No abstract

No abstract

The title of my reflections is “Between a Rock and A Hard Place,” which I think aptly describes the situation of Catholic theologians in the United States since the bishops' meeting of November 1999. The imagery refers to the rock of Peter, the hard place to the problems the mandatum raises for ourselves and our Catholic colleges and universities. My question is: What can the social sciences tell us about our present dilemma? First, I will look at the history of the problem as we have experienced it in the U.S. Next, the bishops' document is now in the hands of the Roman Curia, so I will look at the role of that institution. And finally, I will review quickly events to date in the light of evidence from the social sciences and suggest a possible strategy to deal with the situation in our U.S. context.

This article addresses the large issue that looms in any Christian engagement with a different faith: the confession of Christ as incarnate God. The manner in which this issue is addressed is by focusing on the difference between Islamic and classical Lutheran understandings of sin. I shall attempt to present the Islamic understanding of sin and articulate how the Islamic understanding of Christ is shaped by its hamartiology. I shall conclude with a few practical suggestions for dialoguing with Muslims on the issue of sin.

No abstract