Articulation Of Theology Research Articles

Verbum Imaginis Dei

Abstract After the Enlightenment turn to the subject, various problems concerning the nature of theological articulation on the one hand and the grounds for divine revelation on the other have come to the forefront, often gravitating toward questions concerning language itself. These questions tend to revolve around the nature of God’s infinite qualitative difference, noting difficulties concerning both the capacity of finite language to express the infinite, as well as the claim that the immaterial and transcendent God ‘speaks’. It will be the contention of this article that Augustine’s theology of speech can address these debates in a unique way, establishing a primarily theological model where human language itself is related to the Triune God via the imago Dei. This article will analyze Augustine’s designative theory in balance with his theological anthropology and theology of language, synthesizing them to respond to the philosophical questions of theological and divine speech. It will be posited that an Augustinian approach allocates primacy to the Trinitarian relationship between Word and word in the human person as imago Dei, which redefines both the nature and telos of language itself as a theological and truth-bearing reality. The article will conclude with an example from Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck, who implemented this Augustinian approach in the context of modern philosophy and theology.

John Mbiti’s Ubuntu Theology: Was it Rooted in his African heritage?

This research article sets out on the premise that African theology, as was propounded by the likes of John Mbiti (1931‒2019), is historically seen as synonymous with African ubuntu (cultural-sensitive, humane and community-focused) theology. Mbiti is undoubtedly the father of Africa’s indigenous theology that puts much emphasis on societal concerns rather than individual concerns. He is a scholar who contextualised it as an academic discipline right from its formative stages to its current status in our theo-paradigmatic market. In his ubuntu (humane) theological articulation, he employs an inclusive model that demonstrates the three-fold approaches in African theology: oral, written, and symbolic theology. He also vouches for a symbiotic relationship between the gospel and culture, in an endless rhythm for their respective survival. While urging that Africa’s ubuntu theology cannot be excluded from the catholicity of the church, as it is kerygmatically universal but theologically provincial, one wonders whether he compromised the originality of the former. Through the use of historical-analytical design, this article attempts to retrace Mbiti’s contribution as it strives to understand his methodological considerations. Was it rooted in the Ibadan Conferences of 1958 and 1966, or is it a mere progression from the earlier initiatives by the works of Kenyatta (1938) and Tempels (1945)? In appearing dismissive of the Black theology of South Africa and other liberation theologies, did he miss out on his otherwise inclusive (ubuntu) approach? The material in this presentation was gathered through a critical review of Mbiti’s selected works and from interviews that were conducted with some people who came from Mbiti’s Mulago village, Kitui County, Kenya.

Evangelizing the Church: Soteriology, Liberation, and Transformative Action in Graham Greene’s The Honorary Consul

ABSTRACT Scholarship on Graham Greene has extensively examined the expression of his religious concerns in his work, labelling him a “Catholic writer” but also a schismatic author, due to his paradoxical departures from the catholic orthodoxy. Not until recently, scholars such as Mark Bosco (2005) and Michael G. Brennan (2016) have challenged these cliches and drawn attention to the importance of Vatican II and liberation theology discourses in shaping Greene's literary imagination. Given the diverse developments fostered by liberation theologians, further studies are needed to widen the scope of critical dialogue on sociological, epistemological and ontological dimensions in Greene's work. This article places Greene's The Honorary Consul in dialogue with Ignacio Ellacuría's theological articulation, focusing on the concepts of liberation, freedom and soteriology. In addition, it examines kerygmatic forms of announcement and denunciation and the conflictive relationship between the word and ways of transformative action involving violence in Greene's novel.

Ascetical Theology of Sport

AbstractThis paper examines the document of Giving the Best of Yourself by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, and presents an appreciation of the document and builds a case for sport as a practice of ascetical theology approached in terms of ‘everyday holiness’. Sports are argued as bringing together discipline and joy, and aesthetics and asceticism. The importance of the mean in diverting pathologies in sport is argued. Appreciation of sports is set in contexts of holistic lifestyles for its transformational and sanctification aspects to be appreciated. Sports are presented as beneficial life-long activity, and not simply for the young and physically advantaged. The article brings sport to theological articulation that is incarnational and christological and that leads to culturally situated implementations as applied ascetical theology.

The Role of Nature in New England Puritan Theology: The Case of Samuel Willard

Abstract This article discusses the role of nature in the theological system of New England minister Samuel Willard (1640-1707). I focus specifically on his account of theological anthropology, the relationship of nature and grace, and the moral (or natural) law, and show how each relates to his views on civil government and civil law. Willard affirmed the natural law, natural religion, and natural worship, and he acknowledged and respected pagan civic virtue and grounded civil order and social relations in nature. Willard’s theological articulations are substantively the same as those found among the ‘Reformed orthodox’ theologians of 17th century Europe, which provides evidence for the thesis that Reformed orthodoxy was a transatlantic movement. His reliance on nature also corrects scholarship on the New England Puritans, which often assumes that they rejected the Christian natural law tradition.

Eldership in Traditional Africa as a Core Definer of Ubuntu Ecclesiology in Configuration to Pauls’ Conception of Eldership Institution

The growth of Christianity in Africa comes with a strong demand on biblical African ecclesiology that is keen on strong and trusted leadership. There have been multiple of accusations labelled against the African church that centre around her quality of leadership. In the formulation of an Ubuntu ecclesiology, we are keen to have an ecclesiology that is most friendly to the African conceptual framework and one that can indeed be of use in the articulation of theology in Africa. This is in the spirit and letter of contextualization that is bent on an incarnational theology. This is only achievable through an understanding of the eldership framework from an African mindset and the biblical concept of eldership as is captured in the Old and New Testament. The benefits that African Ubuntu ecclesiology can obtain with regard to quality leadership from the concept of eldership in traditional Africa is well articulated to combat the leadership ineptitude that has characterized African ecclesia. Lastly the study at the conclusion has presented a theological reflection on eldership as a core definer of accuracy of leadership within Ubuntu ecclesiology by the observation of church leaders as representatives of the church in the model and pattern of Christ who is the character par excellence in the institution of eldership

Spirit and Story: Pentecostal Readings of Scripture; Essays in Honor of John Christopher Thomas ed. by Blaine Charette and Robby Waddell

Reviewed by: Spirit and Story: Pentecostal Readings of Scripture; Essays in Honor of John Christopher Thomas ed. by Blaine Charette and Robby Waddell Susan Wendel blaine charette and robby waddell (eds.), Spirit and Story: Pentecostal Readings of Scripture; Essays in Honor of John Christopher Thomas (New Testament Monographs 41; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix, 2020). Pp. x + 253. £70/$90/€80. In this festschrift, colleagues and former students of John Christopher Thomas honor him for his outstanding scholarly work and his significant contributions to the articulation and advancement of Pentecostal theology. Accordingly, in the opening chapter, "In Celebration of John Christopher Thomas," Lee Roy Martin provides an overview of Thomas's illustrious career, along with a summary of his description of the essential characteristics of Pentecostal theology. The next eight chapters offer "Pentecostal readings" of various biblical passages: Rickie D. Moore, "The Spirit of the Story of Rizpah in 2 Samuel 21.1–14"; Blaine Charette, "The Kingdom of the Son of Man and the Vocation of the Church in Matthew"; Robby Waddell, "The Coming of the Son of Man in Mark's Gospel"; Andrew T. Lincoln, "Leading or Following? Some Aspects of the Spirit's Role in John's Gospel"; J. Ayodeji Adewuya, "The Devil, Disease, and Deliverance: James 5.14–16 in the Context of Contemporary African Christianity"; Melissa L. Archer, "'Worship in Spirit and Truth': The Role of Worship in the Fourth Gospel in Concert with the Liturgy of the Apocalypse"; Robert W. Wall, "A Pneumatic Discernment of the Spirit-Beast of Revelation 13.11–17"; and Amos Yong, "'To Him Who Loves Us and Freed Us from Our Sins by His Blood …': A Pentecostal Unveiling of Apocalyptic Love." While the Pentecostal perspectives of many of these scholars have an impact on their interpretation of the Scriptures, most combine their theological readings with other methodological approaches (e.g., narrative, historical, intertextual, comparative). The majority of these early chapters engage seriously with the biblical text even as the contributors integrate their specific Pentecostal outlooks with a range of other methods. For example, Moore explores how the "gaps in the text" provide space for recognizing "the elusive character and presence of YHWH" (p. 25). Notably, this approach responds to the invitation to active engagement in interpretation, which is latent within the text itself. Subsequently, Waddell fuses "narrative and intertextual analysis" with his "theological hermeneutic" (p. 44) to explore how the title "Son of Man" in Mark's Gospel produces a fresh understanding of the identity of Jesus. Such methodological rigor, paired with careful exegesis, produces insightful biblical interpretation. The next six chapters broaden the discussion to considerations surrounding Pentecostal theology: Chris E. W. Green, "Hearing God's Word in the Presence of Our Enemies: Protest, Compassion, and Reconciliation"; William K. Kay, "Pentecostal Eschatology and Historical Events"; Kimberly Ervin Alexander, "Receiving the Spirit in Her Early Pentecostal Body: Sanctification, Spirit Baptism, and the Lamb Slain for Sinners"; Kenneth J. Archer, "The Cleveland School: The Making of an Academic Pentecostal Theological Tradition"; Daniela C. Augustine, "'Restorying' Life and Death: From the Iconoclasm of Violence to Love as the Life of the New Creation"; and Frank D. Macchia, "Signs of Grace in a Graceless World: The Charismatic Structure of the Church in Trinitarian Perspective." As some of the titles imply, these chapters include a more explicit treatment of the impact of Pentecostal spirituality and practices upon biblical interpretation. In particular, the latter chapters include discussions of historical trends that influenced [End Page 349] the development of interpretive traditions within the Pentecostal movement. For example, Alexander explores how the bodily experiences of some early Pentecostals influenced their reception of the Bible; Kay considers Pentecostal readings of Daniel and Revelation during the first quarter of the twentieth century; and Archer reviews the development of an academic Pentecostal theological tradition known as the "Cleveland School." This school of thought began in the 1990s with a group of four scholars, including John Christopher Thomas, who founded the Journal of Pentecostal Theology and its supplement series. Although, at first glance, this festschrift might be construed as a collection of essays from a narrow circle of Pentecostal interpreters, the volume in fact contains a lively array of exegetical discussions and...

Relevansi konsep epistemologi Islam dengan pendidikan pesantren

Epistemology is an activity that is closely related to a cognitive act in the cultural process, namely the acquisition of knowledge (al-iktisabu al-ma'rifat) and the production of knowledge (intaj al-ma'rifat). And the important instrument used is the al-mukawwin sense, a cultural reasoning device (the set of reasoning and behavior that results from that device) used to find out and produce knowledge. And that knowledge is constructed in systems of thinking and values. According to Abid al-Jabiri, this experience is useful for studying and identifying the knowledge that develops in the world of education, including Islamic education in Islamic boarding schools. This research uses the library research method. And it results that Al-Jabiri's epistemology has relevance to Islamic education in Islamic boarding schools, for the following reasons; first, education is the theological articulation of norms and values ​​in an interactive, instrumental and institutionalized socio-cultural dialect; second, education includes reasoning and the application of norms and values ​​that take place in people's lives; third, For this to happen, a system of values ​​and thinking is needed which is called an epistemic system to produce and acquire knowledge. And these tools are human capital to interact with the main sources of Islam, be it naqliyah texts (Al-Qur'an Hadith) or aqliyah texts (Ijma', Qiyas, and others).

Au-delà des sens, l’abstraction

Beyond the Senses, Abstraction - At the center of this study are three nonmimetic examples: a twelfth-century cloister pillar, a thirteenth-century reliquary, and a fourteenth-century manuscript illumination. These nonfigurative objects, representing three media and spanning three centuries, show that abstraction - predicated as it was on the theological articulation between truth, facts, and language - emerged in the Middle Ages as the primary vehicle for materializing the ineffable. The analysis begins by considering medieval notions of abstraction as a mode of figuration. It goes on to demonstrate how the abstractive operations at work in these images, each in a distinctive visual method, encouraged the pursuit of truth that lies beyond sensory perception by engendering the process of abstraction as it was understood in the Middle Ages: that of withdrawal, removal, paring down. This subtractive process, both visual and intellectual, allowed the beholder to reach through the perceptible and the graspable, and thus to apprehend what is most emphatically unavailable to the senses.

Divine Innascibility in the Theology of Ss. Gregory Nazianzen and Thomas Aquinas

Divine Innascibility in the Theology of Ss. Gregory Nazianzen and Thomas Aquinas John Baptist Ku, O.P. GOD THE FATHER can be known distinctly in three ways: (1) insofar as he is unoriginate, or proceeds from no one and has no principle—on account of which he is said to have innascibility; (2) insofar as he is the principle of the Son—on account of which he has paternity; and (3) insofar as he is the principle of the Holy Spirit—on account of which he has spiration. There is no way to tell the Father apart from the other divine persons besides these three notions.1 This article will consider the first of these three notions—the Father's innascibility, or unbegottenness—in the thought of St. Gregory of Nazianzus and St. Thomas Aquinas.2 It should come as no surprise that these two doctors agree on key doctrinal points. Yet because they come from different times and places, living in different cultures and writing in different languages, it should similarly come as no surprise that they articulate their doctrines in different ways. Even so, given the [End Page 57] common doctrinal ethos in the Church, such as we find preserved in creeds, and the fact that Aquinas was an inheritor of some of Nazianzen's work, many of the expressions they use are the same.3 Recent scholarship has sought to manifest the harmony between ancient Eastern theologians and Augustine and Aquinas, while taking note of their differences.4 This article intends to advance that fruitful line of inquiry. Although it is unremarkable that Nazianzen and Aquinas would agree in their articulation of Trinitarian theology, it is important to prove that we are not harmonizing the two authors by force. For those who would expect agreement, this article intends to provide clarifying documentation; for those who would be suspicious of such [End Page 58] agreement, this article hopes to offer some interesting discoveries. This article will examine three topics: (1) the identity and distinction of the divine persons in terms of relations and properties (the result of which will give us confidence that Nazianzen and Aquinas are truly speaking the same language), (2) the Father being unoriginate (our principal interest), and (3) the Father's action through the Son and the Holy Spirit in the created order (a consequence of the Father not being from another). We will verify a deep resonance between these two saints. We will see that they are in agreement on the following formulations of doctrine. Each divine person is the one identical divine essence, and yet each is distinct from the others in the real order by their properties, which are distinct on account of the relations that each person has the others. The unoriginate Father is the source of unity in the Trinity; and "unbegotten" properly applies to the Father, not the divine essence—although "unbegotten" can be taken in a more general sense to mean "uncreated." The Son and the Holy Spirit may be said in some sense to be led back to the Father. The Father acts through the Word and the Spirit in the created order; and thus, in grace, we are drawn by the Holy Spirit to the Son and by the Son back to the Father, our ultimate end. There are differences. Whereas Aquinas places a strong emphasis on the Father's identity as being rooted in his paternity, Nazianzen manifests an inclination to think of the Father as the Unoriginate One. We find in Aquinas a greater coherence and consistency in articulation as well as some conceptual advances. Yet the precision and clarity of Nazianzen's assertions about the persons being distinct by property on account of their mutual relations could surprise disciples of Aquinas who might have expected this understanding to be in its embryonic stage in this period when, for instance, the definitive affirmation of the Holy Spirit's divinity was still being worked out. [End Page 59] I. The Equality and Distinction of the Divine Persons in Terms of Relations and Properties In Oration 20, Nazianzen supplies us with a succinct expression that identifies how...

As áreas teológicas: diversidade e articulação

This paper starts from an approach to the concept of theology that implies, by itself, a variety of methodological areas, this variety giving rise to an inevitable multidisciplinarity and internal interdisciplinarity, together with an external interdisciplinarity, which corresponds, moreover, to the present cultural plurality. Hence, some challenges arise to the internal articulation of theology in its diversity, to which correspond as many theological work tasks: to seek unity in diversity; to relate the theological activity with the life of God’s People; to work in a dialogue between the different disciplines; to maintain an openness and awareness as to the limitations of knowledge; to institutionally articulate interdisciplinarity; to open up to ecumenism.

Articulating Christian doctrine in the pluralistic world of the twenty‐first century

AbstractThe reviewer offers an appreciative theological summary of Veli‐Matti Kärkkäinen's monumental text, Christian Theology in the Pluralistic World: A Global Introduction. Persaud calls attention to the trinitariancentre of Kärkkäinen's theological articulation, which is the basis for Kärkkäinen's openness to finding and naming commonalities and differences between biblical, creedal, confessional Christianity and each of the two other Abrahamic faiths (Judaism and Islam) and two Asiatic faiths (Hinduism and Buddhism). The reviewer calls for further engagement with the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (31 October 1999), in relation to the pressing question of religious conversion in today's pluralistic world.

The Unrealized Eschatology of Michel Henry: Theological Gestures from his Phenomenological Aesthetics

AbstractThis study responds to readings of Michel Henry’s eschatology as over‐realized through an analysis of his frequently neglected phenomenological aesthetics in Seeing the Invisible: On Kandinsky in light of the theological articulation of his phenomenology of life. It argues for a distinctly unrealized thrust to his program by foregrounding the notion of monumental art and the rootedness of human praxis, artistic and otherwise, in concrete sensible reality. The conclusion suggests that Henry’s project, while theologically problematic, opens a path towards the development of a theological phenomenological cosmology when supplemented.

An Embedded Chiasm in the Narrative Structure of Psalm 105

This article suggests that a previously unrecognised chiasm is embedded within the narrative structure of Psalm 105. Both the narrative structure and the chiastic structure of Psalm 105 are described, and the rhetorical significance of these structures is explored. The narrative structure points to the value of historical recital as a form of testimony and theological articulation within the liturgical life of Israel. The chiastic structure highlights significant elements of the psalm and its story. The emphasis of Psalm 105 is on Yahweh’s power and dominance over Israel’s enemies, a dominance that generates trust and hope that would be particularly beneficial to those hearers who were suffering in the exilic or in postexilic contexts.

An Embedded Chiasm in the Narrative Structure of Psalm 105

This article suggests that a previously unrecognised chiasm is embedded within the narrative structure of Psalm 105. Both the narrative structure and the chiastic structure of Psalm 105 are described, and the rhetorical significance of these structures is explored. The narrative structure points to the value of historical recital as a form of testimony and theological articulation within the liturgical life of Israel. The chiastic structure highlights significant elements of the psalm and its story. The emphasis of Psalm 105 is on Yahweh’s power and dominance over Israel’s enemies, a dominance that generates trust and hope that would be particularly beneficial to those hearers who were suffering in the exilic or in postexilic contexts.

Reconstruction of pastoral and theological education in tropical Africa: A review of the case of St. Andrew’s College, Kabare

The article sets out to demonstrate the need for theopastoral education in tropical Africa, by showcasing St. Andrew’s College, Kabare, in Central Kenya. The statement of the problem therefore is: How has St. Andrew’s College, Kabare, journeyed with its establishment as a centre of theopractical education? This will drive us to methodologically employ historical-analytical design in our bid to understand the intrigues behind the formation and growth of the institution. As it prepares to graduate from a diploma college to a university, how has it wrestled with the challenges in its endeavour to reconstruct theological and pastoral education? The article sets on the premise that the nature of theological articulation in the East African region, as propounded by the then-all powerful East African Revival Movement, needed theopastoral reconstruction via establishment of an institution that would thoroughly address relevant concerns. To this end, the first synod of the diocese of Mt Kenya East, held at St. Andrew’s Church, Kabare, on 26 August 1975, requested the standing committee of the synod to appoint a commission to investigate the future plans of lay and clergy training and report this matter to the next synod. In other words, the first synod of the new diocese foresaw the birth of St Andrew’s as a centre of theological education and holistic training. In view of this, the article will explore the intrigues behind this process in a bid to show its relevance for the rest of the tropical Africa.

Faith in Christ today: An engagement with Klaus Nürnberger

AbstractToday's Lutheran theologian must retrieve his or her particular Christian tradition while articulating the faith for our globalized twenty‐first‐century context. South African Klaus Nürnberger's new two‐volume systematic theology, Faith in Christ Today, adds heat to the current creative flurry of red‐hot systematic theologies. Nürnberger, who is oriented both to God's future and the world's future, places the theological articulation of the faith within the context of the worldwide and multi‐cultural Christian church. We all can learn from Nürnberger.

Theological Renewal after the Council of Trent? The Case of Jesuit Commentaries on the Summa Theologiae

As part of the Catholic reform after the Council of Trent, the Jesuits Francisco de Toledo, Gregorio de Valencia, and Gabriel Vázquez further developed the theological innovations of the School of Salamanca. Their commentaries on the Summa Theologiae (ca. 1563–1604) are marked by a creative retrieval of Aquinas and other theological sources as well as by openness toward current questions. This new method of theological argumentation related past authorities and articulations of the faith more effectively to the present, in order to better preserve the ecclesial community through time.

Now you see me, now you don't: subjectivity, blackness, and difference in practical theology in Britain post Brexit

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the intersection of Black Liberation theology and Practical theology, wrestling with the complexity of human subjectivity and epistemology. Practical theology has often been at the forefront of exploring the relationship between lived experience and knowledge production, often in terms of gender and sexuality. Yet, like other forms of theological articulation, the impact of Whiteness has rarely been explored particularly in relation to the converse visibility of Blackness and its paradoxical absence in the British theological academy. This paper seeks to open up that discussion. The latter part of the paper offers a theological exploration of the underlying forces and concerns that gave rise to the Referendum vote to leave the European Union. In what ways has the phenomenon of Whiteness helped to shape the Brexit vote? What might it mean for Practical theology in Britain if Whiteness was acknowledged, especially in our post-Brexit epoch?

An Impossible Possibility? Jewish Barthianism in Interwar Germany

In this essay I examine the Jewish reception of Karl Barth's theology in Germany of the 1930s. This I do through an analysis of a disputed exploration into the possibilities and limitations of the theological principles of dialectical theology for the formulation of a Jewish theology that took place at the time. The publication of Karl Barth's Romerbrief (1919, 1922) generated a great stir among Christian circles in Germany. Profoundly challenging the fundamental assumptions of liberal theology, Barth's ‘dialectical theology' was quickly recognized as an epoch-making work. But the impact of Barth's theology exceeded its Christian readership. As a corresponding disillusionment of liberal theology in its Jewish version took place among Jews, Barthianism presented itself as a compelling theological model offering a profound rejoinder to the spiritual needs of Jews as well. Yet alongside the recognition of the potentially constructive engagement with Barth's radical thought for a rejuvenated articulation of Jewish theology, Jewish thinkers similarly acknowledged the many challenges and difficulties such a theological encounter implied from a Jewish point of view, thereby projecting their understanding of the Jewish-Christian difference.