between Christianity and Other Faiths in Europe [1995] .................................................................................. 43 Hans Ucko Christian Theology and Mission in the Midst of Many Theologies and Missions [1997] ...................................................................................... 53 Israel Selvanayagam A Response to Christian Theology and Mission in the Midst of Many Theologies and Missions [1997] .........................................................65 Péri Rasolondraibe Anti-Judaism – A Problem for New Testament Theology: An Exegetical, Historical Perspective [2003] ....................................................69 Wolfgang Kraus Spirits: The Biblical View [2005] ......................................................................85 Monica J. Melanchthon The Discourse at the Margins: A Feminist Approach to Religious Plurality [2008].............................................................................97 Helene Egnell 3 Lutheran Theology Between Exclusivism and Openness: Reconsidering the Classical Lutheran Distinctions Between “Creation” and “Salvation” [2016] ....103 Notto R. Thelle On the Use of Religion by Right-Wing Israeli and Christian Groups [2019] .......115 Munther Isaac Disarm the Hearts and Hands: Words matter! Overcoming Fear with Faith [2019] ................................................................123 Martin Junge Bibliography ..................................................................................................127 Authors .......................................................................................................129 Preface Most churches today live in multi-faith contexts. Societies traditionally perceived as homogenous increasingly find themselves becoming a mix of faith and non-faith traditions. Different understandings and faith traditions have gained new contexts either in close or far away geographical settings, especially in a time when more than 70 million people around the world are forcibly displaced. On the other hand, people have always been moving, and as new faith traditions find a home in new contexts, the search for cooperation and peaceful co-existence becomes inevitable. This is why interfaith engagement and peace building have been important for The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) for a long time. The focus is even more urgent for the communion of churches in view of the massive movement of people from their homes because of conflict, disaster and climate change. The late Krister Stendahl, Lutheran bishop of the diocese of Stockholm, Swe- den, and dean of Harvard Divinity School, formulated three guiding principles for interfaith encounters, which I paraphrase below: • Let the Other define him/herself. It is very often that we are influenced by prejudices and what we think the other is. • Do not compare the best in your own tradition with the worst in the Other’s tradition. It is always important to be aware of what we compare • Find something with the Other that you really envy. No tradition has the full- ness; all traditions have something to contribute.1 These guiding principles are both simple and useful. Different constructive tools are needed in our search for peaceful communities where people of different faiths can enrich each other. In our shared global home, we have to search for the common good of hu- manity. While some are building walls that separate people, this will not work in the long run. As human beings, we are mutually interdependent. When one part suffers, all suffer. Therefore, as Christians, we need to see the image of God in every person. People of faith and non-faith can recognize each other’s human dignity. Sometimes it is easy. Sometimes it brings many challenges. The Lutheran tradition emphasizes the search for dialogue, understanding, and common responsibility in this world. Loving your neighbor – Encouraging constructive interfaith engagement – A Reader shares insights from previous years. Nevertheless, the work does not stop now. These are imperatives for ongoing reflection and interfaith praxis. 1 “Introduction”, Offerings of Interfaith Dialogue (Massachusetts: Harvard College, 2012), 5. 5 Loving your neighbor Through its Department for Theology, Mission and Justice, the LWF is com- mitted to continue supporting the member churches in their life and witness in multi-faith contexts. There is no one model or straightforward answer to the many emerging questions. It remains an open invitation for us to see each other as neighbors, as we encounter, get to know and understand each other. Eva Christina Nilsson Director, Department for Theology, Mission and Justice 6 Introduction Sivin Kit We believe that, in our troubled world, religion and religious organizations can be an active force for peace, justice, and reconciliation — a source of solutions rather than a source of conflict.1 The first week of February in 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of the World Inter- faith Harmony Week. The United Nations proclaimed the annual event as a way to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith. The LWF declared its support toward this initiative in 2011, when the Council called upon all the member churches to join in observing the event. Since then, various churches have participated in local and regional activities that highlight common values shared by humanity, importance of interreligious dialogue and mutual understanding. At regional level, gatherings such as the 2019 Asia Church Leadership Confer- ence highlighted how much interfaith and peace are closely related to each other. The Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa, or PROCMURA, recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of its work, which continues to have significant impact in many countries on the continent. In the global north, the initiative named “A World of Neighbors”, recently initiated by the Church of Sweden, seeks to connect interfaith praxis with people on the move in a social-political climate where voices of inhospitality are becoming increasingly loud. However, in spite of the significant contributions mentioned above and many others around the world, at times interfaith matters appear to be marginal or only mentioned in a reactionary manner — because we are forced to confront the new visibility or influence of other, religious communities (usually perceived as a problematic issue). Although there has been much theological debate in the field of interreligious dialogue, more could still be done to ensure the dialogue of theological exchange and the dialogue of life, as well as collaborative action, do not remain isolated from each other. Dialogue and diapraxis with people of other faiths mutually strengthen the participants in their own faith convictions. The World Interfaith Harmony Week anniversary is an opportunity to revisit our past reflections on interfaith relations and offer constructive ways forward. After reviewing the theological trajectories of study processes on interfaith relations in the Lutheran communion, Simone Sinn reminds us of the following: There is a temptation to fortify religion by immunizing it against inward and outward challenges. These attempts to protect religion may inadvertently turn into ideologizing 1 “Lutheran World Federation Endorsement of World Interfaith Harmony Week”, Letter to His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, 11 July 2011. 7 Loving your neighbor it. In order for religious plurality not to turn into destructive conflicts, interreligious encounter and engagement is needed, as well as theological critique.2 The purpose of this reader is to retrieve insights from study processes in the Lu- theran communion. The articles are chosen to highlight themes and thinking to stimulate fresh engagement that can guard Christians from any attempt to ‘immunize’ ourselves ‘“against inward and outward challenges.” The reader provides a historical and geographical sampling around various topics from the 1980s until
Recommended publications
  • Lutherans Respond to Pentecostalism
    TLC 4 TLC THEOLOgy in thE LifE OF thE Church Vol. 4 The spread and influence of diverse expressions of Pentecostalism through out the world, especially in Africa, is posing significant challenges to Lutheran as well as other churches. At a seminar of the Lutheran World Federation in South Africa, theologians discussed how they are responding to these challenges. Articles in this book highlight how some Lutheran convictions to Respond Pentecostalism Lutherans and understandings can counter, balance or expand upon Pentecostal beliefs and practices. Contributors include: J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, Ghana; Ibrahim Bitrus, Nigeria; Musawenkosi Biyela, South Africa; Samuel Dawai, Cameroon; Hans-Peter Grosshans, Germany; Guillermo Hansen, Argentina/USA; Paul John Isaak, Namibia/Switzerland; Rogate Mshana, Tanzania/Switzerland; Sarojini Nadar, South Africa; Cheryl S. Pero, USA; Gertrud Tönsing, South Africa; and Galana Babusa Yako, Kenya. Lutherans Respond The editor, Karen L. Bloomquist, directs the Department for Theology and Studies, LWF, Geneva, Switzerland. to Pentecostalism LWF The Lutheran World Federation – A Communion of Churches ISBN (Europe) 978-3-905676-68-6 DTS-Studies-201002-text.indd 10 02/03/2011 15:55:18 PM Lutherans Respond to Pentecostalism edited by Karen L. Bloomquist on behalf of the Lutheran World Federation— A Communion of Churches Lutheran University Press Minneapolis, Minnesota Previous volumes in the Theology in the Life of the Church series Karen L. Bloomquist (ed.), Being the Church in the Midst of Empire. Trinitarian Reflections Simone Sinn (ed.), Deepening Faith, Hope and Love in Relations with Neighbors of Other Faiths Karen L. Bloomquist (ed.), Identity, Survival, Witness. Reconfiguring Theological Agendas Lutherans Respond to Pentecostalism Theology in the Life of the Church, vol.
    [Show full text]
  • Above, Within Or Ahead Of? Pannenberg's Eschatologicalism As a Replacement for Supernaturalism
    Above, Within or Ahead Of? Pannenberg' s Eschatologicalism as a Replacement for Supernaturalism LAURENCE W. WOOD Supernaturalism became the philosophical assumption of Christian the- ology during the thirteenth century A.O. The term supernatural was specifi- cally developed and widely used by Thomas Aquinas and the Scholastics as a technical term to describe God as eternally, self-subsistent and hence dif- ferent in essence from the created, natural order. The term lost its technical meaning as it was more generally used outside the classroom and it eventu- ally became more popularly understood to designate something as beyond the normal.1 Because of this secondary meaning, some prefer to use the term supra-natural instead of super-natural since supra more precisely con- veys the original, technical meaning of "above."2 The Latin term supernaturalis first appeared in the ninth century. John Scotus Erigena used it in his translation of the works of pseudo-Dionysius from Greek into Latin. He coined this Latin term as a translation for the Greek adjective huperphues. The prefix huper (beyond) was used in inference to phusis (the nature or essence of reality) to denote something as transcend- ing the ordinary, visible world.3 Thomas Aquinas featured this term promi- nently and is largely responsible for its widespread technical use in Chris- tian theology.4 If Augustine is credited with providing the standardization of the vari- ous Christian doctrines for Western Christianity in the fourth century A.o.,5 Laurence W Wood is Frank Paul Morris Professor of Systematic Theology at Asbury Theological Seminary. THE ASBURY THEOLCGICAL JOURNAL VoL.
    [Show full text]
  • God and History in the Book of Revelation New Testament Studies in Dialogue with Pannenberg and Moltmann
    God and History in the Book of Revelation New Testament Studies in Dialogue with Pannenberg and Moltmann MICHAEL GILBERTSON published by the press syndicate of the university of cambridge The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom cambridge university press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011–4211, USA 477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia Ruiz de Alarc´on 13, 28014 Madrid, Spain Dock House, The Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa http://www.cambridge.org C Michael Gilbertson 2003 This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2003 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge Typeface Times 10/12 pt. System LATEX2ε [tb] A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 0 521 82466 4 hardback CONTENTS Preface page xi Acknowledgements xii List of abbreviations xiii 1 Setting the scene: a modern debate about faith and history 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 The challenge of Ernst Troeltsch 2 1.3 Rudolf Bultmann: a dualistic response 5 1.4 Wolfhart Pannenberg: a unitive response 11 1.5 J¨urgen Moltmann: radical eschatology 16 1.6 Conclusion 19 2 Relating scripture and systematic theology: some preliminary issues 20 2.1 Introduction 20 2.2 Scripture and theology: the interrelationship of historical and theological
    [Show full text]
  • Schleiermacher and Bonhoeffer As Negative Theologians: a Western Response to Some Eastern Challenges
    Schleiermacher and Bonhoeffer as negative theologians: a Western response to some Eastern challenges Alexander S Jensen When I was at university, a Greek Orthodox friend used to tell me about the many errors of the West and about the way in which the Easterners got it right. ‘You in the West, you got it all wrong because Augustine did not speak Greek,’ he used to say. According to him, the root of our Western errors is a Dr Alexander Jensen is Senior Lecturer in Systematic Theology at Murdoch University, Perth, and Principal of Perth Theological Hall. St Mark’s Review, No. 215 February 2011 (1) wrong doctrine of the Trinity, which we developed because Augustine did not understand the difference between ousia and hypostasis.1 A second reason why our Western theology went so badly astray, I was informed, was that we do not understand apophaticism properly. In the East, they know how to distinguish between apophatic or negative theology on the one hand and kataphatic or positive theology on the other, while we in the West muddled it all up when Thomas Aquinas suggested a middle way between them in the form of analogical language in relation to God. It is this second point on which I concentrate in this paper. I do this not only because my Greek friend kept making this point, but also because this comment about Western theology is widespread in Eastern Orthodox literature. We can see this expressed, for example, in the work of Vladimir Lossky and Christos Yannaras.2 In this paper, I present two different Eastern Orthodox understandings of apophaticism, as represented by the theologies of Vladimir Lossky and Christos Yannaras.
    [Show full text]
  • The Triumph of the Irrational in Postenlightenment Theology
    Andrews University Seminaly Studies, Spring 1999, Vol. 37, No. 1, 5-22 Copyright 1999 by Andrews University Press. THE TRIUMPH OF THE IRRATIONAL IN POSTENLIGHTENMENT THEOLOGY PAULFISHER Tunkhannock, PA 18657 This essay advances the idea that a dualism between faith and reason has come to characterize the postenlightenment theological enterprise.' This severance of faith and rationality is rooted in philosophical and not biblical modes of thought.2The result of this dualism is the triumph of the irrational in the interpretation of religious symbols. It would appear that the rigid confinement of faith and reason to autonomous spheres of operation leads to the ascendance of nonhistorical, non~once~tual, nonpsychological, and nonrational interpretations of biblical concepts.) Historical Development of Dualism in Knowledge The interplay of rationality and irrationality in the realm of religion has been analyzed by the conservative Christian apologist Francis Schaeffer. In his Escapefrom Reason, Schaeffer traced the development of a dualism between faith and rationality beginning with Saint Thomas 'The term postenlightenment is used to include both modern and postmodern theological developments. Schleiermacher, Bultmann, Barth, and Tillich are representative of the modern viewpoint; Lindbeck is representative of the postmodern camp. Gerhard Hasel, in a summary of the objections to historical criticism raised by E. Krentz, says, "Faith and the historical-critical method have ddfering means of determining reality. Thus, acceptance of historical criticism leads the Christian into intellectualdualism and forces him to live in two worlds that clash" (Biblicallntqretation Today [Washington,DC: Review and Herald, 1985],82); see also Wolfhart Pannenberg, "Faith and Reason," in Basic Questions in lleology (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1971), 47.
    [Show full text]
  • The Word-Of-God Conflict in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in the 20Th Century
    Luther Seminary Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary Master of Theology Theses Student Theses Spring 2018 The Word-of-God Conflict in the utherL an Church Missouri Synod in the 20th Century Donn Wilson Luther Seminary Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.luthersem.edu/mth_theses Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, and the History of Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Wilson, Donn, "The Word-of-God Conflict in the utherL an Church Missouri Synod in the 20th Century" (2018). Master of Theology Theses. 10. https://digitalcommons.luthersem.edu/mth_theses/10 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses at Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master of Theology Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. THE WORD-OF-GOD CONFLICT IN THE LUTHERAN CHURCH MISSOURI SYNOD IN THE 20TH CENTURY by DONN WILSON A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Luther Seminary In Partial Fulfillment, of The Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF THEOLOGY THESIS ADVISER: DR. MARY JANE HAEMIG ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA 2018 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Dr. Mary Jane Haemig has been very helpful in providing input on the writing of my thesis and posing critical questions. Several years ago, she guided my independent study of “Lutheran Orthodoxy 1580-1675,” which was my first introduction to this material. The two trips to Wittenberg over the January terms (2014 and 2016) and course on “Luther as Pastor” were very good introductions to Luther on-site.
    [Show full text]
  • INTRODUCTION 1.1. Doctrina Stantis Et Cadentis Ecclesiae These Words of Wolfhart Pannenberg Naturally Shock the Churches, Which
    CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1. Doctrina stantis et cadentis ecclesiae In the evangelical theology, there’s no consensus on the speciality and meaning concerning the doctrine of justifi cation. There is no single evan- gelical doctrine of justifi cation, much less one single Lutheran doctrine of justifi cation. There are at least a dozen of them.1 These words of Wolfhart Pannenberg naturally shock the churches, which have treasured the doctrine of justifi cation as their most pre- cious jewel. Pannenberg uttered this after the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justifi cation ( JDDJ, 1999), which established agreement between the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church on central Soteriological themes. According to Pannenberg, the convoluted history of Lutheranism has produced a number of different interpretations of justifi cation.2 Generally, the doctrine of justifi cation has been the core of all Lutheran theology. Martin Luther (1483–1546) teaches in his Schmal- kaldic Articles (SA) that: “On this article stands all that we teach and practice against the pope, the devil, and the world. Therefore we must be quite certain and have no doubt about it. Otherwise everything is lost, and the pope and the devil and whatever opposes us will gain vic- tory and be proved right.”3 In the Apology of the Augsburg Confession (Apologia Confessionis Augustanae, AC) Philip Melanchthon (1497–1560) calls the doctrine of justifi cation “the most important topic of Christian teaching.”4 The same emphasis is apparent in the texts of the other 1 Wolfhart Pannenberg, Hintergründe des Streites um die Rechtfertigungslehre in der evan- gelischen Theologie (München: Verlag der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften 2000), p.
    [Show full text]
  • The Divine and the Human in Jesus Christ
    THE DIVINE AND THE HUMAN IN JESUS CHRIST Christian faith in the lordship of Jesus of Nazareth has found expression during the long history of the Christian tradition in an enormous variety of ways. Among these many and varied ap- proaches to the mystery of Jesus, however, one symbol in particu- lar would seem to stand out in importance above all others, the symbol of incarnation. This symbol can already be discerned at work in the New Testament even if the language as such is not biblical.1 It is clearly decisive for the patristic and scholastic de- velopment. Even in modern times it has retained its preeminence although it has been subjected to numerous criticisms and under- gone repeated revisions, especially with regard to the humanity. Should a contemporary christology, then, begin its reflection with this symbol of faith? While there has been a marked tendency in recent christologies to begin "from below," that is from the histor- ical Jesus or the humanity of Jesus or even the human conscious- ness of Jesus, there seem to me to be compelling reasons for taking one's point of departure from this symbol and hence beginning "from above," that is from the side of God or what will be referred to here as the holy mystery2 that is God. By beginning with this symbol rather than the life history of Jesus I indicate my desire to expose at the outset my presupposi- tions about the holy mystery, presuppositions which have how- ever been principally formed by the life history of Jesus.
    [Show full text]
  • Theology Catalog February 2014
    Theology Catalog February 2014 Windows Booksellers 199 West 8th Ave., Suite 1 Eugene, OR 97401 USA Phone: (800) 779-1701 or (541) 485-0014 * Fax: (541) 465-9694 Email and Skype: [email protected] Website: http://www.windowsbooks.com Monday - Friday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Pacific time (phone & in-store); Saturday: Noon to 3:00 PM, Pacific time (in-store only- sorry, no phone). Our specialty is used and out-of-print academic books in the areas of theology, church history, biblical studies, and western philosophy. We operate an open shop and coffee house in downtown Eugene. Please stop by if you're ever in the area! When ordering, please reference our book number (shown in brackets at the end of each listing). Prepayment required of individuals. Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover; or check/money order in US dollars. Books will be reserved 10 days while awaiting payment. Purchase orders accepted for institutional orders. Shipping charge is based on estimated final weight of package, and calculated at the shipper's actual cost, plus $1.00 handling per package. We advise insuring orders of $100.00 or more. Insurance is available at 5% of the order's total, before shipping. Uninsured orders of $100.00 or more are sent at the customer's risk. Returns are accepted on the basis of inaccurate description. Please call before returning an item. __ARCIC-I Revisited: An Evaluation and a Revision__. Catholic Press Association. 1985. Paperback. 102pp. Foxing. Else good. $11 [422653] . __Army and Religion: An Inquiry and Its Bearing upon the Religious Life of the Nation__.
    [Show full text]
  • Front Material
    ANTICIPATION IN THE THOUGHT OF WOLFHART PANNENBERG John Andrew McClean BSc (UNSW), BD Hons. (Moore) A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Melbourne College of Divinity March 2010 Abstract This thesis presents an interpretation and assessment of the thought of Wolfhart Pannenberg by studying the role of anticipation. A review of critical appraisals of Pannenberg’s work, and his own descriptions of his approach to theology lead to the identification of major questions for understanding and assessing Pannenberg’s theological project, especially the relationship between theology and philosophy. The discussion also shows that Pannenberg’s work can be examined for internal coherence and for coherence with the claims of other fields of study. In an initial exposition of Pannenberg’s use of anticipation it is shown that in the discussion of revelation the concept of anticipation enables him to understand revelation as God’s self-revelation in which the content and form of revelation are identified with God’s essence and also hold that God’s existence remains debatable. An examination of Pannenberg’s philosophical milieu concludes that the atheism associated with the “end of metaphysics” is the primary philosophical challenge for Pannenberg. He responds to this challenge in the context of the “relational turn” which means that he takes the demand for a historicist hermeneutic with full seriousness, while refusing to abandon metaphysical claims. It is shown that in order to achieve this, Pannenberg offers a metaphysical proposal in which reality can be understood in relation to the true Infinite only as the true Infinite is understood as the triune God and that this understanding requires an account of reality which appeals to Christian eschatology and views reality as developing to a completion which is granted to it from eternity.
    [Show full text]
  • Healing Memories: Reconciling in Christ Report of the Lutheran-Mennonite International Study Commission the Mennonite World Conference
    The Lutheran World FederationThe LutheranWorld The Lutheran World Federation The Mennonite World Conference Healing Reconciling Memories: in Christ Healing Memories: Reconciling in Christ Report of the Lutheran-Mennonite International Study Commission The Mennonite World Conference World Mennonite The The Lutheran World Federation 150, rte de Ferney CH-1211 Geneva 2 Switzerland ISBN 978-2-940459-00-1 OEA-Lutheran-Mennonites-2010-cov1 1 05/07/2010 17:21:53 PM Healing Memories: Reconciling in Christ Report of the Lutheran-Mennonite International Study Commission The Lutheran World Federation The Mennonite World Conference 2010 OEA-Lutheran-Mennonites-2010-EN.1 1 05/07/2010 17:57:29 PM Healing Memories: Reconciling in Christ Report of the Lutheran-Mennonite International Study Commission Published by: The Lutheran World Federation 150, route de Ferney, P.O. Box 2100 CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland and Mennonite World Conference 8, rue du Fossé des Treize F-67000 Strasbourg, France Copyright © 2010 The Lutheran World Federation and The Mennonite World Conference Printed in Germany ISBN 978-2-940459-00-1 Publication of this book was made possible by a special gift from Prof. emeritus Dr Joachim Track, chairman of the Program Committee for Ecumenical Affairs of the Lutheran World Federation Council, 2003-10. OEA-Lutheran-Mennonites-2010-EN.2 2 05/07/2010 17:57:30 PM Contents 5 Preface 11 Part I Introduction 12 Origin and Mandate of the International Study Commission 13 Study Commission Members 13 The Commission and its Themes 19 Part 2 Telling
    [Show full text]
  • MICHAEL ROOT School of Theology and Religious Studies the Catholic University of America
    MICHAEL ROOT School of Theology and Religious Studies The Catholic University of America EMPLOYMENT 2011-Present: Ordinary Professor of Systematic Theology, The Catholic University of America 2003-2011: Professor of Systematic Theology (also Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs, 2003-9) Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, SC 1998-2003: Edward C. Fendt Professor of Systematic Theology Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio 1988-1998: Research Professor; Director (1991-93; 1995-97) Institute for Ecumenical Research, Strasbourg, France 1980-1988: Assistant (1980-84) and Associate (1984-88) Professor of Systematic Theology Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary 1978-80: Instructor in Religion Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina OTHER ACTIVITIES 2006-2015: Executive Director, Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology 2006-Present: Associate Editor, Pro Ecclesia EDUCATION 1979: Ph.D., in Religious Studies - Theology; Yale University 1977: M.Phil., Yale University 1974: M.A., Yale University 1973: A.B., Dartmouth College (Summa Cum Laude, Salutatorian) MEMBERSHIPS Editorial board, Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible, 2003- present Editorial Advisory Board, Ecclesiology, 2006-2015 Board of Directors, Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology, 2016- present Member, USA Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue, 1998-2010, 2013-present Member, International Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue, 2008-2010 Drafting committee for Lutheran-Episcopal full communion agreement Called to Common Mission, 1997-99 Drafting committee to
    [Show full text]