Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. This intriguing book compares beliefs concerning the nature of God in a variety of world religions by focusing on a number of "polarities," or pairs of qualities in the divine character that are seemingly opposed. Carman examines such polarities as supremacy/accessibility, immanence/transcendence, justice/mercy, and majesty/meekness, tracing their roles in the understandings of God expressed by Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism.
Table of Contents
At the edge of theology -- Discovering polar attributes in diverse theologies -- Seeking understanding through comparison -- Polarities in Hindu theologies -- The many faces of Siva -- Nammalvar's hymn to Vishnu : the wonder of God's transformation -- Ramanuja's theology of Vishnu : God's supremacy and accessibility -- Pillan's commentary : harmonizing Nammalvar's hymn with Ramanuja's theology -- Amida's grace and Shinran's faith -- Interlocking polarities in the divine nature -- Polarities compared -- Approaching Christian theology through the hymnbook -- Avatar and incarnation : two conceptions of divine condescension -- God hidden and revealed : Martin Luther's theology -- Wrath and mercy, majesty and meekness : the theology and vision of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards -- Jewish experience of God's justice and mercy -- Differing conceptions of divine unity -- Hindu goddesses and the Blessed Virgin Mary -- Christian understanding of the divine Trinity -- Muslim witness to the one God -- Transcending dualities in Hindu and Christian mysticism -- The persistence of polarities -- Polarity and paradox in recent theology -- Making sense of paradox -- Questions to theologians.