Communicating the Faith Indirectly

Communicating the Faith Indirectly
Author: Paul L Holmer
Publisher: James Clarke & Company
Total Pages: 188
Release: 2013-08-29
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0227901894

In his teaching and his writing, Paul L. Holmer (1916-2004), Professor of Philosophy at the University of Minnesota (1946-1960) and Noah Porter Professor of Philosophical Theology at Yale Divinity School (1960-1987), not only made important contributionsto recent American theology, but was also much in demand as a public speaker and preacher. Following his death, the Holmer family in 2005 donated his papers to the Yale Divinity School Library. In this, the third volume of The Paul L. Holmer Papers: 'Communicating the Faith Indirectly', the reader will see Holmer's deep concern with the problems and possibilities of the sermon, liturgy, ministry, and spirituality. Inspired by Soren Kierkegaard's reflections on

On Paul Holmer

On Paul Holmer
Author:
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2022-11-17
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1472592611

This book provides an in-depth and rigorous examination of key 20th-century American thinker, Paul Holmer; his work in both theology and philosophy; and his under-explored writings on Kierkegaard and Wittgenstein. On Paul Holmer identifies what is singular and significant about Holmer's work and celebrates his capacity to cut through conventional classifications and categories. It introduces readers to his thought through discussions of key issues, such as: philosophical theology, faith and reason, the church, society, science, culture, scripture and education. Rallying against the obfuscating methods of contemporary theology and philosophy, Holmer's thought is an important corrective to literal and absolutest thinking, and continues to be a unique voice in theological and philosophical debates today.

Thinking the Faith with Passion

Thinking the Faith with Passion
Author: Paul L Holmer
Publisher: James Clarke & Company
Total Pages: 358
Release: 2013-08-29
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0227901908

In his teaching and his writing, Paul L. Holmer (1916-2004), Professor of Philosophy at the University of Minnesota (1946-1960) and Noah Porter Professor of Philosophical Theology at Yale Divinity School (1960-1987), made many important contributions to recent American theology. One of the most insightful American students of Kierkegaard of his generation, Holmer perceived early on Wittgenstein's importance for theology, and employed both thinkers to inspire his own fresh consideration of perennial issues in philosophical theology: understanding, belief, faith, the emotions, and the importance of the virtues. While best known for his essays in 'The Grammar of Faith' (1978), Holmer penned numerous other interesting and original essays, some published but many unpublished, which circulated widely in typescript during his tenure at Yale. Following his death, the Holmer family in 2005 donated his papers to the Yale Divinity School Library; in reviewing Holmer's papers, the editors havechosen a selection of his most seminal essays, beyond those in The Grammar of Faith, demonstrating the breadth and range of his contributions. In this, the second volume of The Paul L. Holmer Papers, the editors present pieces that illuminate four significant areas of Holmer's contributions: essays on Kierkegaard; essays on Wittgenstein; Theology, Understanding, and Faith; and Emotions, Passions, and Virtues. Taken together, these essays invite in-depth exploration of the thought of this important American philosophical theologian. This is the second volume of The Paul L. Holmer Papers, which includes also volume 1, 'On Kierkegaard and the Truth', and volume 3, 'Communicating the Faith Indirectly: Selected Sermons, Addresses, and Prayers'.

Thinking with Kierkegaard and Wittgenstein

Thinking with Kierkegaard and Wittgenstein
Author: Richard Griffith Rollefson
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 160
Release: 2014-10-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1630875295

Paul L. Holmer influenced the development of the so-called Yale School and several generations of students by seeing common logical and ethico-religious themes in the works of Soren Kierkegaard and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Holmer is perhaps the preeminent interpreter of Kierkegaard with his analysis of the logic of Kierkegaard's "truth as subjectivity" and "the morphology of the life of Christian belief." In his polemical and constructive work The Grammar of Faith, Holmer explored the significance of the later philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein for theology and proposed a critical alternative to contemporary academic theology. In his C. S. Lewis: The Shape of His Life and Thought, Making Christian Sense, and various essays now compiled in The Paul L. Holmer papers, Holmer's reassessment of the traditional concepts of virtues and vices, his recognition of the importance of Christian praxis in providing the context for theological and ethical reflection, together with his emphasis on the role of emotions and passions in the life of faith, portray how the Christian faith forms character and helps one "make sense" with one's life.

On Kierkegaard and the Truth

On Kierkegaard and the Truth
Author: Lee C Barrett
Publisher: James Clarke & Company
Total Pages: 334
Release: 2012-09-27
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0227901193

Paul L. Holmer (1916-2004) was one of the most significant American students of Kierkegaard of his generation. Although written in the 1950s and 1960s, Holmer's theological and philosophical engagement with Kierkegaard challenges much contemporary scholarly discussion. Unlike many, Holmer refuses reductionist readings that tie Kierkegaard to any particular school. He likewise criticizes biographical readings of Kierkegaard, much in vogue recently, seeing Kierkegaard rather as an indirect communicator aiming at his reader's own ethical and religious capacities. Holmer also rejects popular existentialist readings of Kierkegaard, seeing him as an analyzer of concepts, while at the same time denying that he is a crypto-analyst. In his important reading of Kierkegaard on truth, Holmer pits Kierkegaard against those who see truth empirically, idealistically, or relativistically. His carefully textured account of Kierkegaard's conceptual grammar of truth in ethical and religious contexts addresses immediately current discussions of truth, meaning, reference, and realism versus antirealism, relativism, and hermeneutics. It will be of great interest to all interested in Kierkegaard and his importance for contemporary theology and philosophy.

The Theologically Formed Heart

The Theologically Formed Heart
Author: Warner M. Bailey
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 294
Release: 2014-09-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1630874949

The Theologically Formed Heart invites the reader to consider the role of theology in the formation of virtues and passions, and, conversely, the role of virtues and passions in understanding Scripture, theology, and living a Christian life. The essays in this volume are offered in appreciation of the teaching, scholarship, and service to the church and world of Professor of Theology David J. Gouwens. They are organized in three sections: theological reflections, Reformed theology in service to the church, and studies in the thought of Soren Kierkegaard. Four important issues are explored from multiple perspectives: the Church's coming to terms with religious pluralism in mission, inter-religious dialogue, theological education, and ecclesial life; the gospel's invitation to welcome communities of difference; Reformed aesthetics in Calvin's rhetoric and in contemporary hymnody; and Kierkegaard's contribution to theology and ecclesial practice. The aims of the book go beyond academic confines. Through reading the different essays, a personality will emerge who illustrates a life of scholarship that yields itself gladly to the God made known in Jesus Christ. Thus, beyond imparting new information, the book may inspire its readers to their own practice of theologically forming their hearts.

Beginnings: Interrogating Hauerwas

Beginnings: Interrogating Hauerwas
Author: Brian Brock
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 366
Release: 2017-02-09
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0567669963

Stanley Hauerwas is arguably the most well-known figure in theological ethics of the last generation. Having published voluminously over the last 30 years, late in his career he has also published two volumes of essays discussing his corpus retrospectively, as well as a widely acclaimed memoir. The sheer volume of his work can be daunting to readers, and it is easy to get the impression that his retrospective volumes are restating positions developed earlier. Brian Brock delves into Hauerwas' formation as a theologian at Yale, his first book, Character and the Christian Life, and examines some of his early, and outspoken, criticisms of the guild of Christian ethics. This chapter is followed by a discussion of his memoir, Hannah's Child, and raises tricky questions about the role of autobiography in Christian ethics, as well as the troubling problem of race in the modern academy. Brock explores Hauerwas' work on disability, his criticisms of the discipline of medical ethics, and the role played by vulnerability in his work. The next chapter examines his views on just war and pacifism, here probing the sensitive issue of the role of gender in his work, and leading into a discussion on the nature of the church's peaceable politics, in which his supposed hyper-ecclesiocentricism is examined. Brock examines the role of virtue in Hauerwas' thought, and teases out why he hates to be called a virtue ethicist. A final chapter asks him to respond to the recently levelled criticism that scripture does no work in his theology, focusing especially on his under-appreciated commentary on the gospel of Matthew. The editor of this volume has managed to maneuver Hauerwas into positions where he has directly faced tricky questions that he normally does not discuss, such as the accusation that he is racist, too soft on Yoder, or misogynist.

T&T Clark Companion to the Theology of Kierkegaard

T&T Clark Companion to the Theology of Kierkegaard
Author:
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 549
Release: 2019-09-19
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0567667081

This companion explores Søren Kierkegaard's theological importance, offering a comprehensive reading of his work through a distinctly theological lens, including interpretative concerns, his approach to specific doctrines, and theological trajectories for thinking beyond his work. Beginning with essays on key interpretative factors involved in approaching Kierkegaard's complex corpus, there are also historical accounts of his theological development, followed by – for the first time in a single volume – focused expositions of Kierkegaard's approach to particular doctrinal themes, from those oft-discussed in his work (e.g. Christology) to those more understated (e.g. Pneumatology). The book concludes with theological trajectories for Kierkegaard's thought in the twenty-first century. This volume helps not only to situate Kierkegaard's theology more firmly on the map, but to situate Kierkegaard more firmly on the theological map, as one who has much to offer both the form and content of the theological task.

Seeking Understanding Faith

Seeking Understanding Faith
Author: Fritz E. Barton Jr. M.D.
Publisher: WestBow Press
Total Pages: 310
Release: 2020-11-19
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1664209662

Inquisitive millenials and people in science question the validity of Christianity. A medical doctor frankly tackles the “hard questions” challenging Christianity. Can anyone really believe there is a personal God in this age of science? Does evolution provide there is no God? Does God really communicate with us? Does prayer make a difference? Was Jesus really resurrected? These are other “impertinent” questions are addressed head-on in Seeking Understanding Faith.

Faith Rising--Between the Lines

Faith Rising--Between the Lines
Author: David B. Bowman
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 162
Release: 2021-05-25
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1666700304

This writing intends to rouse would-be believers to faith—or enhance the faith of others—through the adventure of modern fiction. While taking note of the secularity of our era, the author insists the Spirit of God has not departed the scene. The opening poem by Emily Dickinson, “Tell all the truth but tell it slant,” proposes the author’s contention that the “indirect discourse” of fictional writers may welcome readers to faith’s door in ways sermonic speech never did. The modern authors chosen for this purpose are Izak Dinesen, Annie Dillard, Kent Haruf, Loren Eiseley, Gary Trudeau, Garrison Keillor, William Golding, Walker Percy, Frederick Buechner, and Gabriel Marcel. Having explained one work each by these noted authors, the book closes by pointing to ways in which embedded faith may rise out of these pages to meet the reader where he or she lives.