Are natural rights 'nonsense on stilts', as Jeremy Bentham memorably put it? Must the very notion of a right be individualistic, subverting the common good? Should the right against torture be absolute, even though the heavens fall? Are human rights universal or merely expressions of Western neo-imperial arrogance? Are rights ethically fundamental, proudly impervious to changing circumstances? Should judges strive to extend the reach of rights from civil Hamburg to anarchical Basra? Should judic...
The Ophion or the Theology of the Serpent and the Unity of God
by John Bellamy
While work in theology and religious studies by scholars in Latin America and by Latino/a scholars in the United States has made substantial contributions to the current scholarship in the field, there are few projects where scholars from these various contexts are working together. Across Borders: Latin Perspectives in the Americas Reshaping Religion, Theology, and Life is unique, as it brings leading scholars from both worlds into the conversation. The chapters of this book deal with the compl...
"We live in an era that requires us to radicalize what 'church' means." So writes Timothy Murphy, who argues that "church" should no longer be a noun, an entity, or an object, but rather an activity--what he calls churching; that is, a process of practicing discipleship with others in the way of Jesus. Weaving together different perspectives, including liberation theology, process thought, postcolonial thought and theology, alternative ecclesiological formulations, and political theory, Murphy d...