Christian World Research Articles

ЦАРЬ БОГОИЗБРАННЫЙ, А НЕ САМОЗВАННЫЙ В РОССИИ 1666 ГОДА (ТЕМА БЛАГОСЛОВЕНИЯ РОДА ПРАВЕДНЫХ ГОСУДАРЕЙ В «МЕЧЕ ДУХОВНОМ» ЛАЗАРЯ БАРАНОВИЧА)

The author explores the question of how the theme of God`s chosen king`s power was interpreted in the book “Spiritual Sword” of Lazar Baranovich in 1666. The idea of the choice of God of the supreme ruler and the protection of God of righteous sovereigns spread in the culture of the Christian world back in the Middle Ages. In Russia in the 1660s it was updated by a specific set of circumstances: church reform, expansion of the territory of the state through the annexation of new lands by military means, the absolutization of the power of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and the expectation of the End of the World. At the same time, the second sovereign of the House of Romanov was interested in additional arguments legitimizing his autocracy, as evidenced by the documents of the Secret Prikaz, concerning rumors about his “illegal” origin, and some details of the conflict between the Tsar and Patriarch Nikon. The article shows how Lazar Baranovich, with the help of scholastic theological and literary techniques, which includes, among other things, abundant quoting, creates a harmonious and convincing concept of the righteous family of the Russian sovereign, a dynasty that found itself at the pinnacle of power by the will of God. According to her, the sovereign Alexei Mikhailovich is not an impostor and an accidental minion of fate, but a God-chosen king, similar to the biblical David, Emperor Constantine the Great and other famous rulers of antiquity. By the right of the chosen of God one, the Russian Tsar wields both swords of power – secular and ecclesiastical.

‘Forget your people and your father’s house’ (Ps 45:11): The Hebrew Bible, marriage rites and spousal abuse in contemporary Ghana

Spousal abuse is one of the foremost threats to peaceful coexistence in families the world over. In Ghana, stakeholders, particularly Christian leaders, have raised concerns about the increasing violence associated with spousal abuse, which sometimes results in the death of victims. Although both men and women suffer abuse in marriages, those meted out to women are prevalent. While substantial effort has been made by biblical scholars to discuss these problems in the light of the New Testament teachings on marriage, a gap still remains on what light the Hebrew Bible could shed on these matters. This article, using the distinctive interest approach of African biblical hermeneutics, examines Psalm 45 as a text of Hebrew Poetry intended to accompany the marriage ritual. It argues that the portrayal of the bride and groom, and the admonitions offered in the psalm contain some of the same disturbing elements present in contemporary Ghanaian marriage celebrations, elements that engender spousal abuse. The article proposes both a theological and cultural review of these elements as a way of attenuating their combined negative effect on the marriage institution in contemporary Ghana.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This brings African biblical hermeneutics into dialogue with issues in gender studies, World Christianity, Pastoral Theology and the Exegesis of the Hebrew Psalter.

Teologia Intercultural como Teologia Intermediária

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the term intercultural theology has been gaining more and more traction. At the same time, the terms world Christianity and anthropology of Christianity have also become established. This article inquires into the profile of intercultural theology against the other two terms and defines the subject as in-between theology with Regard to such factors as audience, media, power, methodology, plurality, and connectivity. Looking forward, the author identifies current challenges and proposes that intercultural theology should be understood as a both descriptive and normative discipline, that the driving force behind it is the universal-missionary truth claim of the New Testament message of salvation, and that—as a subject with a primarily systematic orientation—it is committed to a comprehensive understanding of reality and theology.

Muslim Turcophobia: A Study of Two Missionary Authors

Among Turks, major religions with universal messages have always been tolerated. The fact that Turks generally did not convert to religions other than Islam led to the interpretation of Islam as “the most suitable religion for the character and national culture of the Turks”; therefore, Turks accepted Islam voluntarily, not by force. Among all these belief systems and religions, Islam was based on the belief in “Gök Tengri”. The proximity of the Turks to the Muslim Regions made it easier for the Turks to become Muslims and they became Muslims in groups. The statement in the Quranic Ayat al-Kursi (Al-Baqarah, 255); “His pulpit has encompassed the heavens and the earth كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْاَرْضَۚ وَلَََا يَؤُ۫دُهُ حِفْظُهُمَاۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظ۪يمُ” The similarity in the fact that “Gök Tengri”, which they have believed in since the beginning of their existence, is both in the sky and much closer to them (closer than their jugular veins) has facilitated the change of belief in the Turks. The seven stories of the sky, which their ancestors saw as “Uçmak”, the fact that hell is seven stories below the earth, free thought and tolerance in both religions, and the fact that there is only one God religion. The compatibility of the belief in God with hundreds of years of customs and traditions facilitated the acceptance of the idea that Islam was a suitable religion for them. The enmity against Muslim Turks, which started in the Christian world with the progress of Turkish tribes towards the West after the adoption of Islam, has increased the efforts of fanatical missionary Christian writers to create prejudice with their publications, which are far from historical facts, to demonize Turks in the Western public opinion. The common characteristics of these writers are that they fictionalize alleged inhumane crimes against Christians and present them as if they were true, and that they unconditionally support Greeks and Armenians, whom they see as the real owners of Anatolia. In this way, they accelerated the spread of "Islamophobia" in Western public opinion, and the persecution and massacres of Muslims were ignored. However, neither the Holy Quran, nor the Turks, nor the Prophet Muhammad deserve these accusations and slanders. After Afet Inan shared with Atatürk a history book that disparaged the Turks during her studies at the French Notre Dame de Sion High School in Istanbul, the struggle against the unchanging mentality of the West was turned into a state policy, and the Turkish Historical Society was established after April 15, 1931, to rescue Turkish history from the prejudiced views of Western states through scientific studies. The aim of the study is to investigate the publications of two of the dozens of missionaries (George Horton, Sir Edwin Pears) who saw Muslims as a threat to Christianity in the Turkish nation as an example from the publications of works written by missionary writers and containing insults, slander and attacks against Islam.

Вчення Ісуса Христа щодо духовної та фізичної «нечистоти» людини

This research analyses the content, components and essence of one of the topics that causes a lot of debate in the Christian world. The topic of the place of the Law of God and the sanitary law given through Moses in the context of eating clean and unclean animals has generated much discussion and even controversy. The words of Jesus in Mark 7:14-23 seem to confirm that there is no need to observe the commandments concerning clean and unclean food, since all the commandments of the Old Testament were cancelled on the cross. What this biblical passage actually means is the main task of biblical exegesis and critical analysis of this passage. As a result of the analysis of literary sources, it was found that the interpretations of this text vary and are not unanimous. Given the fact that opinions on these texts differ and have different connotations, there is a need for careful research in order to understand with certainty what Jesus Christ meant by these words. It was found that the context of Mark 7:14-23 and the cross-referenced Bible passages indicate that Jesus’ words do not refer to the doctrine of clean and unclean food, but to the traditions of hand and utensil washing held by the Pharisees and scribes. A cultural and historical analysis of this passage shows that the commandment about clean and unclean food was given by God in the desert to remind the Israelites of the division of animals into certain categories, and that they should not adapt to the lives of other peoples who sacrificed such animals or considered them sacred. Later on, Jewish traditions distorted this teaching, which Jesus Christ pointed out to the Pharisees and scribes when they tried to reproach Him for not observing the doctrine of washed hands. After conducting a linguistic analysis, we found that the words of Jesus Christ in Mark 7:14-23 refer exclusively to the fact that the Jews considered food unclean because of unwashed hands and thus lost the true meaning of God’s commandment. In summary, we can note that the problem Jesus Christ highlights is the observance of small regulations that are not even taught in the Bible and because of which the Jewish teachers did not see the essence of God’s commandments: love of God and love of neighbor. That is why the Lord says that it is not the fact that a person is unclean, defiled, or lacking in holiness that makes him unclean, but rather that he does evil deeds that come from his heart. The study also revealed that Mark 7:14-23 does not refer to Christ’s abolition of the laws that regulated the eating of meat from «clean and unclean» animals. Such a position is neither reasonable nor biblically proven. Moreover, the laws of diet are much older than any other laws concerning the physical well-being of man (Genesis 7:2, 3).

Editorial: Latin America and World Christianity

Editorial: Latin America and World Christianity

Approaches of the Greek Catholic Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky to the National and Confessional Issues at the Beginning of the 20th Century

The article examines the approaches of the Greek Catholic Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky to the national and confessional issues at the beginning of the 20th century. Sheptytsky’s views are placed in the context of the views of his contemporaries, both collaborators and figures who had a different national and/or confessional option. Identified through the analysis of the texts of Metropolitan Andrey set of his views on the Christian world and its constituent confessions (Catholics of various rites, Orthodox, especially Russian Orthodox and Old Believers, Protestants) is presented. Certain features of Christian universalism in Sheptytsky’s interpretation are revealed, including the concept of «Christian people» as one of the occurrences of the Christian world at the national level. A conclusion about the most important priority in the activities of Metropolitan Andrey is drawn. It is concluded that the most important priority in the activities of Metropolitan Andrey was the desire to unite all Christians. He had an idea of how this process might develop. The main role was assigned to the Russian Orthodox Church, which, in his opinion, should have realized its unity with the Catholic Church.

<i>Peregrinatio:</i> Migrants and Migration in Christian History

A book review essay of Migration and the Making of Global Christianity by Jehu J. Hanciles (Eerdmans, 2021).

Gender Gaps in World Christianity: Membership, Participation, and Leadership

This article presents findings from recent research that nuances gender gaps in World Christianity utilizing quantitative data on religious membership, participation, and leadership. The article outlines the assumptions and theories undergirding this project on global gender inequalities by utilizing data from the United Nations and World Economic Forum. It then presents original research that produced gendered data on church membership, participation, and leadership around the world, drawing from the World Christian Database, Pew Research Center, and World Values Survey. These data are put into conversation with national level gender gap data in Mongolia, Israel, Estonia, and Ghana to provide country-level examples of how data can be used to shed light on women’s challenges and opportunities both in society and the church. Without comprehensive quantitative data on women's experiences around the world, it is difficult to know what problems exist and how they can be addressed. Data from this project can be applied contextually to address the gendered dynamics of church life and interrogate unequal social norms that perpetuate women’s overlooked status in churches and societies worldwide.

Shaping Identity

This essay examines the formation of national identity in Azerbaijan during the early twentieth century through an analysis of works by Azerbaijani authors. This period was a crucial time for the country as it faced significant historical changes that challenged its sense of identity. Azerbaijan was situated between the Islamic and Christian worlds and had been under the control of the Russian Empire for many decades, making the search for national identity difficult. The essay analyzes the writings of two prominent Azerbaijani thinkers, Kurban Said and Ahmed bey Aghaoghlu, to reveal the main tendencies in Azerbaijani society during this period. The authors’ suggestions for building a better society serve as insights into the tendencies and atmosphere at that important time. The essay argues that these works may chronicle the formation of the national identity during a historically obscured time when the Soviet regime erased all traces of identity issues. The study draws on Benedict Anderson’s concept of imagined communities, which emphasizes the role of discourse and media in forming and transforming national identities. The essay discusses the importance of understanding national identity in crucial historical periods and how it aids in the process of its formation. Finally, the essay provides historical context on Azerbaijan’s situation at the beginning of the twentieth century, including its short-lived independence, the influence of diverse cultural, ethnic, and religious values, and the challenges of Russian domination, cultural restrictions, and falsification of historical facts.

From Text to Relics: The Emergence of the Scribe-Martyr in Late Antique Christianity (Fourth Century–Seventh Century)

Abstract: This paper delves into the conflation of two prominent figures of authority in the early Christian world: the scribe-scholar and the martyr. While previous scholarship has largely examined these figures separately, this study focuses on their association and argues that they were meaningfully combined to establish a new form of textual authority. The motif of the scribe-martyr is explored in a series of Christian texts, from Pseudo-Pionius to John Moschus and late ancient hagiographic texts, tracing its origins to the fourth century. This development emerged from the growing association between the authority of written texts as physical objects and the rise of the cult of saints and their relics. In parallel with Foucault’s concept of the author-function, a distinct Christian “scribe-function” emerged within this context, i.e., discourses of authority, fictitious or historical, involving the individuals who reproduced or corrected texts. The paper posits that the motif of the scribe-martyr was then strategically employed in legal, scholarly, and institutional contexts to express faithfulness, resistance, authorization, and legitimation. As a result, this conflation contributed significantly to the attribution of holiness and authority to texts, sacred places, and religious institutions. Thus, the scribe-martyr, connected to the revered relic-texts, assumed a particularly potent role as a figure of theological authority within late ancient Christianity.

Relocating World Christianity

Relocating World Christianity

Revelation and Communion: A Contextual Theological Approach to Diversity and Dialogue in World Christianity

Abstract Theology in world Christianity not only features theological discourse that scrutinizes the colonial legacy of Christianity, pointing out the ways in which Christian doctrines are cast in colonial power, but also presents theology from the indigenous concerns to appropriate the Christian faith. Nonetheless, the present challenge to doing theology in world Christianity extends to not only making Christianity a dialogic-livable faith but also sustaining the relationship between universality and indigeneity. This article grapples with the task of decolonizing revelation, salvation, and dialogue in world Christianity using the insights from Ecclesiam Suam (1964) and Elochukwu Uzukwu’s wholeness-oriented approach to revelation and diversity. Particularly, it reexamines the meaning of salvation in the context of a narrative and proposes that the indigenous approaches could overcome the hurdles—not reinscribe highly problematic relations between the so-called center and margins through inculturation and contextual theology—taking note that theological discourse on revelation and salvation stands in need of scrutiny.

Beyond the One: Toward a Multireligious Framework for the Study of World Christianity

Abstract In recent decades, numerous analytical and conceptual discourses have arisen in support of a shift toward comparative and multireligious frameworks for the study of religion. These include critiques of conventional mono-religious approaches to the anthropology of religion, vibrant discussions around comparative theology and multiple religious belonging, and the emergence of interreligious studies as a field. This article explores these and similar scholarly shifts in relation to the field of world Christianity. The aims are to bring these discussions to bear on the work of world Christianity scholars and to argue that world Christianity would do well to engage them as a way of solidifying its grounding in religions beyond Christianity.

The Holy Spirit as “the Gift” in Charles Nyamiti's Trinitarian Theology: A Pentecostal-Lutheran Dialogical Perspective

This article starts from the theology of the Tanzanian-born Charles Nyamiti (1931–2020), as one of the most creative in his generation of African theologians. Nyamiti proposed that ancestral veneration is a foundational human relationship which reflects divine realities. Thus, he proposed an understanding of the Trinity where the Father is the Ancestor, the Son is the Descendant, and the Holy Spirit is the mutual Oblation connecting the two. Because an ancestor does not exist as an ancestor without sacred ritual communication, the Holy Spirit becomes thus absolutely necessary for the Godhead. We maintain that Nyamiti's ancestral approach describes an African logic of gift-giving. Translating his theological contribution into gift-language preserves the theological insights while solving some of the logical problems with the ancestral imaginary, such as how the Father who never died is supposed to be the Ancestor. Through gift-language, Nyamiti's theological insights, which are based on African relational ontologies, become more readily applicable in World Christianity and have potential to transform ecumenism into a vibrant and inclusive embodied pneumatic action for abundant life. In other words, Nyamiti's theological heritage invites theologians to envision Christian faith beyond the confines of Hellenistic-based philosophy.

Civilizational Identity and the Identity Politics Agenda: Russian Priorities in a Transforming World Order

The author offers a brief overview of the field of identity studies in political research with a focus on the significance of civilizational identity as a key concept relevant for evaluating the dynamics of political identity and the priorities of political agenda setting in a radically transforming world. The paper outlines a conceptual framework for understanding civilizational identity and assesses its role in forming the discursive power of the state and in promoting a development policy agenda. This agenda is activated by identity politics promoted by the state and other political actors to construct and uphold an array of politically significant identities which are important for social cohesion and for implementing national development goals. Correlating tradition and innovation in the social sphere is an important priority for consistent development policies. Russia has longstanding traditions of promoting a civilizational discourse reflecting her place in the Christian world and in the dialogue of cultures and civilizations, with a focus on the pivotal role of the state in social development. The research methodology is based on approaches developed in the field of identity studies. These include both the assessment of identity transformations as changing notions of the self in relation to politics in a fluid social and political environment and the implications these perceptions of societal realities have for current social policies and for promoting political change.

Age of the Spirit: Charismatic Renewal, the Anglo-World, and Global Christianity, 1945–1980, written by John Maiden

Age of the Spirit: Charismatic Renewal, the Anglo-World, and Global Christianity, 1945–1980, written by John Maiden

Religiosity, Economic Growth and Development Dynamics: An International Perspective

This study examines the relationship between religiosity and economic growth as an indicator of modernization. It also examines the relationship between religiosity and various dimensions of development such as educational attainment, mortality rate, and urbanization. To this end, average country-level data from 6 different survey waves of the World Values Survey, spanning the period 1989-2022, and various data sources, including the World Christian Encyclopedia, Religion and State Project, Penn World Table, World Development Indicators are utilized. The analyses include a maximum of 108 countries. The ongoing secularization paradigm is experienced differently in each society, depending on the predominance of religious belief and societal characteristics, including the degree of cultural and social diversity. The Seemingly Unrelated Regression method is employed to address the potential problem of correlation between the error terms of the regressions utilizing different religiosity indicators. Estimates indicate that religiosity is negatively associated with economic growth, the presence of a state religion and religious pluralism, while it is positively associated with state regulation of the religious market. Education, which is one of the most fundamental indicators of development, is positively correlated with religiosity. Nevertheless, the most characteristic indicator of modernization and development, urbanization, is negatively related to religiosity.

The role of the Church during the First War of Scottish Independence

The work examines the actions taken by the Scottish Church during the First War of Scottish Independence (1296– 1328), as well as the preliminary period starting from 1286. The main objectives are to determine the direct role of the Scottish clergy in diplomatic and political activities, to assess the impact on the national liberation movement, as well as to study the position of the Scottish Church in the Christian world at the end of the First War of Independence. Great attention is given to the propaganda activities of the bishops, as well as the relationship of the secular and spiritual authorities with the Roman Church before and after 1302. The transformation of the position and structure of the Scottish Church in relation to the Roman See and the entire Christian world, both legally and spiritually, is analyzed.

Reading the Prioress’s Tale as Recovery Romance, or The Tale of a Prioress, a Sniper, and the Cross-Temporal Weaponization of Empathy

ABSTRACT This article argues that the Prioress’s Tale harnesses several narrative elements endemic to a genre of late medieval crusades fantasy—“recovery romance”—in order to weaponize the empathy of its intra- and extratextual audiences. Complementing arguments that have linked the Prioress’s Tale to blood libels abundant in late medieval England, the author contends that the tale borrows from these stories, and specifically from recovery romances, because of their commitment to fantasies of global Christian supremacy achieved through war and genocide. Discerning the link between recovery romance and Chaucer’s tale allows us to reckon fully with the implications of the tale’s Asiatic location and antisemitism. The film American Sniper (2014) provides a contemporary point of comparison.