Paul O. Ingram – författare

A creative application of process philosophy to the dialogue between Buddhism and Christianity, and to their dialogue in turn with the natural sciences.While process philosophers and theologians have written numerous essays on Buddhist-Christian dialogue, few have sought to expand the current Buddhist-Christian dialogue into a “trilogue” by bringing the natural sciences into the discussion as a third partner. This was the topic of Paul O. Ingram’s previous book, Buddhist-Christian Dialogue in an Age of Science. The thesis of the present work is that Buddhist-Christian dialogue in all three of its forms – conceptual, social engagement, and interior – are interdependent processes of creative transformation. Ingram appropriates the categories of Whitehead’s process metaphysics as a means of clarifying how dialogue is now mutually and creatively transforming both Buddhism and Christianity.Drawing also on the work of theologian John Hicks and philosopher of science Imre Lakatos, Ingram develops an understanding of Buddhist-Christian dialogue in the context of a religious pluralism that is both open and dynamic and methodologically rigorous. Wide-ranging and full of insight, The Process of Buddhist-Christian Dialogue will be invaluable to scholars and students of comparative religion.

An exploration of the meaning of divine grace in a post-Christian world, drawing on Buddhist thought, process theology and the author's Lutheran background.In this book Paul O. Ingram adds his voice to a long list of writers seeking to relate Christian tradition to the hard realities of this post-Christian age of religious and secular pluralism. As a Lutheran, Ingram thinks grace flows over this universe like a waterfall. So he brings Christian mystical theology into a discussion of the meaning of grace.Alfred North Whitehead's philosophical vision provides a language that serves as a hermeneutical bridge by which historians of religions can interpret the teachings and practices of religious Ways other than their own without falsification, and by which theologians can appropriate history-of-religions research as a means of helping Christians advance in their own faith journeys.The purpose of the journey of faith is what Whitehead called "creative transformation." The contemporary theological tradition that has most systematically and coherently followed Whitehead's lead in its reflection on non-Christian Ways is process theology, which is perhaps the only liberal or progressive theological movement now active in the twenty-first century.

Buddhist/Christian dialogue has rarely touched on its interaction with science, yet its importance has immense implications. Buddhist-Christian Dialogue in an Age of Science offers a fresh and exciting view on the ideas, themes, and people engaged in the three-way dialogue between Christianity, Buddhism and the natural sciences. Ingram's comprehensive yet accessible scholarship is uniquely solid in both religion and science, and has the gift of making complex theories understandable. Providing these three different perspectives will be useful for anyone interested in the relationship between religion and science.

Buddhist/Christian dialogue has rarely touched on its interaction with science, yet its importance has immense implications. Buddhist-Christian Dialogue in an Age of Science offers a fresh and exciting view on the ideas, themes, and people engaged in the three-way dialogue between Christianity, Buddhism and the natural sciences. Ingram's comprehensive yet accessible scholarship is uniquely solid in both religion and science, and has the gift of making complex theories understandable. Providing these three different perspectives will be useful for anyone interested in the relationship between religion and science.

While process philosophers and theologians have written numerous essays on Buddhist-Christian dialogue, few have sought to expand the current Buddhist-Christian dialogue into a trilogue by bringing the natural sciences into the discussion as a third partner. This was the topic of Paul O. Ingram''s previous book, Buddhist-Christian Dialogue in an Age of Science. The thesis of the present work is that Buddhist-Christian dialogue in all three of its forms--conceptual, social engagement, and interior--are interdependent processes of creative transformation. Ingram appropriates the categories of Whitehead''s process metaphysics as a means of clarifying how dialogue is now mutually and creatively transforming both Buddhism and Christianity.

Memories seldom happen in straight lines with chronological precision, but occur most often in spirals. Paul Ingram''s essays collected in Faith as Remembering were created from memories. These memories, often in unpredictable ways, pushed him to new insights about the nature of Christian faith--insights often not desired, always unexpected, and always toward new directions of theological reflection. Theologians all too often write with an unintentional, and sometimes intentional, universalism. Ingram does not intend to write this way. These essays reflect his memories and are the sources of the theological conclusions he draws as a historian of religions who now finds himself a practicing process theologian. As a process theologian, Ingram does not even argue that the conclusions drawn here will be ones he will affirm in the future. All human knowledge is incomplete, and there are always new surprises for anyone practicing the art of theological reflection. But Ingram''s hope is that the essays gathered together in Faith as Remembering will inspire readers to engage their memories as the foundation for drawing their own unique conclusions.

Pentecost celebrates the countless expressions of God's love and wisdom. Like a skilled dancer, God's Holy Spirit moves through all creation, bringing forth life and love and inspiration. Fire and wind are everywhere. Inspiration and revelation are just a moment away and can come either by surprise or as a result of the interplay between God's wisdom and our intentional spiritual practices. The spirit blows where it wills, in all directions, embracing all life, human and nonhuman. In other words, Pentecost is about God's omnipresence, which Ingram interprets through the categories of Whiteheadian process theology, as God's ever-present "e;initial aim"e; that all things and events at every moment of space-time achieve the maximum self-fulfillment of which they are capable. Intentionally conforming our "e;subjective"e; aims for our own fulfillment with God's initial aim for us, as the historical Jesus did, is the call of Pentecost. Omnipresence is an all-or-nothing deal. God can't be a little omnipresent. Either God is present in, with, and under every thing and event since the beginning of creation--what theologians and philosophers call panentheism--or omnipresence makes no sense.

In Passing Over and Returning Paul O. Ingram describes his particular dialogue with the world''s religions, illustrated by his experience of passing over into Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism, Judaism, and Islam, and by his return to his home as a Lutheran Christian. While religious diversity is not new, neither are the questions posed by religious diversity. What is new is that more and more people are actively engaged with the world''s religions because more and more people are willing to be informed by insights found in religious traditions other than their own. This is particularly true among progressive Christians. But openness does not necessarily mean rejecting one''s own tradition, even though persons sometimes convert to another tradition or combine their original religious identity with the identity of another tradition. Whether one returns to the home of one''s own faith tradition after passing over, or assumes a dual religious identity, or converts to another tradition, all persons engaged in interreligious dialogue undergo processes of creative transformation.