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This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of Seventhday Adventist interchurch relations – a 20-million member body whose ecumenical stance has so far been underresearched. For the sake of interpreting denominational involvement and reservations in Adventism as well as beyond, the study develops a new academic approach to ecumenism based on Relational Models Theory, a comprehensive social science paradigm of interpreting human relationships. The resulting typology of ecumenical interactions and the historical case study of Adventism suggest that such a relational interpretation of ecumenical interaction sheds light on many of the unresolved issues in ecumenics – such as divergent concepts of unity, difficulties in recognition processes, and the permanence of denominationalism.
It is estimated that literally billions of residents in urban and peri-urban areas of Africa, Asia, and Latin America are served by onsite sanitation systems (e.g. various types of latrines and septic tanks). Until recently, the management of faecal sludge from these onsite systems has been grossly neglected, partially as a result of them being considered temporary solutions until sewer-based systems could be implemented. However, the perception of onsite or decentralized sanitation technologies for urban areas is gradually changing, and is increasingly being considered as long-term, sustainable options in urban areas, especially in low- and middle-income countries that lack sewer infrastruc...
In "Reconciling Theology", leading thinker on Anglicanism and ecumenism Paul Avis focuses on the perennial Christian issues of argument, debate, polemic and conflict, on the one hand, and dialogue, search for common ground, working for agreement and harmony, on the other. Exploring the tension and interaction between them in a range of contexts in modern theology and the Church, Avis offers a rigorous but accessible vision of church which moves beyond the usual dichotomy of liberal or orthodox.
In Mary’s Bodily Assumption, Matthew Levering presents a contemporary explanation and defense of the Catholic doctrine of Mary’s bodily Assumption. He asks: How does the Church justify a doctrine that does not have explicit biblical or first-century historical evidence to support it? With the goal of exploring this question more deeply, he divides his discussion into two sections, one historical and the other systematic. Levering’s historical section aims to retrieve the rich Mariological doctrine of the mid-twentieth century. He introduces the development of Mariology in Catholic Magisterial documents, focusing on Pope Pius XII’s encyclical Munificentissimus Deus of 1950, in which t...
A Distinguished Theologian on the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit Distinguished theologian Matthew Levering offers a historical examination of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, defending an Augustinian model against various contemporary theological views. A companion piece to Levering's Engaging the Doctrine of Revelation, this work critically engages contemporary and classical doctrines of the Holy Spirit in dialogue with Orthodox and Reformed interlocutors. Levering makes a strong dogmatic case for conceiving of the Holy Spirit as love between Father and Son, given to the people of God as a gift.
This book chronicles one of the wealthiest German merchant families of the sixteenth century and their business interests in long-distance trade, mining, state finance, and overseas ventures. Their family story provides a glimpse into the social mobility, cultural patronage, religion, and values during the Renaissance and Reformation.
In his Epistle to the Philippians, Paul positions himself as an example of 'being in Christ'. The way in which he does this points out that he consciously positions himself in the tradition of classical rhetoric, where the use of paradigms (exempla) was a standard element in deliberative arguing. Paul describes his life as coloured by Christ in such a way that he represents Christ to the Philippians, and the response he hopes to evoke in their congregation is that of similar behaviour. The analysis of Smit combines observations on classical rhetoric, exegetical analyses of Philippians, and views from the perspective of gender and masculinity studies into a new and fresh analysis of the material. He shows that ancient ideals of deliberative rhetoric have influenced Philippians in much the same way in which they appear in e.g. Aristotle, Plutarch, and (also) 2 Maccabees. This study both positions Paul in the cultural context of his day and indicates the newness of his enterprise.
This book provides up-to-date information on the concepts and technologies in decentralized sanitation for wastewater treatment and management. It addresses the knowledge gap that exists between the understanding of centralized and decentralized wastewater treatment approaches. Decentralized Sanitation and Water Treatment: Concept and Technologies covers the sustainability principles and technologies involved, and common decentralized treatment and disposal methods. It includes topics like septage as a resource, resource recovery, anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage, and decentralized sanitation in various countries. Features Provides case studies from all around the world to explain the ...
This volume performs a critical and vibrant reconstruction of Anabaptist identity and theological method, in the wake of the recent revelations of the depth of the sexual abuse perpetrated by the most influential Anabaptist theologian of the 20th century, John Howard Yoder. In an attempt to liberate Anabaptist theology and identity from the constricting vision appropriated and reformulated by Yoder, these essays refuse the determinative categories of the last half century supplied by and carried beyond Harold Bender's The Anabaptist Vision. While still under the shadow of decades of trauma, a recontexualized conversation about Anabaptist theology and identity emerges in this volume that is e...
This book is situated at the cutting edge of the political-ethical dimension of history writing. Henkes investigates various responsibilities and loyalties towards family and nation, as well as other major ethical obligations towards society and humanity when historical subjects have to deal with a repressive political regime. In the first section we follow pre-war German immigrants in the Netherlands and their German affiliation during the era of National Socialism. The second section explores the positions of Dutch emigrants who settled after the Second World War in Apartheid South Africa. The narratives of these transnational agents and their relatives provide a lens through which changing constructions of national identities, and the acceptance or rejection of a nationalist policy on racial grounds, can be observed in everyday practice.