Books by "William H. Swatos"
6 books found
Modern Art and the Life of a Culture
by Jonathan A. Anderson, William A. Dyrness
2016 · InterVarsity Press
In 1970, Hans Rookmaaker published Modern Art and the Death of a Culture, a groundbreaking work that considered the role of the Christian artist in society. This volume responds to his work by bringing together a practicing artist and a theologian, who argue that modernist art is underwritten by deeply religious concerns.
Religion, Politics, and Polarization
by William V. D'Antonio, Steven A. Tuch, Josiah R. Baker
2013 · Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Do the religious affiliations of elected officials shape the way they vote on such key issues as abortion, homosexuality, defense spending, taxes, and welfare spending? In Religion, Politics, and Polarization: How Religiopolitical Conflict is Changing Congress and American Democracy,William D’Antonio, Steven A. Tuch and Josiah R. Baker trace the influence of religion and party in the U.S. Congress over time. For almost four decades these key issues have competed for public attention with health care, war, terrorism, and the growing inequity between the incomes of the middle classes and those of corporate America. The authors examine several contemporary issues and trace the increasing polarization in Congress. They examine whether abortion, defense and welfare spending, and taxes are uniquely polarizing or, rather, models of a more general pattern of increasing ideological division in the U.S. Congress. By examining the impact of religion on these key issues the authors effectively address the question of how the various religious denominations have shaped the House and Senate. Throughout the book they draw on key roll call votes, survey data, and extensive background research to argue that the political ideologies of both parties have become grounded in distinctive religious visions of the good society, in turn influencing the voting patterns of elected officials.
Sacred Space for the Missional Church examines the strong link between the theology and mission of the Church and the spaces in which and from which that theology and mission are lived out. The author demonstrates that the built environment is not incidental or even subservient to mission. Rather it is a key player in the fulfillment and the communication of that mission. The book begins with a working definition of the missional church, underscoring the connection between God's mission (missio Dei) and the Church's mission. The reader is presented with historical and theological frameworks for sacred space, and reminded of the pivotal role of the built environment in the fulfillment of the mission of the Church. The design and construction of sacred spaces are shown to be fundamentally a theological exercise and not solely a matter of function, pragmatics and fiscal astuteness. The author questions the uncritical application of blanket statements such "form must follow function," and challenges the conviction that it does not matter where worship occurs, only that it occurs. The book addresses genuine concerns such as legitimizing the cost of church buildings and concludes with practical suggestions and essential questions that must be considered in posturing the built environment within the missional praxis of the Church.
Whether one thinks that religion continues to fade or has made a comeback in the contemporary world, there is a common notion that religion went away somewhere, at least in the West. But William Cavanaugh argues that religious fervor never left it has only migrated toward a new object of worship. In Migrations of the Holy he examines the disconcerting modern transfer of sacred devotion from the church to the nation-state. In these chapters Cavanaugh cautions readers to be wary of a rigid separation of religion and politics that boxes in the church and sends citizens instead to the state for hope, comfort, and salvation as they navigate the risks and pains of mortal life. When nationality becomes the primary source of identity and belonging, he warns, the state becomes the god and idol of its own religion, the language of nationalism becomes a liturgy, and devotees willingly sacrifice their lives to serve and defend their country. Cavanaugh urges Christians to resist this form of idolatry, to unthink the inevitability of the nation-state and its dreary party politics, to embrace radical forms of political pluralism that privilege local communities and to cling to an incarnational theology that weaves itself seamlessly and tangibly into all aspects of daily life and culture. William Cavanaugh continues to provide leadership and vision in the field of political theology. He addresses essential questions about the religious status of the nation-state, the political character of the church, and how the tradition of Christian political thought might be brought to bear upon contemporary politics. . . . Unfolds a theological response to present political conditions and a political response to our theological condition. Luke Bretherton King s College London Another vigorous but distinct voice in the burgeoning conversation about the role of religion generally and the church specifically in political life. . . . Worth a careful read. Robert Benne
Four thousand Irish-born and Irish-seminary educated priests have served in the United States and nearly 1,250 are currently affiliated with American dioceses. The Irish-Catholic upbringing of these priests, along with their Irish education, immigrant status, and missionary spirit, distinguish them from American-born priests. These priests have left an indelible mark in the U.S. primarily by staffing Catholic parishes in the South, West, and Southwest. They are, however, a vanishing subculture due to an increasing mortality rate and the dearth of vocations to the priesthood in Ireland. This book is the beginning of a much-needed discussion about the experiences and beliefs of Irish priests. It provides a cultural analysis of these men, including an examination of the diverse and oftentimes contradictory sides they find themselves on, regarding philosophical, theological, and pastoral issues. The book is based on archival and survey research that has revealed numerous letters and other documents. Survey research conducted in the 1990s, examines the priests' thoughts on seminary education, ethnicity, satisfaction with the priesthood, ecclesiological and theological concerns, and Vatican II.
Across the Secular Abyss draws upon the best social-scientific evidence to understand profound religious changes occurring in advanced societies today, as previously separate fields of science converge, leaving progressively less room for faith. It finds that the positive functions of religion have been exaggerated, are declining, and are replaceable by benefits from new Transhumanist technologies; however, serious concerns are raised whether atheism is compatible with long-term survival of the human species, given falling birth rates.