includes index and biblioraphy

Special attention is drawn to the idea of "God`s this-worldly presence" that considers God as redemptively at work in world history apart from the church. The study first compares the development of this worldly holiness in the West and Asia and then examines the thinking of Thomas and Song. The chapters on these two theologians discuss their backgrounds, the basic concerns motivating their intellectual searches, and responses to the questions arising from such concerns. These chapters also try to understand how these theologians view the relationship between God and the world. In so doing, the study hightlights the significance of the idea of God`s this worldly presence shared by Thomas and Song in spite of differences in their backgrounds, approaches and theological formulations.