27^th July 2021

Biblical and Christian Images of Salvation.

Sebastian Athappilly

The theme of salvation is a universal theme. It links all religions and denominations, ideologies and the so-called “religions” or philosophies of life that do not speak of God. All of them are interested in salvation and speak on it and suggest ways for achieving salvation. The reason for this lies in the fact that everyone is in search of salvation in the sense of fulfilment or perfection, the ideal situation. This is echoed in the ancient prayer of the Indian seekers:.....

24^th February 2021

INCULTURATION PERSPECTIVE OF SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL RESTORATION, REFORM AND ADAPTATION REVISITED.

Francis Kanichikattil

Reform is a life process, a part of the human development. Individuals as well as Communities need to undergo reform in order to cope with the changing situation. In a rapidly changing world, reform seems to be an inevitable phenomenon irrespective of persons and communities. Christian worship being an essential part of Christian life, reform in this particular area is unavoidable.......

08^th October 2020

WANDERING WITH THE MASTER A THEOLOGICAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Sebastian Elavathingal, CMI 

The Church in India is undergoing a tough time of testing, troubles, and tribulations. At times the developments in the Church give an impression that they not only disturb the people, but that they shake the whole edifice of the Church. But she is neither withering, nor is she withdrawing from the public square. Nevertheless, it is a challenging time; it is a wakeup call for all of us to renew the Church.......

05^th October 2020

Whither the Church in India: A Contextual Analysis

Paulachan Kochappilly, CMI 

Wandering with the Master and learning from experience, instruction and reflection are integral features of contextual theological formation.Theology becomes a personally transforming experience.......

15^th March 2012

Efficacy and Ethics of Narco-analysis

Geo Francis E 

The search for effective aids to interrogation is probably as old as man’s need to obtain information from an uncooperative source and as persistent as his impatience to shortcut any tortuous path. Any technique that promises an increment of success in extracting information from an incompliant source is ipso facto of interest in intelligence operations......

1^st March 2012

ABRAHAM

Martin Stöhr 

Die Forschung zur biblischen Geschichte Abrahams neigt heute überwiegend dazu, sie nicht als eine literarische Legende anzusehen, sondern in ihrem Kern, der Gestalt Abrahams, einen konkreten Menschen mit seinem Clan aus den Uranfängen der Geschichte Israels zu erkennen (vielleicht zwischen 2000 und 1400 vChr). Mündliche und schriftliche Überlieferungen reichern sein Bild „sagenhaft“ an und machen - wie auch zB Rembrandts oder Chagalls Bilder sowie zahlreiche Vertonungen bis zu......

1^st June 2011

Christ-Centered Ethics
And the Celebration of the Divine Liturgy

Paulachan Kochappiilly

In a changed and changing world the faithful find themselves at a crossroads. They are perplexed with the flood of information. The media with its business interests keeps on feeding fleeting news and views continuously, one item after another. There is no space and time to pause a while for proper discernment and decision-making; everything is being dictated from the outside and not decided from within...

19^th Dec 2010

Wahrheit und Recht
Zum Erbe Dietrich Bonhoeffers

Martin Stöhr

Er fragt sich – um nur einige Gedanken aus diesem sehr dichten Text zu nennen – warum „die Vernünftigen“ versagen. Vernunft, Pflichtbewusstsein, Prinzipienethik, Gewissen und Freiheit, Tugenden oder Werte also, lassen sich missbrauchen. Er fragt, was es bedeutet, dass „Dummheit“ keine intellektuelles Defizit ist, sondern ein moralisches. So viele kluge Leute sind Aktivisten und Mitläufer einer bösen Macht in Deutschland. „Die Macht der einen braucht die Dummheit der anderen!“ Warum gibt es in Deutschland so viel Tapferkeit und so wenig Civilcourage?

25^th Oct 2010

Vedic Monotheism, not Polytheism: Upadhyaya
Not the Sun-god but God of the Sun

Cheriyan Menacherry

Bahrmabandab Upadhyaya perceives in the apparent polytheism of the Vedas the hidden monotheism. There are so many gods spoken of, e. g. the Thunder-god, the Dawn-god, the sun-god etc. Does the Vedas inculcate the worship of subordinate deities?

1^th July 2009

Question of Ancestral Traditions
A Crisis in the Syro-Malabar Church

Francis Kanichikattil

In this article Dr. Kanichikattil discusses how to solve the problem namely ‘Question of Ancestral Traditions’ (Heritage) in the Syro-Malabar Church, which, he thinks, should include not only Syriac but early Apostolic and later Colonial Traditions

22^th August 2008

Mission - Epiphanie Gottes durch uns

Wilfried Hagemann

1. Zur Begriffsbestimmung von „missionarisch“
2. „Wir sind Kirche“ - Kirche muss in jeder Generation neu gegründet werden.
3. Was ist Kirche?
4. Was bringt das Kirche-Sein ?
5. "Missionarisches Kirche-Sein“ durch eine gute Feier der Eucharistie
6. Missionarische Gemeinde „in vielen kleinen Gemeinschaften“
7. "Für andere da“
8. „Selbstbewusst und glaubwürdig“
9. „Und mit Nachwuchs“
10. Abschluss

INTRODUCING VACANAS

Sherly MD

Throughout the centuries religion and religious devotion had played a very important role in shaping and enriching the literature of a country and that of a race. Hebraic literature is nothing without the Songs of Solomon, the Psalms and Proverbs.....

New Religious Movements and Gurus

Sebastian Alakkappilly

This paper is an attempt to look at the evolution, function and impact of the new religious movements in India. We propose to critically analyse the role played by these movements in making Hinduism a living reality for the contemporary world. Emphasis is placed on the relevance of these movements and their central figures today....

Jesus Christ Needs No Birth Certificate from Sita Ram Goel

Sebastian Athappilly

Aristotle had sensibly pointed out that something is better understood in its causes. Sita Ram Goel’s book Jesus Christ: An Artifice for Aggression New Delhi: Voice of India, 1994, with its biased and selective approach and its preconceived and forced conclusions betrays the causes that have given birth to it, namely, feelings of hatred and antagonism against Christianity, on the one hand, and those of insecurity and jealousy, on the other, aroused by the growing fascination Jesus exercises on many Hindus. This explains very well the title and the content of the book.

Die Sorge der Gemeinde um ihre Kranken und Alten

Theologische und diakonische Reflektionen einer Pastoraltätigkeit

Paul Chummar Chittilappilly

Der Kranke wartete nur noch auf seinen Tod. Aber nicht nur er, sondern auch seine Frau, seine Kinder, die Angehörigen - alle die ihn in dem Zustand erlebten; denn er hatte Krebs im fortgeschrittenen Stadium. Die Schmerzen quälten ihn ununterbrochen. Was könnte man ihm da Besseres wünschen?

Historische Theologie und interreligiöser Dialog

Matthias Benad

Daß Gott Mensch werden müsse, um den Menschen das Wesen Gottes zu offenbaren, ist kein ausschließlich im Christentum verbreiteter Gedanke. Im Bhagavata Purana, einer der heiligen Schriften der Hindus, spricht Gott Vishnu bei Gelegenheit seiner Menschwerdung als Krishna den oben zitierten Satz. In einer immer kleiner werdenden Welt gewinnt die gegenseitige Wahrnehmung der Religionen immer größere Bedeutung. Meine Absicht ist es, mich im folgenden darüber zu äußern...

BIBLICAL VIEW OF SALVATION

Jay Longacre

Why not begin exploring the relevance of the concept of salvation?  Salvation is a controversial topic today.  Everybody wants to save and be saved!  Maybe not everybody!  In Hollywood in a men’s room of a prominent hotel, there was this graffiti written on the wall: Jesus saves...

28^th June 2006

Motherhood – Biotechnological Research and its Religio-Ethical Implications

Mathew Chandrankunnel

When science was born in the 16^th century, its intention was to study the nature, understand its dynamics and manipulate it for human benefit. Its methodology of observation, experiment, hypothesis formation, verification/falsification, law statement, technological adaptation has paid high dividends and because of it humanity is enjoying unimaginable comforts...

HIV/AIDS in Africa: a Challenge to the Search for African-Christian Sexual Ethical Principles

Paul Chummar Chittilappilly

Our age seems to be very rich in sexual matters: rape, heinous sex crimes, adultery, skyrocketing divorce rates, prostitution, paedophilia, abortion, pornography in its manifold forms and materials: blue movies, internet sex, pornographic compact disks

Love of Knowledge and Knowledge of Love: The Philosophy of Raymond Panikkar

Cheriyan Menacherry

Panikkar will be satisfied with nothing less than whole, purnam. This purnam is ekam and ekam is advidiyam. And advidiyam is an all embracing multiplicity. Nothing is outside this plurality.All things will acquire a unique role. This vision of Panikkar is reflected also in his philosophy. His philosophy, multi-voiced or rather pluridimensional, is the result of the East-West Philosophical blending...

Beten und Verstehen

Eine religionswissenschaftliche Annäherung an Friedrich Heiler (1892 -1967)

Karl Dienst

'Friedrich Heiler als Religionswissenschaftler' - so lautete die ursprünglich vorgesehene Formulierung des Themas. Im Prozeß des Nachdenkens gab es gute Gründe für eine Modifikation. Zunächst ist die begriffliche Näherbestimmung von 'Religionswissenschaft' weithin zu einem positionellen Unternehmen geworden.

Secular Perspective of Salvation

Jay Longacre

There is an ‘inextinguishable yearning’ in every human person to unite with that which is infinite, eternal, absolute, permanent, even a loving Father, that is to say, God, in order to defeat death in all its forms including despair, meaninglessness, and abandonment.  Only God can and does offer human persons salvation, which enables them to surmount death.

15^th March 2006

Eucharist and the Ministry of a Canon Lawyer

Varghese Koluthara

The 'tranquility of order' may flourish while justice is administered in the Church. The role of a canon lawyer in the Church is to foster the administration of justice corresponding to the true nature of the Church. The Church, born on the Pentecostal day, is continuously nourished by the Eucharist.

10^th February 2006

Eucharistic Catechesis

Anto Amarnad

How can we make catechesis a soul-touching and life enhancing formation of the Christians? How would we make the liturgical celebrations as the experiences of faith learning and deepening of the message of Jesus? Both liturgy and catechesis have their shared and complementary roles for living and forming in the Christian faith...

Die Theologie Vishnus auf der Grundlage religiöser Erfahrungen der Hindus

Edmund Weber

20^th December 2005

Kant on Inclinations: ‘Alien’ or ‘Human’?

Saju Chackalackal

The central thrust of Kant’s ethics is practical as well as transcendental with its emphasis on the synthetic a priori nature of the moral law in the form of the categorical imperative.  Kant defends the necessity and universality that are characteristic features of the moral law with a view to safeguard its transcendental justification and employment in the sensible world.

Culture, Conversion, Baptism in the Indian Mission Context

Cheriyan Menacherry

The evangelising mission of the Church in India in the pluralistic context of different religions faces conflicts and challenges. The religions are often strongly convinced of the uniqueness of their own faith. Sometimes this conviction leads to the extreme form of religious fundamentalism...

9^th December 2005

The Search for Truth: Trials and tribulations of Brahmabandhab Upadhyay

Mathew Chandrankunnel

Cardinal Ratzinger, the present Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, published his deep reflections on Christianity and World Religions in a commendable work titled “Truth and Tolerance: Christian Belief and world Religions...

8^th December 2005

Jesus Christ the Divine Eternal Asvattha

Cheriyan Menacherry

A tree mysteriously leads its roots deep into the earth and magnificently spreads its branches high out into the sky as if it is an intermediary of the underworld, the earth and the sky...