"What is 'praxis'? How do we study theology from its perspective?" These are the main questions which this book seeks to answer. As 'propaedeutic' to theological reflection, it surveys the notion of 'praxis' in the philosophical, sociological and anthropological traditions - from Aristotle and Marx to contemporary theories. It argues that Pierre Bourdieu's 'theory of practice' achieves a critical synthesis of these different traditions making it a viable theological dialogue-partner. Bourdieu provides us with a praxeological theory to scrutinize the complexity of the social realm and an epistemological theory to understand the mystery of God's presence in these socio-historical conjunctures which serve as the privileged and only locus of His/Her revelation. The author thus engages two theologians who take 'praxis/practice' as central to their theological methods: Clodovis Boff (liberation theology) and John Milbank (radical orthodoxy). From the perspective of its appropriated framework, this work attempts to avoid the limitations as well as preserves the gains achieved by these two approaches - as it also explores the rudiments of a theological method relevant to our post-Marxist and postmodern-global contexts.

Political Theory and Praxis was first published in 1977. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions. Nine distinguished contributors—philosophers and political scientists at universities and colleges in the United States, Europe, Canada, and Australia—write essays for this volume in political philosophy. The book is dedicated to the memory of Hannah Arendt, the writer and philosopher who died in 1975. The contributors discuss various aspects of the concepts of theory and practice and their interrelationship. All of the essays were written expressly for this volume. In an introduction, Professor Ball, the volume editor, notes that the essays reflect the diversity of conceptions of theory, of practice, and of their conceptual and practical interrelations, and that the contributors explore various ways and byways of approaching the age-old questions of theory and its relation to practice. Part I: Origins "On the History of 'Theory' and 'Praxis'," Nicholas Lobkowicz; "Creatures of a Day: Thought and Action in Thucydides,"J. Peter Euben; " Plato and Aristotle: The Unity Versus the Autonomy of Theory and Practice." Terence Ball. Part II: Developments "Kant on Theory and Practice," Carl Raschke; "Theory and Practice in Hegel and Marx: An Unfinished Dialogue,"Peter Fuss; "The Unity of Theory and Practice: The Science of Marx and Nietzsche," Edward Andrew. Part II: Dilemmas and New Directions "Hannah Arendt: The Ambiguities of Theory and Practice," Richard J. Bernstein; "Rebels, Beginners, and Buffoons: Politics as Action," Raymond L. Nichols; "How People Change Themselves: The Relationship between Critical Theory and Its Audience," Brian Fay

From the Introduction: This inquiry is concerned with the themes of praxis and action in four philosophic movements: Marxism, existentialism, pragmatism, and analytic philosophy. It is rare that these four movements are considered in a single inquiry, for there are profound differences of emphasis, focus, terminology, and approach represented by these styles of thought. Many philosophers believe that similarities among these movements are superficial and that a close examination of them will reveal only hopelessly unbridgeable cleavages. While respecting the genuine fundamental differences of these movements, this inquiry is undertaken in the spirit of showing that there are important common themes and motifs in what first appears to be a chaotic babble of voices. I intend to show that the concern with man as an agent has been a primary focal point of each of these movements and further that each contributes something permanent and important to our understanding of the nature and context of human activity.

Zusammenfassung: This collection of original articles draws from a cross section of distinguished scholars of ancient Greek philosophy. It is focussed primarily on the philosophy of Aristotle but comprises as well studies of the philosophy of Socrates, Plato, and Epicurus. Its authors explore a range of complementary topics in value theory, moral psychology, metaphysics, natural philosophy, political theory, and methodology, highlighting the rich and lasting philosophical contributions of the thinkers investigated. Opening with an engaging intellectual autobiography of its honoree, Fred D. Miller, Jr., the volume offers treatments of Socrates as a citizen; Plato's attitude towards poetry; Socratic self-knowledge; Plato's conception of law in his Republic; explorations of reason, goodness, and moral conduct in Plato; Platonic metaphysics; Aristotelian causation; Aristotelian metaphysics and normativity; natural philosophy in Aristotle; Aristotelian logic; political theory and approaches to justice in Aristotle's Politics; methodological reflections on how best to approach Aristotle's indefensible ideas; and closes with a reconsideration of Epicurus on death and the art of dying. Altogether, the volume reflects the richness of the ongoing community of philosophical scholars dedicated to reconstructing, assessing, and criticizing the principal philosophers of the ancient world, whose epoch-forming explorations of the key elements of human life--considered socially, politically, psychologically, and metaphysically--remain topics of lively investigation today. It will be of interest to philosophers of many stripes, including those with a primary interest in ancient philosophy but extending as well to those with systematic interests in the themes it explores. This volume will be a valuable addition to all libraries serving communities dedicated to researching and studying the origins of Western philosophy

Liberation and political theologies have emerged powerfully in recent years, interrupting the way in which First World Christians both experience and understand their faith. Through an analysis of the cultural and ecclesial contexts of these theological movements, as well as a critical examination of four of their principal exponents--Gustavo Gutierrez, Johann Baptist Metz, Jose Miguez Bonino, and Jurgen Moltmann--the author demonstrates that political and liberation theologies represent a new model of theology, one that proffers a vision of Christian witness as a praxis of solidarity with suffering persons.

Today's ecclesial praxis has to add something to human capacity in order for the church to envision itself whole. This book addresses multiple struggles, as creative acts theologically, for rethinking a possibly constructive ecclesial praxis that addresses God's new creation in its relation to God's people. By examining it in broader paradigms, Herry Mukdani proposes an/Other praxis as a critical option for ecclesial freedom. An/Other Praxis searches not only new impulses for theological practices, but the extension of voices from the margins that have contributed both to fresh ideas and to new opportunities for life. It also demands ecclesial praxis to put all existing voices into account, and responsibly re(dis-)cover the subaltern or subordinated others. Thus, this praxis helps the subaltern communities of faith claim their own identities, as border-crossers, in the midst of cultural and religious plurality. They will be active subjects of new theological productions from and for the church. They are able to prove theological creativity possible today that expands beyond its ecclesial limits. An/Other Praxis will be of interest to readers not merely because they want to learn something beyond the existing forms of praxis. Rather, it will always give them refreshing energies capable of making rich and sometimes risky responses to the ministry possible and real. It will also give them attitude and perspective to improve a culturally diverse conversation in theology, and thus, it adds divers(al)ity in ministry and leadership in today's church.

The Iranian People's Fada'i Guerrillas have received little dedicated scholarly investigation in the shadow of the Iranian Revolution. This unique collection combines scholarly analysis of the movement, with first-hand accounts from those within the movement, in order to shed light on the experiences, organisation and history of this group during the 1970's. The volume is partly composed of eyewitness accounts from veteran Fada'i members on themes such as everyday life in safehouses, the activities of the small but active Fada'i representation abroad, the experience of Fada'i men and women who were subject to long imprisonment in the 1970s or perspectives on military organisation. Alongside these accounts are scholarly investigations into the various aspects in the history of the organisation, which cover elements such as its ideological foundations and political orientation, the importance of the Iranian labour movement in Fada'i thought and praxis and the impact of guerrilla activism in the arts.

First Published in 1996. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This book is about how computer systems might be designed to serve their users rather better. It deals with how to study the natural behaviour of users to see how computer systems might best help them, and how one might also involve them in the design of computer systems that will assist them in their everyday practices.