Univ., Diss./2005--Freiburg (Breisgau), 2004.

Thesis (Th. M.)--Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 140-144).

No description available.

This dissertation studies the critical and historical examination of modern Japanese Buddhism in terms of its collaboration with and resistance to ultranationalism and militarism before and during World War II. It also examines how Buddhism came to Japan and transformed itself according to the historical, social and political contexts throughout history. Also it shows how and why Japanese Buddhism has transformed the Gautama Buddha's teachings, the Dhamma and the notion of community, Sangha to its own in terms in relationship to the state. In order to examine the Japan's modern-nation-state's invention of installing a national consciousness and identity in the people through the means of State Shinto and the emperor, kokutai ideology after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, I apply the methodologies of social critical theories of James Scott, Benedict Anderson, Michel Foucault and Pierre Bourdieu. After the Tokugawa shogunate's long patronage of Buddhism (1602-1868), the dissertation examines how modern Japanese Buddhism was challenged by the Meiji state, and transformed itself to meet the need of the modern-nation-state centered on State Shinto and kokutai ideology. Moreover, it exposes how Japanese Buddhism struggled to meet the modernity itself such as individuality and socialization. Furthermore, in the 1930-40's, in the context of rise of ultranationalism and militarism in the name of "overcoming modernity," this dissertation explores how the Japanese Buddhist sects such as True Pure Land, Nichiren, Zen, and the Kyoto School collaborated with and resisted to them. Despite the main Japanese Buddhism's active participation in the war, there were few Japanese Buddhists' resistances. The dissertation examines why and how they could not effectively resist but failed. Moreover, the dissertation shows that there were several opportunities that Japanese Buddhism might have stopped the state's control of religions--the rise of ultranationalism and war ideology in the cases of Uchimura Kanzô's lese majeste in the 1890's, the state's failures of ratification on the Religious Organization Law twice in the 1920's, and Seno'o Girô's anti-fascist movements in the 1930's--the Buddhists had had critical minds and organizational wills alongside with the interreligious cooperation with Christianity and new religions. Thus, this dissertation critically examines Japanese Buddhism in three terms; the social critical ethics, the interreligious dialogue, and the trans-national dialogue. It shows why and how Japanese Buddhism lost the Buddha's critical mind, social ethics, the democratic origin of Sangha, as well as the trans-national dialogue with Korean, Chinese and South Asian Buddhists and eventually justified the Japanese imperial aggression against Asia. I hope that my dissertation will help the Japanese Buddhists undertake a self-critical examination of their involvement in World War II, and would set up a good example of self-criticism of religion and nationalism. It could certainly help the current Islamic people's struggles for democracy, nationalism and holy war. Also in case of China's nationalistic expansionism which resembles the Japan of 1930-40's, in the name of nationalism and social harmony, religious freedom was limited to the inner private realm, but its public role in checking nationalism was suppressed. Tibetan Buddhism, Falun Gong and house Christian churches cried out for their freedom. Therefore the self-critical examination of the rise and fall of the Japanese empire in terms of religion, religious freedom and ultranationalism might help Chinese religions and intellectuals as well as other cases involving religion, nationalism and war. / Religion

The modern world is experiencing a spiritual and moral crisis. Associated with this, Christian spirituality and ethics have become separated in the life of the individual Christian and the community of the church. The Christian understanding of human beings and the integrated nature of spirituality and ethics provides a solution to this crisis. Christian spirituality and morality both originate in the character and purposes of God as revealed in the biblical record. The value and effects of the. integral relationship between spirituality and morality can be traced throughout scripture and the history of the church. The. encounter and relationship with God, in Jesus Christ and through the presence and power of God's Spirit, transforms the disciple of Christ, which means that spirituality is the basic framework and motivation for morality. Integrated spiritual and moral formation creates moral character and moral communities which enable believers to act with love and justice.

[Truncated abstract] In this thesis, I seek to determine whether luck egalitarianism is a compelling interpretation of egalitarian justice. In answering this question, I challenge existing interpretations and criticisms of luck egalitarianism, and highlight its radical consequences. I propose a revised theory of luck egalitarianism, and conclude that it does represent a compelling interpretation of egalitarian justice. In the first chapter, I trace the evolution of luck egalitarianism, highlighting the variety of theories that have been grouped under this label. In chapter 2, I defend the approach against an influential critique by Elizabeth Anderson, who argues that luck egalitarianism is inherently disrespectful, trapped in the distributive paradigm, and harsh in its approach towards the victims of bad option luck. I argue against these criticisms, pointing out that the harsh treatment problem will rarely arise because few inequalities result entirely from option luck, and that luck egalitarianism is not disrespectful to those it seeks to assist, nor trapped in the distributive paradigm. In chapter 3, I analyse the distinction between option luck and brute luck, which is crucial to luck egalitarianism. I argue that the option-brute distinction is inconsistent with the underlying impulse of luck egalitarianism because it allows morally arbitrary inequalities to go uncorrected and because it is insufficiently sensitive to the impact of background inequalities on individual choice. I propose a revised theory of luck egalitarianism that focuses on the extent to which a person's level of advantage has been genuinely chosen, rejecting the option-brute distinction. In chapter 4, I give a broader justification of this theory, analysing recent critiques by Susan Hurley and Samuel Scheffler, who have both questioned the moral foundations of luck egalitarianism. In chapter 5, I outline a conception of egalitarian advantage to work alongside the revised theory of luck egalitarianism. I support Cohen's claim that egalitarians should adopt a heterogeneous account of advantage, which includes resources, welfare, and midfare. ... In chapter 7, I highlight the counter-intuitive social policy applications of luck egalitarianism, arguing that the universal approach to social provision associated with the social democratic welfare state comes closer to achieving luck-egalitarian objectives than the residual and conditional provision of benefits and services that is associated with the liberal welfare state. I conclude that luck egalitarianism, in the revised form I outline in chapter 3, is a compelling interpretation of egalitarian justice.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rijuksuniversiteit te Utrecht, 1982. / Summary in Dutch. Includes bibliographical references.

Originally presented as the author's thesis, Marburg. / Bibliography: p. 235-[247].

The diploma thesis deals with the historical development of the attitude of the Church social doctrine towards the phenomenon of democracy. It compares the values of modern democracy and social doctrine. Implicit historical attitudes to democracy derive from the theses obtained by analyzing all the essential documents of social doctrine. The theses related to democracy explicitly are placed in the context and comments of other authors. In conclusion, it summarizes the genesis of the attitude of the Church's social doctrine to democracy in a systematic overview with the links. The summary distinguishes the level of the value starting-points of the Church social doctrine and the level of attitude towards democracy as such.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-03-22T20:06:33Z No. of bitstreams: 1 fabiohenriquedeabreu.pdf: 2241050 bytes, checksum: 0d7233c25318ec9b3671e0faad5bdbcf (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-03-24T11:58:40Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 fabiohenriquedeabreu.pdf: 2241050 bytes, checksum: 0d7233c25318ec9b3671e0faad5bdbcf (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-24T11:58:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 fabiohenriquedeabreu.pdf: 2241050 bytes, checksum: 0d7233c25318ec9b3671e0faad5bdbcf (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-10-03 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A presente pesquisa tem por objetivo analisar o movimento de renovação teológica que deu origem, em 1974, ao Centro Ecumênico de Documentação e Informação (CEDI). A partir da contextualização do desenvolvimento da reflexão teológica ecumênica latino-americana e brasileira, liderada por setores do protestantismo histórico de missão, este trabalho pretende analisar as razões que proporcionaram o nascimento de uma nova linguagem teológica protestante na América Latina, responsável por impulsionar setores do protestantismo à afirmação de um projeto político-religioso alternativo, voltado para a tarefa libertária de humanização da vida. Nesta tarefa analítica, especial atenção é dada à teologia de Richard Shaull. Esta linguagem teológica, construída a partir da contextualização das discussões em torno à temática da responsabilidade social promovidas pelo Conselho Mundial de Igrejas (CMI), ensejou uma nova forma de relacionamento entre religião e sociedade, fé e política. A história do CEDI, conseqüência direta desse movimento de renovação teológica, representa uma práxis ecumênica ampla, comprometida com os desafios da sociedade e com a tarefa de construção democrática do Brasil. Esta pesquisa, ao resgatar sua história, constitui uma análise da práxis ecumênica brasileira e dos elementos teológicos que a fundamentam. / This essay aims to analyze the movement of theological renewal that gave rise, in 1974, to the Ecumenical Centre for Documentation and Information (CEDI). From the context of the development of Latin-American and Brazilian ecumenical reflection, led by sectors of historical Protestantism of mission, this paper discusses the reasons that gave rise to a new Protestant theological language in Latin America, responsible for driving sectors of Protestantism to the assertion of an alternative political-religious project, facing the liberating task of humanization of life. In this analytical task, special attention is given to Richard Shaull’s theology. This theological language, built from the contextualization of discussions around the theme of social responsibility promoted by the World Council of Churches (WCC), led to a new form of relationship between religion and society, faith and politics. The history of CEDI, a direct consequence of this movement of theological renewal, represents a broad ecumenical praxis, committed to the challenges of society and to the task of building democracy in Brazil. This research, drawing on its history, constitutes an analysis of Brazilian ecumenical praxis and of theological elements that underlie it.