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In analyzing 1 Cor 1:26-31, this paper seeks to highlight the rhetorical power of the Pauline argument which states that most of the people God called to create the Christian community at Corinth are not "wise," "powerful," and "from a prestigious family," but "fool things," "weak things," "despicable things," and "things that are nothing." By revealing his wisdom and power in the cross of Christ, God chooses the weakness and madness of the world, destroying the foundations of human pride. The paper also shows that Paul's statements cannot be dissociated from the Greco-Roman culture's honor discourse, associated with power, gender, and social standing. In addition to wealth, associated with people of high social status, there was a hierarchy of values that included family lineage, connections with Rome, and cultural sophistication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to present two notions that are not well known in the religion sciences and in theology: "unrealized modernity" and "immanence of gnosis", by Bruno Latour and Eric Voegelin. What theoretical contributions do these two ideas give to the understanding of the religious phenomenon in moderncontemporary society? As a general hypothesis, this article defends that both notions are useful conceptual tools to comprehend the status of being religious in the complex-modern society. In order to give an answer to such problem, the article is based on the partial bibliographic review methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TheIglesia ni Cristo(INC) is one of the fastest-growing indigenous Christian churches in the world. They have an estimated membership of 2.25 million adherents in more than 100 countries. In recent years its civic engagements have expanded through bigger relief operations and charity dedicated to the poor and those affected by calamities. These initiatives are typically articulated in terms of unity, duty and obedience to God. This article gives attention to this expansion by spelling it out and explaining it in view of its newfound role in civil society. This is an important intervention in the literature. Studies on INC have mainly focused on its successes in the political and religious spheres. INC now repackages itself as a civic organisation, which cares about public welfare. My argument is that this is how it manifests its new triumphalism in the Philippines, but with implications on its expanding presence in civil society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Andes, the pastoral visitation of Indian parishes usually evokes the idea of a strongly oppositional relationship between the Church and local society. This vision, lacking in nuance, has been widely disseminated both within the academy and outside it. Although it derives from a serious academic interest in discovering and analyzing the common thread of the Church's evangelization policy in Peru, this stance, centered on the problem of the “extirpation of idolatry,” has been progressively emptied of content and today tends to serve as the standard means of filling gaps in the understanding of the history of Andean peoples during the colonial period. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses Pentecostal Christianity in Ghana and its impact on church-state relations within the country. Topics addressed include the unique Christology of Ghanian Pentecostalism, the public influence of Christianity in Ghana, and specific examples of social engagement of Pentecostals in Ghanian education and health care.

This article discusses the papal encyclical "Caritas in veritate," written by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. The author comments on the social doctrine of the Catholic Church and the importance of the Church in social development, according to Benedict XVI. The themes of love, good will, and knowledge are also examined.

This article is an attempt at an exposition of the maxim corruptio optimi pessima ('The corruption of the best is the worst' or 'The fallen saint is the worst kind of sinner', or even 'Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.' [Shakespeare]). My analysis starts with 'spiritual worldliness' as I examine the relationship between the mystery of evil, the figure of the Antichrist and the history of Christianity and modernity. My conclusion is that since wheat and tares inevitably grow together under the regime of the incarnate Word, constant vigilance and the witness of the Christian sources are essential forms of defence against the baleful effects of corruption on the history of Christianity, in the Church or in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of UK Christian churches to the provision of welfare projects, relying largely on a pool of volunteer labour, has long been recognised by a number of commentators. What is also now recognised is that it is women who have made up and still make up the majority of these volunteers but they are a largely ageing – and declining – population, hence the question arises as to whether most churches in Britain can continue to provide the same levels of support for much longer. This article considers the factors which have made women longstanding and committed individuals in both their churches and their civic communities, and argues that the same conditions do not pertain for their children. Unless more volunteers are forthcoming from secular organisations, we are likely to be seeing a significant gap in voluntary welfare provision at precisely the time when state funding for welfare is being drastically cut and more volunteers are needed, not fewer. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article discusses the role of the Catholic Church in Zamora, Mexico, during the period 1909-1913. The author comments on the concept of social Catholicism in the region and describes the social intervention policies of the Church directed towards peasants and the working class in Zamora, citing the work of bishop José Othón Núñez. He also considers the political activity of the clergy and laypeople of the Church, including the development of Catholic social organizations concerned with the conditions of Mexican workers.

El artículo discurre sobre la interpretación de la Biblia en cuanto a los conceptos del fundamentalismo y del subjetivismo. La autora comenta sobre la importancia de la Escritura en la sociedad actual del siglo 21 y describe la relación entre la Biblia y la teología. También se consideran las repercusiones en la Iglesia y en la sociedad de una lectura fundementalista de la Biblia.

Miroslav Volf's A Public Faith invites religious traditions, especially Christianity, to bring their best elements into the public square in a spirit of hospitality and engagement for the common good. With regard to Christianity, he claims that one of the best elements we can offer the public square is a complexly relational vision of the human person made to love self, others, God. In this essay Dávila proposes that the preferential option for the poor is a particular expression of this anthropological vision of Christianity that is well poised for public engagement based on humility and care for the most vulnerable members of society. Following Volf's proposal, the option for the poor functions as a paradigm for imaginative and creative engagement in the public square that might help people of faith navigate seemingly intractable political and cultural disagreements in the public square. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article complements emerging research on immigrant civic participation by examining how Catholic churches facilitate volunteer and political participation among first-generation Mexican immigrants. Drawing on interviews and ethnographic data, it identifies two reinforcing mechanisms that churches foster: small groups and organizational links. Specifically, small groups, like prayer groups, provide immigrants with intimate contexts for building networks, learning skills and sharing resources. On the other hand, churches cultivate links to secular organizations that sensitize immigrants to public debates and provide opportunities for civic participation. Put simply, church-going immigrants take advantage of broader civic opportunities because they gain resources and skills within small groups. Implications for understanding immigrant religion and civic participation more broadly are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The people who wrote in the newspaper El Mensajero between 1926 to 1929 posed a revision of Catholic dogma, especially in the one the believer must have a personal relationship with God. It was in the criticism of intellectual and political manipulation that the Church promoted - to maintain social control - where they found a strong rejection of the doctrine. Despite the interest of the State about the Costa Rican change or mutate to traditional values to a modern democratic values such as religious tolerance, this did not happen instantly, because it faced the attachment of the Church not to lose its influence in the society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reflects on the papacy of Benedict XVI on the occasion of his abdication in February of 2013. The authors comment on the influence of Benedict XVI on the Catholic Church throughout his papacy from 2005 to 2013, during which he embraced the spirit of modernity, according to the author. The days leading up to Pope Benedict XVI's resignation are chronicled and his thoughts regarding the role of the Church in the 21st century are also highlighted. A timeline of his papal activities during his reign is also presented.

Quebec society has repeatedly been described as unique in its radical emancipation from religious institutions in the wake of the Quiet Revolution (1960-1970). Notwithstanding the question of Quebecers' sustained spiritual beliefs, how can historians account for the spectacular marginalization of the Roman Catholic Church during the Quiet Revolution? This paper hypothesises that an increase of worldly rewards and a decrease of otherworldly rewards has fuelled the decline of the Church. In the 1960s, the Church found itself in competition with a rapidly developing consumer and state-controlled society. Adhesion to the Church became a personal affair that had to be weighed against other interests, desires, aspirations, and needs. To an increasing number of Quebecers, religious "jobs" were no longer prestigious and did not hold unique spiritual incentives. The disenchantment of religious beliefs and rites accompanied the fall of the Church's organizational prominence in the development of French Canada. Catholic may have been what Quebecers still wanted to "be." It was, however, no longer what they wanted to "do." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an examination into the historical and contemporary Benedictine missionary method of engaging the secular world and preserving culture for the good of both the Catholic Church and wider civilization. An overview is given of several periods in history where chapters of the Benedictine order aided both by adhering to values such as preserving cultural works regardless of content, offering a distinct communal life, and maintaining what the author calls an open intellectualism. Comments are then given taking these themes and applying them to possible work which the Benedictines can offer to contemporary 21st-century concerns of Catholic engagement with postmodernism.

This study explores the relationship between church-based informal social support and lifetime prevalence of suicide ideation and attempts within a representative national sample of African American and Black Caribbean adults. Characteristics of church-based social support networks, as well as emotional support and negative interaction with church members were examined in relation to lifetime suicide ideation and attempts. This study used data from the National Survey of American Life (2001–2003). Frequency of interaction with church members was positively associated with suicide attempts, while subjective closeness to church members was negatively associated with suicide ideation. Emotional support, service attendance, and negative interaction with church members were unrelated to both suicide ideation and attempts. Findings are discussed in relation to research on church-based support networks, different models linking church support and suicidality, and the mechanisms by which church-based networks deter suicide ideation and attempts. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In Croatia, the relationship of the Catholic Church to the wartime Fascist Ustaša regime has been a bitterly divisive issue. The ecclesiastical leadership does not send official representatives to the main commemoration of the victims of the Ustaša terror, held in April each year at Jasenovac concentration camp, thereby giving the impression that the Church has something to be ashamed of. Indeed, the Church has been accused of complicity in the Ustaša crimes. After considerable vacillation, the Church in September 2009 decided to organize a large priestly pilgrimage to Jasenovac at another date, an event that made big headlines in Croatia. This article chronicles the tortuous road traversed by the Croatian Catholic Church before finally confronting 'the Jasenovac issue' head on. The central questions asked are 'why did it take the Church so long? And what does this tell us about the role of the Catholic Church in Croatian society? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses 20th century Catholic monk Thomas Merton's understanding of hospitality. It describes Merton's monastic disciplines at the Abbey of Gethsemani, the relationship between his hermetic asceticism and his welcoming of visitors to his hermitage, and his understanding of worldliness and engagement with the world as demonstrated in his spiritual autobiography "The Seven Storey Mountain." Other subjects under discussion include Merton's engagement with other religions, his prayer habits, and the mysticism expressed in his journal "Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander."

The article offers views from the liberals regarding theology of marriage such as same-sex couples in the U.S. The liberals argue that the church must consider same-sex couples to be married because it requires their testimony to the love of Christ and the church. Moreover, the liberals mention that they base their argument on the embodied discipline of marriage by which God may transform longing into charity and dispositions to love into works of virtue.

How may one perceive, understand, and use the idea and the phenomenon of world Christianity in the life of the churches and theological seminaries? How does the idea of World Christianity function in our understanding of the history and practice of Christian faith? Does it offer fresh insights into a deeper understanding of what Christianity is all about? How may one understand Asian and Oceanic Christianity within the matrix of World Christianity? These are the questions that I attempt to address in this essay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This articles uses three contemporary issues - the struggle for authentic racial and cultural justice for people who are in some way locked out of the 'mainstream' of the privileged white power structure, the quest of women to live out their God-ordained humanity in every arena of the church and society, and the response of the church to the perceived threat of the homosexual agenda - to explore the necessity of drawing on the intellectual resources of Pentecostal/Charismatic scholarship to engage the social justice issues with which the church must wrestle in the twenty-first century. Historically, liberation theologies have been dismissed by the evangelical and Pentecostal communities as totally unbiblical responses to social ills driven largely by unbiblical philosophical understanding and agenda, but they have failed to speak a liberative word to those within our own churches whose very lives are circumscribed by blatantly unjust responses to these issues. This article calls for crafting liberative theologies as a Spirit-empowered and enlightened intellectual pursuit that takes seriously the biblical mandate to be responsive to issues of justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At a time when sectarian tension is being viewed as a threat to global peace and religions are being called on to promote ecumenical dialogue and condemn militant fundamentalism, this article offers a critical geographical enquiry into the role of Christianity in the making of a peaceable West. Christianity's historical alignment with the Western project and imbrication in histories of colonialism and imperialism raises questions about its capacity to serve as a progressive force in global affairs today. Placing Christianity under postcolonial scrutiny, this article argues that Christianity offers a variety of complex, contradictory, and competing approaches to peace building that variously defend the hegemonic ambitions of the West on the one hand and support critical practices that usurp and decenter the sovereign supremacy assumed by the West on the other. Critical geographical enquiry can offer Christianity a heightened self-understanding of the role of location, space, and place, in the framing, enactment, and impacts of its different colonial and postcolonial visions. Using the case of the Roman Catholic Church for illustration, the concepts of “milieux of translation,” referring to the social, economic, political, and cultural prisms through which theology becomes refracted into praxes, and “formations of the secular,” referring to the conditions in secular democracies that permit religions prescribed access to the public realm, are advanced as key to any understanding of the situated production and mobilization of Christianity's strategies for peace. Future dialogue between Christianity and (institutional) geography might usefully begin with an exchange of ideas on how the wider project of historicizing, relativizing, and provincializing the West might best contribute to improved interfaith, intercultural, and intercivilizational dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most careers or disciplines these days require people to attend to their professional and personal development. Many offer personal development plans, which help the individual to discern strengths and weaknesses, and areas where further training would enhance their skills. Training doesn't end with the gaining of professional qualifications, but is a lifetime, or career-long process. This article contrasts this with the lack of concern with the personal development of Christians, particularly in the non-conformist churches in Wales, which have a long tradition of excellent and life-long development in discipleship, and argues for the re-establishment of the churches' historic role as educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several periodicals wanted to answer the real topical questions. Relations, from 1941, appears as a "groupe d'hommes chrétiennement libres", the current event in its editorial orientations centres on the event and defines its readership as formed by free citizens. Cité Libre created in 1950, wants to lead the debate in society and in Church. Maintenant, in 1962, wants to arouse the social and ecclesial commitment and defines itself as a periodical "fidèle à l'Église et loyal au monde". L'Oratoire managed by father Émile Legault, create the event in the religious arts (music, painting, literature, theater) and innovate by arousing during one year a thorough discussion with its readers. These magazines have a common base: the information as the condition of participation in the Church on the foundation of a "right" for the information (Jean XXIII 1963, Council 1963, Paul VI 1964). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article responds to an article by Robert Jones and Melissa Stewart about the erosion of traditional values among Southern evangelicals educated in divinity schools which appears in a previous issue of the publication. Particular focus is given to a sense of alterity, or otherness, among contemporary Baptists who once identified as Southern Baptist. The author presents autobiographical information concerning his own faith and intellectual journeys and discusses the tension between conservative and liberal Baptists in the Southern U.S. The relation between the church and the world, connections between religion and culture in the Southern U.S., and the example of theologian Roger Williams are also discussed.

The article discusses the history of the concept of the "secular," in contrast to the religious or sacred. Contrasting and overlapping roles posited for religious and secular institutions (church and state) are discussed in the thought of Christian theologian St. Augustine and through the Middle Ages and Reformation to early modern political writers like John Locke and James Madison. The rise of secularism as a distinct ideology in the late 19th century is then discussed, as is the idea of the separation of church and state in the United States up to the election of President Barack Obama.

The ongoing crisis concerning torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of prisoners by U.S. personnel or under U.S. auspices in the “War on Terror” raises issues central to the identity of both church and society. The practice of torture cries out for practical theological reflection inasmuch as it threatens to eviscerate the moral integrity of both American Christian churches and the nation as a whole. Serious practical theological attention needs to be paid to the challenges of teaching youth and adults in mainline Protestant congregations in ways that will move them from awareness to action around the issues raised by the torture crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The place of religion in Europe is currently in a state of flux. This has much to do with the presence of Islam, but not only; rather, Islam has acted as a catalyst for the asking of deeper questions regarding religion's proper place in European societies. In the aftermath of a change in church leadership, Greece finds itself at a potential crossroads; a reassessment of religion's "proper" place in the Greek public sphere is needed at this juncture. This exercise must move beyond notions of Greek exceptionalism vis-à-vis European norms, given that these norms are themselves being questioned, and produce a nuanced approach that will allow for the critical similarities with Europe in general to emerge. The result is a sounder basis upon which ideal scenarios and expectations can be formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the Church as granter of God's mercy in the world, especially by means of the reconciliation sacrament; her Christ gives the power to forgive the sins. This sacrament makes possible the sinner's reconciliation with God and with the Church whose member he is. In the sacrament of reconciliation the Christian wounded by the sin lives the hope of pardon which brings interior renovation in his relations and true peace. God's mercy in the life of the Church is a sign that it is possible a new human being and a new world by means of reconciliation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the proper relationship between the church and the state in Kenya. The article describes how the intersection of politics and religion is complex and intertwined compared to other nations such as the U.S., and as such requires careful theological practices to prevent political opportunism of religious ideas. Subjects under discussion include the Kenya Episcopal Conference, the ethical strategies of the Catholic church, and the relation between religion and ethnicity.

Christianity is plural religious tradition: over the centuries and throughout the world's cultures it has taken on a variety of forms and contents. Yet, Christianity also claims to be one tradition, one community. In this article the dialectic relationship between diversity and unity within World Christianity is explored with the view of investigating whether the debate on multiculturalism in Dutch society can benefit from the expertise within the Christian tradition of balancing between diversity and unity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the development of Christianity and the modern church, and examines the church and its diversity. According to the author, the church is both a divine institution and a human community, and though diversity is a natural occurrence, society must not jeopardize its God-given gift of fellowship.

The article focuses on the concept of how confession and reconciliation influences communities of faith to become more inclusive. The existence of handicappism in the church environment is also given attention. It is mentioned that although there has been a movement aimed at achieving inclusivity in society, the church has not catered well to the presence of people with disabilities. The practice of confession and reconciliation is also mentioned.

Korean Christianity is known around the world for its amazing growth and dynamism, and this includes a thriving theological life, much of which is inaccessible without knowledge of the Korean language. Ryu Tong-Shik (Yu Tong-shik) was one of the first Koreans to attempt to trace the development of Korean theology in his seminal work, Han'guk shinhak-ŭi kwangmaek (The Mineral Veins of Korean Theology; first published 1982). This paper introduces Ryu's theological thought and investigates a particular observation he makes about two distinct patterns of Holy Spirit move-ment in the Korean church, which he designates 'paternal' and 'maternal' and identifies both before and after the liberation from Japan in 1945. The paper examines the grounds of Ryu's claim, which derive from the religious history of Korea, and suggests the relevance of this schema to other societies and to pneumatological reflection in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a report from Armenian Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I presented at the World Council of Churches Central Committee meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland on February 15 to 22, 2005. Functional and ontological concept of healing; Challenges and implications of the Christian understanding of power as a source of healing, transforming and empowering; Background on the role of the church as the bearer of God's healing power.

In 1598, Isabella Feltria della Rovere, princess of Bisignano, offered her financial support to construct the Neapolitan Gesù Nuovo, in exchange for a sepulchre for her only child and heir, Francesco Teodoro. Concurrent with her gift to the Gesù Nuovo, Isabella endowed the Jesuit novitiate of San Vitale in Rome with the extraordinary sum of 90,000 Roman scudi offered in her name and that of her deceased son. In Isabella, the Society found an exceptional patron. This paper explores the reasons behind Isabella's financial support for the Jesuits, her role in formulating the decorative and iconographic programs of the churches she endowed in Rome and Naples, the extraordinary funding available to her, and her complex relationship with the Society. Although Isabella's level of patronage and her motives may have been extraordinary, she is typical of the type of female patron cultivated by the Jesuits: widowed, childless and affluent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the issue concerning the establishment of Christianity as the historically formative religion of European history. It discusses the historical matters concerning Dissenters and Nonconformists, those who have refused to accept the discipline of the Church of England as well as refused to conform to its worship and prescriptions. It ventures some opinions about contemporary reality to relate the insight of the tradition to the world and especially to ask whether disestablishment would leave church or country to the poorer.

The article focuses on the religion, family background and life of Tiena Wolfe, an Old Colony Mennonite woman in Ontario. Wolfe was appreciative to the Old Colony Church for their support of her all endeavors and combating her husband's abuse. It cites that her initiative remove between Jemeent and the Old Colony religious life. The main goal of the article is to address domestic violence among Old Church members and its effect into the Canadian society. It also explores how she remained strong despite the domestic violence and the dialectical relationship complexity within the Old Colony religious tradition.

The reality of globalization and the constant migrations that characterize the contemporary world, implies a true "mixture of civilizations and cultures". The distinct traditions and religions are no longer bounded to a limited territory, but are accessible to all mankind. This historical process requires an orientation to the good life, personal and communal, to acquire a positive evaluation. To achieve this ideal, multiculturalism as a solution that is limited to gathering national, cultural, and religious identities that are isolated and juxtaposed is not enough. It is necessary that subjects contribute to him through mutual communication and public witness of the goods they represent, with a sense of common belonging to the human family. Between Christians, this means proposing a cultural interpretation of the coming of Jesus Christ, showing the vital center of the faith of the Church to all people. [TRANSLATION]