Keith Ward is celebrated for his profound engagement with theology and philosophy, honed through a distinguished academic career. His writings delve into the intricate relationship between faith and reason, exploring the nature of divinity with clarity and accessibility. Ward's distinctive prose offers readers a thoughtful exploration of complex spiritual and intellectual themes. His work is highly regarded for its intellectual rigor and its capacity to provoke deep contemplation.
Challenging traditional Christian doctrines, the book presents an alternative view of spirituality, asserting that the ultimate reality is a cosmic mind aimed at liberating all beings from suffering. It posits that God defines the goal of unity, Jesus exemplifies this journey, and the Spirit provides guidance. This perspective emphasizes a spiritual path to God, rooted in the Abrahamic tradition, while questioning the infallibility of the Bible and the nature of Jesus and hell.
Keith Ward's theology is explored through the lens of personal idealism, addressing key Christian doctrines such as God, revelation, and the Trinity. The book delves into significant topics like the kingdom of God, life after death, the incarnation, and atonement, presenting Ward's insights in relation to contemporary science and philosophical thought. This comprehensive account provides a thoughtful examination of how traditional beliefs can be understood in modern contexts.
A journey through academia and faith, the author shares his experiences as a philosopher, ethicist, and Anglican priest, reflecting on his impressive career across prestigious institutions like Cambridge and Oxford. With a blend of humor and surprise, he recounts his intellectual pursuits and personal growth, revealing the joy found in grappling with life's big questions. His narrative showcases not just his scholarly achievements but also the vibrant life he led, making profound insights accessible and engaging.
Exploring the relationship between mind and matter, this philosophical work defends the idea that mind is fundamental and precedes material reality. It presents idealism as a key teaching of classical philosophers while aligning it with contemporary scientific understanding. Written in an accessible style, the book invites readers to reconsider the nature of consciousness and reality, challenging the notion that the mind is merely a by-product of brain activity.
Exploring the themes of Jesus' parables, this book delves into the concept of the kingdom of God, examining the apparent contradictions between messages of judgment and compassion, such as those found in the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the search for lost sheep. It questions traditional interpretations, including the identity of the "Son of Man" and the potential misinterpretation of biblical language regarding predictions of the end times, offering a fresh perspective on these foundational teachings.
A short definitive account of Keith Ward's theology, based on the philosophy
of Personal Idealism. It records Ward's views about God, revelation, the
kingdom of God, life after death, the incarnation, atonement, and Trinity.
The book presents a compelling argument for the New Testament perspective that all creation is ultimately to be united in Christ, challenging traditional views of God as unchanging and impassible. Keith Ward critically examines these classical theological concepts, asserting that the cosmos plays a significant role in shaping divine nature. He posits that the universe is destined to reveal God's creativity and relational essence, emphasizing a vision of God characterized by beatific, agapic, redemptive, and unitive love.
For all who are interested in the future of religion in the modern world.
Takes a historical and philosophical approach to explain how religions have
changed historically, and how they react to modern knowledge. A text for
school and college classes on religious diversity and pluralism, and for
examining the nature of religion.
Can theology be expounded almost entirely in jokes? This is an attempt to do so. But it is also a record of how one person recovered from fundamentalism, and found a different, more positive spirituality within Christian faith. It seeks to speak to those who only know an exclusive and dogmatic version of Christianity, and who feel the need for something more universally compassionate and friendly to informed scientific thought. Ward argues that we need to escape from the image of a vindictive, wrathful, judgmental God, who saves just a few people from endless torture for no obvious reason. He proposes instead a view of the universe as evolving towards a goal, guided by a supreme cosmic consciousness, which manifests its nature in this historical process. Jesus is the human image of this consciousness, an image of universal self-giving love and a foreshadowing of the transformation of human lives by their union with the divine.The jokes are there because Christian faith should be really joyful, hopeful, and positive good news for everyone—that there is a spiritual basis and goal of the universe which wills everyone without exception to share in its unlimited wisdom and love.
