Exploring the themes of faith and divine revelation, Gabriel Moran examines the insights of influential theologians like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Augustine, and Luther. He emphasizes the need to reclaim their understanding of spirituality in light of contemporary challenges, including the dismissal of religion and the violence associated with it. The work posits that the future significance of Christianity, both globally and personally, may depend on this reconnection with foundational theological concepts.
What Happened to the Roman Catholic Church? What Now? is a radical criticism of the Roman Catholic Church combined with some radical suggestions for dealing with its problems. The book is rooted in the tradition of the Church that the author draws upon in a creative way. The first three chapters trace the history of the Roman Catholic Church from 1945 to the crucial period of the 1960s. The remaining nine chapters examine various issues that surfaced after the partial reforms of the Second Vatican Council in 1962-65, The official Church's attitude on sexual issues has been a central problem but often it is a symptom of a structural problem of authority. By the mid-1970s, the Church had become badly split and the rift has never been healed. Millions of Roman Catholic who were disappointed at the direction that the Church took have ceased to be practicing members. Many people are skeptical about the Church's future. A positive attitude toward the Church that Pope Francis has generated has been largely obscured by the clergy sex-abuse scandal. This problem requires some profound examination of the structure of the Church. The author proposes a way to retain the function of priesthood while eliminating a clerical class. The last chapter of the book describes a democratic form of the Church which was not possible for most of history but is now both possible and necessary.
The basis of human rights remains in need of exploration. The effectiveness of the language of human rights is threatened by its widespread but uncritical use. This book is neither a sermon to believers nor an attack by a skeptic. It is a critical look at the basis of those few rights that are genuinely universal, for example, a right not to be tortured or a right to basic subsistence. A human right is a claim that every human being can make on the whole human race. The rights that are specifically human arise from a human respect for all living beings. There is still a widespread assumption that "human rights" is just another name for the confused idea of "natural rights" from the eighteenth century, rights that were promulgated by and for adult white males. The authors of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 assumed that they were reformulating an old idea. Instead, they were beginning a new idea. Human rights can be realized only through conversations across differences within gender, age, culture and religion. This book traces those continuing conversations that fill out the diversity within the unity of the human race. The convergence of many particular traditions creates a human tradition that can sustain human rights as a standard of moral conduct for all nations.
The book presents a unique framework for understanding and addressing violence through language. It explores the concepts of force, power, and aggression, offering insights from various contexts, including animal behavior, human development, and political dynamics. By providing consistent linguistic tools, it aims to promote nonviolent living and effective resistance to violence in both personal and global spheres.
Exploring the intertwined meanings of "revelation" and "apocalypse," Gabriel Moran examines how their separation has impacted theological understanding. He argues that revelation, as God's self-disclosure, should not be viewed solely as a theological premise but connected to human responsibility and worldly matters. By reuniting these concepts, Moran proposes a fresh perspective on how revelation can transform religious education and practice, emphasizing the relevance of divine truth in contemporary life.
The book explores the historical distinction between the broader concept of America, encompassing the entire continent, and the younger nation of the United States. It critiques the tendency of U.S. leaders to conflate the two, highlighting the implications of this misunderstanding on national identity and discourse. By examining the origins of the term "America" and its evolution, the author invites readers to reflect on the complexities of cultural and political identity in a diverse continent.
The book engages in a critical dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church's official teachings and the contemporary challenges to its moral doctrines. It re-examines foundational issues related to church reform and explores various teaching methods within the church. The discussion then shifts to a series of complex issues, encouraging readers to rethink traditional views and consider how the church can adapt to modern societal needs.
Exploring the significance of teaching, this book examines the perspectives of five renowned thinkers alongside contemporary issues. It emphasizes the often-overlooked importance of teaching, situating school education within a broader context. The initial chapters trace the evolution of teaching concepts from Socrates to Wittgenstein, while also delving into the complexities of imparting morality and religion, highlighting societal ambivalence towards these subjects.
The book explores the concept of "uniqueness" in Christianity and its implications for interfaith dialogue. It challenges the traditional view that uniqueness hinders communication with other religions, proposing instead that a properly defined uniqueness can enhance understanding of both Jewish and Christian traditions. Gabriel Moran examines how this perspective can reshape discussions about faith and promote deeper connections between different belief systems. Through this analysis, the book aims to bridge gaps between religions while affirming the distinctiveness of the Christian message.
