Peter C. Phan

Our time has been dubbed the “Age of Migration” and as such it urgently calls for a reinterpretation of the Christian faith in a way that speaks both from and to the experiences of migrants. This book offers a fresh and systematic re-articulation of the fundamental Christian beliefs in the perspective of migration. Peter C. Phan, a leading Catholic theologian, offers here the first attempt to elaborate a comprehensive Christian theology of migration. The book begins by discussing the nature and method of Christian theology, human mobility as a permanent feature of human existence, the categories of migrants and types of migration, and the intrinsic relations between migration and religion, especially Christianity; it argues that Christian mission induces migration and migration transforms Christianity. The second part presents a new theology of God: God the Father is the Primordial Migrant, God the Son the Paradigmatic Migrant, and God the Holy Spirit the Personal Power of Migration. The book goes on to discuss the Church as an Institutional Migrant, worship and popular devotions in the life of migrants, the ethics of mutual hospitality, the theology of land, the duty of migrants to remember where they come from, why they must remember, and how they must remember. It ends with reflections on the connection between migration and eschatology. Christianity and Migration offers a new approach to a pressing moral issue.

Our time has been dubbed the “Age of Migration” and as such it urgently calls for a reinterpretation of the Christian faith in a way that speaks both from and to the experiences of migrants. This book offers a fresh and systematic re-articulation of the fundamental Christian beliefs in the perspective of migration. Peter C. Phan, a leading Catholic theologian, offers here the first attempt to elaborate a comprehensive Christian theology of migration. The book begins by discussing the nature and method of Christian theology, human mobility as a permanent feature of human existence, the categories of migrants and types of migration, and the intrinsic relations between migration and religion, especially Christianity; it argues that Christian mission induces migration and migration transforms Christianity. The second part presents a new theology of God: God the Father is the Primordial Migrant, God the Son the Paradigmatic Migrant, and God the Holy Spirit the Personal Power of Migration. The book goes on to discuss the Church as an Institutional Migrant, worship and popular devotions in the life of migrants, the ethics of mutual hospitality, the theology of land, the duty of migrants to remember where they come from, why they must remember, and how they must remember. It ends with reflections on the connection between migration and eschatology. Christianity and Migration offers a new approach to a pressing moral issue.

In this book, established scholars from different religions, regions, and disciplines continue the dialogue that Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen began in his A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World series and respond to his work in light of their diverse expertise and context. Each of the three parts focuses on a key area of Kärkkäinen’s engaging work: 1) highlighting how his method shaped each volume, 2) highlighting his commitment to global perspectives, and 3) highlighting his interreligious and interdisciplinary dialogue partners. Together, these essays seek to deepen and extend the impact of Kärkkäinen’s work, taking it seriously as a substantive model for contemporary systematic theology in listening and engaging with this world.

What is real? What is the foundation of right and wrong? How can we know? There are many ways to answer these questions--Western religious views in which humanity is part of God's creation, Eastern religious views in which delusion traps humanity in a cycle of reincarnation, and secular views in which humanity evolved as part of the material universe driven by nothing other than the impersonal forces of evolution. Each of these views paints unique and comprehensive pictures of the world to convey their vision. These pictures are as different from each other as if they were of three different lands separated from each other by patrolled borders. The border between Eastern and Western religions is guarded by arguments over the nature of the divine and rational versus experiential approaches to salvation. Both of these territories are separated from the land of scientific atheists who deny the existence of any supernatural reality and see the scientific method as the sole valid arbiter of truth. This book presents all three views for non-specialists, enabling readers to enter them imaginatively. It then compares these approaches on different contemporary topics. This book is for anyone who wonders why people believe what they do. "This refreshing book combines intellectual rigor with a generous openness to other ways of seeing reality. These two Catholic theologians are firmly rooted in their own tradition, but eager to learn from others even when there is profound disagreement. In a world which people with different views are often dismissed, this book is a model of how intelligent conversation can take place. In our intolerant world, it is much to be welcomed." --Timothy Radcliffe, OP, former Master of the Dominican Order "The most interesting questions for any worldview can only arise when it is juxtaposed with another, very different worldview. This book raises incredibly rich questions for Christians, Buddhists, and naturalistic atheists to ponder, that could only have come from an encounter with each other; questions that will challenge and profoundly inform readers, no matter what their worldviews." --John Makransky, Boston College "A Catholic monk (Aquinas), a Tibetan monk (Tsongkhapa), and an atheist (S. Pinker) walk into a bar--and have a surprisingly frank and fruitful conversation. That's what happens in this book. It represents comparative theology/philosophy at its boldest." --Paul F. Knitter, Union Theological Seminary. Scott Steinkerchner, OP, is a traveling preacher and a theology professor based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His previous books are Beyond Agreement (2011) and Watching Clouds (2009). Peter Hunter, OP, teaches philosophy at Blackfriars, Oxford, England. Both are members of the Order of Preachers.

What is real? What is the foundation of right and wrong? How can we know? There are many ways to answer these questions--Western religious views in which humanity is part of God's creation, Eastern religious views in which delusion traps humanity in a cycle of reincarnation, and secular views in which humanity evolved as part of the material universe driven by nothing other than the impersonal forces of evolution. Each of these views paints unique and comprehensive pictures of the world to convey their vision. These pictures are as different from each other as if they were of three different lands separated from each other by patrolled borders. The border between Eastern and Western religions is guarded by arguments over the nature of the divine and rational versus experiential approaches to salvation. Both of these territories are separated from the land of scientific atheists who deny the existence of any supernatural reality and see the scientific method as the sole valid arbiter of truth. This book presents all three views for non-specialists, enabling readers to enter them imaginatively. It then compares these approaches on different contemporary topics. This book is for anyone who wonders why people believe what they do. ""This refreshing book combines intellectual rigor with a generous openness to other ways of seeing reality. These two Catholic theologians are firmly rooted in their own tradition, but eager to learn from others even when there is profound disagreement. In a world which people with different views are often dismissed, this book is a model of how intelligent conversation can take place. In our intolerant world, it is much to be welcomed."" --Timothy Radcliffe, OP, former Master of the Dominican Order ""The most interesting questions for any worldview can only arise when it is juxtaposed with another, very different worldview. This book raises incredibly rich questions for Christians, Buddhists, and naturalistic atheists to ponder, that could only have come from an encounter with each other; questions that will challenge and profoundly inform readers, no matter what their worldviews."" --John Makransky, Boston College ""A Catholic monk (Aquinas), a Tibetan monk (Tsongkhapa), and an atheist (S. Pinker) walk into a bar--and have a surprisingly frank and fruitful conversation. That's what happens in this book. It represents comparative theology/philosophy at its boldest."" --Paul F. Knitter, Union Theological Seminary. Scott Steinkerchner, OP, is a traveling preacher and a theology professor based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His previous books are Beyond Agreement (2011) and Watching Clouds (2009). Peter Hunter, OP, teaches philosophy at Blackfriars, Oxford, England. Both are members of the Order of Preachers.

In light of the reality of cultural and religious pluralism, Peter Phan demonstrates that Christian mission can only be carried on dialogically - especially among the poor and with deep respect for other religious traditions and their cultures. In Our Own Tongues is absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in the emergence of "world christianity" and its future in the 21st century.

Drawing on the twin themes of liberation and inculturation, Peter Phan explicates a new theology forged in the cauldron of the encounter between two vastly different cultures. He devotes particular attention to the meaning of Christ for Asian Americans, and new christological titles emerge?Jesus as Eldest Son and Ancestor. Phan also explores his personal roots to sketch the contours of Vietnamese-American theology, an expression of faith caught between the Dragon and the Eagle.