Religion and Culture in Dialogue

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxi

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2. Proglomena: Globalisation, Cultural Identity and Diversity

   • Jānis Tālivaldis Ozoliņš

   Pages 1-14

3. The Nature of Belief

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 15-15

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   2. ‘I hope I believe in God’: Some Implications for Contemporary Ethics

      • Bernadette Tobin

      Pages 17-28

   3. Ethical Beliefs

      • Peter Drum

      Pages 29-39

   4. Faith, Philosophy and the Elemental

      • Richard J. Colledge

      Pages 41-56

4. Dialogues Between Culture and Tradition

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 57-57

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   2. The Nature of Religious Dialogue, the Diversity Argument and Religious Pluralism

      • John G. Quilter

      Pages 59-76

   3. Aquinas’ Natural Law Versus Ethical and Cultural Pluralism

      • John F. X. Knasas

      Pages 77-92

5. Eastern Perspectives on God and Ethics

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 93-93

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   2. God and Conceptions of Immanence and Transcendence in Aquinas and Mèngzǐ

      • Jānis Tālivaldis Ozoliņš

      Pages 95-110

   3. The Confucian Filial Duty to Care (xiao 孝) for Elderly Parents

      • T. Brian Mooney, John N. Williams

      Pages 111-127

   4. A Daughter’s Filiality, A Courtesan’s Moral Propriety and a Wife’s Conjugal Love: Rethinking Confucian Ethics for Women in the Tale of Kiều (Truyện Kiều)

      • Jonathan Y. Tan

      Pages 129-151

6. Human Dignity and Rights

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 153-153

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   2. The Patristic Notion of Person and Its Importance for Modern Culture

      • Dan Chițoiu

      Pages 155-166

   3. Questioning Human Dignity: The Dimensions of Dignity Model as a Bridge Between Cosmopolitanism and the Particular

      • David G. Kirchhoffer

      Pages 167-179

   4. Human Rights, Religious Culture, and Dialogue

      • William Sweet

      Pages 181-203

   5. Life Experience, Values and Education

      • Maija Kūle

      Pages 205-217

7. Back Matter

   Pages 219-225

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This volume addresses the issue of the human encounter with the Mystery of God and the purpose of human life. It explores major themes from diverse cultural and philosophical traditions, starting with questions about the possibility of belief in God, His transcendence as seen in both East and West, and ending with questions about ethics and about personhood, human dignity and human rights. Taking an eclectic approach, the chapters in this book each uniquely address aspects of the human encounter with the Mystery of God, drawing from specific cultures and traditions, and using a particular philosophical and theological style. Together, the chapters provide a fresh approach and a synergy that ensures that each topic contributes something new to the dialogue between religion and culture.

• classical Confucianism
• cultural pluralism
• cultural values
• existence of God
• human dignity
• human nature
• human rights
• natural law
• transcendence and immanence

• School of Philosophy, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Australia

  Jānis Tālivaldis Ozoliņš

Jānis (John) Tālivaldis Ozoliņš, M.Sc., Dip. Ed., Ph.D. (Melb.), G. Dip. Ed. Admin. (Deakin), MACE, FHERDSA, is Professor of Philosophy, Deputy Chair of the Academic Board at Australian Catholic University and Chair, Courses and Academic Quality Committee. He was Head of School of Philosophy (National) (1999-2010) and was Executive Dean (Acting) (2009) and Associate Dean, Teaching, Learning and International (Acting) (2009), in the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy at the Australian Catholic University. He was also Foundation Head of the Graduate School for Research in Philosophy and Theology (2005-2007). He is an elected professorial member of the Academic Board of the University (2009-present) and served on the University Senate, the governing body of the University, from 2004-2006. He is a permanent Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, University of Latvia and was Inaugural Crawford Miller Visiting Fellow at St. Cross College, Oxford in 2007. He has alsobeen a Visiting Researcher at the University of Exeter, Visiting Professor at University of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas and Visiting Professor at Wuhan University, China. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia and served as President of the Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia from 2006 to 2009. He is a Fellow of the Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia.

Policies and ethics