Abstract Ecclesiastical women’s organisations play a significant role in the day-to-day running and maintenance of mainline churches in Africa and a vital role in their members’ socio-religious and spiritual lives. However, scholarly attention to these organisations have been limited, there is little knowledge about what these women contribute and why they do so. Using the women’s fellowship of the Reformed Church in Zambia, the Chigwirizano cya Azimai (CcA), as a case study, this article demonstrates how women’s organisations can mobilise the economic and social resources of their members, even when this does not appear to directly benefit the members. This article argues that despite the patriarchal structures and economic challenges, the CcA members find value in their membership because they perceive their practices as meaningful. To these women, active participation in the CcA is work done for God.

Abstract In his Humanizing Religion project, William Schweiker suggested that religious traditions can provide humankind with viable resources to navigate responsible existence in the contemporary world. This paper takes Schweiker’s call for a research agenda into a very specific academic field. Inspired by Schweiker’s proposal, the paper seeks to explore how themes from theological anthropology can feed into Jewish-Christian relations. The thesis of this paper is that both Judaism and Christianity have a potential to provide a desirable ‘humanizing’ aspect vis-à-vis the religious other. Written from the perspective of a Christian theologian, the paper particularly focuses on a Christian contribution to Jewish-Christian relations. The insights gained from this discussion are brought into conversation with a number of themes, such as story, embodiment/body, relationality, holiness, and hospitality, in order to understand what it means to be human in relation to God/the divine, other humans, and creation.

Abstract This article presents an exploratory study of one of the most significant emerging mission movements in contemporary China, Mission China 2030 (MC 2030), with a particular focus on its continuity and divergence from the Back-to-Jerusalem (BTJ) movement. Through a structured analysis, this study examines the historical origins, theological foundations, and strategic approaches of MC2030, highlighting its efforts to mobilize the Chinese church for global evangelism. While BTJ emphasized an indigenous and eschatologically charged vision, MC2030 reflects a pragmatic shift, embracing strategic planning and fostering international partnerships, particularly through its connection to the Lausanne Movement. Ultimately, the study underscores the movement’s eclectic nature, integrating elements from BTJ, the Lausanne Movement, and the legacy of Western missionaries, while navigating the challenges of government restrictions and the evolving global mission context.

Abstract Syncretism is a significant concept in religious and theological discourse, that used to describe the blending of two seemingly opposing paradigms. Rooted in Greek philosophical thought, it has two motives, either a religious survival strategy or a form of contextualization. However, the legacy of colonialism and racial ideologies that promote nationalistic and purity-based frameworks have rendered syncretism pejorative in many Christian theological contexts. In response, scholars and theologians have often adopted alternative terms such as “hybridity” or “double belonging.” In this article, I seek to reclaim the importance of syncretism by drawing on vernacular religious practices and arguing that these two motives are insufficient. Through the life and ministry of Kyai Ibrahim Tunggul Wulung (1800–1885), a Javanese mystic and evangelist, I propose the third motive: liberation. For marginalized communities facing interlocking forms of oppression, syncretism becomes a means of reclaiming religious agency and resisting hegemonic theo-political paradigms.

Abstract Building on a fieldwork consisting of interviews and participant observation with those designated mpiandry (shepherds) in the Malagasy Lutheran Church, this article investigates the place of faith in their faith-healing practices. It is an empirical contribution where the shepherds’ understandings of faith are explored. The theoretical lenses for analysis and discussion are based on lived theology as an interpretative approach to the shepherds’ understanding and communication of faith in the context of their healing practices, and on traditional definitions of faith in Christian theology. While their understanding resembles these traditional definitions of Christian faith, their communication of this faith according to their lived theology present somewhat conflicting statements, for example, at the same time claiming that faith is necessary for healing and that faith may come after the healing has taken place.

Abstract The mission document “Together towards Life” (TTL), submitted to the 10th Assembly of the WCC held in Busan, Korea, has important significance for ecumenical mission. Also, since the Assembly was held in Asia, TTL has profound value for Asian theology and mission. Using the mission thinking of some of the Asian theologians, this article seeks to examine the relevance of this document to Asia. Even though TTL describes mission focusing on the Holy Spirit and life, this article attempts to analyze and reconstruct the contents of TTL focusing on the ‘beginning of mission,’ ‘purpose of mission,’ and ‘method of mission.’ Furthermore, this article is to present two directions that Asian theology and mission should pursue, based on the contents of TTL. This article suggests that Asian theology and mission need to shift from ‘redemption-centered theology (mission)’ to ‘creation-centered theology (mission),’ and are better off pursuing glocalization beyond de-Westernization and decolonization.