Suchergebnisse

AbstractIn a previous article, I examined the nature of historical consciousness. In this article, I apply it to three social issues: racism, ecological crisis, and higher education. Since the methods of historical consciousness are already in use, the aim here is not to introduce a new approach. My purpose is to make readers conscious of what they might normally do and why they are doing it. If a society fails to highlight and make explicit the methods it uses to solve the challenges it faces, the transfer of relevant skills will decline over several generations. Modern society has already reached the stage at which scientism has displaced a balance between timeless scientific rationality and historical consciousness in our approach to social issues. Without historical perspective to provide a narrative structure to the findings of science, society is likely to act in ways that are counterproductive. Unless citizens have a personal sense of participation in the stream of historical events, the knowledge they gain from science is not likely to be useful in guiding the direction of society.

Strategies for reducing the growth of the underclass in the US & international contexts are presented. After discussing the traditional capitalist position that a certain percentage of national unemployment is desirable, it is stated that contemporary class conflict in the US occurs between the lower class & the underclass. Consequently, the creation of policy that supports the full employment of lower-class & underclass workers is supported. The status of unemployment in the underclass on an international scale is deemed more problematic. Rather than bolster the claim that globalization processes are inevitable & advantageous for developing nations, it is stated that measures like the Tobin tax on international-exchange transactions must be adopted & agencies like the World Trade Organization must take greater action to resolve the international underclass problem. Several recommendations for preventing underclass violence in the future are offered, eg, abandoning the use of gross domestic product for measuring economic vitality. The economic gains realized by Cuba during the late 20th century are viewed as a viable approach to solving the international underclass dilemma. J. W. Parker

For any sizable group of theologians to agree on any statement is a sign of hope that we may be moving beyond the extreme fragmentation of the recent past. Further, the tone and intent of this agreement is clearly Christian and affirmative. Hence my initial reaction to "An Appeal for Theological Affirmation" was positive. Unfortunately, this initial reaction has been superseded by a more negative judgment, and my comments will reflect this phase of my reaction.The chief weakness of "An Appeal for Theological Affirmation" is that it consists in a series of negations. The assumption is that if only positions that are opposed can be swept aside, powerful new affirmations will rise to take their place; but surely this is a dubious reading of our current situation.

This book focuses on connections between biblical, literary, film, and music studies, as well as ecotheology and studies of how ecology and theology interact. This collection features chapters about creation care and the Sabbath, the sacramental approaches to earth care in the poetry of Wendell Berry and Sherman Alexie, classical and medieval cosmologies of J. R. R. Tolkien and Boethius, and Judeo-Christian perspectives on nonhuman suffering in the book of Romans, the literary works of C. S. Lewis, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Darren Aronofsky's film Noah.