Keith Ward - Böcker

Since first Thomas Aquinas defined theology as revelation, or the rational elucidation of revealed truth, the idea of revelation has played a fundamental role in the history of western theology. This book provides a new and detailed investigation of the concept, examining its nature, sources, and limitations in all five of the major scriptural religions of the world: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. The first part of the book discusses the nature of theology, and expounds the comparative method as the most useful and appropriate for the modern age. Part Two focuses on the nature of religion and its early historical manifestations, whilst the third part of the book goes on to consider the idea of revelation as found in the great canonical traditions of the religions of the world. Part Four develops the distinctively Christian idea of revelation as divine self-expression in history. The final part of the book discusses how far the idea of revelation must be revised or adapted in the light of modern historical and scientific thought, and proposes a new and positive theology of revelation for the future. The book includes discussions of the work of most major theologians and scholars in the study of religion - Aquinas, Tillich, Barth, Temple, Frazer, and Evans Pritchard - and should be of interest to many scholars and students of comparative religion and theology, and anthropologists.

This book is the second part of a major project of comparative theology begun with Religion and Revelation (Clarendon Press, 1994), which looks at major concepts of faith in all four of the main scriptural religions of the world. In Religion and Creation, the author explores the idea of a creator God in the work of twentieth century writers from Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. He develops a positive concept of God which stresses God's dynamic and responsive relation to the temporal structure of the universe, and the importance of that structure to the self-expression of the divine being. Professor Ward goes on to present a Trinitarian doctrine of creation, drawing inspiration from a wider set of theistic traditions and recent discussions in physics in the realm of cosmology.

This book is the second part of a major project of comparative theology begun with Religion and Revelation (Clarendon Press, 1994), which looks at major concepts of faith in all four of the main scriptural religions of the world. In Religion and Creation, the author explores the idea of a creator God in the work of twentieth century writers from Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. He develops a positive concept of God which stresses God's dynamic and responsive relation to the temporal structure of the universe, and the importance of that structure to the self-expression of the divine being. Professor Ward goes on to present a Trinitarian doctrine of creation, drawing inspiration from a wider set of theistic traditions and recent discussions in physics in the realm of cosmology.

Since first Thomas Aquinas defined theology as revelation, or the rational elucidation of revealed truth, the idea of revelation has played a fundamental role in the history of western theology. This book provides a new and detailed investigation of the concept, examining its nature, sources, and limitations in all five of the major scriptural religions of the world: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. The first part of the book discusses the nature of theology, and expounds the comparative method as the most useful and appropriate for the modern age. Part Two focuses on the nature of religion and its early historical manifestations, whilst the third part of the book goes on to consider the idea of revelation as found in the great canonical traditions of the religions of the world. Part Four develops the distinctively Christian idea of revelation as divine self-expression in history. The final part of the book discusses how far the idea of revelation must be revised or adapted in the light of modern historical and scientific thought, and proposes a new and positive theology of revelation for the future. The book includes discussions of the work of most major theologians and scholars in the study of religion - Aquinas, Tillich, Barth, Temple, Frazer, and Evans Pritchard - and should be of interest to many scholars and students of comparative religion and theology, and anthropologists.

Continuing Keith Ward's series on comparative religion, this book deals with religious views of human nature and destiny. The beliefs of six major traditions are presented: the view of Advaita Vedanta that there is one Supreme Self, unfolding into the illusion of individual existence; the Vaishnava belief that there is an infinite number of souls, whose destiny is to be released from material embodiment; the Buddhist view that there is no eternal Self; the Abrahamic belief that persons are essentially embodied souls; and the materialistic position that persons are complex material organisms. Indian ideas of rebirth, karma, and liberation from samsara are critically analysed and compared with semitic belief in the intermediate state of Sheol, Purgatory or Paradise, the Final Judgement and the resurrection of the body. The impact of scientific theories of cosmic and biological evolution on religious beliefs is assessed, and a form of 'soft emergent materialism' is defended, with regard to the soul. In this context, a Christian doctrine of original sin and atonement is presented, stressing the idea of soterial, as opposed to forensic, justice. Finally, a Christian view of personal immortality and the 'end of all things' is developed in conversation with Jewish and Muslim beliefs about judgement and resurrection.

Continuing Keith Ward's series on comparative religion, this book deals with religious views of human nature and destiny. The beliefs of six major traditions are presented: the view of Advaita Vedanta that there is one Supreme Self, unfolding into the illusion of individual existence; the Vaishnava belief that there is an infinite number of souls, whose destiny is to be released from material embodiment; the Buddhist view that there is no eternal Self; the Abrahamic belief that persons are essentially embodied souls; and the materialistic position that persons are complex material organisms. Indian ideas of rebirth, karma, and liberation from samsara are critically analysed and compared with semitic belief in the intermediate state of Sheol, Purgatory or Paradise, the Final Judgement and the resurrection of the body. The impact of scientific theories of cosmic and biological evolution on religious beliefs is assessed, and a form of 'soft emergent materialism' is defended, with regard to the soul. In this context, a Christian doctrine of original sin and atonement is presented, stressing the idea of soterial, as opposed to forensic, justice. Finally, a Christian view of personal immortality and the 'end of all things' is developed in conversation with Jewish and Muslim beliefs about judgement and resurrection.

Is the mind just a by-product of the brain? Or is mind the fundamental reality, which creates matter? In The Priority of Mind, Keith Ward mounts a definitive defence of mind as prior to matter. In an accessible style, he unpacks the sources and abilities of the mind, situates it in the wider world, or cosmos, and proposes a relation between mind and virtue, and the nature of mind after death. Along the way, he explores the different philosophical approaches to the mind-matter question taken by thinkers over time, settling on idealism as the teaching of most classical philosophers, and as most consistent with modern science. Lay readers and scholars alike will relish Ward's clear, methodical exposition, and his counterarguments against the materialist narrative that dominates much of popular philosophical thinking today.

A systematic guide to the Christian faith, taking a broad sweep from the big bang through the Old Testament to the New and beyond into the history of the faith and modern theological thinking. The hard questions posed by the Church's history are not ducked and the challenges of the enlightenment and modern science are given full weight. The book explores contemporary strands of Christian thinking and relates them sensitively and intelligently to world faith and non-faith viewpoints. It is a book that many thinking Christians and those thinking about Christianity will find invaluable in its rigorous, open and intelligent approach invaluable.

Keith Ward introduces this volume on the world's greatest ever bestseller by suggesting that the Bible is neither a book dictated by God, as some believe, nor just a set of out-dated taboos and politically slanted histories, as those at the opposite extreme maintain.Rather, it is a very mixed set of documents, by many different writers, from many different times, which records the struggle of many people in one particular religious tradition to respond to their discernments of a transcendent spiritual power.What makes the Bible distinctive among other religious books is that the dominant image of transcendence, of spirituality, that slowly develops in its pages is the image of a power that helps humans to seek a moral goal in history even when such a thing would seem impossible to achieve - were it not for the power of grace.The Bible is, in short, a spiritual text.

Language about God is something like the language of poetry - The poetic use of language is not to increase your information about the world. We know facts about the world without having poetry. The use of words in poetry is to evoke in us a certain attitude or way of looking at things or feeling about things...If this is the use of religious language, what sort of view of the world is it trying to convey? I think we might say it is trying to convey that the world is an expression of a reality beyond it...' Keith Ward unpacks the meaning of the word 'God' and explains why we need to get rid of the crude and unhelpful assumptions that still abound. A book for all who are curious about how God, and God's actions, can be understood today. Intended for people looking for answers to life's biggest questions, this little book of guidance will appeal to anyone, whether believer or non-believer, looking for a quick and easy way into the topic.

Jesus' teaching has changed the world. Yet his sayings can often seem cryptic and hard to understand.In Love Is His Meaning, Keith Ward explores the various figures of speech and images that Jesus used, and finds they are all ways of expressing and evoking the self-giving love of God, manifested supremely in Jesus' life. They communicate spiritual truths, often not in a literal but in a poetic way. They encourage us to take our own moral decisions with sensitivity and care for others. They show that God's love will never abandon anyone, and that it extends to everyone in the world without exception. And they promise a fulfilment of our hopes for a just and peaceable world that surpasses anything we might describe or imagine.Putting aside literalist, authoritarian, legalistic, judgemental and divisive presentations of Jesus' teachings, the author shows that what remains is the gospel of a divine love - a love stronger than death, and the only power that can and will redeem our disordered world.

Though little can be known with certainty about the historical Jesus, the image of a heavenly figure – `Christ crucified and risen’ – was constructed out of his life and teachings. This vision of divine reality transcends traditional Hebrew poetic thought, retaining its ancient power in the context of our new understanding of a vast and evolving cosmos.In order to help us form a truly contemporary Christian spirituality, Keith Ward (writing in our own time and place rather than, for example, in the 4th century like St Augustine, the 14th like Julian of Norwich, the 16th like Ignatius of Loyola, or the 20th like Thomas Merton) offers a set of reflections on what he believes to be the unique and life-transforming revelation of God in the person of Jesus Christ. And as we explore the spiritual truths relating to this mystery as expressed in the Gospels, meditation leads naturally to prayer.

"Religion and Human Fulfilment" is a short, accessible reflection on a series of ethical problems in the light of what the world's major faith traditions have to say about them. Keith Ward sets out that morality is an autonomous entity knowable to all human beings and then explores the true nature of morality. The world religions agree on moral goodness as the ultimate goal for humans strive for. But what other beliefs about morality do they share. The author proceeds to trace the consequences of religious views on morality by considering specific moral problems such as violence, human genetic modification and ethical concerns around the beginning and ending of human life as well as questions about secular and religious law.Chapters:1 The God, Gene, Religion and Altruism 2. Islam and Jihad 3. Interference with Nature 4. Christianity and Gender 5. Buddhism and Questions of Life and Death 6. Religious Law and Human Freedom

The Routledge Handbook of Sports and Exercise Therapy is a methodically detailed, authoritative, contemporaneous and practical reference source for all those involved in sports and exercise therapy, whether students, established practitioners, educators or researchers. This comprehensive handbook cohesively presents foundational subjects and introduces principles and applications to support the development and practice of sports and exercise therapists.These are presented alongside new essential and evolving topic areas. Such a blend of fundamental underpinning and applied and experiential practical guidance gives this handbook a real sense of relevancy, and a contribution which can help to consolidate the positioning of sports and exercise therapists as key practitioners in an advancing landscape of health, exercise, sport, research and education. The handbook has been produced to create a seamless reference source for readers, but each of its chapters are also designed to be stand-alone presentations in their own right. The following areas are covered:Learning and teachingEvidence-based practiceAnatomy and physiologyPathology of injuriesHealth and safetyClinical assessmentTherapeutic modalitiesInjury rehabilitationSports and exercise as medicineSports and exercise nutritionSports and exercise psychologyProfessionalism and ethicsStructural and cultural competencySideline sports injury managementManagement of regional injury conditionsCase studies in sports and exercise therapyEmployability and career developmentThe handbook is comprehensively referenced and multi-authored. Its design incorporates numerous photographs, figures, tables and detailed sample document templates. It can be considered as an essential and topical resource for anyone involved in sports and exercise therapy, whether in their first year as an undergraduate or already working in professional practice.

First published in 2002. This is Volume XII of twelve in the Library of Philosophy series on Ethics. Written in 1970, this book seeks to elucidate the fundamental characteristics of Christian ethics. The main concern has been with what is of most vital concern to the moral philosopher-the exposition of the formal characteristics of a system of morality rather than with the detail of its content and application.

The work of a sports therapist is highly technical and requires a confident, responsible and professional approach. The Routledge Handbook of Sports Therapy, Injury Assessment and Rehabilitation is a comprehensive and authoritative reference for those studying or working in this field and is the first book to comprehensively cover all of the following areas:Sports Injury AetiologySoft Tissue Injury HealingClinical Assessment in Sports TherapyClinical Interventions in Sports TherapySpinal and Peripheral Anatomy, Injury Assessment and ManagementPitch-side Trauma CareProfessionalism and Ethics in Sports TherapyThe Handbook presents principles which form the foundation of the profession and incorporates a set of spinal and peripheral regional chapters which detail functional anatomy, the injuries common to those regions, and evidence-based assessment and management approaches. Its design incorporates numerous photographs, figures, tables, practitioner tips and detailed sample Patient Record Forms. This book is comprehensively referenced and multi-authored, and is essential to anyone involved in sports therapy, from their first year as an undergraduate, to those currently in professional practice.

Richard Dawkins recently claimed that 'no theologian has ever produced a satisfactory response to his arguments'. Well-known broadcaster and author Keith Ward is one of Britain's foremost philosopher-theologians.This is his response.Ward welcomes all comers into philosophy's world of clear definitions, sharp arguments, and diverse conclusions. But when Dawkins enters this world, his passion tends to get the better of him, and he descends into stereotyping, pastiche, and mockery.In this stimulating and thought-provoking philosophical challenge, Ward demonstrates not only how Dawkins' arguments are flawed, but that a perfectly rational case can be made that there, almost certainly, is a God.

Many commentators today claim that religion is dangerous and harmful. In addressing this question, Keith Ward begins by defining what religion actually is and how most human harm has been caused. He then looks at why people say that religion is dangerous, focusing particularly on religious wars and conflicts and on specific attacks on religion, such as the claims that God is wrathful, that religion is intolerant, that religious morality is primitive and cruel. Keith Ward argues that religion produces great good - for example, in terms of hospitals, the abolition of slavery, great art and music, moral heroism, and philosophy and science. Religion, he concludes, is the best rational basis for morality.

If the New Atheists are to be believed, religious belief is not only dangerous and irrational, but just plain stupid. With increasingly intolerant polemic they are dismissing the views of religious people, and misconstruing them in the process. In this book, Keith Ward debunks the notion that rationality and intelligence are incompatible with belief in God, going through some of the main criticisms raised by the New Atheists (and their predecessors), for example: - Does God cause evil? - Is the universe intelligently designed? - Is God free? This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the current cultural war between atheism and belief.

The teachings of Jesus Christ, as presented in the Bible, are familiar to millions, but do we really understand them? Keith Ward argues that, by scrutinising the Gospels through the lens of contemporary philosophy, we can discover a profound teaching that is not always apparent in traditional church teaching. Ward's analysis of what Jesus really said uncovers four central themes: - that the Gospel is for everyone (but not necessarily everyone will be saved); - that the Second Coming will lead to a future in the spiritual realm, not a physical world; - that Jesus presents a moral ideal for life rather than a literal set of rules; - that God is expressed initially through the incarnation of Jesus, but ultimately through the whole of creation.

'The question of what it is to be a human person is the biggest intellectual question of our day.' Keith Ward has taught philosophy and theology in British universities for the past 40 years, and he is now weighing in on a major intellectual battle: whether human persons are purely materialistic - nothing but matter - or whether there is another, deeply valuable part of us, which transcends our bodies in nature and moral worth: the soul.For centuries philosophers have debated the question, but the battle has taken the limelight through the works of the New Atheists.In this book Professor Ward guides the reader through a panoply of thinkers and traditions, arguing that there is more to humanity than bodies. In fact, he argues, there is more to the entire universe than the naked eye perceives. (And contrary to the New Atheist assertions, there are good philosophical arguments to back this up!)

* Challenging and provocative book * Shows how management accounting techniques can be integrated into the strategic decision making process * Extensive use of practical examples from a variety of contexts.An introduction to business strategy for management accountants, financial accountants or managers with an accounting orientation. The book places management accounting clearly within the context of strategic management of the business. Offers qualified accountants a sound introduction to strategic management, and with practical examples and mini-cases provided throughout, this book is comprehensive yet concise.Keith Ward addresses strategic management accounting as a continuous process of analysis, planning and control. Management accounting is about supplying the right information to the right people at the right time, and this can only be expressed in the context of the business strategy and strategic plan. The implementation of appropriate management accounting systems to complement different strategies is discussed in detail. Applications and examples include multinational organizations, non-profit organizations and varying organizational structures. Finally the author covers methods of using management accounting for strategic advantage.

Financial Aspects of Marketing is designed particularly for students taking the Part 2 Certificate paper in Financial and Management Accounting of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. The increased emphasis on marketing issues of the new paper and the use of financial information as an aid to decision making provide students with the ability to be 'financially literate'. Practical applications of financial concepts and tech­niques and their relevance to the marketing function are demonstrated. Contents include Introduction and overview: Analysis -establishing the starting point; Planning - setting objectives and strategies: Control - monitoring achievements: Applications and examples.

Building on the author's previous book, Financial Aspects of Marketing, Marketing Finance stresses the pivotal relationship between finance and strategy in the marketing process, and clearly demonstrates the techniques and calculations that are necessary to formulate a comprehensive plan. Professor Ward also concentrates on how financial input in marketing can create shareholder value and demonstrates how to achieve the required integration of the finance function with marketing for the successful modern business.Marketing Finance is backed up with a number of integrated industry examples and case studies to demonstrate the success and failure caused by the marketing finance interface.

Designing World Class Corporate Strategies considers the key role of corporate centres within very large, primarily multi-business organisations. At present, these corporate centres are under attack as not creating and value and merely adding cost to their groups.The authors have developed a corporate configurations model which demonstrates four ways in which corporate centres can add significant value. However this requires the centre to act in specific ways depending on the external environment in which the group is operating.Designing World Class Corporate Strategies is highly readable, with a large number of illustrative examples included in the text. Academic references and theoretical underpinnings are placed in the final chapter of the book, so that the book is focused on the professional market for strategy and creating value.

Extraordinary performance from ordinary people is a must read for the high performing manager with the ambition to reach corporate leadership status. The book is as practical as it is exciting. How to succeed and which personal qualities are required from those who display the capability for great responsibility, are the themes that run throughout.The book focuses on both the key value adding activities and disciplines for driving through change and the styles of corporate leaders that attract successExtraordinary performance from ordinary people highlights how the leaders of the company, as a corporate team, can adopt and adapt the four value creating styles. It emphasises how to recognise which leadership framework suits the challenges of particular competitive environments. This insight nurtures a confidence to act decisively adopting an approach to communication which harnesses the energies of the organisation to achieve stretching performance targets. It concentrates on how leaders make a difference by what they do. Diagnostic models that show what really works and under which circumstances are core to this book.

The ultimate test of marketing investment, and indeed any investment, is whether it creates value for shareholders. But few marketing investments are evaluated from this perspective. Increasingly, boards of directors and city analysts the world over are dissatisfied with this lack of accountability. Cranfield School of Management has been addressing this problem by working with a range of blue-chip companies. They have created a new framework which shows how marketing systematically contributes to shareholder value based on three key questions-.Does the promised market exist?.Will the strategy deliver the market share promised?.Will the market share create shareholder value?This groundbreaking new book explains the principles and practice behind rigorous due diligence in marketing for Marketing and Finance Directors, CEOs, Strategists and MBA students wanting to understand the key drivers of modern businessSurely, the time has come for marketing directors to take their rightful place in the boardroom by proving that what they are doing creates shareholder value added?* Connects marketing plans and investment to the valuation of the firm and how it can contribute to increasing shareholder value* Systematic and practical approach useful for both practitioners and students* New paperback edition