Probing the Depths of Evil and Good
Multireligious Views and Case Studies
Published on 1. January 2007
Book
Hardback
386 pages
978-90-420-2231-7 (ISBN)
Description
In the few years since the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, evil has become a central theme in the media and human consciousness: the evil of terrorism, the evil of secular culture, concern for poverty, and climate change... Yet different cultures and religious traditions have different ideas of what evil is and what its root causes are. Although there is no massive clash of cultures, many disagreements and also conflicts in the world arise from the deep differences in views of evil.
This volume explores religious views of evil. Scholars from different religions and from various parts of the world describe how people probe the depths of evil-and by necessity that of good-from their own background in various worldviews. In their explorations, almost all address the need to go beyond morality, and beyond legalistic definitions of evil and of good. They point to the radical depths of evil in the world and in human society and reinforce our intuition that there is no easy solution. But if we can gain a better understanding of what people from other worldview traditions and cultures consider evil, we are that much closer to a more peaceful world.
This volume explores religious views of evil. Scholars from different religions and from various parts of the world describe how people probe the depths of evil-and by necessity that of good-from their own background in various worldviews. In their explorations, almost all address the need to go beyond morality, and beyond legalistic definitions of evil and of good. They point to the radical depths of evil in the world and in human society and reinforce our intuition that there is no easy solution. But if we can gain a better understanding of what people from other worldview traditions and cultures consider evil, we are that much closer to a more peaceful world.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Leiden
Netherlands
Publishing group
Brill
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
735 gr
ISBN-13
978-90-420-2231-7 (9789042022317)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Content
Jerald D. GORT: Probing Evil and Good: On the Imperative and Benefits of Taking Tea Together
Wendy DONIGER: Myths as Metaphors for Radical Evil
Dinesh Prasad SAKLANI: Maya as Evil: From Classical Hindu Thought to Bhakti Saints and Kabir. A Historical Exploration
Victor A. VAN BIJLERT: The Struggle with Evil: The Theology of Evil in the Bhagavad Gita and the Devimahatmya
John LAGERWEY: Evil and its Treatment in Early Taoism
Ching-Yuen CHEUNG: The Problem of Evil in Confucianism
Christa W. ANBEEK: Evil and the Transformation of Evil in Buddhism and Socially Engaged Buddhism
Sodo YASUNAGA: Zen and the Question of Evil
John D'arcy MAY: Nothingness-qua-Love? The Implications of Absolute Nothingness for Ethics
Martin REPP: The Problem of "Evil" in Pure Land Buddhism
Eiko HANAOKA: Awareness of Evil in Christianity and Buddhism
Annewieke VROOM: Emptying Good-and-Evil: Masao Abe's Approach to the Problem of Evil
N. VERBIN: Forgiving God: A Jewish Perspective on Evil and Suffering
Conrad WETHMAR: Conceptualizations of Evil in African Christian Theology
Martien E. BRINKMAN: The Descent into Hell and the Phenomenon of Exorcism in the Early Church
Annemiek SPRONK: God's Good Plan and Evil Forces in This World: The Place of the Devil in Traditional Islam
Rkia E. CORNELL: "Soul of a Woman Was Created Below": Woman as the Lower Soul (Nafs) in Islam
Vincent J. CORNELL: Evil, Virtue, and Islamic Moral Theology: Rethinking the Good in a Globalized World
Saeid EDALATNEJAD: The Islamic Point of View on the Problem of Evil
Harry KUNNEMAN: Critical Humanism and the Problem of Evil: From Vertical to Horizontal Transcendence
Hendrik M. VROOM: Evil from a Comparative Perspective
Index of Names
Index of Subjects
Contributors to this Volume
Wendy DONIGER: Myths as Metaphors for Radical Evil
Dinesh Prasad SAKLANI: Maya as Evil: From Classical Hindu Thought to Bhakti Saints and Kabir. A Historical Exploration
Victor A. VAN BIJLERT: The Struggle with Evil: The Theology of Evil in the Bhagavad Gita and the Devimahatmya
John LAGERWEY: Evil and its Treatment in Early Taoism
Ching-Yuen CHEUNG: The Problem of Evil in Confucianism
Christa W. ANBEEK: Evil and the Transformation of Evil in Buddhism and Socially Engaged Buddhism
Sodo YASUNAGA: Zen and the Question of Evil
John D'arcy MAY: Nothingness-qua-Love? The Implications of Absolute Nothingness for Ethics
Martin REPP: The Problem of "Evil" in Pure Land Buddhism
Eiko HANAOKA: Awareness of Evil in Christianity and Buddhism
Annewieke VROOM: Emptying Good-and-Evil: Masao Abe's Approach to the Problem of Evil
N. VERBIN: Forgiving God: A Jewish Perspective on Evil and Suffering
Conrad WETHMAR: Conceptualizations of Evil in African Christian Theology
Martien E. BRINKMAN: The Descent into Hell and the Phenomenon of Exorcism in the Early Church
Annemiek SPRONK: God's Good Plan and Evil Forces in This World: The Place of the Devil in Traditional Islam
Rkia E. CORNELL: "Soul of a Woman Was Created Below": Woman as the Lower Soul (Nafs) in Islam
Vincent J. CORNELL: Evil, Virtue, and Islamic Moral Theology: Rethinking the Good in a Globalized World
Saeid EDALATNEJAD: The Islamic Point of View on the Problem of Evil
Harry KUNNEMAN: Critical Humanism and the Problem of Evil: From Vertical to Horizontal Transcendence
Hendrik M. VROOM: Evil from a Comparative Perspective
Index of Names
Index of Subjects
Contributors to this Volume