Darryl Trimiew examines current and historical debates regarding economic rights. What is our obligation to the poor, and how are economic rights related to civil and political rights? Beginning with the debate that surrounded President Jimmy Carter's support of economic rights, Trimiew reviews and answers the objections of those who would deny economic rights, and in the process articulates the positions of such figures as Henry Shue, Alan Gewirth, David Hollenbach, and Nicholas Wolterstorff. In addition, he argues that rights based on religion are finally more adequate than those based on...

In an era of transition and tension in American health care, Dorothy M. Owens offers a model of empathic communication that benefits both patients and physicians. Drawing from concepts in the domains of psychology and theology, she constructs a model of empathy that is ethical and reciprocal. An integrated model of empathy recognizes the physical, psychological, spiritual, and social nature of human beings. Empathy is a clinically useful, time-effective communication skill that can be taught in medical and pastoral education. Dr. Owens's unique approach to empathy is applicable to other...

Twentieth-century literary criticism and Protestant theologies share a cultural sensibility, a number of presuppositions, and several analogous difficulties. Lynn M. Poland critically examines these common elements, assessing the promise and limit of the "literary turn" in the interpretation of biblical texts. Drawing on the writings of Crossan, Via, Frei, and Ricoeur, she develops a model of contextual inquiry necessary for the adaptation of literary criticism for theological hermeneutics.

This book takes Angst in the face of the abyss as its unifying metaphor. After a historical survey of Angst from ancient religions to Jacob Boehme, David K. Coe goes on to examine critically Angst in Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Sartre, and Tillich. He concludes by summarizing Angst in two modes: as a "reflective apprehension" of a self standing at the abyss (Sartre and Tillich), and as a "pre-reflective apprehension of the abyss itself (Kierkegaard and Heidegger).

This book offers a critical appraisal of the theology of Karl Rahner with particular attention to the account of the phrase "God is love." Beginning with a review of Rahner's understanding of God and the problematic nature of God in contemporary theology, Mark Taylor uses process philosophy to define God as "essentially love of others." This work represents both a contribution to the secondary literature on Rahner and a creative effort to discern divine reality from the perspective of Christian theology.

W. Waite Willis, Jr. demonstrates the apologetic usefulness of the Christsan doctrine of the Trinity for responding to the challenges of modern atheism as represetned by Feuerbach, Camus, Marx, Adorno, and Horkheimer. Utilizing materials from Karl Barth and Jurgen Moltmann, Willis demonstrates how Trinitarian theology is iconoclastic towards either theism or atheism. A Trinitarian conception of God, Willis argues, signifies both God's openness and God's relevance to the world.
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Toshimasa Yasukata offers a detailed study and interpretation of the German theologian Ernst Troeltsch, discerning a systematic unity in his thought. Despite the obvious diversity of his interests and published works, Troeltsch is shown to be thoroughly consistent in exploring the possibility of establishing normative values in the face of the relativizing efforts of history. In his closing remarks, Yasukata suggests the wide-ranging significance of Troeltsch's work for the future of theology.

This work contrasts the living guru in whom disciples place their trust to other objects of faith found in the world religions. Of these, two main alternatives emerge: past founders and great gods, to whom all may have access; and the sanctified way of life known to those within enduring cultures. Coming together in diverse configurations within different religious traditions, these primary objects of faith are taken as the basic elements of a syntax of religious perception. Although Daniel Gold focuses on examples from North Indian Hinduism, he writes for generalists in religious studies,...

This study articulates the distinctive moral character of the Afro-American women's community. Beginning with a reconstructive history of the Afro-American woman's situation in America, Katie G. Cannon goes on to trace the emergence of the Black woman's literary tradition and explain its importance in expressing the moral wisdom of Black women. The life and work of Zora Neale Hurston are examined in detail for her unique contributions to the moral tradition of the Afro-American woman. A final chapter initiates a promising exchange between the works of Hurston and those of Howard Thurman and...