Michael L. Budde – författare

The single most important change now well under way within Catholicism is its transition from a First World to a Third World entity. How this enormous shift will affect the Catholic church's role in the world economy is the subject of Michael L. Budde's book, the first world systems study of the mutual interaction of religion and political economy in the 1990s.Budde's argument here is twofold. He contends that world Catholicism, led by its Third World majority (most notably in Latin America), will continue to develop in an increasingly anticapitalist direction; and he suggests that once-dominant First World Catholic churches (exemplified by the U.S. Catholic church), are poorly placed to respond in solidarity with their coreligionists from the Third World.Covering a wide range of theoretical and substantive matters, The Two Churches examines religion as a source of both social legitimation and social rebellion. It demonstrates the importance of ecclesiology, a branch of theology dealing with "theories of the church," and it highlights the effect of capitalism on world Catholicism, as well as the latter's influence on the development of the capitalist order.In his original, far-reaching analysis of the Catholic church's role in world affairs, Budde revises current views of religious institutions as subordinate social phenomena. By relating developments in the world political economy to material conditions in the Third World and in turn to the practice of Catholicism, he reveals how the Catholic church functions as a worldwide institution. He also shows how core-periphery conflicts within the church affect transnational capitalism.As the Third World becomes more and more volatile, and as its relations with the First World further complicate the politics of the Catholic church, the questions addressed in The Two Churches demand attention with increasing urgency. Timely, thoughtful, and lucid, this book will inform and enhance our understanding of this complex, pressing issue.

People worldwide find themselves part of overlapping communities of identity and belonging--racial, political, cultural, sexual, ideological. Some identities, like brand loyalties, are chosen; some, like class identity, are imposed.As followers of Jesus Christ, those called to live iln between the age that is and the age to come, Christians ask what it means to be part of the body of Christ, God''s new creation from among the nations, in a world filled with other nations. "Who--and whose--are we?" There is no easy answer, no time at which Christians got it completely right. Yet such questions must be addressed, and the stakes are high. Matters of war and peace, exclusion and inclusion, who starves and who does not, the credibility of the gospel itself--all are caught up in the whirl of identities, allegiances imposed or refused, and questions about what "the church" might possibly mean in such circumstances.In this book, a distinguished group of scholars from five continents asks, "How can the church respect the diversity of its members--many nations, cultures, and communities--while maintaining a coherent witness to the kingdom of God that is not undermined by more parochial ideologies or priorities?"Chapter Contributors:Braden AndersonMaria Clara Lucchetti BingemerMichael BuddeMatthew ButlerWilliam CavanaughJose Mario FranciscoPeter GaladzaStanley HauerwasDaniel IzuzquizaSlavica JakelicPantelis KalaitzidisEunice Karanja KamaaraEmmanuel KatongoleDorian LlywelynMartin MenkeAgbonkhianmeghe E. OrobatorA. Alexander Stummvoll

He has captured the imagination of people around the world, including those who thought they were "done with" Christianity. In ways no one could have expected and no one predicted, Pope Francis has become a living example of what it might mean to be a Christian in our time and place. The modern world was not ready for Pope Francis, but as has been demonstrated--in his travels to the United States and around the world, in his calls for mercy and defense of the vulnerable--Pope Francis was ready for the modern world.New World Pope: Pope Francis and the Future of the Church explores how Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis--the ideas, experiences, influences, and passions that have formed this pastor who has inspired, challenged, encouraged, and angered people worldwide. Ten experts from around the world--scholars, journalists, church leaders, and others--provide insights into the origins and trajectories of Pope Francis'' vision and hopes for the Christian community in our day. Persons intrigued by Pope Francis will find deeper insights into his witness via this exploration of the roots and trajectories of his sense of Christian mission and discipleship.

This volume takes its title from the first-century Christian catechism called the Didache: "Even as this broken bread was scattered over the hills . . . gathered together and became one, so let Your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth."For Christians today, these words remain relevant in an era of massive human movements (voluntary and coerced), hybrid identities, and wide-ranging cultural interactions.How do modern Christians live as both a "scattered" and "gathered" people?How do they live out the tension between ecclesial universality (catholicity) and particularity (distinctive ways of being church in a given culture and context)?Do Christians today constitute a "diaspora," a people dispersed across borders and cultures that nonetheless maintains a sense of commonality and mission?Scattered and Gathered: Catholics in Diaspora explores these questions through the work of fourteen scholars in different fields and from different corners of the world. Whether through reflections on Zimbabweans in Britain, Levantines in North America, or the remote island people of Chiloe now living in other parts of Chile, they guide readers along the winding road of insights and challenges facing many of today''s Christians.

It''s a simple claim, really - that for Christians, "being a Christian" should be their primary allegiance and identity. For those who proclaim Jesus as Lord, this identity should supersede all others, and this loyalty should trump all lesser ones. It may be a simple claim, but it is a controversial one for many people, Christians and non-Christians alike. The Borders of Baptism uses the idea of solidarity among Christians as a lens through which to view politics, economics, and culture. It offers Christians a fresh perspective capable of moving beyond sterile and dead-end debates typical of debates on issues ranging from immigration and race to war, peace, and globalization. The Borders of Baptism invites Christians of all traditions to reflect on the theological and political implications of first "being a Christian" in a world of rival loyalties. It invites readers to see what it might mean to be members of a community broader than the largest nation-state; more pluralistic than any culture in the world; more deeply rooted in the lives of the poor and marginalized than any revolutionary movement; and more capable of exemplifying the notion of ;e pluribus unum'' than any empire past, present, or future.

What does it mean to follow the Prince of Peace in a world plagued by war, violence, and killing? Can the foundational convictions of Christianity, and the experiences of Christians around the world, contribute to a more adequate practice of the faith in contemporary times on matters of war, violence, and peacemaking? This volume addresses these important questions with contributions from Christian scholars and practitioners from across the Majority World (including El Salvador, Brazil, Kenya, and the Philippines) and from the United States and Europe. They include proponents of Christian pacifism and just war theory, advocates for varieties of "just peacemaking" frameworks, and people pursuing slow, modest steps toward reconciling enemies without the use of overarching theoretical frameworks. What holds them together is a sense that the world and the church would benefit from a robust and gospel-based commitment to nonviolence as an alternative to lethal business as usual in addressing conflicts great and small.The topics they consider include constructive aspects of a Christian theology of nonviolence; case studies of gospel nonviolence and pastoral work from violent conflicts around the world; women as victims of violence and makers of peace; and theopolitical questions of just war, armed intervention, and Christian nonviolence.

These days "getting religion" is generally considered a rather quaint thing of the past. "Getting spirituality," on the other hand, is the hottest thing on the market. In fact, corporate-sponsored spiritual salve is becoming the most popular prescription for the overworked and soul-weary employees. But for many Christians, this antidote has become its own epidemic. How is this epidemic infecting the church? How should the church respond as a community of believers?According to authors Michael Budde and Robert Brimlow, the church must resist becoming the "chaplain to capitalism." Christianity Incorporated reminds us that Christ-centered discipleship is fundamentally at odds with consumer capitalist priorities. The church must have a mission and a voice in society that is distinct from, rather than in chorus with, watered-down corporate spirituality.Christianity Incorporated is a wake-up call for all Christians. Courageous, current, and accessible, this book will provide guidance and insight to anyone concerned with pursuing Christian discipleship in our consumer culture.

What happens to the Gospel when you put other loyalties into positions of power in Christian life and practice? You get deformations, distortions, and caricatures of Christianity - killing in the name of love, defense of worldwide systems of domination, idolization of the nation instead of the membership in the global body of Christ, and baptism of exploitative and destructive economic ideologies. You get much of what world sees as contemporary Christianity, in other words.Too often, however, the inadequacies of contemporary Christian life, especially in the United States, are seen as separate issues in need of ''improvement'' or ''reform.'' Foolishness to Gentiles invites readers to see the pathologies of the churches not as a series of disconnected problems, but predictable outcomes of deep defects of Christian formation, commitments and theology. Having mortgaged so much of the integrity of the Gospel in the pursuit of imperial and national citizenship, and having allowed the powers of race and capital to divide the unity of the church, Foolishness to Gentiles calls Christians into deeper reflection, repentance and redirection.In a series of essays (new and previously unpublished, previously unpublished in English, and published previously in specialized venues), Foolishness to Gentiles opens doors to deeper theological and socio-political reflection, and some guideposts for more adequate practices of Christian discipleship in a variety of contexts and circumstances.

Explores a new Christian identity in which churches reclaim their roles as communities of disciples to constitute a countercultural reality and challenge to secular society and existing power relations.The question, "What does it mean to be 'the church'?" has always been among the most controversial and of vital concern to political, economic, and ecclesial leaders alike. How it is answered influences whether Christianity will be a force for legitimating or subverting existing secular relations of power, influence, and privilege. The Church as Counterculture enters the debates on Christian identity, purpose, and organization by calling for the churches to reclaim their roles as "communities of disciples"-distinct and distinctive groups formed by the priorities and practices of Jesus-to constitute a countercultural reality and challenge to secular society and existing power relations.The notion of the church as a countercultural community of disciples confounds many conventional divides within the Christian family (liberal and conservative, church and sect), while forcing redefinition of commonplace categories like religion and politics, sacred and secular. The contributors to this book-theologians, social theorists, philosophers, historians, Catholics and Protestants of various backgrounds-reflect this shifting of categories and divisions. The book provides thought-provoking Christian perspectives on war and genocide, racism and nationalism, the legitimacy of liberalism and capitalism, and more.Contributors include Michael J. Baxter, Robert W. Brimlow, Walter Brueggemann, Michael L. Budde, Curt Cadorette, Rodney Clapp, Roberto S. Goizueta, Stanley Hauerwas, Marianne Sawicki, and Michael Warren.