Deepening Faith, Hope and Love in Relations with Neighbors of Other Faiths [antikvár]

Foreword In 2004, an overall initiative was begun by the Lutheran World Federation's Department for Theology and Studies under the title, "Theology in the Life of Lutheran Churches: Revisiting Its Critical Role." One of this program's central objectives is to deepen and expand how theology is understood and pursued in relation to today's pressing challenges in different contexts around the globe. Rather than just talking about theology, the overall intent has been to do constructive theological work in relation to those challenges. Seminars have gathered theologians in different parts of the world: in 2006 in Arusha, Tanzania, and in Breklum, Germany; in 2007 in Höör, Sweden, and in St Paul, USA. In 2008, seminars have been planned in Hong Kong, China, and in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. A concluding seminar will be held in 2009, in Augsburg, Germany. The first book in the Theology in the Life of the Church series. Being the Church in the Midst of Empire: Trinitarian Reflections,^ was published in late 2007. This second book in the series grew out of the seminar in Breklum, Germany, where the focus was on Christian-Muslim relations. Here, however, the set of authors and scope have been expanded to include theological reflections on interreiigious relations in general. The Department for Theology and Studies has been addressing interfaith relations since the mid 1980s, with various studies, consultations and publications, most recently, Bridges instead of Walls. Christian-Muslim Interaction in Denmark, Indonesia and Nigeria.^ It is hoped that this new book will provoke Christians, as they pursue interreiigious relationships today, to engage in deeper theological reflections, rather than assuming these are to be avoided. The editor, Rev. Simone Sinn, appropriately focuses on faith, hope and love as basic dimensions of our Christian identity. All three dimensions are at stake in interfaith relationships: Who is the God we believe in? How do we want to live together with our neighbors? What vision do we have for our society and for the future? She insists that, from a theological point of view, there needs to be an integrated perspective, where faith, hope and ' Karen L. Blooniquist (ed.), Being the Church in the Midst of Empire: Trinitnriun Reflections (Minneapolis: The Lutheran World Federation/Lutheran University Press, 2007). ^ Lissi Rasmussen (ed.), Bridges instead of Walls. Christian-Muslim interaction in Denmark, Indonesia and Nigeria (Minneapolis: The Lutheran World Federation/Lutheran University Press, 2007).