Set within the fields of theology and philosophy of religions as well as inter-religious encounter, this book provides a contemporary philosophical and theological exploration of how people and communities of different faiths 'meet' those of other faiths. Ways of Meeting focuses on this issue from different angles and contexts looking at epistemology, ontology, ethics, the question of 'attitudes' towards the other and the use of the arts and beauty in the meeting of religions. Does 'aesthetics' offer a significant opportunity for meeting the other on different terms? Are there new 'resources' to be found in more post-secular accounts of ontology and ethics? Throughout, the book engages with key contemporary philosophers and theologians and contains an analysis of the contribution that recent post-secular movements, such as Radical Orthodoxy, can bring to this debate. The book concludes by seeking to map possible ways forward in the variety of contexts that have been reviewed.
Industry Reviews
'Cheetham with grace, good sense, erudition and insight considers issues towards constructing a theology of religions: imagination and attitudes of thinking, finding new spaces for meeting, and sustaining commitments to faith traditions. This is a refreshing and challenging work. Cheetham makes an important contribution to the discussion on Christianity and the religious "other".' Gavin D'Costa, University of Bristol, UK 'What is glimpsed in this work is the possibility that "success" in interpretation of religious diversity might not mean to specify its meaning more clearly, but to find room in one's own adherence for many irreducible forms of encounter. A shared joke or a shared sunset ought to be inter-religiously important, without being anything but themselves. Rather than a salvo in an argument, Cheetham's work is an intellectual meditation that can be read with profit by those on all sides of questions in the philosophy and theology of religious pluralism.' S. Mark Heim, Andover Newton Theological School, USA 'An original contribution, this challenging and interdisciplinary volume offers a fresh inner architecture of the pluriform self who approaches and meets others in creative ways, conjoining but not confusing the task of inter-religious dialogue with its equally demanding precondition of intra-religious dialogue.' Religious Studies Review 'As theology of religions, comparative theology, and intercultural theology pursue myriad important tasks in religious understanding and relations, David Cheetham's latest work shines prominently as an example of creative thinking bolstered by academic astuteness. For any course on interreligious theology or engagement, especially at the graduate level, this text would be sure to spur both discussion and reflection, and I recommend it highly.' American Theological Inquiry 'In all, this rich, erudite, and carefully crafted book is essential reading for those engaged in the critique and development of theologies of religion and those who seek an alternative account of the meeting of religionists whose motives include both fidelity to their own traditions and generosity toward the other.' Sophia 'Ways of Meeting is an important, thoughtful, well-argued and challenging book...this is an important text and needs to be read and discussed by all who care about dialogue in our plural but fretful and fragmented world.' Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations
