Tariq Ramadan has emerged as one of the most influential Muslim theologians in the world today. In this important book, Gregory Baum presents for the first time an introduction to several key aspects of Ramadan's theological enterprise. Baum examines Ramadan's work historically within an interfaith perspective, drawing several parallels between Islamic and Catholic encounters with modernity. His comparison of the debates in the two traditions suggests that reform and renewal are compatible with the substance of both Catholic and Muslim traditions. After a brief account of the evolution of Catholic theology up to the Second Vatican Council, Baum introduces Ramadan's published work and theological orientation, examining both within the historical development of Islam. He outlines Ramadan's theology of God, humanity, and the universe and discusses Ramadan's interpretation of sharia, the divinely revealed Islamic way of life. The book then addresses what fidelity to Islam means for Western Muslims and contrasts Ramadan's theology with the theological liberalism advocated by some Muslim authors. Throughout, Baum makes helpful connections between Islam and Vatican II Catholicism. Both belief systems are steeped in ancient traditions, rely on a sacred book, and find themselves confronting a modern context. Reformist Islam shares much with Catholic social thought in showing a regard for the poor and marginalized. Baum concludes by examining points of difference between Muslim and Catholic theology that support further conversation. This readable introduction to Ramadan's work is accessible to non-Muslim students, teachers, clergy, and general readers interested in Islam and interfaith dialogue. "This book is a beautiful example of serious theological dialogue between two seminal theologians of our age: Gregory Baum and Tariq Ramadan. It is a balanced and significant contribution to scholarship about Ramadan's thought for at least two reasons: first, it provides a very important perspective on the similarities that Catholicism earlier and Islam today have shared in facing the many challenges of modernity; and second, the conclusion Professor Baum reaches may be short, but is profound: 'the time for religious-secular dialogue has come."―Patrice Brodeur, Canada Research Chair on Islam, Pluralism, and Globalization, Université de Montréal "Gregory Baum is a gift to the Church, and indeed to the world. A stalwart of the Vatican II era, he is now an éminence grise of North American Christianity in its efforts to engage the secular world through a confident and critical dialogue about meaning. In this remarkable and pioneering volume, he engages contemporary Islam through a typically generous reading of one of its most influential theologians, Tariq Ramadan. Avoiding the often silly but sometimes brutal polemics that have obscured the quality of Ramadan's reformist thought, Baum notes the striking affinities between Islam's and Catholicism's respective encounters with democracy, religious freedom, and critical reading of sacred sources, among other contested issues. Having absorbed the deepest insights of Catholic's recent revolution in self understanding―a revolution he helped to stimulate and advance―this unofficial, quietly charismatic ambassador of Christian intellectual innovation has provided invaluable insight into the mind of the person who has been termed the 'Muslim Martin Luther.' Baum, as he has in the past, is pointing the way forward for innovative and serious theological work; in the opening of sustained dialogue and conversation with the contemporary current of Islamic reform represented by figures like Ramadan, he rightly sees an opportunity for a renewal of Catholic theology in its service to the cause of reconciliation and peace."―Scott Appleby, University of Notre Dame

Theology of Tariq Ramadan: A Catholic Perspective

History

Baum, Gregory

World

University of Notre Dame Press

An international journal of theology; a catholic journal in the widest sense: rooted in Roman Catholicism yet open to other Christian traditions and the world's faiths. Promotes discussion in the spirit of Vatican II. Annual subscriptions available.

Concilium 1991/5: Rerum Novarum: One Hundred Years of Catholic Social Teaching (Concilium (Glen Rock, N.J.), 1991/5.)

Religion & Spirituality

Christian Books & Bibles

Hymns Ancient & Modern Ltd

An international journal of theology; a catholic journal in the widest sense: rooted in Roman Catholicism yet open to other Christian traditions and the world's faiths. Promotes discussion in the spirit of Vatican II.  Annual subscriptions available.

Concilium 173: The Sexual Revolution

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Psychology & Counseling

Karl Polanyi on Ethics and Economics: Foreword by Marguerite Mendell

Exploring Polanyi's lesser-known works as well as The Great Transformation, Baum provides a more complete and nuanced understanding of Polanyi's thought. He examines Polanyi's interpretation of modern economic and social history, clarifies the ethical presuppositions present in Polanyi's work, and addresses how Polanyi's understanding of the relation between ethics and economics touches on many issues relevant to the contemporary debate about the world's economic future. Baum argues that we should look to Polanyi's understanding of modern capitalism to reinstate the social discourse and, in political practice, the principles of reciprocity and solidarity. He points to examples, both in Canada and abroad, of attempts to formulate alternative models of economic development and to create new forms of institutional and cultural intervention. Karl Polanyi on Ethics and Economics provides fascinating insights into Polanyi's work and today's central social and political issues. It will be of great interest to sociologists, economists, political scientists, and philosophers.

Business & Money

McGill-Queen's University Press

Exploring Polanyi's lesser-known works as well as The Great Transformation, Baum provides a more complete and nuanced understanding of Polanyi's thought. He examines Polanyi's interpretation of modern economic and social history, clarifies the ethical presuppositions present in Polanyi's work, and addresses how Polanyi's understanding of the relation between ethics and economics touches on many issues relevant to the contemporary debate about the world's economic future. Baum argues that we should look to Polanyi's understanding of modern capitalism to reinstate the social discourse and, in political practice, the principles of reciprocity and solidarity. He points to examples, both in Canada and abroad, of attempts to formulate alternative models of economic development and to create new forms of institutional and cultural intervention. Karl Polanyi on Ethics and Economics provides fascinating insights into Polanyi's work and today's central social and political issues. It will be of great interest to sociologists, economists, political scientists, and philosophers.

Nationalism, Religion, and Ethics

In beautifully simple language, Gregory Baum discusses the writings of four men whose nationalism was shaped by their religion and their time: Martin Buber's speeches on Zionism before the creation of Israel; Mahatma Gandhi's influential incitement to peaceful resistance against British imperialism; Paul Tillich's book on socialism and nationalism which was banned by the Nazis; and Jacques Grand'Maison's defence of Québécois nationalism in the wake of the province's Quiet Revolution. Baum also examines nationalism in a world dominated by transnational corporations and economic globalization: for example, how does Scottish nationalism fit within the European Union, and how can the Church of Scotland contribute to this secular movement? Finally, Baum turns to Quebec and its tension between ethnic and civil nationalism. As a province with a homogenous and distinctive culture that is different from that of the country surrounding it, how can Quebec guarantee its own survival in an ethically acceptable way? This quiet masterpiece of clear thinking and humane reasoning illuminates the uses and misdirections of one of the most powerful forces in politics and society.

Politics & Social Sciences

Philosophy

In beautifully simple language, Gregory Baum discusses the writings of four men whose nationalism was shaped by their religion and their time: Martin Buber's speeches on Zionism before the creation of Israel; Mahatma Gandhi's influential incitement to peaceful resistance against British imperialism; Paul Tillich's book on socialism and nationalism which was banned by the Nazis; and Jacques Grand'Maison's defence of Québécois nationalism in the wake of the province's Quiet Revolution. Baum also examines nationalism in a world dominated by transnational corporations and economic globalization: for example, how does Scottish nationalism fit within the European Union, and how can the Church of Scotland contribute to this secular movement? Finally, Baum turns to Quebec and its tension between ethnic and civil nationalism. As a province with a homogenous and distinctive culture that is different from that of the country surrounding it, how can Quebec guarantee its own survival in an ethically acceptable way? This quiet masterpiece of clear thinking and humane reasoning illuminates the uses and misdirections of one of the most powerful forces in politics and society.

Americas

Truth and Relevance: Catholic Theology in French Quebec since the Quiet Revolution

After the Quiet Revolution, the Catholic church lost its stronghold in Quebec. Despite this decline, or perhaps because of it, contemporary Catholic thought in Quebec exhibits a bold creativity. In Truth and Relevance, Gregory Baum introduces, contextualizes, and interprets Catholic theological writing in Quebec since the 1960s, and presents this body of work for an anglophone readership. Baum shows how Catholic theologians, inspired by the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), uncovered the social meaning in the Christian message, allowing them to address many problems and concerns of contemporary society. With reliance on the Gospel, they supported Quebec's new self-understanding, embraced its nationalism under certain conditions, fostered social solidarity, criticized the unregulated market system, demanded gender equality, and called for respect of new religious and cultural pluralism. Leaving behind the Catholicism of Quebec's past, these theologians embraced the humanistic values of modern society, recognizing their affinity with the Gospel, while at the same time revealing the destructive potential of modernity, its individualism, utilitarianism, relativism, and its link to empire and capitalism. Weaving together theological and sociological reflections, Truth and Relevance is a fascinating account of modernity, secularism, and the evolution of the Catholic church in Quebec.

After the Quiet Revolution, the Catholic church lost its stronghold in Quebec. Despite this decline, or perhaps because of it, contemporary Catholic thought in Quebec exhibits a bold creativity. In Truth and Relevance, Gregory Baum introduces, contextualizes, and interprets Catholic theological writing in Quebec since the 1960s, and presents this body of work for an anglophone readership.   Baum shows how Catholic theologians, inspired by the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), uncovered the social meaning in the Christian message, allowing them to address many problems and concerns of contemporary society. With reliance on the Gospel, they supported Quebec's new self-understanding, embraced its nationalism under certain conditions, fostered social solidarity, criticized the unregulated market system, demanded gender equality, and called for respect of new religious and cultural pluralism. Leaving behind the Catholicism of Quebec's past, these theologians embraced the humanistic values of modern society, recognizing their affinity with the Gospel, while at the same time revealing the destructive potential of modernity, its individualism, utilitarianism, relativism, and its link to empire and capitalism.    Weaving together theological and sociological reflections, Truth and Relevance is a fascinating account of modernity, secularism, and the evolution of the Catholic church in Quebec.

Fernand Dumont (1927-1997) was a sociologist, philosopher, theologian, and poet. A prominent intellectual in Quebec, he is recognized for his research on the sociology of knowledge and the foundations of modern culture. Dumont's work conceives of culture in terms of both memory and distance, arguing that without culture, man would be immersed in the monotony of his present actions, never achieving the distance necessary to create a past or a future. In Fernand Dumont: A Sociologist Turns to Theology, Gregory Baum interprets Dumont's L?institution de la théologie, which studies the assumptions and commitments implicit in the rational reflection of Catholic thinkers on the meaning of their faith. Baum shows that while Dumont?s book is preoccupied with the theoretical, its methodology is informed by the cognitive presuppositions of the social sciences, and its contents - dealing with the spiritual, personal, and social struggles that constitute daily life - are concrete. For Dumont religious truth is insufficient, and may have no impact on everyday life. What counts is relevance, insights that reply to urgent questions and unresolved conflicts. He offers an innovative interpretation of Catholicism that is faithful to the Gospel and relevant to the problems of modern life and the serious questions Quebecers are asking themselves. In Fernand Dumont: A Sociologist Turns to Theology, Baum elucidates Dumont?s main ideas and connects the concerns of the Christian gospel with those of contemporary society.

Fernand Dumont: A Sociologist Turns to Theology

Sociology

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Baum, Gregory. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Baum, Gregory

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Baum, Gregory. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Theology of Tariq Ramadan: A Catholic Perspective

Concilium 1991/5: Rerum Novarum: One Hundred Years of Catholic Social Teaching (Concilium (Glen Rock, N.J.), 1991/5.)

Concilium 173: The Sexual Revolution

Karl Polanyi on Ethics and Economics: Foreword by Marguerite Mendell

Karl Polanyi on Ethics and Economics: Foreword by Marguerite Mendell

Nationalism, Religion, and Ethics

Nationalism, Religion, and Ethics

Truth and Relevance: Catholic Theology in French Quebec since the Quiet Revolution

Truth and Relevance: Catholic Theology in French Quebec since the Quiet Revolution

Fernand Dumont: A Sociologist Turns to Theology