Earthing the Cosmic Christ of Ephesians—The Universe, Trinity, and Zhiyi’s Threefold Truth, Volume 1
Introduction, and Commentary on Ephesians 1:1–2
- Biblical Studies & Commentaries
- Theology
- World Religions
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Published: 2021
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Publisher's Description
This is the introductory volume of a multivolume, verse-by-verse, interfaith rereading of the New Testament letter to the Ephesians. It looks to the Tiantai Buddhist master Zhiyi and his "threefold truth" to enhance our appreciation of nascent trinitarian themes in Ephesians. And it draws upon a broad array of scientific, theological, and philosophical thinkers in aid of rejecting the epistle's ancient, geocentric cosmology and its accommodations to the misogynistic, patriarchal, and slaveholding norms of its first-century surroundings. As a whole, the work constitutes a twenty-first century apologetic for doctrinal humility and for theologizing within a global theological commons.
Endorsements (3)
“John Keenan has done it again. This is a sparkling and engaging addition to his ongoing comparative theological project of using a Mahayana Buddhist flashlight to discover unexpected riches as well as abiding inadequacies in the books of the New Testament. Under the guidance of the Mahayana Master Zhiyi’s notion of threefold truth, Keenan both illuminates and personalizes Ephesians’ nascent Trinitarian understanding of God. This book will speak to both academics and contemplatives.”
“Rarely does a deeply serious theological work read with such ease, such a thrill of discovery. John Keenan’s new book on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is both profound in its insights and exciting. Keenan brings a Buddhist perspective to bear on this pseudo-Pauline letter that has found a place of huge importance in Christian liturgy and theology as he reads Trinitarian theology in the context of Tiantai Zhiyi’s threefold path. As ever, Keenan finds congruencies and distinctions that illumine both Christian and Buddhist traditions. This book will challenge many readers in our identity-focused world, but I believe Keenan’s clear-eyed force of argument and benevolent tone will go a long way toward a fresh reading of Paul’s self-emptying drive to enlightenment or, in Christian terms, salvation. This book is truly splendid: fresh, eloquent, and welcome to seekers and scholars alike.”
“In familiar daring and creative fashion, John Keenan reads the letter to the Ephesians open to new and promising insights gained from his engagement with Buddhist philosophy. Few theologians in our day have the set of competencies needed to confront the cosmological and ethical challenges of the text, and offer a new framework of interpretation through which its core message can be understood afresh.”
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