Search

The article seeks to indicate some perspectives and dimensions that allow us to grasp the novelty and incisiveness of Paul VI's teaching on the theme of human progress and on the mission and contribution of the Church for real social, economic and civil progress. In order to address this issue, an attempt is made to grasp in a synergistic way the four constitutions of the Second Vatican Council in relation to the document of Paul VI "Populorum progressio" (26.03.1967). The mission, and commitment of the Church, according to Paul VI is not simply a socio-political action, but evangelization in order to build the kingdom of God in history, a contribution to humanization and to overcome liberalism, communism, nationalism and all forms of racism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores the less examined facets of communion and sacramentality within the church, emphasizing the dynamic nature of the church as continually 'in-becoming'. It applies the concept of 'negative work' to approach dynamics of difference, disruption, and transformation, spotlighting the church as an evolving entity in a continuous state of 'becoming'. The essay reevaluates sacramentality, shifting from establishing unity to emphasizing the mysterious and uncontrollable. By employing 'negative work', and analysing its implications for the understanding of sacramentality and communion, it explores a church as oriented towards transformation and 'negative' participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Missional' accounts of ecclesiology, developed in the light of the theology of missio Dei since the 1950s, include some that carry a sacramental emphasis, treating the dominical sacraments as primary for the church's being and also recognized continuity in the ordering of ministry as integral to this sacramental identity. Nonetheless, continuing tensions are evident in the literature on missional ecclesiology and in controversies around church policy and practice. One factor here is an underlying contrast between an approach that locates the church's participation in the missio Dei in its action towards the world and another that puts the weight instead on its sustaining a distinctive form of being-in-relationship. Treating the relation between gospel, communication and communion as the critical theological framework for articulating the church's participation in the missio Dei , the article proposes that this can support an ecclesiology that, constructively addressing this contrast, is both thoroughly missional and deeply sacramental. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores a tension between Francis's openness to 'liminality' and certain papal statements condemning transness that reproduce the ways in which people are marginalised as trans. It seeks to make sense of these tensions, reading them back through Francis's theology of history, and suggesting a place for trans people to locate ourselves within the Church in spite of them. It argues that Francis's failings around transness can be viewed as 'limitations' to be overcome in a redemptive movement. It then argues that Francis's theology of history is reflected in his 'dialogical' use of authority, which admits a space and role for us as pastorally accompanying the Church beyond these limitations. Finally, it argues that Francis's pastoral theology is founded on a theology of encounter which suggests that this process is an expression of divine love that draws people to God through a loving encounter with others. Trans people are thus called to put ourselves at the service of this love, and can take hope in its powers even amidst our own weakness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both before and after the Second Vatican Council, Karl Rahner promoted the restoration of the diaconate as a permanent order in the Catholic church. His theology of the diaconate has eluded sustained attention. After providing the historical context for his contribution, this reappraisal, in a close reading of Rahner, elaborates on three essential ecclesiological themes: the church's exercise of its divine right to establish a discrete diaconate by dividing office, the graced nature of diaconal office, and the specialized function of deacons in the formation of ecclesial community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This text reports on the results of research on a topic rarely addressed in the historiography of the relations between the Church and the Mexican State in the 19th century: the actions of the Catholic hierarchy to counteract the effects of the loss of material goods due to of the reformist laws promoted by the liberal governments after the triumph of the Ayutla revolution in 1855. In the following lines we will analyze the spirit and objective of these measures, the actions undertaken by the bishops of Veracruz, in the indicated period, in order to recover part of those expropriated assets and resources and some of the cases that could be analyzed, temporarily located in the era of the restored republic and the Porfiriato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southern African societies are presently beleaguered by manifold socio-economic, political, and environmental challenges. Ordinary people long for answers to questions about how to mitigate these challenges. Meanwhile, the Church mostly preaches the gospel and establishes and grows denominations across the world. Proclaiming the gospel in word is good; however, without demonstrating the gospel with transformational deeds, the Church remains Salvationist and partially missionary. Bearing in mind that the integral mission of the Church is advancing the gospel holistically, fractional mindfulness of the gospel, hearing the words without performing the corresponding deeds, is defacing its identity. Today, this situation is problematic and helpless, as society is in dire need of a wholesome Church that acts in accordance with its own faith and values and attends to the soul, the body, and all other facets of life. Much has been published about the integral mission of the Church, though little has been said about its role in social action. By qualitatively reviewing the literature and observing the Southern African context and some biblical examples, this paper finds the integral mission to be the predominant and comprehensive purpose of the existence of the Church. While the Church could be aware of its mandate, it should be reawakened so that it becomes a doer of the Word and stands out as the salt and light of the world by contributing to addressing the needs of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synodality, as a determinant of the mentality and style of pastoral activity, has proven to be one of the key themes of Church life in the last few years. The synodal dimension of the Church is seen as the fundamental backbone of all the other important components of pastoral engagement. Religious life and practice of adult believers, on the other hand, remains one of the most challenging pastoral tasks. This claim is so current that concerning many church environments one can legitimately ask whether a mature and developed practice of faith exists at all. The synodal process that is ongoing in the Catholic Church, especially until the fall of 2024, helps to improve so many pastoral activities and most of them concern the practice of faith of adult believers. This paper is dedicated to the theological–pastoral study of the main components of the improvement of this practice in light of the contributions of the synodal process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an outgrowth of globalization, religious globalization has significantly transformed the religious landscape worldwide. Contemporary societies exhibit religious pluralism, posing challenges for services such as spiritual or pastoral care. This study aimed to investigate how pastoral/spiritual caregivers of divergent cultural and religious backgrounds navigate religious diversity and how their religious location influences their inter-religious relations. Data were gathered through a standardized open-ended interview protocol. The study sample consisted of German Christian pastoral caregivers and Turkish Muslim spiritual caregivers from Germany and Turkey, respectively (N = 67). Overall, the entire sample expressed a generally positive attitude towards providing spiritual/pastoral care (S/PC) to individuals of other religious affiliations. German participants emphasized a human-centered approach towards individuals from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds, whereas Turkish participants placed greater emphasis on the qualifications of the caregiver. Turkish participants exhibited less exposure to other cultures/religions compared to their German counterparts, yet both subsamples responded positively to requests for care from individuals of different faiths. Both subsamples adhered to standard procedures during S/PC visits. German participants were more inclined to incorporate elements from other religions/cultures into their S/PC work compared to Turkish participants. The majority of participants regarded their respective institutions (Church/Diyanet) as responsible for addressing the spiritual needs of others. However, the German subsample displayed greater reluctance towards the employment of pastoral caregivers from different religious backgrounds by their institution, as opposed to the Turkish subsample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Kronika is the property of Kronika, Casopis za Slovensko Krajevno Zgodovino and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Historia Contemporanea is the property of Historia Contemporania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Secuencia: Revista de Historia y Ciencias Sociales is the property of Instituto de Investigaciones - Dr. Jose M. Luis Mora and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Temple of Zamolxe, pagan Roman temple of the god Mars, mausoleum of Trajan's best friend, the general Longinus Maximus, church built by the Goths in the 4th century, "divine work stolen by nocturnal genies"1, the first church in Haţeg and perhaps in the entire country, "unparalleled in all Romania"2, foundation of Litovoi, a church similar to Sân-Nicoara in Curtea de Argeş, or a church with a triptych as valuable as that of the famous Rubliov, "St. Nicholas" Church is an Orthodox place of worship in Densuș, Hunedoara county; one of the oldest churches in Romania, apparently dating from the 12th-13th centuries, built on the ruins of a building from the 4th century AD, it has a square plan, with the nave pierced by a tower, resting on a vault and equipped with a deep semicircular apse; the entire construction is covered with stone slabs, and most of its material (river boulders, marble slabs with Latin inscriptions, capitals, tombstones, sewer pipes) comes from Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, the capital of Roman Dacia (located nearby); the mural painting of the monument dates from the 15th century. The Densuş church, like any unclassifiable and imprecisely dated monument, becomes a mitigating argument for any demonstration about the descendants of the Dacians, the beginning of Christianity, the paths of migratory peoples, the existence of Romanians or about the creative and universal genius of our people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of the Ottoman Empire in the Levant region and particularly in Mount Lebanon, we witnessed a sort of unification of the Christian religious architecture in the region, particularly for the typology of single-naved churches. This unified model, apart from a few variants, is based on a plan most often with two bays and a supporting structure formed by pilasters supporting edge vaults. The Saint George Church of Mazraaet el-Chouf, dating from the 18th century, forms a typical example of this architecture. With its apse covered by a multitude of layers of painted coatings, it forms one of the rare examples in Lebanon where several specimens of wall paintings, characteristic of this period, overlap and are still preserved while, in dozens of similar churches, these coatings have completely disappeared following the stripping of the monuments' walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to its cultural and spiritual importance, church acoustics are intensively investigated. These architectural marvels serve religious worship, community events, and cultural preservation. Preserving these sites' historical importance and acoustic comfort requires understanding their complex sound transmission dynamics. However, urban noise severely reduces sacred sites acoustically. In view of their proximity to airports, highways, and Metro, this study explores the acoustics of Chennai's medieval St Thomas Garrison Church. Reverberation times (RT) at 500 and 1000 Hz exceed the optimum value, especially for speech purposes. Day and night background noises over 60 dBA affect speech transmission index (STI) and sound pressure level (SPL) distribution. These findings are also examined in relation to potential service interventions, such as amplification systems, in places of worship. This study suggests that urban planners, architects, and others can help preserve and improve religious experiences by addressing urban noise and improving church acoustics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses literature analysis and quantitative methods to test and deepen congregation members' understanding of the concepts of salt and light (of the world) contained in Matthew 5:13, 14, with an emphasis on the creation and implementation of COI "Centers of Influence" to encourage church growth. Data analysis with SPSS version 25 involved quality, regression, and hypothesis testing. Data collection from 60 auditors at GMAHK Singosari Bandar Lampung was done using a Google Form questionnaire. To get a deeper grasp of COI and best practices in the church setting, literature analysis were employed. The variable Understanding of Congregation Members has a significance level of 0.000, which is lower than 0.05, according to the findings of the partial T-test, showing that it substantially effects the application of COI in everyday activities fusion. Members of the congregation who incorporate ethical principles into their everyday lives not only benefit personally, but also help the church as a whole flourish and last. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ideas of the Orthodox theologian Bishop John Zizioulas (1931-2023) particularly focus on trinitarian ecclesiology. For him, the Trinity consists of Persons in communion, and the nature of God himself is relational. Trinitarian unity is therefore the prototype, and the Church is its reflection. The essence of the Church is communion, which results from the fact that the Trinity is communion. Zizioulas' view of the Church is steeped in a trinitarian perspective. Zizioulas pointed out that the Church is based on the double divine economy: the work of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. The relationship of the Holy Trinity with the Church also has consequences for the structure of the Church. In this way, the Church becomes hierarchical in the sense in which the Holy Trinity itself is hierarchical: because of the specificity of the relationship. Becoming a person means breaking down the barriers of individualism and entering into communion life. This is realized in the Church through Baptism and Eucharist. The aim of the article is therefore an attempt to present and evaluate John Zizioulas' concept of trinitarian ecclesiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article formulates and justifies the definition of the Orthodox social ethos, which is an alternative to the diverse concepts of political theologies that are criticized in the theological environment. The development and justification of the definition of Orthodox social ethos, its location in the space of Orthodox doctrine, the resulting assignment of necessary axioms, as well as the preliminary characterization of the issues covered by it, will allow for a precise definition of its tasks, research space and appropriate methodology. The implementation of the goals indicated in the article will allow for a systematic presentation of the norms of the Church's relationship with the world, as well as their further comparative analysis, taking into account the differences existing in the Orthodox environment, the social teaching of the Church developed in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as numerous concepts of political theology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a dearth of scholarship that explicates the effects of religious participation on anxiety disorders among Black Americans. A better understanding of the links between religious participation, a coping resource, and anxiety disorders among Black Americans remains essential, given Black Americans are less likely than their white counterparts to seek professional treatment for mental health problems, leading to greater unmet mental health needs. The aim of this study was to investigate whether religious participation is associated with the prevalence, persistence, and severity of anxiety disorders among Black adults. We used a national sample of Black adults (N = 4999) from the National Survey of American Life, a cross-sectional study conducted from 2001 to 2003. Five anxiety disorders were assessed: posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and agoraphobia. Three dimensions of religious participation were assessed: organizational, non-organizational, and subjective religious participation. Weighted logistic and linear regressions were estimated to examine the associations between religious participation and anxiety disorders. Findings indicate that organizational religious participation and subjective religiosity were associated with lower odds of anxiety disorders and decreased severity. Findings for non-organizational religious participation in relation to the prevalence, persistence, and severity of anxiety disorders were mixed. The study limitations include the utilization of self-reported measures, cross-sectional study design, and age of the data set. Different dimensions of religious participation have differing effects on anxiety disorders. Religious participation may be an important resource for Black Americans in coping and preventing anxiety disorders. • Religious participation was differentially related to varying anxiety disorders. • Religious participation was negatively and positively associated with anxiety. • Religious participation plays an important role in anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a long history of holistic responses to mental illness and suffering in many Christian traditions. In recent years, however, there has been growing controversy surrounding the response of the Evangelical Church to mental health. Adopting often literalist interpretations of scripture, these church communities may conflate mental illness exclusively with sin, demons, or diminished faith, thereby inadvertently promoting shaming and voluntaristic notions of psychological suffering. Other church communities, meanwhile, have perhaps over-secularized psychological illness, with neglect to the healing power of faith and community. This empirical paper seeks to contribute toward an open discussion of how the Evangelical Church can both respond to, and support, Christians with mental illness by being both faithful to theological witness and asserting that theological anthropologies must be reexamined from the site of lived experiences of mental illness. Qualitative responses from 309 UK-based evangelical Christians who have experienced some form of mental illness are, in this study, analyzed regarding their views on how the church can best support Christians with mental illness. A thematic analysis suggests that a relational and spiritually sensitive approach is advocated; one that moves beyond dichotomized accounts of psychological suffering as exclusively spiritual or biomedical and toward relational care and valuing of the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Church governance is not often debated within a philosophical or theological sphere. This is perhaps because church governance has been part of tradition since Constantine and the initial Greek philosophical world view of sovereignty and hierarchy. Such a stance has led towards a managerial mindset that follows and conforms to the world, which plays out within the Anglican polity in the setting of an adversarial parliamentary style synod. This style encourages bounded communities of power that often refute the burgeoning inspirations of the Spirit. In changing the underlying theological basis of such a stance, by invoking the understanding of an undeniable community in the singularity of the Triune God, governance becomes more open. Engaging with, primarily, Agamben but also others from philosophy, a new viewpoint is presented to challenge the manner through which tradition is wielded as the only possibility. In seeing through a differing lens, communities can be conceived as both porous and interconnected, thus allowing the body of Christ to respond with transformative action as opposed to a continuum of conformance with secular legality. In this manner, the bishop's role may become more centralised towards a Eucharistic one, as opposed to the managerial mindset and role, to enhance the possibilities of God's love. This then removes the need for a hierarchy driven by a sovereign mindset that tradition bolsters, whilst maintaining loving and authoritative oversight that tradition suggests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Slovenia, the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) is the largest, most influential, richest, and most politically significant among all religious organisations. In estimating its contribution related to migration and the refugee situation it is necessary to consider the wider context of Slovenian society, primarily four characteristics: (1) despite the principle of separation of state and religious spheres, it is in relation to the Roman Catholic Church that the bulk of unresolved issues and occasional exacerbations occur; (2) while Slovenian public opinion is rather volatile in its expression of social distance to foreigners, it does not represent the main problem; (3) Slovenia's state politics are very closed to refugees; and (4) political parties from the right wing of the political spectrum are rather xenophobic. While the Catholic Caritas plays a positive role in the care of refugees, the RCC has always supported the right-wing political parties when they come to power, and it is also susceptible to Islamophobia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Publicando is the property of RPPH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The epoch of world revolutions, the epoch of the formation of world ideas (the first half of the 19th century) gave rise to global projects of nationalism and the nation state, socialism and anarchism, emancipation, and public enlightenment, in the formation of which the Masonic 'rulers of thoughts' played an active role. The research paper uncovers the importance of the Masonic movement in the history of Ukraine and shows the contribution of the Masons to the formation of Ukrainian culture and the national idea, enlightenment, and self-organization of society. The purpose of the study is to find answers to the questions: why elite groups of Ukrainian gubernias gathered at the secret lodges in the 19th century, what global and intermediate tasks they set, and which of them they managed to achieve. And most importantly, how the Masonic 'building of the Temple' influenced the processes of formation of the Ukrainian nation. To address this purpose, the authors use a synthetic approach combining the research capabilities of social philosophy, history, and political science. The scientific novelty of the paper. A comprehensive study of the Masonic movement in the territory of Ukrainian gubernias of the Russian Empire has been conducted, extracting the Masonic movement from the historical context imposed by Russian-Soviet historiography. The authors mention Ukrainian Masons in Ukrainian history as 'builders' and 'awakeners' of a new society, where the democratic and national features of Ukraine were taken into account. Conclusions. In the first quarter of the 19th century in Central and Southern Ukraine, the Masons managed to form four centers (Kharkiv, Poltava, Kyiv, and Odesa) in which they not only organized the liberal-minded local elite as an independent 'horizontal structure', but also began 'Masonic creation' - upbringing a new person, a supporter of social progress. A special contribution of Masonic authors to the creation of Ukrainian literature and theater, the first historical studies of Ukrainian history, and Ukrainian autonomist projects took place. Of great interest are the activities of the Masons in Ukraine after their formal 'prohibition' in 1822, and the attempts of Masonic leaders to influence events in Ukrainian gubernias, being 'in the shadows', in the rigid system of barracks imperialism of the 'Nicholas era'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to conduct an in-depth analysis of the encounter between Christianity and the old Minahasa religion. The problems related to the revival and re-existence of the old Minahasa beliefs affect the congregation's faith in Minahasa today. The method to solve this problem is qualitative research, which involves collecting scientifically tested literature, such as books and journals, without neglecting field data. Through this discussion, the author offers a new perspective that the old Minahasa religion needs to be studied critically and constructively to highlight its local wisdom to enrich theological efforts in the Evangelical Christian Church in Minahasa. A conclusion that confirms that the goal has been achieved and the problem has been answered. This study concludes that the manguni bird symbolizes the fusion of Christianity and Minahasa old traditions that illustrate the identity of salvation and the church's role as the guardian of truth. Progressivity in Minahasa is not only caused by GMIM or the influence of Protestantism but also by actual theological teachings that affect life attitudes based on the foundation of the Bible and GMIM confession of faith; the Manguni bird as a symbol of GMIM represents religious values, historical, sociological, and anthropological as well as the role of the church in building contextual theology, there is a hereditary call to preserve nature and build Minahasa culture based on biblical teachings with the duty to fellowship and serve amid the diversity of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of KUL Journal of Legal Studies / Studia Prawnicze KUL is the property of John Paul II Catholic University of Lubin / Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawla II and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article highlights the anti-religious policy of the Soviet authorities to spread atheistic values in the life of Soviet society in the Ukrainian SSR in the 1940s-1960s. One of the forms of their implementation was lecture and oral propaganda, printed media, radio and cinema. It was implemented through the activities of anti religious societies, as well as through the involvement of scientific and pedagogical staff and Soviet party activists. The author analyses the levers of influence used to manipulate the consciousness and feelings of believers. The measures of the Soviet authorities aimed at limiting religious sentiments among the youth of the republic are considered. Attention is focused on public reflections in the context of assessing the effectiveness of anti-religious policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Babylon Center for Humanities Studies is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Babylon Center for Humanities Studies is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

AbstractDespite the recognition of societal inclusion as a human right, persons with disabilities face many barriers preventing their participation in mainstream Christian denominations. A scoping review was conducted to map the relevant literature to explore the Christian Church’s expressions of compassion and/or justice toward persons with disabilities, and how this impacts their inclusion and participation. The findings confirm the paucity of literature addressing this phenomenon, as well as the under-representation of persons with disabilities in research concerning their own interests. Four nested themes reflect the harmful effects of misplaced pity and insufficient justice toward persons with disabilities, revealing evidence of oppression, expressed through stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination – all perceived to hinder their meaningful participation in the body of Christ. Knowledge gaps concerning the lived experiences of persons with disabilities in this setting were identified and recommended for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the organisational culture and context in which prison chaplains, as representatives of the Christian Church, work within the Scottish Prison Service. It draws on the ideas of the American theologian Walter Wink (1935–2012), on his concept of powers and the assertion that all organisations and institutions have their own spirituality and associated impact. To explore what shapes this spirituality, I consider various elements which create a cultural web, such as symbols, space, security, seeing, stories, routines and rituals. The complicity and challenge of any chaplain embedded in an organisation with a different spirituality and worldview to that of the host is discussed. The power of life-giving liturgy in the everyday is offered as a counter-cultural stance to the powers that be in any organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article takes up Robert Jenson's theology of culture. According to Jenson, the church is a heavenly culture of its own alongside various worldly cultures. The church, therefore, presents a rival agenda for human social life conformed to a distinct Christian ethics and polity. Jenson's brand of ecumenical ecclesiology has also been leveraged against the challenge of modern secularity. However, this article contends that Jenson's ecumenical vision overinflates the doctrine of the church by assigning culture to it. Jenson's ecclesiology risks the particularity of the various cultures, languages, and contexts in which the gospel is proclaimed. To redistribute the contents of ecumenical ecclesiology—and its theology of culture—into the doctrine of creation, this article culminates with an examination of Martin Luther's theology and that of the Lutheran Confessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debates within ecclesiology on the nature and possibility of ecclesial sin have regained interest in the midst of rising awareness of the church's historical wrongs. Most theologies and metaphors of a sinful church, however, fail to consider the theological identity of the "sinned against" within the church. This article reads Andrew Sung Park's theology of han (a Korean concept denoting a complex sense of woundedness) as the underside of sin against Karl Rahner's theology of a church of sinners to point toward a vision of ecclesial han that attends to the woundedness within the church and its healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study on the synthronon in Early and Middle Byzantine churches aims to elucidate the regional characteristics of the synthronon as a liturgical element. The synthronon, which gained importance with the spread of Christianity and had pioneer examples from the early period, continued its symbolic existence until the end of the Byzantine Empire. The research focuses on the determination of the regional characteristics of the synthronon through the examples found in Anatolian churches in Byzantine architecture and the comparative determination of regional differences. The research evaluates the synthronon examples found in Anatolia in terms of form and function and is the first comprehensive study on Anatolian synthronon typology. Within the scope of the research; the change in the liturgical traditions related to the synthronon from the 3rd century A.D. to the 12th century A.D. from the first religious rules that began to be established in Christianity to the practices of the Late Byzantine Period was tried to be conveyed. The direct or indirect reflections of the changes in traditions on architecture were also taken into consideration and detailed information on the subject was included in the scope of the research. As a result, it has been seen that the synthronon has a structure that is shaped by liturgical traditions in every aspect and changes according to needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I discuss faith in a troubled Church and a fragmented world. I begin by asking how faith works, in general terms, before exploring the potential of a critical faith praxis in the Church and the world of today. Finally, I shall propose to relocate Christian faith praxis in the orbit of a theology of love. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of canonized texts in the post-Constantinian church led to the widespread assumption that specifically approved literature reflected general Christian orthodoxy. The danger that non-canonical literature posed to this process was to provide an avenue by which quasi-acceptable views could enter ecclesiastical theology via courses such as catechetical instruction and teaching from episcopal leaders. The Apostolic Fathers reflect this very process. Those who study these writings today are warned not simply to presume specific locations or dates for their use in antiquity since many such writings came to influence the growth of ecclesiastical power and ideas within contexts that have been lost to our knowledge. This paper counsels researchers not to take such literature lightly nor to presume the influence it may have had within the early patristic sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The case of the revocation of ordination from the two pastors by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (hereafter, ELCSA) in the Gauteng Province, Pretoria, South Africa has motivated the present conversation. In order to respond appropriately to the scenario mentioned earlier, the research will dialogue with Paul’s teaching on spiritual gifts in Romans 11:29–32. The document released by the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Pretoria (hereafter, HCoSAP) ruled that ELCSA acted against the law and ordered that the revocation of the ordination be reversed (Case No: 62810/2018). The study comprises three main layers as follows: (1) analysis of ordination in the biblical text, including a dialogue with Paul’s view of calling and spiritual gifts in 11:29–32, (2) a ruling by the HCoSAP, and (3) a critique of ELCSA. Documentary analysis, ethnography, and participant observation are employed as methodological approaches. Contribution: The contribution of this research is two-fold. Firstly, the readership in general and believing communities in particular should adhere to the rules of the game as prescribed by the biblical text so that they will mitigate both conflict and confrontation with other congregants. Secondly, the study aims to educate societies that no one is above the law. Members of the sacred institution can appear at the high court either when their constitutional right is violated or as suspects of crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surge of the conquest of black African women grows rapidly as indicated by the multifaceted oppressions experienced by black African women today. Although coloniality is supposed to be a thing of the past, its stench still wreaks havoc for the present-day black African woman whose reality of experience is that of ‘triple pain’ (Vellem 2017). Colluding with the church, colonisers reinforced and justified the centralisation of the west in Africa, which was established through violence and consequently led to the conquest of black humanity. However, womanism has argued that it was black African women who, in addition to being conquered based on their race, were rigorously subjected to patriarchal violence. Today, the church has a prominent role in the lives of many black African women; thus the church has an integral responsibility of pursuing liberation of black African women and ultimately all humanity (Kobo 2018). Nevertheless, the church cannot move towards liberation without critiquing the toxic relationship between church and coloniality and its legacy of the conquest of black African women through patriarchal violence. Undoubtedly, many black African women continue to experience patriarchal violence to this day, and the church has many a time become the source of their suffering. This calls for a serious engagement within the liberation discourse to uproot colonial legacy of the conquest of black African women. Contribution: The purpose of this article is to explore the relationship between the church and coloniality, and how this relationship has impacted the lives of black African women. Employing womanism as the primary framework, this article seeks to offer a womanist critique that seeks to disrupt the collusion of church and coloniality in its legacy of the perpetuation of patriarchal violence which leads to the conquest of many black African women today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The great popularity and extraordinary possibilities the Internet offers people in the field of information and communication, have made the Internet the subject of the Church's in-depth reflection as an important tool in broadly understood pastoral activities. This article contains a discussion of the effects of this observation and demonstrates how the Church uses the Internet and all Information and Communications Technology. Finally, we will indicate the positive aspects and difficulties facing the Church now operating in the Digital Age. Research clearly shows that the modern Church must use the Internet if it wants to meet people, be close to them and reach them with information. The Church must so consciously and skillfully - taking into account anthropological conditions and the nature of media, including theological premises. An important conclusion emerging from the research is a decisive "no!" concerning various forms of e-Church. The Church's opening up to ICT does not mean consent to transferring its activities onto the Internet. Ecclesiastical relationships are always interpersonal relationships: human-human and Divine-human. The Church - even a synodal one - is a community of persons, not an online discussion group or followers of the Pope, bishop, other pastor or influencer identifying with the Church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The socio-economic and political meltdown in Zimbabwe that began in the year 2000 caused significant changes in how people related to religion. Zimbabwe has endured one of the world's most puzzling economic catastrophes, characterised by extreme unpredictability and instability. Since the year 2000, Zimbabwe's socio-economic landscape has changed dramatically following the introduction of radical economic policies such as land redistribution and indigenisation. Since then, the economic fortunes of Zimbabwe have nosedived, with economic convulsions and unpredictability becoming the norm. This peculiar period of the country's history has also seen far-reaching changes in the religious sector as prosperity gospel has risen to become probably the most influential religious force in the country. This paper documents how, in the face of socio-economic challenges, Zimbabweans have sought solace in charismatic churches championing prosperity. It argues that the uncertainties triggered by collapsing social and economic fabric have led to the rise of a charismatic prosperity gospel movement in Zimbabwe. Its growth has been aided by a 'spiritual healing' infrastructure that supports believers in various ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus is women suffering due to commercialisation of religion in Neo-Pentecostal Churches. Most of the religion commercialists are men with women as victims of Gender Based Violence (GBV). The CRL Commission discovered that women participation in religious commercial practices is quite alarming in terms of the ratio between men and women. There is a very serious gender bias in these churches in terms of abuse and outrageous practices. This paper focuses on vulnerability of women caused by marriage expectations, barrenness, divorce, and lack of leadership. The methods and techniques of religious commercialists will be used as demonstrations that women are indeed the victims of these malpractices. The area of finances will be highlighted to capture the truth that indeed women are victims of commercialisation of religion. Literature and social media will be engaged to validate facts. Theology of dialogue (God-talk) contributes towards the solution to these practices that have tainted the Pentecostal faith with negative outlook. Appeal is made to male perpetrators to reevaluate their patriarchal egos at the expense of women and that their theology should take a new turn of embracing feminist theology, which helps to understand the women's value as God's image carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Martin Luther and John Wesley stand as towering reformers and transformers whose influence still defines ecclesiastical theology in the twenty-first century. Luther and Wesley survived 200 years apart in two different countries, and circumstances, and yet their responses to the challenges of their milieus present the lived legacies of Lutheranism and Methodism respectively. Factors contributing to the shaping of their backgrounds and theology force one to argue that: "without Luther's theology, the development of Methodism was a chance". The purpose of this paper was to reread the convergencies in the backgrounds and theology of Luther and Wesley and analyse how their life settings and writings influenced the twenty-firstcentury church. The paper reminds the twenty-first-century church that much as Luther and Wesley's biographies were influenced by the role of their parents, their conversion through nature, the impact of university life, unplanned marriages, and the fight against orthodoxy. Unfortunately, similar converging life experiences have not been taken seriously to "saltify" the rotting world as individualism and self-gain characterise the modern church. The paper also argues that Apostle Paul's theology of justification by faith, sola fide, sola scriptura, and sola gratia is central to both Luther and Wesley, and they are the anchors of the twenty-firstcentury church. This paper does not aim to bring superiority and inferiority intricacies between Luther and Wesley but to use Luther as the role model of Wesley with the two being the beacons of the twenty-first-century ecclesia and ecclesiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mission of the Triune God--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit--is the focus of this paper since the missio Dei perspective is essential to every section. To bring people from all tribes, nations, kingdoms, and languages together in eternal worship of Him, the Father sent the Son, and the Son sent the Holy Spirit. Churches and communities must partake in the mission of God in the world because the gospel of Jesus Christ must be preached. God uses the church as his instrument to proclaim his kingdom to people from all walks of life. Thus, followers of Jesus Christ who engage in the missio Dei--bring love, hope, and peace to a broken and lost world--and should be true to God's calling. God chose people to establish his kingdom and bestows blessings upon them so that they may bless every nation on the earth. God's humanity and God's entire creation are ultimately reconciled and healed by the kingdom. Through Jesus Christ, people can receive the Good News of God through the work of the Holy Spirit. This paper comes from a chapter in a larger PhD study in Missiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Social Sciences Institute / Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi is the property of Bingol University / Rectorate and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Strategic & Social Research is the property of Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Social Science Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Librosdelacorte.es is the property of Instituto Universitario "La Corte en Europa" - IULCE and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)