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Eric Manchester Political Philia and Sacramental
Love:
In this paper, Manchester's
presidential address, he considers Wesley’s conception of the “political image”
of human persons, and its relation to our “moral image,” as this is developed in
his sermon “The New Birth.” The moral image is characterized by our realization
of God’s love for us and all creation, and by our willingness to allow this love
to be carried through us to all creation. In examining this connection between
the moral and political image of human persons, Manchester briefly considers how
Wesley’s theologically-oriented understanding of the relationship of love to
politics fundamentally differs from the philosophical approaches of Aristotle,
democratic liberalism, and socialism (in its materialist forms), each of which
attempts to find a basis for love and/or equality within based purely on what
Wesley would call the “natural image” of human beings. Finally, Manchester
demonstrates how the sacramental life of the Church is able to facilitate philia,
along with its proper integration with eros and agape, between all human beings
and between human beings and God, in a way that these purely philosophical
models cannot. This discussion will close with an initial consideration of the
political and economic implications of this sacramental understanding of love.
Donald Wayne Viney Process, Parturition and
Perfect Love: Diotima’s Rather Non-Platonic Metaphysic of Eros.
A.N. Whitehead remarks, “Plato raises all
fundamental questions without answering them” This may be an overstatement, but
Diotima’s speech in Plato’s Symposium is a largely neglected answer to life’s
meaning that deserves more attention. Viney begins by outlining Diotima’s views
and commenting on the ways in which they diverge from standard accounts of
“Platonism.” Following this, he turns to the question of the extent to which
Diotima articulates a process metaphysics, especially as it relates to divine
love..
Andrew Fitz-Gibbon Eudaimonia, the Monastic
Spirit, and Early Methodist Practice.
Gibbon presents his paper as an exercise in
praxis—the philosophical, sociological and theological reflection on practice.
He demonstrates a theoretical link between: a) human thriving (eudaimonia). b) a
sociological ideal type which he calls the monastic spirit and c) the practice
of primitive methodism. Ultimately, Gibbon suggests that human well-being is
equally well served through small-group relationships with links to a common
religious tradition and practice (as demonstrated, for example, in early
methodism) as through the now more normal route of individual, professional
therapy.
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