Grace, Governance and Globalization

Description

What role does, could or should theology play in current discussions about our political realities? Is there a place for theological worldviews in the public conversation about policy making? Should theology critically unmask the underlying theological and metaphysical sources of contemporary politics? The contributors to this volume reflect on new questions in public and political theology, inspired by the theology of Edward Schillebeeckx. They discuss a variety of theological traditions and theories that could offer substantial contributions to current political challenges, and debate whether theology should contribute to the liberation of communities of poor and suffering people. Title Page Copyright Page Contents List of Contributors Introduction: Grace, Governance and Globalization – Theology and Public Life Part 1 Theological Hermeneutics: ‘If Politics Isn’t Everything …’ Chapter 1 God Becoming Present in the World: Sacramental Foundations of a Theology of Public Life 1 From accommodation to particularism: Three types of public theology 2 Church in the world: The sacramental ontology of Edward Schillebeeckx 3 The invisibility we live towards: Public life as sacrament Bibliography Chapter 2 Towards a Hermeneutic for Public Theology: Conversations with Habermas and Schillebeeckx 1 Habermas, critical theory and the public sphere 2 Schillebeeckx, hermeneutics and critical theory 3 Hermeneutics for public theology Conclusion Bibliography Chapter 3 Glimpses of Schillebeeckx in Asian Theological Hermeneutics 1 Only as starting point 2 The new hermeneutics 3 Towards a Catholic use of hermeneutics 4 It began with an experience 5 Extra mundum nulla salus 6 Church as sacrament of dialogue 7 Doing of the faith 8 Parable of God, paradigm of humanity Conclusion Bibliography Chapter 4 The Hermeneutics of Intersubjectivity: A Study of Theologies of Homelessness 1 Method in theology 2 Theologies of homelessness 3 Liturgy 4 Three notes about this theology of home Conclusion Bibliography Chapter 5 From Han to Mystical–Political Praxis: Intercultural Hermeneutics and Schillebeeckx’s Soteriology 1 Intercultural hermeneutics 2 A tentative phenomenology of Han 3 Schillebeeckx’s mystical–political praxis 4 Han, Schillebeeckx and the emerging intercultural public sphere Bibliography Part 2 Christology: ‘The Praxis of the Reign of God’ Chapter 6 Speaking of Jesus Today: Towards an Engaged Systematic Theology 1 Language 2 Context 3 Epistemology Conclusion Bibliography Chapter 7 Still Revealing Himself: How Jesus’ Resurrection Enables Us to Be Public Theologians 1 Responding to John Robinson 2 Jesus as the bridge between the traditions and us 3 Jesus’ resurrection: Ongoing divine presence through his humanity Conclusion Bibliography Chapter 8 Overcoming Political Nestorianism: Towards a Chalcedonian Politics 1 Political Nestorianism 2 The politics of non-dualism Bibliography Chapter 9 Concentrating on Creation: Following Christ in a Context of Climate Change 1 Critical negativity and critical positivity 2 Human and ecological solidarity 3 Sequela Jesu Bibliography Part 3 Eschatology: ‘God, the Future of Man’ Chapter 10 Are the Last Things Exclusively Positive?: Schillebeeckx’s Eschatology and Public Theology 1 Witnessing and discourse 2 Apologetic communication within a modern context 3 Schillebeeckx’ ‘honest justification of faith’ 4 Framing a public theology 5 Are the last things exclusively positive? Bibliography Chapter 11 ‘Putting the Facts to Shame’: Eschatology and the Discourse of Martyrdom 1 The Angelus of History 2 Parables of ‘the good and honest soldier’ 3 The threatened humanum 4 Expanding the theology of martyrdom 5 Ecce homo Bibliography Chapter 12 Schillebeeckx’s View on Eschatology as Public Theology Today 1 Setting the scene: Turning to the world and rehabilitating eschatology 2 Schillebeeckx’s eschatological reflections in 1967–8 3 Schillebeeckx’s answer to the question about the distinctive contribution of Christian eschatology to the creation of a better society 4 The public role of eschatology as public theology Bibliography Chapter 13 Afro-Pessimism and Christian Hope 1 Black theology 2 Afro-pessimism 3 Deep racism and secular hope 4 God, the future of Blacks Bibliography Part 4 Ecclesiology: ‘The Church with a Human Face’ Chapter 14 Enchantment, Idolatry and Sacrament: Looking for Grace in the Secular 1 Enchantment 2 Idolatry 3 Sacrament Bibliography Chapter 15 ‘Things Which Can Only Be Seen by Eyes That Have Cried’: Towards a Political Theology of Lament 1 A political theology of lament 2 Archbishop Munzihirwa: Things that only eyes that have cried can see Conclusion: The odd gift of lament Bibliography Chapter 16 The Church and the Elusive ‘Public’ Bibliography Chapter 17 The Church in the Limelight of the Public Square: An Alternative Community? 1 Public church and public theology – an exclusively Protestant paradigm? 2 What constitutes and characterizes the public square? 3 ‘It shall not be so among you’ – or a church ‘missionary by her very nature’ Bibliography Index of Names