Translated Jesuit articles from the 150-year old journal “Stimmen der Zeit” can help us understand fundamentalism, immigration, spirituality, sexual abuse, secularization, the role of the state and war and peace Looking at the planetBy Klaus Mertes[This article posted in 2019 is translated from the German on the Internet,https://www.herder.de/stz/hefte/archiv/144-2019/12-2019/den-planeten-anblicken/.] A year ago, in December 2018, German…

Advent in fearsBy Klaus Mertes[This article posted in 2020 is translated from the German on the Internet, https://www.herder.de/stz/hefte/archiv/145-2020/12-2020/advent-in-aengsten/.] Illness is not only an individual problem, but also a social one. In ancient times, this was particularly evident in the case of leprosy. This disease was inevitably associated with social exclusion. The sick themselves participated in…

Civil disobedience: A philosophical reflection Is the civil disobedience of the Last Generation justified in terms of democratic theory? The activists are pushing for political change in the face of the catastrophic consequences of climate change. In doing so, they are shaking up an authoritarian-legalistic understanding of the state that is characterized by ignorance and…

The challenge of secularizationBy Bernhard Grom[This article posted in 2023 is translated from the German on the Internet, https://www.herder.de/stz/hefte/archiv/148-2023/4-2023/die-herausforderung-der-saekularisierung/.] The survey results published by the Religion Monitor 2023 show not only a strong trend towards dechurching, but also a lack of interest in religion in general. One in four church members has thought about leaving…

STIMMEN DER ZEIT – 2019 2019 1. Looking at the planet By Klaus Mertes 2. Greetings from the future: secularization and de-secularization processes in the trendy Netherlands By Jan Lofeld 3. Leszek Kolakowski” On the significance of a philosophical admonisher By Theo Mechtenberg 4. Office and fear By Stefan Kiechle 5. Christian social ethics as…

2020 Advent in fearsBy Klaus Mertes[This article posted in 2020 is translated from the German on the Internet, https://www.herder.de/stz/hefte/archiv/145-2020/12-2020/advent-in-aengsten/.] Illness is not only an individual problem, but also a social one. In ancient times, this was particularly evident in the case of leprosy. This disease was inevitably associated with social exclusion. The sick themselves participated…

Here’s a link to a great 10-page article in The American Prospect detailing a dozen systemic or structural problems (e.g. filibuster, Electoral College, dominance of low-population states, money in politics, lobbyists, Supreme Court errors). Problems don’t disappear but intensify when they are ignored! https://prospect.org/politics/2024-01-

Mr. Assange is a defender of human rights; an innovative journalist and creative publisher; he is one of us. He should not be locked up but standing with us in our office. Is he not persecuted for doing what every serious human rights investigator should be doing every day: investigating allegations and promoting truth, accountability…

The West’s hostility towards China has increased since China’s engine began to stutter. At the same time, the US government is pumping massive amounts of money into the economy and has thus been able to prevent an impending recession for the time being, but is far from regaining its former role as a global engine…

Christ among the rubbleAn evangelical pastor in Bethlehem laments that Christians in the western hemisphere have become accomplices to the massacre in Gaza. “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” So said Jesus according to the Gospel. Now the people in Gaza are…