Vinoth Ramachandra

Los cinco ensayos reunidos en este libro explican -desde diferentes ngulos y experiencias de servicio en el mbito acad mico- el significado de conectarse con toda la universidad para los movimientos nacionales que forman la Comunidad Internacional de Estudiantes Evang licos (IFES) en Am rica Latina. Los autores entienden que conectar con la universidad es el testimonio cristiano integral, encarnacional e intelectualmente cre ble. Es decir, que el se or o de Jesucristo se manifieste en todos los aspectos de la vida universitaria; que el testimonio implica identificaci n plena con la cultura universitaria incluyendo sus problemas y agitaciones y afirmaci n del potencial dado por Dios para el desarrollo humano; y que el testimonio sea intelectualmente cre ble en la universidad por su arraigo profundo en la Biblia y en la tradici n intelectual cristiana y por su contribuci n al desarrollo del conocimiento y di logo acad mico. Es un valioso recurso para el di logo, el testimonio y la misi n de los movimientos

Jesus väcker nyfikenhet också i vår tid. Här delar tre andliga ledare från Asien, Afrika och Latinamerika sina tankar om vem Jesus är och vad han åstadkommer. Deras reflektioner för samman Jesustron och kyrkans mission på ett spännande sätt.

Sarah's Laughter provides a reflection on suffering that is deeply personal and both theologically and philosophically astute. Vinoth Ramachandra draws on his distinctive positioning as a Sri Lankan Christian theologian - one who has lived and ministered in contexts shaped by the destruction of natural disasters and the violence of human evil - to confront the intellectual, moral, and political challenges posed to faith in the increasingly broken world of the twenty-first century. Yet far from being an abstract discussion of theodicy, this book is intimate and vulnerable, embracing the biblical practice of lament and inviting an authentic response to grief - one that makes space for serious doubt and profound questioning. Sharing his own ongoing journey with suffering and a questing faith, Ramachandra reminds us that lament and joy, faith and protest, clarity and ambiguity, belong together in faithful Christian discipleship. It is not in bypassing the darkness of the world, but in embracing it - in imitation of the incarnate God - that we may glimpse the new creation.

In this powerful and challenging book, David W. Smith identifies a crisis at the heart of the church. It is the crisis of triumphalism - the tendency to avoid honest engagement with brokenness and suffering, privileging victory while rejecting the practice of lament. This imbalance, Smith argues, threatens to undermine the credibility of faith for a watching world, alienating those experiencing hardship and oppression; those wrestling with doubt, uncertainty, and loss. In Stumbling toward Zion, Smith reclaims the importance of lament throughout Scripture - from the Old Testament to the gospel narratives and Paul's letters - and explores the history and impact of its loss within certain church traditions. World Christianity, with its heartlands in contexts of poverty, war and persecution, has a crucial role to play in recovering an understanding of God's love for a suffering creation capable of restoring the credibility of Christian witness in the midst of our brokenness. Containing practical application for church life and mission, Smith offers an opportunity to reengage with biblical lament, rediscover neglected aspects of Christian faith, and reawaken to God's heart for a suffering world.

Este libro muestra en t rminos comprensibles y actuales que la persona de Jes s es el centro de la fe cristiana y que la riqueza del pensamiento cristiano se puede entender mejor tomando en cuenta las preguntas e inquietudes de los estudiosos contempor neos. Su exposici n va mostrando c mo temas de actualidad como la globalizaci n, los derechos humanos, la existencia de otras religiones, y cuestiones como la integridad en la esfera p blica se pueden entender en profundidad partiendo de la centralidad de la persona de Jes s.

All societies are organized around, and sustained by, a set of dominant myths - public, large-scale narratives that engage our imaginations and shape the way we experience the world. Myths are an intrinsic part of human existence. They give meaning to our lives, even at the expense of truth. The essays in this book take up six areas of contemporary, global discourse where powerful myths energize and mobilize a great deal of public funding as well as academic production, namely combating terrorism, understanding religious violence, promoting human rights and multiculturalism, the hegemonic role of science, and the postcolonial critique of globalisation. They are addressed to all who are concerned about the public issues that shape our increasingly inter-connected and inter-dependent world. The author, who lives in Sri Lanka but has worked and traveled widely in Asia, Western Europe and North America, brings a critical Christian mind to bear on these issues.

In recent years the term "religious pluralism" has come to be used not only in a descriptive sociological sense but also as theologically prescriptive. Within this new paradigm traditional Christian understandings of Christ, conversion, evangelism, and mission have been radically reinterpreted. The Recovery of Mission explores the pluralist paradigm through the work of three of its most influential Asian exponents - Stanley Samartha Aloysius Pieris, and Raimundo Panikkar - subjecting each to a theological and philosophical critique. On the basis of biblical, patristic, and contemporary theological writings Vinoth Ramachandra argues for the uniqueness and decisiveness of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. Ramachandra seeks to show that many of the valid concerns of pluralist theologians can best be met by reappropriating the missionary thrust at the heart of the gospel. The book ends with suggestions, challenging to pluralists and conservatives alike, as to how the gospel needs to be communicated in a multi-faith world.

Crosscultural communication and interconnection have never been greater in the history of the world. Yet the potential for intercultural conflict accompanies every advance. And religious belief, which lies at the heart of most cultures, often appears to contribute to such unrest and at times even to violence. In this fascinating and ground-breaking study, Vinoth Ramachandra explores the complex nature of conflict among the major world religions of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity, and also between them and the rising tide of secularism. Challenging stereotypes built up on every side, he raises questions about the seemingly inevitable clash of cultures due to their respective religious commitments. He puts to the test the belief that a secular society that rejects universal truth claims can sustain a truly tolerant and pluralistic society. He passionately demonstrates how the distinctive message of Christianity concerning the uniqueness of Jesus Christ actually provides a basis for a truly democratic and multicultural society.

In recent years the term "religious pluralism" has come to be used not only in a descriptive sociological sense but also as theologically prescriptive. Within this new paradigm traditional Christian understandings of Christ, conversion, evangelism, and mission have been radically reinterpreted. The Recovery of Mission explores the pluralist paradigm through the work of three of its most influential Asian exponents - Stanley Samartha, Aloysius Pieris, and Raimundo Panikkar - subjecting each to a theological and philosophical critique. On the basis of biblical, patristic, and contemporary theological writings Vinoth Ramachandra argues for the uniqueness and decisiveness of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. Ramachandra seeks to show that many of the valid concerns of pluralist theologians can best be met by reappropriating the missionary thrust at the heart of the gospel. The book ends with suggestions, challenging to pluralists and conservatives alike, as to how the gospel needs to be communicated in a multifaith world.