Judith A. Merkle – författare

From its obscure beginning as a system for organizing machine shops, Scientific Management has grown into the major technocratic ideology of the twentieth century. Its development and international diffusion have influenced industrial productivity, the social fabric of industrial society, and even the nature of government. In this study of the movement's growth, Merkle compares the writings of the American, German, French, British, and Soviet vanguards of Scientific Management and finds that those who advocated efficiency engineering were considerably more than pragmatists seeking immediate technical solutions to production problems. Rather, they were visionaries who sought to reconcile class conflict, restructure government, and create a universal technocratic utopia by achieving efficient mass production and rationalized distribution. The call for a "mental revolution," which permeates their writings, found sympathizers among capitalists and socialists alike; that revolution affected not only the structure of modern industrialism but also the organization of the state itself. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1980.

From its obscure beginning as a system for organizing machine shops, Scientific Management has grown into the major technocratic ideology of the twentieth century. Its development and international diffusion have influenced industrial productivity, the social fabric of industrial society, and even the nature of government. In this study of the movement's growth, Merkle compares the writings of the American, German, French, British, and Soviet vanguards of Scientific Management and finds that those who advocated efficiency engineering were considerably more than pragmatists seeking immediate technical solutions to production problems. Rather, they were visionaries who sought to reconcile class conflict, restructure government, and create a universal technocratic utopia by achieving efficient mass production and rationalized distribution. The call for a "mental revolution," which permeates their writings, found sympathizers among capitalists and socialists alike; that revolution affected not only the structure of modern industrialism but also the organization of the state itself. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1980.

This is a critical assessment of Catholic Faith in the modern world. This book explores how the Christian life is lived in a pluralistic situation where different contexts of belonging give rise to different moral challenges. While it is characteristic of modern life to exist in a postmodern situation where there is an erosion of comprehensive systems of meaning, we still live today in contexts of belonging. We still seek to gather out of the fragments of modern life the sustenance of a network of belonging, belief and practice which comprise a faithful life. The construction of such a life, not only for us, but for others, serves as the framework for our moral commitments. Furthermore, sustaining and transforming social frameworks which shape various aspects of human life form the life task of adult Christians. "Ecclesiological Investigations" brings together quality research and inspiring debates in ecclesiology worldwide from a network of international scholars, research centres and projects in the field.

This book explores how the Christian life is lived in a pluralistic situation where different contexts of belonging give rise to different moral challenges. While it is characteristic of modern life to exist in a postmodern situation where there is an erosion of comprehensive systems of meaning, we still live today in contexts of belonging. We still seek to gather out of the fragments of modern life the sustenance of a network of belonging, belief and practice which comprise a faithful life. The construction of such a life, not only for us, but for others, serves as the framework for our moral commitments. Furthermore, sustaining and transforming social frameworks which shape various aspects of human life form the life task of adult Christians.

"Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying of hands by the council of elders" (1Tim. 4:14). Members of the church today can comprehend Paul's sentiment to Timothy. While not all ordained, all baptized Christians have experienced the laying on of hands in baptism. They have been touched by that mysterious mix of charism, initiated into the Body of Christ through the Holy Spirit, as well as launched into life with Christ through the institution of the Church with all its concreteness, ambiguity, sinfulness and goodness. Through the lens of Christian theology, along with the sociology of Max Weber in his study of charism and institution in modern society, Judith A. Merkle analyzes the interaction and tautness between the concept of powerful grace through baptism and the institution in the life of the modern church. Weber asserts that freedom and creativity in modern society only become manifest within social relations. Since these highly valued modern experiences do not exist outside the institutional framework, they exist in tension with the constrictive and creative aspects of the institution. Judith A. Merkle offers the reader perspective on this contemporary experience in the church.

"Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying of hands by the council of elders" (1Tim. 4:14). Members of the church today can comprehend Paul's sentiment to Timothy. While not all ordained, all baptized Christians have experienced the laying on of hands in baptism. They have been touched by that mysterious mix of charism, initiated into the Body of Christ through the Holy Spirit, as well as launched into life with Christ through the institution of the Church with all its concreteness, ambiguity, sinfulness and goodness. Through the lens of Christian theology, along with the sociology of Max Weber in his study of charism and institution in modern society, Judith A. Merkle analyzes the interaction and tautness between the concept of powerful grace through baptism and the institution in the life of the modern church. Weber asserts that freedom and creativity in modern society only become manifest within social relations. Since these highly valued modern experiences do not exist outside the institutional framework, they exist in tension with the constrictive and creative aspects of the institution. Judith A. Merkle offers the reader perspective on this contemporary experience in the church.

Judith A. Merkle examines the situation of Christian spirituality today, in a secular age, through the images of dance, silence, and music. Drawing on the work of Charles Taylor as well as core aspects of the tradition of Christian theology on discipleship, Merkle asks how these new conditions affect the practice of Christianity as modern discipleship.The author calls God the music maker. She argues that response to the reality of God can be captured through the image of dance. Merkle reminds us that people in secular society connect to God in diverse ways, not in the least through the call of creation and the call of conscience. She explores discipleship as a lens through which we can understand how a community of faith, service, prayer, worship, and sacramentality can be viewed and integrated in daily life. She emphasizes how the interconnection between prayer, Eucharist, and a believing community is inseparable from the dance of discipleship as it can be lived in secular society. The image of dancing to silent music is a powerful symbol of Christian religious experience in modern times.

Judith A. Merkle examines the situation of Christian spirituality today, in a secular age, through the images of dance, silence, and music. Drawing on the work of Charles Taylor as well as core aspects of the tradition of Christian theology on discipleship, Merkle asks how these new conditions affect the practice of Christianity as modern discipleship.The author calls God the music maker. She argues that response to the reality of God can be captured through the image of dance. Merkle reminds us that people in secular society connect to God in diverse ways, not in the least through the call of creation and the call of conscience. She explores discipleship as a lens through which we can understand how a community of faith, service, prayer, worship, and sacramentality can be viewed and integrated in daily life. She emphasizes how the interconnection between prayer, Eucharist, and a believing community is inseparable from the dance of discipleship as it can be lived in secular society. The image of dancing to silent music is a powerful symbol of Christian religious experience in modern times.

Drawing on the work of Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor, this book examines how secular culture affects both the living of Christian discipleship today and impacts how religious congregations engage in their own renewal and future. It argues that religious communities can do more than improve and fix the out of date conditions they met in the renewal after Vatican II.Calling on environmental, sociological and theological insights, this book asks how the ongoing “coming of the Kingdom” in the Spirit brings new gifts for these times and how congregations might respond beyond restorative or post-Christian solutions to new challenges confronting them. This book offers a renewed meaning of religious life in secular life and the gift it offers and receives from every culture in which it is embedded.

Drawing on the work of Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor, this book examines how secular culture affects both the living of Christian discipleship today and impacts how religious congregations engage in their own renewal and future. It argues that religious communities can do more than improve and fix the out of date conditions they met in the renewal after Vatican II.Calling on environmental, sociological and theological insights, this book asks how the ongoing “coming of the Kingdom” in the Spirit brings new gifts for these times and how congregations might respond beyond restorative or post-Christian solutions to new challenges confronting them. This book offers a renewed meaning of religious life in secular life and the gift it offers and receives from every culture in which it is embedded.

This book investigates religious vows, shedding light on the type of faith that can sustain humanity in secular times. It examines the personal impact of religious life as well as its potential to foster a sense of completeness within society at large.Unbelief in today’s society can be partially rooted in the shallowness of the sort of religion that the secular can abandon. Such a religion, characterized as magical, shallow, illusory, or rooted solely in external rituals, lacks the depth required to thrive in a secular society. It fails to address the profound aspects of human existence, the authentic freedom of the spirit, and the enduring obedience of faith.This study of religious vows uncovers their deeper meanings in light of these challenges. It invites us to consider whether religious life, despite contemporary criticisms, can be seen as "touching wholeness". This book does not only delve into the theological foundations of these vows but also key areas which impact their understanding and living in new contexts. It surveys sociological landscapes and goes beyond to encompass shifts in science, psychology, theology. Religious life in this sense is part of the renewal of the church, as well as an agent in it. By focusing briefly on each vow, Judtih A. Merkle illustrates how religious life serves as a bridge connecting the secular and the sacred. It is a life focused on love of God and service of others which is a witness to the coming of Kingdom of God, and values which truly matter in contemporary society.

This book investigates religious vows, shedding light on the type of faith that can sustain humanity in secular times. It examines the personal impact of religious life as well as its potential to foster a sense of completeness within society at large.Unbelief in today’s society can be partially rooted in the shallowness of the sort of religion that the secular can abandon. Such a religion, characterized as magical, shallow, illusory, or rooted solely in external rituals, lacks the depth required to thrive in a secular society. It fails to address the profound aspects of human existence, the authentic freedom of the spirit, and the enduring obedience of faith.This study of religious vows uncovers their deeper meanings in light of these challenges. It invites us to consider whether religious life, despite contemporary criticisms, can be seen as "touching wholeness". This book does not only delve into the theological foundations of these vows but also key areas which impact their understanding and living in new contexts. It surveys sociological landscapes and goes beyond to encompass shifts in science, psychology, theology. Religious life in this sense is part of the renewal of the church, as well as an agent in it. By focusing briefly on each vow, Judtih A. Merkle illustrates how religious life serves as a bridge connecting the secular and the sacred. It is a life focused on love of God and service of others which is a witness to the coming of Kingdom of God, and values which truly matter in contemporary society.

A Different Touch speaks of the challenges of religious life today where the essentials of Christian living and union with God are still sought via a different touch."Reflecting on the history of religious life since the nineteenth century, Sr. Judith Merkle, SNDdeN, asks such questions as: What makes this different touch? How do vows shape the ongoing adult development of a religious? What relevance and witness do vows have in our world today? She then examines core theological understandings which underlie vows and uses recent studies in ecology, evolutionary thought, and psychology to address questions in religious life in the broader paradigm of Church and culture. She suggests directions for the future, yet also encourages religious to articulate their way of life in society and the Church.A Different Touch looks at the relationship of Christian lifestyle and the place of religious life in the matrix of Christian living, and then comments individually on the traditional vows of religious life to show how they shape the development of a religious. A section on "New Times" for poverty, obedience, and celibacy relates each vow to current cultural and socio-political issues.A Different Touch will be helpful to formation programs and to religious orders with programs in theological renewal and study of vows. It can be used as a university textbook on courses in Christian life or religious life. Individuals will find it stimulating for personal reflection or ongoing formation.Religious life is a different touch, a distinctive lifestyle in the Church. It is also a "way" on the common road of conversion undertaken by the entire people of God. A Different Touch invites readers on a journey of understanding along this way.Part I is "Cultural Questions." Chapters are "Lifestyle Issues," "Which Way Is Ahead?" "Beyond Progress: Ecological Wisdom," and "Toward a New Vision." Part II is "Theological Foundations." Chapters are "Freeing Freedom," "Getting Direction From Heaven or the Human Heart?" and "The Reach of Salvation." Part III is "Foundations of the Vows." Chapters are "A Different Touch," "Touched by God," and "A Framework for Loving." Part IV is "History." Chapters are "Hearts for a New Age," "New Forms of Energy," and "Towards a New Synthesis." Part V is "The Vows." Chapters are "Poverty: The Transformation of Desires," "Poverty: Beyond Isolation," "New Times for Poverty," "Obedience: An Affair of the Heart," "Obedience as Affective Bonding," "Obedience: A Path of Becoming," "New Times for Obedience," "Celibacy: From Ambiguity to Integrity," "Faces of Sexual Integration," "From Cost to Consolation," and "New Times for Celibacy." Judith A. Merkle, SNDdeN, PhD, teaches religious studies at Niagara University, New York. A graduate of the University of St. Michael's College, Toronto, Canada, she is a frequent lecturer to religious congregations and writes on religious life. Among her writings is Committed by Choice: Religious Life Today, also published by The Liturgical Press."