Back to RJ Archive

Christian Anthropology for a Culture of Peace: Considering the Church in Mission and Dialogue Today

Papathanasiou, Athanasios
June 4, 2015

Source: (-0001) In Emmanuel Clapsis, ed., Violence and Christian Spirituality An Ecumenical Conversation. Geneva, Switzerland: World Council of Churches. Pp. 86-107.

“…Yet, if we are going to discuss such notions as “anthropology” and “peace” today, it is, I think essential not to ignore one particular ideological conflict of our day: the titanic battle over whether or not there are any such things as universal categories and truths of universal validity. This is an old problem; it arose, for example, mutatis mutandis, when Christian universalism first encountered polytheistic particularism. In our own day, however, it has become customary to describe it as a conflict between modernity and post-modernity. I will not go into the familiar argument as to how far these terms are valid. I am aware that some already maintain that the postmodernist movements (together with their claim that they constitute a radically new phase, following the eclipse of the Enlightenment period) have already reached an end and have no more to contribute. This may indeed be correct to a great degree. The fact is, however, that the said terms (even used as conventional labels) invoke a clash of ideological criteria which cannot be overlooked in a serious discussion. The present paper, therefore, is an attempt at such a discussion.” (abstract)

Tags:

Abstract
Support the cause

We've Been Restoring Justice for More Than 40 Years

Your donation helps Prison Fellowship International repair the harm caused by crime by emphasizing accountability, forgiveness, and making amends for prisoners and those affected by their actions. When victims, offenders, and community members meet to decide how to do that, the results are transformational.

Donate Now