Michael Welker

Written in the intense political and intellectual tumult of the early years of the Weimar Republic, Political Theology develops the distinctive theory of sovereignty that made Carl Schmitt one of the most significant and controversial political theorists of the twentieth century. Focusing on the relationships among political leadership, the norms of the legal order, and the state of political emergency, Schmitt argues in Political Theology that legal order ultimately rests upon the decisions of the sovereign. According to Schmitt, only the sovereign can meet the needs of an "exceptional" time.

Das unverzichtbare Buch für alle, die Ratgebern misstrauen und trotzdem endlich wissen wollen, was es mit der Liebe auf sich hat Die Liebe bewegt uns wie nichts anderes, sie vermag unser Leben auf den Kopf zu stellen und jegliche Ordnung zu Fall zu bringen. Dennoch wissen wir gar nicht so genau, was sie ist – die Liebe. Der Bestsellerautor Richard David Precht bringt Ordnung in dieses unordentlichste der Gefühle. Er untersucht, was Liebe mit der Biologie unserer Gene zu tun hat, und welche romantischen Sehnsüchte und Erwartungen uns an sie binden. Er lädt ein, dieses verrückte Reich von Liebes-Ideal und Wirklichkeit genauer zu vermessen und erklärt dabei heiter und augenzwinkernd, warum uns die Liebe so überaus wichtig ist und immer bleiben wird.

This volume brings together leading theologians, biblical scholars, scientists, philosophers, ethicists, and others to explore the multidimensionality and depth of the human person. Moving away from dualistic (mind-body, spirit-flesh, naturalmental) anthropologies, the book's contributors examine human personhood in terms of a complex flesh-body-mindheart-soul-conscience-reason-spirit spectrum. The Depth of the Human Person begins with a provocative essay on the question "Why is personhood conceptually difficult?" It then rises to the challenge of relating theological contributions on the subject to various scientific explorations. Finally, the book turns to contemporary theological-ethical challenges, discussing such subjects as human dignity, embodiment, gender stereotypes, and human personhood at the edges of life.

The dialogue between science and theology has grown to mammoth proportions over the past decade. These two disciplines search continually to discover their common ground. Each discipline is anxious to warrant its own truth claims concerning the nature of reality and the nature of God. In order to be fruitful, such dialogue, argue the authors of this collection, should focus on one subject. In this volume, 16 scientists and theologians contend that eschatology provides a common concern for both theology and the sciences. Eschatology, they claim, will "help clarify and cultivate the differences between truth claims in both fields." Moreover, a focus on eschatology offers an opportunity to examine the reasons people can be hopeful and optimistic even in the face of physical death and the finitude of the universe. Included in this provocative collection are essays on "eschatology and the natural sciences," "eschatology in cultural sciences and ethics," "eschatology in the biblical tradition," and "eschatology and theology." John Polkinghorne is the president of Queens' College, Cambridge and the author of Reason and Reality (Trinity) and Serious Talk: Science and Religion in Dialogue (Trinity). Michael Welker teaches at the University of Heidelberg. Contributors to the volume include William R. Stoeger, S.J., Steward Observatory, The University of Arizona; Detlef Linke, Bonn University; Fraser Watts, Queens' College, Cambridge; Larry Bouchard, University of Virginia; William Schweiker, University of Chicago; Janet Soskice, Jesus College, Cambridge; Christoph Schwöbel, Heidelberg; Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary; Patrick D. Miller, Princeton Theological Seminary; Donald H. Juel, Princeton Theological Seminary; Hans Weder, University of Zurich; Gerhard Sauter, University of Bonn, Germany; Kathryn Tanner, University of Chicago; Jürgen Möltmann, University of Tübingen; and Miroslav Volf, Yale University. For: Seminarians; clergy; graduate students; general audience

Christian theology, classically defined, is faith's intellectual work of seeking understanding, not in order to prove its truth but to persuade those who hear it proclaimed. Theology done from within the Reformed tradition has long displayed this quality, and it continues to develop in response to our changing world. Reformed Theology: Identity and Ecumenicity is an excellent resource for readers interested in examining current trends and motifs in Reformed thought. Written by systematic theologians from around the world, this book explores the meaning of the Reformed tradition and its relevance for the contemporary church. The contributors highlight ways that Reformed theology can enrich the church ecumenical even as they seek to realize a more catholic Reformed community of inquiry.