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The Kingdom of God and the ‘Good Life’ on Earth

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Religion and Social Justice

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Abstract

As we saw in Chapter 3, all the great religions seem to entertain a highly significant notion of an ideal society, referred to variously as Rdma-Rdjya, Sukhdvati, or the kingdom of God. The precise meaning of these (and other related concepts, for example, heaven) varies between religions and, even within a religious tradition, is interpreted somewhat differently by various sects, churches and theologians. But I think that there is sufficient resemblance among the concepts for us to be able to specify a few general features, without being bogged down, I hope, in abstruse theological controversy or culture-specific historical detail.

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9. The Kingdom of God and the ‘Good Life’ on Earth

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© 1996 Shivesh C. Thakur

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Thakur, S.C. (1996). The Kingdom of God and the ‘Good Life’ on Earth. In: Religion and Social Justice. Library of Philosophy and Religion. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230374447_10

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