In our contemporary world, thanks mainly to globalization and migration, it is difficult to find a mono-cultural society. Consequently, even at centers of learning, we often find students (and teachers) who belong to diverse cultures. In this essay, drawing on my experience as a professor of theological ethics who has been teaching in two culturally diverse contexts (continents) for more than two decades, I share some personal reflections on teaching to highlight that the communication of one language cannot be accurately (literally) translated into another. The diverse nuances of particular languages and cultures that one finds in and between two groups of students (in two continents) is instructive and shows a diversity which is constitutive for intercultural ethical dialogue.
The expanding social role and continued development of artificial intelligence (AI) needs theological investigation of its anthropological and moral potential. A pragmatic theological anthropology can characterize moral AI as experiencing its natural, social, and moral world through interpretations of its external reality as well as its self-reckoning. Systems theory can further structure insights into an AI social self that conceptualizes itself within Ignacio Ellacuria’s historical reality and its moral norms through Thomistic ideogenesis. This enables a conceptualization process capable of carrying moral weight and grounded in reality; structures the experience of an AI emergent self into multiple levels of interpretation; and drives a multi-level systems architecture for moral AI. Modeling AI’s interpretive experience and self-reckoning as a causal, sociotechnical, and moral actor can help moral AI identify conflicts between its normative values and develop the practical wisdom (phronesis) needed to apply its general moral models.
Since the re-purposing of the concept of the moral economy by the British historian, E.P. Thompson in the late 1960s, scholars from a variety of disciplines in social sciences and humanities have attempted to apply it as a tool for empirical analysis. As a migratory concept, the meaning of ‘moral economy’ has shifted from theology to philosophy to anthropology and history. Scholars of religions and historians of religion, however, have shown a reluctance in deploying the concept in their field of study. A flexible and vintage concept such as the moral economy may seem to be an oxymoron when applied to the study of religion and religious reforms. Its utility, however, is demonstrated by a collection of four critical articles in this special issue of this journal to explore wide-ranging empirical materials and contexts. These include the contemporary analysis of religious morality and regulation in Northern Nigeria, the entanglements of Muslim-owned restaurants and Islam-ic morality in Mumbai (India), Zulu ethnic nationality and morality in the Nazareth Baptist Church in KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), and finally, the pre-modern theoretical and philosophical reflections of the 14th-century Tunisian Muslim philosopher, Abd al-Rahman Ibn Khaldun. In these diverse scenarios and contexts, the moral economy concept illustrates its theoretical and analytical capacity and potential in the field of the study of religions.
Abdi Theological College Trawas-Mojokerto or abbreviated as STTIAA Trawas, is a higher education institution that is engaged in preparing its graduates to become spiritual leaders in several churches. This research aims to understand and deepen the symptoms of a group of students at STTIAA Trawas related to their character while staying on campus. This is a social phenomenon as well as a problem related to the individual human being. Second, this research uses a theoretical framework that can shape or influence the study being researched. This research uses a qualitative design. Based on the research background, the research focus is generally stated: (1) The boarding-based Christian character education curriculum at Abdi-Allah Theological College Trawas-Mojokerto; and (2) The implementation strategy for the hostel-based Christian character education curriculum at the Abdi-Allah Theology College Trawas-Mojokerto. So that, the conclusions of this research remarks 1) The management of Christian character education curriculum that influences Dormitory Abdi Theological High School Trawas-Mojokerto are: Holiness (85.42% good), Love (82.17% good), and Commitment (71.83% good). Thus, the students’ lifestyle based on dormitory dominated by Holiness, Love, and Commitment is significant; 2) The management of Christian character education curriculum can affect the students’ lifestyle based on dormitory in which character transmission occurs without competition among group members as follows (a) Moral knowing, (b) Moral feeling, (c) Moral behavior.
This article presents the results of research into religiosity and understanding of marriage among a selected group of young Catholics, all of whom are current students or graduates of Shalom Center in Mitunguu, Kenya. The goal of our study was to determine the correlations between the two variables so as to reach some conclusions and suggestions for religious education and pastoral care. The research made use of Stefan Huber’s Centrality of Religiosity Scale, while the respondents’ understanding of marriage was analyzed with the use of a questionnaire prepared by the authors of this study. As our research shows, one’s Catholic understanding of marriage increases alongside an increase in interest in religiosity and in one’s religious convictions, while it does not correlate—or does so only weakly—with a centrality of religiosity. Correlations with centrality occurred more often among men than among women. Mutual connections were most frequent among the youngest group of respondents, those who were up to 20 years of age and current students. This may indicate that religious formation and education of youth in the Shalom Center exerts a clear impact on shaping Catholic views on marriage. With the passing of time, traditional cultural precepts seem to gain prominence among the graduates.
Nearly 20 million new cancer cases are diagnosed across the world each year. By stressing that the majority of cancers can be prevented, Philip Landrigan focuses on the troubling consequences of pollution on individual, social, and planetary health. Since 1990, reduction has occurred in the traditional forms of pollution associated with deep poverty and in the numbers of deaths caused by these forms of pollution. But the modern forms of pollution–ambient air pollution and chemical pollution–are on the rise, as well as the numbers of deaths due to these forms of pollution. Moreover, the health consequences of pollution are inequitably distributed, with the most significant increases in cancer incidence and mortality occurring in low- and middle-income countries–i.e., the countries least capable of confronting the disease and least well able to afford costly therapies. Finally, the author suggests science-based strategies for pollution control and cancer prevention.
Some philosophers and scientists have argued that we humans cannot be held morally responsible for anything. Invoking results of the neurosciences and the cognitive sciences, they argue that humans lack the kind of conscious control and awareness required for moral responsibility. For theological ethics and Christian theology as a whole, moral responsibility is indispensable. I will begin by outlining some empirical results that are invoked in support of moral responsibility skepticism. I will, then, examine the subsequent discussion and the question why conscious awareness is central to moral responsibility. Consciousness contributes to morally relevant control over action in multiple ways. I will briefly examine some accounts of conscious control that are resistant to the skeptical challenge. Although the empirical results might lead us to revise the degree and range of conscious control, there seems to be enough of it to ground many everyday practices of responsibility. I will conclude the article with some theological reflections.
Abstract
Feminism is one of social-moral thoughts that challenge the hegemony of patriarchy. Feminists begin their struggle with critique of male domination and ask for valorization of women’s way of thinking, feeling, and moral decisions. According to feminists, one of the communities that are insensitive of feminist issues is the Catholic Church because the church lives in a patriarchal system. Methodology used in this article is hermeneutic. In the light of Jesus’ way, moral theology tries to reflect the problem of feminism and the role of woman in the Church. The main focus of this article is the analysis of feminism in the Gospel and in moral theology. The goal of this writing is to push Catholic women to participate more in the ecclesial life and to correct the male languages of theology to be more feminine-sensitive.
Abstrak
Feminisme adalah salah satu pemikiran moral sosial yang menantang hegemoni patriarkal. Para penggerak perempuan menuntut penghargaan dari cara berpikir, berperasaan, dan mengambil keputusan moral dari para perempuan dan mengkritik dominasi laki-laki. Menurut penggerak feminisme, salah satu komunitas yang melanggengkan persoalan tentang perempuan adalah Gereja Katolik karena dia hidup dalam sistem patriarkal.
Metodologi yang digunakan dalam artikel ini adalah hermeneutik. Dalam terang cara Yesus, teologi moral mencoba untuk merefleksikan persoalan perempuan dan peranannya di dalam Gereja. Fokus utama dari artikel ini adalah analisa tentang feminisme di dalam Injil dan dalam teologi moral. Tujuan penulisan ini adalah mendorong perempuan Katolik untuk lebih mengambil bagian dalam kehidupan menggereja dan untuk membetulkan bahasa teologi yang terlalu bersifat laki-laki menjadi bahasa teologi yang lebih bersifat perempuan.
Philosophy of religion. Psychology of religion. Religion in relation to other subjects, Practical Theology
Bu yazı “Ahlâk, Tanrı ve Yasa: Din-Ahlak İlişkisi Bağlamında İlahî Emir ve Doğal Yasa Teorileri” isimli kitabın tanıtımını içermektedir. Kitap, ilâhî emir ve doğal yasa teorilerini analiz etmektedir. Bu iki teori, ahlak felsefesinde önemli bir yere sahiptir. Kitap, bu teorileri, Hıristiyan Skolastik düşünce geleneğinden ve modern ahlak felsefesinden seçilmiş örneklerle ele almaktadır. Kitap teorilerin kökenlerini ve gelişimlerini tartışmaktadır. Kitap ahlak felsefesine yeni bir boyut katmaya adaydır.
W artykule przeprowadzono analizę zależności krajobrazu szkolnictwa od przyjętej koncepcji edukacji. Zostały opisane cechy, które charakteryzują rzeczywistość edukacyjną: elastyczność, dynamiczność, antropologiczność, przestrzenność, kompozycyjność, semantyczność, symboliczność, temporalność, rytmiczność, hybrydowość, kontekstualność, sytuacyjność. Krajobraz szkolnictwa został ukazany także jako ważne zjawisko społeczne, ogniskujące się wokół trzech wymiarów: podmiotowego („jednostki”), interpodmiotowego („społeczeństwa”) i symbolicznego („kultury”). Wyodrębniono również pięć głównych podejść do edukacji: indywidualne, typologiczne, metaforyczne, konstruktywistyczne oraz mitologiczne. Wskazano perspektywy dalszych badań w zakresie typologii oraz metod analizy krajobrazów szkolnictwa.
In this essay, I consider what the theological virtue of hope offers all of us, though with particular emphasis on people with disabilities, as regards the glorification of our humanity, when the soul is reunited with the risen body. I draw chiefly from Thomas Aquinas, as I believe his insights on hope have much to offer contemporary disability studies. I argue that, commensurate with the imperishable condition of the resurrected state, people with disabilities, indeed, all people, shall attain to complete bodily healing in the final resurrection. God shall bring our corruptible bodies, our disabled bodies, to full healing, in the very measure that he shall “wipe away every tear from our eyes.” At the same time, because of their participation in the beauty of the glorified wounds of Christ, the marks of disability, I argue, shall remain in the glorified risen body. Hope assures us of nothing less.
The strange story of La gran sultana doña Catalina de Oviedo by Miguel de Cervantes has sometimes led to contradictory readings that have interpreted the play as a burlesque piece and sometimes as a praise of religious tolerance, but they do not explain the comedia’s inconsistencies. All these apparent nonsenses can be overcome with the help of contemporary theology, because Cervantes designed the main plot as a case of conscience in which the protagonist had to choose inevitably between two mortal sins. The solution to this dilemma, which affects issues such as free will and eternal salvation, is consistent with the proposals of moral probabilism, which justified actions in the light of the circumstances surrounding the individual. Theological influences concern also the construction of such characters as Rustán the eunuch or Catalina’s father and affect even the definition of the play as a genre.
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