Toward a Confucian Ethic of the Gift

In this essay I discuss how the relational ethic characteristic of Classical Confucianism articulates an ethic of gift exchange. I first discuss the tradition that Confucius appropriated and show that the gift was utilized to form, maintain, and symbolize social relationships in Shang, Zhou, and Warring States China. I then go on to discuss the implications of this view by addressing two difficulties of gift exchange that are often discussed in the literature: the use of gifts to indebt or control others and the inability of the gift to fully express one’s sentiments. This essay not only shows that Confucian ethics has much to say on the matter but also demonstrates that ritual action is still relevant in modern contexts.     

Unpacking the Unethical Gift: Gift Experience and Unethicality Assessment

This research investigates how contextual factors affect unethicality assessment of products. The research is conducted in the context of gifts and compares interpersonal gifts (IGs) and self-gifts (SGs) by examining individuals’ reactions in front of unethical gifts. Five experiments investigate how individuals assess product unethicality differently, depending on the source of the gift, being the Self or a gifter. This research employs attribution theory to explain the differences between IGs and SGs and identify psychological distance as a boundary condition for the effect.     

The Gift of Memory

Based on a talk given in London at a Pax Christi mdemnce on 3 September 1989 marking the 50th annivematy of the outbreak of World War II.     

Grace and Reconciliation as Gift

Through examples of grace and gift of reconciliation the meaning of grace is interpreted in relation to social and political transformation. Grace is understood as the unexpected kairotic moment of change, where the future opens up for new possibilities of reconciliation in situations of conflict. It is a moment you cannot plan for, but hope for to happen. Trusting in the possibility of a gracious moment can influence your work in the present. Hoping and waiting for the gracious moment of reconciliation is linked to a praxis of active nonviolence as seen in the work of Martin Luther King, Jr.     

如何看待属灵恩赐

最近,我们周围的教会以及信徒们受所谓的“灵恩运动”影响,引起教会的分歧,并带来不利影响。我们如何看待做异梦,见异象,说方言,仆倒在地,被提升天,医病赶鬼等圣经所记载的这些统称为属灵的恩赐? “恩赐”两个字在原文中的意思是“恩典的彰显”,这个字是指神为着教会的益处而赐给个人的属灵礼物。新约圣经中有三处经文列举了“属灵的恩赐”：罗马书12章6至8节;哥林多前书12章8至10节;以弗所书4章11节。从这三处有关圣灵恩赐的经文中,我们可以找出二十种属灵的恩赐。此外,新、旧约圣经中也提到一些别的恩赐,如异梦、异象。     

My Glorious Opportunity: How My Dementia Has Been a Gift

This article is a personal reflection on the experience of living with dementia. Jennifer Bute is a former family practitioner who has early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The article presents some basic principles for living well with dementia and offers some deep and personal reflections on what it means, how it can be understood theologically, and how all of us together can help one another to live well with dementia.     

Just Promise: Reformulating Justice as a Practice of the Gift

The triune God's justice is best understood as promised justice. Promised justice enables Christian practices that critique and end injustice.     

Finding the Gift in the Horror

Summary

This brief article proposes an analysis of the risks society faces in coping with terrorism, and suggests broad outlines of a plan to increase national resilience through creating a national strategy for enhancing psychosocial security. The analysis is based on survival mode theory, which posits two survival sub-systems in human beings: the threat detection system and the human bonding and attachment system. It proposes to redefine the concept of national security policy to go beyond the traditional military aspects of defense to include establishing psychological countermeasures that define maintaining psychological safety as a key marker of the defense against terrorism.     

Free Will as a Gift from God: A New Compatibilism

Philosophical Studies -