Welcoming Other Religions

Welcoming Other Religions PDF

Author: Pierre-François de Béthune

Publisher: Liturgical Press

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 104

ISBN-13: 0814646069

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The Benedictine monk Pierre-François de Béthune has dedicated his life to following the lead of the great pioneers of interreligious dialogue at the level of spiritual experience. Having practiced zazen and "Way of tea" assiduously for decades, he now leads readers along the path of spiritual hospitality, describing how welcoming other religions transformed him and brought him to rediscover the Gospel. In this volume, he evokes the spiritual journeys of some of the pioneers of interreligious dialogue, among them, Thomas Merton, Henri Le Saux, Raimon Panikkar, and Christian de Chergé and the monks of Tibhirine. In doing so, he proposes that their commitment to dialogue, hospitality, and welcoming the other corresponds to what the Gospel requires of the followers of Jesus.

Hospitality and Islam

Hospitality and Islam PDF

Author: Mona Siddiqui

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2015-10-15

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13: 0300216025

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Considering its prominent role in many faith traditions, surprisingly little has been written about hospitality within the context of religion, particularly Islam. In her new book, Mona Siddiqui, a well-known media commentator, makes the first major contribution to the understanding of hospitality both within Islam and beyond. She explores and compares teachings within the various Muslim traditions over the centuries, while also drawing on materials as diverse as Islamic belles lettres, Christian reflections on almsgiving and charity, and Islamic and Western feminist writings on gender issues. Applying a more theological approach to the idea of mercy as a fundamental basis for human relationships, this book will appeal to a wide audience, particularly readers interested in Islam, ethics, and religious studies.

Strange Rites

Strange Rites PDF

Author: Tara Isabella Burton

Publisher: Public Affairs

Published: 2022-01-18

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 9781541762527

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A sparklingly strange odyssey through the kaleidoscope of America's new spirituality: the cults, practices, high priests and prophets of our supposedly post-religion age. Fifty-five years have passed since the cover of Time magazine proclaimed the death of God and while participation in mainstream religion has indeed plummeted, Americans have never been more spiritually busy. While rejecting traditional worship in unprecedented numbers, today's Americans are embracing a kaleidoscopic panoply of spiritual traditions, rituals, and subcultures -- from astrology and witchcraft to SoulCycle and the alt-right.As the Internet makes it ever-easier to find new "tribes," and consumer capitalism forever threatens to turn spirituality into a lifestyle brand, remarkably modern American religious culture is undergoing a revival comparable with the Great Awakenings of centuries past. Faith is experiencing not a decline but a Renaissance. Disillusioned with organized religion and political establishments alike, more and more Americans are seeking out spiritual paths driven by intuition, not institutions. In Strange Rites, religious scholar and commentator Tara Isabella Burton visits with the techno-utopians of Silicon Valley; Satanists and polyamorous communities, witches from Bushwick, wellness junkies and social justice activists and devotees of Jordan Peterson, proving Americans are not abandoning religion but remixing it. In search of the deep and the real, they are finding meaning, purpose, ritual, and communities in ever-newer, ever-stranger ways.

Radical Welcome

Radical Welcome PDF

Author: Stephanie Spellers

Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.

Published: 2021-11-16

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 1640654690

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For the fifteenth anniversary of its publication, this revised edition features a new introduction from the author on the state of the church and its “radical welcome” today, along with new reflections on how it continues to reshape the church. This book is at once a theological, inspirational, and practical guide for congregations that want to move beyond diversity and inclusion to present a vision for the church of the future: one where the gifts, voices, and power of marginalized groups bring new life to the mainline church. Based on two years of work and over 200 interviews with people in congregations all around the United States—in urban, suburban, and rural settings—it asks the question: How do we face our fears and welcome transformation in order to become God’s radically welcoming people? Each chapter introduces a particular congregation and the challenges it faced, and lays out the theological underpinnings of tackling fears head-on to embrace change as a welcome part of community life. This new edition features essays from Michael B. Curry, Mark Bozzuti-Jones, Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, and Mark Richardson.

Welcome to the Christian Faith

Welcome to the Christian Faith PDF

Author: Christopher L. Webber

Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.

Published: 2011-10

Total Pages: 145

ISBN-13: 0819227439

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A foundational volume for seekers in formation programs and a “refresher” study volume for individuals and congregational study groups. We live in a world increasingly separated from the Christian tradition and the basic understanding of the faith that previous ages might have taken for granted. The voices of faith seem increasingly strident and off-putting to many. There is a need for a calmer, basic introduction to faith that recognizes the value of doubt and the questions raised in a secular society. A systematic introduction to Christianity for newcomers needs to begin with a discussion of faith itself and then move on to a discussion of such Christian basics as God, Trinity, Church, sin, atonement, prayer, and Christian living.

Welcoming the Stranger Among Us

Welcoming the Stranger Among Us PDF

Author: Catholic Church. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Publisher: USCCB Publishing

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 68

ISBN-13: 9781574553758

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Designed for both ordained and lay ministers at the diocesan and parish levels, this document challenges us to prepare to receive newcomers with a genuine spirit of welcome.

Making Sense of God

Making Sense of God PDF

Author: Timothy Keller

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2016-09-20

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 0525954155

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We live in an age of skepticism. Our society places such faith in empirical reason, historical progress, and heartfelt emotion that it’s easy to wonder: Why should anyone believe in Christianity? What role can faith and religion play in our modern lives? In this thoughtful and inspiring new book, pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller invites skeptics to consider that Christianity is more relevant now than ever. As human beings, we cannot live without meaning, satisfaction, freedom, identity, justice, and hope. Christianity provides us with unsurpassed resources to meet these needs. Written for both the ardent believer and the skeptic, Making Sense of God shines a light on the profound value and importance of Christianity in our lives.

Xenosophia and Religion. Biographical and Statistical Paths for a Culture of Welcome

Xenosophia and Religion. Biographical and Statistical Paths for a Culture of Welcome PDF

Author: Heinz Streib

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-07-20

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 3319745646

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This book documents the current polarization in Germany regarding the issue of refugee immigration. It presents quantitative estimates for both xenophobia and xenophilia in the German population, including short-time changes. The book suggests a conceptual change of perspectives. It focuses not only on the pathogenic model that accounts for outcomes such as xenophobia, Islamophobia and other forms of (inter-religious) prejudice, but on a salutogenic model. In the book’s view, the salutogenic model entails xenosophia: the wisdom, creativity and inspiration that emerges from the encounter with the strange and the strange religion. The book addresses individual dispositions, which may lead to xenophobia or xenosophia, and takes into account predictors such as religiosity, religious schemata, value preferences, tolerance of complexity, and violence legitimizing norms of masculinity. A selection of case studies present typical biographical trajectories toward xenosophia.

Welcome to the Orthodox Church

Welcome to the Orthodox Church PDF

Author: Frederica Mathewes-Green

Publisher: Paraclete Press

Published: 2015-04-01

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13: 1612614345

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Welcome to the Orthodox Church—its history, theology, worship, spirituality, and daily life. This friendly guide provides a comprehensive introduction to Orthodoxy, but with a twist: readers learn by making a series of visits to a fictitious church, and get to know the faith as new Christians did for most of history, by immersion. Mathews-Green provides commentary and explanations on everything from how to “venerate” an icon, the Orthodox understanding of the atonement, to the Lenten significance of tofu. It’s the perfect book for inquirers and newcomers, but even readers who have been Orthodox all their lives say they learned things they never knew before. Enjoyable, easy-to-read, and leavened with humor, Welcome to the Orthodox Church is a gracious guide to the ancient faith of the Christian East.

Distinctly Welcoming

Distinctly Welcoming PDF

Author: Richard Sudworth

Publisher: Scripture Union (UK)

Published: 2007-10

Total Pages: 162

ISBN-13: 9781844273171

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A practical guide to the core issues and challenges facing churches in their engagement with those of other faiths. The resource does not seek to cover all the issues in-depth but provides a broad sweep touching on key issues so that churches can gain confidence and be guided towards practical, relational engagements and projects informed by a distinctly Christian ethos. Each chapter suggests practical activities and further resources for those wanting to explore further. The resource aims to be earthed in real life, accessible in style, biblically rooted and professionably credible.