John Raymaker - Böcker

In Empowering the Lonely Crowd, John Raymaker simplifies and extends arguments made in his previous book, A Buddhist-Christian Logic of the Heart, in particular the notion of a spiritual genome. Raymaker explores and compares John Paul II and Lonergan's thought in relation to (Japanese) Buddhism, concluding that while all life has a coded genome, all humans have a free, uncoded spiritual genome that is a viable alternative to postmodern skepticism.

Philosophy and Science are subject to conflicting interpretations, such as the rules of positivism and analytic thought. Bernard Lonergan and Gilles Deleuze have both assessed such issues in complementary fashion. This book examines their arguments through the application of mathematical theories and Buddhist-Christian ethics. Using a structured analogy based on a spiritual genome, Empowering Philosophy and Science with the Art of Love seeks to bridge the religious-secularist divide exacerbated by postmodernism. The goal is to empower the practitioners of philosophy and science by having them pay heed to the art of ethical virtue.

The Catholic Church has a tradition of bridge-building, one founded on Christ and that began with the Apostle St. John and the convert St. Paul. It helped bridge the Hebrew, Greek, and Roman worlds. Later, it helped civilize the tribes that overran Europe. Limits appeared in the Church's bridge-building ability when Europe was confronted with Islam, and later with the secular mentality that arose in Western Europe, as well as in its encounters with China, India, and Africa.Steps Toward Vatican III examines the present dilemmas facing the Church and humanity in an age of globalization that daily brings people of various backgrounds into close proximity. It offers a "middle-way" to face such issues. It develops a global ethics and a global spirituality that can be incarnated within alert, loving, small Christian communities, as well as in the larger Church structures directed from the Vatican. It builds on Vatican II to find paths that may help bring peace and understanding in the world by a sympathetic evaluation of different world traditions. Such sympathy must be informed by the conversions that Jesus and the Church have demanded of their followers.

Empowering Bernard Lonergan’s Legacy offers an interdisciplinary approach to Lonergan’s work. It presents a series of five “feedback matrices” to situate his work within a historical context. The matrices also serve to establish foundations for an interdisciplinary ethics and a method for interreligious dialogue. “Feedback” and “matrix” are key, but previously unstressed, notions in Lonergan’s work. The book’s final two collaborative feedback matrices could best be implemented in a proposed international Lonergan association. Raymaker argues that without such an association, Lonergan’s breakthrough method cannot reach its interdisciplinary and collaborative potential. One of Lonergan’s most important achievements was his development of foundations for the sciences, ethics, and interreligious dialogue. One can best empower Lonergan’s legacy through a correct understanding and implementation of how the data of human consciousness affects all human knowledge and activities.

This book addresses the climate change crisis through scientific, historical, and spiritual lenses. Using Bernard Lonergan’s functional specialization method, developed to facilitate collaboration among specialists, Raymaker and Durrani not only analyze data and rebut the claims of climate change deniers, but also look for inspiration to motivate and coordinate needed action by persons, groups, and nations. The book is wide-ranging in its historical examination of leaders who have shown us ways to work together constructively in finding solutions to problems. Lonergan’s method helps us study the past with a view to change the future. To do so, we must first reform ourselves.

This book addresses the climate change crisis through scientific, historical, and spiritual lenses. Using Bernard Lonergan’s functional specialization method, developed to facilitate collaboration among specialists, Raymaker and Durrani not only analyze data and rebut the claims of climate change deniers, but also look for inspiration to motivate and coordinate needed action by persons, groups, and nations. The book is wide-ranging in its historical examination of leaders who have shown us ways to work together constructively in finding solutions to problems. Lonergan’s method helps us study the past with a view to change the future. To do so, we must first reform ourselves.

Today the world is confronted with many religious wars and the migrations of millions of persons due to these conflicts. There is a need for informed dialog as to the roots of the conflicts and ways of addressing these in ways that speak to peoples’ minds and hearts. This is what this book attempts to do from the viewpoint of major religious and ethical thinkers. The book relies on Bernard Lonergan’s foundational method to address problems systematically with a view to achieve breakthroughs in our openness to one another. The book appeals to the teachings of the Buddha, Jesus, and Mohammad, relying on the mystical and insights of these religious founders as well as those of dozens of their followers so as to find commonalities that can build bridges of mercy. A global secularity ethics plays a leading role in this book’s bridging efforts.

Today the world is confronted with many religious wars and the migrations of millions of persons due to these conflicts. There is a need for informed dialog as to the roots of the conflicts and ways of addressing these in ways that speak to peoples’ minds and hearts. This is what this book attempts to do from the viewpoint of major religious and ethical thinkers. The book relies on Bernard Lonergan’s foundational method to address problems systematically with a view to achieve breakthroughs in our openness to one another. The book appeals to the teachings of the Buddha, Jesus, and Mohammad, relying on the mystical and insights of these religious founders as well as those of dozens of their followers so as to find commonalities that can build bridges of mercy. A global secularity ethics plays a leading role in this book’s bridging efforts.

Why is it that Pope Francis is admired by so many? What gives him the uncanny ability to speak with young people in language familiar to them? In this book, John Raymaker and Gerry Gruzden explore the life and writings of Pope Francis which have a prophetic, visionary ability to speak to important issues of the day.The authors evaluate how Pope Francis’ encounters with religious leaders of other faiths have broken new ground to help unite mankind. They reach back into Christian history to explore the teachings of such Catholic mystics as Thomas Merton while also delving into the beliefs of Islamic and Buddhist mystics to demonstrate how well the pope is in touch with a spirituality that can speak to those seeking the truth. In its final chapters, the book examines how the pope endorses the work of Christians who live their faith in small Christian communities and reveals how such communities can strengthen parish life in various parts of the world. Like St. Francis, his namesake, and like Teilhard de Chardin before him, the pope has an appropriate vision to rebuild God’s Church in a transitional age. His writings have focused on caring for the earth and preaching the good news of the gospels in a way that and allows him to reach young people in need of joy as they face an uncertain future. He is the Conscience of the World.

In 2008, the authors wrote Steps toward Vatican III which explored developments occurring in the Catholic Church including its teachings on social justice, interreligious dialogue, and Small Christian Communities. This update of Steps explores how Pope Francis has developed such themes in original ways in his encyclicals and in his use of synodal consultations. For example, in his Encyclical Laudato Si, the pope seeks to lead us into the mysteries of the universe, of creatures, and the harmony of creation. It helps us reflect on the universal communion of nature. Calling for a global ecological policy and a cooperative approach, the pope warns us that unless we respect nature, the entire planet and humanity will face drastic consequences.In his meetings with economists and entrepreneurs, the pope has proposed a pact for renewing the economy to counteract the asocial aspects of modern business practices. He has discussed some of the most complex problems in today's world--from safeguarding the environment to courageously committing oneself to rethink the economic paradigms of our time. Young people, in particular, have responded with enthusiasm to Pope Francis’ initiatives. The book notes how some "traditional" Catholics have opposed the pope, but it argues that, in fact, the pope is more traditional than his critics for he insists on going back to Jesus' own teachings.The new ongoing crises such as the breakdown and rise of new ideologies, terrorism, massive advances in the sciences and in technology, as well as fundamental shifts in gender relations are further factors considered in the book. Indeed, the world is now radically different from the world of the early 1960’s when Vatican II Council was held. Due to these many radical changes, the book suggests the need for a Vatican III which would consolidate the Church’s global outreach on every continent.

The philosophical theology and economic ideas of the Canadian Jesuit Bernard Lonergan (1904-84) form the superstructure of the book. Its genius lies in the authors' fusing the fruit of their scholarship with Lonergan's ideas without disturbing the flow of their argument. The two scholars detail carefully, but unapologetically, why they've had to draw from a theologian to correct the errors of economists. For, in Lonergan, they find a rich tapestry of economic ideas and "fresh original thinking" that can help resolve some contested issues in economics… The realities of contemporary global society cry for such a development and prompt us to ask: How does Lonergan's economics fit the new world global financial market? Does his economic theory adequately address how we can overcome the limitations of those social and economic engineers who are content with making the masses seem like raw materials of rich people's economic propaganda? "Attentive, Intelligent, Rational, and Responsible": Transforming Economics to Save the Planet answers these questions and many more.