Some error occured while loading the Quick View. Please close the Quick View and try reloading the page.
A collection of essays by the theologian John Heywood Thomas demonstrating the value and relevance of his theological perspective on life and death issues.
"Does theology have any relevance to the problem of life and death?" According to John Heywood Thomas the answer is an unequivocal yes. A largely personal expression of this conviction precedes the argument's exposition, which is then stated first of all quite generally - that nothing human is alien to theology's concern. Three main issues are considered: the unborn life, death as an event in life, and the possibility of global death. The issue of a life before birth is a complex problem, requiring as much awareness of philosophical issues as of relevant empirical factors. The same kind of multifaceted thinking is needed in confronting the issue of death, an inescapable topic for theology. If death is an event in life what does it reveal about the meaning of life? And what of the very human action of the funeral? After a discussion of the complex issues involved the argument returns to the global reference of theology. Two areas of concern are singled out to show that the theologian can offer guidance in debate: the environmental crisis and the threat of nuclear war.
"Does theology have any relevance to the problem of life and death?" According to John Heywood Thomas the answer is an unequivocal yes. A largely personal expression of this conviction precedes the argument's exposition, which is then stated first of all quite generally - that nothing human is alien to theology's concern. Three main issues are considered: the unborn life, death as an event in life, and the possibility of global death. The issue of a life before birth is a complex problem, requiring as much awareness of philosophical issues as of relevant empirical factors. The same kind of multifaceted thinking is needed in confronting the issue of death, an inescapable topic for theology. If death is an event in life what does it reveal about the meaning of life? And what of the very human action of the funeral? After a discussion of the complex issues involved the argument returns to the global reference of theology. Two areas of concern are singled out to show that the theologian can offer guidance in debate: the environmental crisis and the threat of nuclear war.
Price: $29.99
Pages: 156
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Inc.
Imprint: James Clarke
Publication Date:
30 January 2014
Trim Size: 9.02 X 6.02 in
ISBN: 9780227174203
Format: Paperback
In Theology and Issues of Life and Death, the veteran Welsh theologian Professor John Heywood Thomas has gathered together lectures... and mostly unpublished paper.
— The Revd Robin Gill
It has provided me with insight into Heywood Thomas's thinking as he demonstrates that theology is of temporal as well as eternal use, and how it can be prepared to grapple with issues at the beginning and end of life that evade any simplistic solutions. Heywood Thomas's intellectual vigour shines through the pages, as does his pastoral heart and his honesty[...]There is a wealth of material here for non-theologians such as myself, and especially for those with pastoral responsibilities.
— D Gareth Jones
One of the great strengths of this collection of writings is the care with which Heywood Thomas reveals the complexity of the problems associated with certain ideas which have a great deal of currency in Christian circles...There is a good deal to be gained from the reflections contained within this short book and we should be grateful to Susan Parsons for her editorial hand ensuring its content an extended life.
— Duncan Dormor
Drawing widely on his scholarly learning, his interest in medical issues and his love of poetry, not least that of Keats and Dylan Thomas, Thomas has produced a beautifully written book reflecting deeply on Christian hope centred on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the understanding of ourselves as relational beings in the Image of God. As such it is a pleasure to read. And it remains as relevant to current debates about medical ethics as to the cases and debates of the last century.
— Agneta Sutton
— The Revd Robin Gill
It has provided me with insight into Heywood Thomas's thinking as he demonstrates that theology is of temporal as well as eternal use, and how it can be prepared to grapple with issues at the beginning and end of life that evade any simplistic solutions. Heywood Thomas's intellectual vigour shines through the pages, as does his pastoral heart and his honesty[...]There is a wealth of material here for non-theologians such as myself, and especially for those with pastoral responsibilities.
— D Gareth Jones
One of the great strengths of this collection of writings is the care with which Heywood Thomas reveals the complexity of the problems associated with certain ideas which have a great deal of currency in Christian circles...There is a good deal to be gained from the reflections contained within this short book and we should be grateful to Susan Parsons for her editorial hand ensuring its content an extended life.
— Duncan Dormor
Drawing widely on his scholarly learning, his interest in medical issues and his love of poetry, not least that of Keats and Dylan Thomas, Thomas has produced a beautifully written book reflecting deeply on Christian hope centred on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the understanding of ourselves as relational beings in the Image of God. As such it is a pleasure to read. And it remains as relevant to current debates about medical ethics as to the cases and debates of the last century.
— Agneta Sutton
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1 Theology and Matters of Life and Death
Chapter 2 The Problem of the Unborn Life
Chapter 3 The Problem of Death
Chapter 4 Life and the Meaning of Death
Chapter 5 Life, Death, and Paradise: The Theology of the Funeral
Appendix to Chapter 5
Chapter 6 Responsibility as an Inclusive Concept
Chapter 7 Global Life and Death
Bibliography
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1 Theology and Matters of Life and Death
Chapter 2 The Problem of the Unborn Life
Chapter 3 The Problem of Death
Chapter 4 Life and the Meaning of Death
Chapter 5 Life, Death, and Paradise: The Theology of the Funeral
Appendix to Chapter 5
Chapter 6 Responsibility as an Inclusive Concept
Chapter 7 Global Life and Death
Bibliography