Christian Community Research Articles

Multicultural Worship in the Song of Zechariah and Contemporary Christian Worship

This article explores the ethics of “speaking” the artistic languages or idioms of diverse cultures in the earliest Christian communities. This article presents a key New Testament text, the Song of Zechariah (the Benedictus in Luke 1:68–79), as a poetic text meant for communal performance and examines that cultural phenomenon through the lens of “musical caring” to examine the meaning such a poetic phenomenon has for modern Christian life and worship. First, I will briefly summarize the evidence for the Song of Zechariah as a lyrical poem containing the artistic “multilingualism” of both Hebrew and Greek poetic idioms. Then, I will assess such an artistic communal expression in its first-century context with Myrick’s concept of musical caring, broadened to allow for uncertainty of the Song of Zechariah’s first-century performance methods. Finally, I will consider the twenty-first-century implications or lessons from such care and inclusivity in the first century.

Analysis of Immanuel Kant's Authentic Theodicy After Tropical Cyclone Seroja in Tunbaun

The current research aims to understand the concept of Immanuel Kant’s authentic theodicy in the Christian community of Tunbaun Village, Amarasi District, Kupang Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province after the tropical cyclone Seroja in 2021. The methodology used is qualitative research with descriptive methods that present research results in clear and detailed words based on qualitative data. The author then uses literature review results, observations, and interviews, and synthesizes the context of authentic theodice of the local community to produce the following findings: (1) Suffering due to natural disasters strengthens the moral values of society; (2) Growing hope for post-disaster life recovery; and (3) Christian community complaints to God as a result of their suffering arising through certain projections. Keywords: Immanuel Kant’s authentic theodice, reflections on suffering, Tunbaun Village community post-disaster

Exemplifying the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) in Fostering Peaceful Co-Existence among Christians and Muslims in Nigeria

In the last three decades, most of the major conflicts in Nigeria are centered on ethnicity and religion. Fundamental Muslims and Christians or moderate (liberal) Muslims and adherents of African Indigenous Religions have wrecked a lot of havoc in Nigeria. In many cases, religious leaders and politicians have manipulated these conflicts for political and economic gains. These conflicts have resulted in the death of several thousands of people and loss of unquantifiable amount of money and property. Various attempts by government, individuals, religious and other interest groups on resolving the lingering and hydra-headed crisis have not yielded holistic and desirable result. Some scholarly articles have been written to proffer solutions to Nigeria's ethno-religious crisis; these include research on interfaith dialogue, social integration, sustainable communal developments, the impact of ethno- religious crisis on the security, economy and sociopolitical stability of the country. However, the exemplary nature of loving, empathizing, accepting, accommodating and living with one’s known or perceived enemies have not been adequately explored with religious hindsight. This paper therefore considers the exemplary character of the “Good Samaritan” in the parable of Jesus Christ (Luke 10:25-37) as a spring board for peaceful co-existence between Christians and people of other faiths in Nigerian multicultural contexts, particularly the Muslims. Exegetical and historical methods are used; the Theoretical Framework is premised on Eisenberg Pro-social Behaviour theory, which is defined as voluntary behaviour intended to benefit another (Eisenberg, 1986). Findings reveal that Nigeria has been wracked by periodic violent clashes between political, ethnic and religious groups since the second half of the 20th century. Reasons for these clashes vary from one locality to another but they are mostly motivated by religious, social, economic and political disputes. Conclusively, exemplifying the teaching of Jesus Christ on love for one's neighbour in the parable of the "Good Samaritan" here proposed first to the Christian community gives a new hope on the quest for peace in Nigeria and re-orientation for Christians and their Muslim neighbours. It is recommended therefore that both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria should leverage on the “Good Samaritan’s” peace accord to one’s neghbour proposed by Jesus Christ without prejudice or stereotyping one another.

Ethical Accompaniment and End-of-Life Care

Abstract A theology of accompaniment offers insights on how to journey with and be present to those who suffer from terminal illness. In order to sustain acts of accompaniment, the companion must cultivate specific virtues through prayer and the practices of the Christian community. This ethic of accompaniment is based on a Thomistic conceptualization of the virtues of charity and fortitude. These virtues enable the companion to engage in four types of practices with and on behalf of the dying patient. Ethical accompaniment offers the following contributions to end-of-life care, the companion can function as a healthcare proxy, offers a viable alternative to physician-assisted suicide, and overcomes the loss of meaning associated with death through the Christian narrative.

Character Education and Strategic Consideration in the Christian Community

Character Education and Strategic Consideration in the Christian Community

Biblical reconciliation: Preaching unity in the face of Christian nationalism and political schism

The post-Obama era in the United States has been marked by a deepening political divide, particularly within the Christian community, influenced by Christian nationalism and its entanglement with evangelical theology. This article examines the roots of this divide, tracing its origins to the fusion of White evangelical identity with national identity and the politicization of evangelical beliefs. Drawing on 2 Cor 5:10-20, the article explores the apostle Paul’s emphasis on Christ’s reconciling love and the believer’s role as ambassador of reconciliation. Analyzing the impact of divisive identity politics and ideological polarization on the unity of the Christian community, the article proposes a return to preaching the transformative power of Christ’s love to disentangle believers from political schisms while nurturing unity. The ministry of reconciliation is not merely a theoretical concept but a practical imperative for actively bridging divides and sharing the message of unity in Christ. Through a radical shift in perspective, focusing on Christ’s love rather than ideological positions, a Gospel-centered approach enables navigating political tensions and fosters unity within the body of Christ. Ultimately, preaching unity amid political schisms is not only a theological mandate but essential for embodying the transformative message of the Gospel in a divided world.

The Implications of the Russo-Ottoman War of 1877-1878 on the Muslim Minorities in Bulgaria: Reports from the British Documents

The Russo-Ottoman war that broke out in 1877-1878 was aimed at solving the issue of Ottoman administration in the Balkans, especially regarding the alleged weakness of the Ottoman administration over the Christian people in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Ironically, the war had a more significant impact on Muslims in the Balkans, especially in Bulgaria, than the solution to the issue in Bosnia-Herzegovina. This article analyzes on how the war has had implications on the Muslim minority population in Bulgaria. This article uses a qualitative method approach which involves the content analysis of British official documents and records collected from the British National Archives and the University of London from the School of Slavonic and East European Studies. The findings proved that the Russo-Ottoman War of 1877 was not intended to give justice to the Christian community under the Ottoman empire but was a strategy of the Russia and Bulgarian governments to carry out ethnic cleansing on the Muslim minority in Bulgaria. The implication of this war led to widespread oppression and mass expulsion of the Muslim population in Bulgaria, resulting in significant demographic changes and a prolonged humanitarian crisis. For future research, it is suggested that an in-depth examination be conducted on the roles and positions of other European powers in the Russo-Ottoman conflict of 1877, particularly regarding their attitudes and reactions towards the fate of the Muslim population in Bulgaria.

MENYINGKAP CINTA KASIH ALLAH PASCA TRAGEDI SITUBONDO 10 OKTOBER 1996 DALAM PERSPEKTIF TEKS NABI YOЁL 2:23-27

This research examines the efforts to capture God's love after the tragedy of the Situbondo riots, East Java, on October 10, 1996. The people of Situbondo and even the whole of Indonesia were shocked by the destruction and burning of 24 churches in the Situbondo area. The destruction and burning of churches in Situbondo began with the trial of Mohammad Soleh (Muslim). Soleh was a young man accused of spreading heresy and insulting the Islamic teachings of K.H. As'sad Syamsul Arifin, who is highly respected by the people of Situbondo. The court verdict that was too light for the masses caused Situbondo to become a sea of fire. This research uses a qualitative approach with a literature study. The theoretical framework used is the story of the Prophet Joel in his letter (Yl 2:23-27) about God's love for the Israelites after experiencing various disasters and other supporting sources. The results showed that the value of love was realized through the initiative of the Christian community (both Catholics and Protestants) by building dialogue between the two camps, both the majority group (Islam) and the minority group so as to create a tolerant situation between the two and thus, the relationship that had been tenuous could be restored.

The other side of the coin: do the benefits of being a Christian postgraduate at a secular university in England contribute to student wellbeing?

ABSTRACT The mental-health crisis in higher education affects postgraduate students around the world, anxiety, depression and non-belonging being significant issues in this population. The positive relationships between faith and mental health and wellbeing are widely researched, yet little connection has been made between student mental health and religiosity. Half of postgraduate students in the UK identify with a religion or spirituality – exploring the benefits of faith on student mental health is vital. In this mixed methods case study, analysing 75 online survey responses and 17 interviews with and about Christian postgraduates at a red-brick university in England found that being a student of faith is a mixed experience. On the one hand, Christian students face various challenges on a secular campus, which may negatively affect their mental health and belonging, such as stereotyping, feeling counter-cultural and invisibility. Yet, personal faith and Christian communities provide a number of benefits to students, who reported that having faith significantly supports their mental health, gives them meaning and purpose and their belonging is facilitated by ready-made communities (e.g. churches). These advantages directly benefit both the students and their university, through providing pastoral and mental health support and potentially contributing to student retention.

The First Apocalypse of James in a Socio-Linguistic Perspective: Three Greek and Coptic Versions from Ancient Monastic Egypt

The discovery of the Nag Hammadi Codices (NHC) in 1945 rates as one of the two most profound occurrences for Biblical archaeology and interpretation during the last hundred years, along with the Dead Sea Scrolls (1946–1956). The codices allow us to document Christian monastic culture, gnostic Christianity and gnostic offshoots in the desert climate of Late Ancient Egypt. The recovery of the related Codex Tchacos (CT) brought further excitement for contemporary readers by 2006, it being sensational that narratives of “Judas the betrayer” and “doubting Thomas” were found in the whole collection of writings. The text named the [First] Apocalypse of James, significantly, was found to be in both NHC and CT in different Coptic versions (from near the sacred sites of Chenoboskion and El Minya), but yet another more fragmentary version in Greek had turned up much earlier among the huge cache of papyri found at Oxyrhynchus (also, like the other places, on the banks of the Nile). Given the opportunity for comparison, what distinguishes the three versions? Does comparative analysis better tell us what this ancient text is about? Does the strong presence of Gnostic Christian insights in the Coptic texts still imply a historical Jamesian community is being honoured? This paper concentrates on three comparable passages in the three versions that apparently contain historical memories of James and his followers. It works on the reasonable hypothesis that the Greek version of Oxyrhynchus Papyri (P.Oxy. 5533) (hereafter = PO) is prior and read with different purposes than the two Coptic translated versions of CT (CT 2.10–30) and NHC (NHC V,3. 24–44). When a critical approach, involving a socio-linguistic comparison, is applied, we will see that the three versions of the text were not directly related to each other, but that narratives about James the Just were available to desert monastics from the second century CE. The paper argues for a literal transmission of traditions from a Jewish Christian community around James into Egypt, that the textual figure of James in the Oxyrhynchus fragments points to a ‘mutual familiarity’ between PO and CT, while the NHC tradition of James has been further elaborated by processes of compilation and addition.

Towards an eco-practical theology: An eschatological horizon of true hope

The ecological crisis in the world necessitates the reconfiguration of the hegemony of modern science, theology, politics, economics and technology – the root cause of a pending ecological catastrophe. The aim is to redress a growing culture of apathy in the context of devastating weather conditions, social and political discord, and unrelenting violent wars. Public theology serves as a conceptual framework with transversal rationality as an interlocutor between the different theological (systematic, ethics, pastoral care and eco-theology), religious and philosophical perspectives. The theological ontology of care is presented followed by the role of communities of critical prophetic discourse. The notion of earth as a community leads to the prospect of a new eco-theology. Finally, the pending ecological catastrophe is reconceptualised in and through Christian eschatology. This is an inter- and intra-disciplinary discussion on the disastrous consequences of modernity and anthropocentric behaviour in terms of the current environmental crisis. Various scholars offer valuable insights into what the problem is, who responsible is for the environmental crisis, and how Christian communities should forge an accountability of care for the earth and vulnerable human beings. The eschatological reality of God’s preferred future remains a constant of hopeful and sustainable life in the Anthropocene age. It is recommended that we change the way we exist by transforming modernity as developed and sustained through theology, socio-political, economic and technological ‘advances’.Contribution: This article focussed on the ecological crisis because of anthropocentrism and distorted theological, political and socio-economic paradigms to serve human interests despite the consequences for the earth. We need to reconfigure interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary scientific approaches to embrace earth as a key scientific interlocutor. The ecological crisis should be conceptualised within the reality of Christian eschatology – Jesus Christ is ultimately, the eschaton.

Is it an Impossible Task? Exploring the Lived Experiences of Christian Parents With Young Children in the UK

Despite recognition that the early years are foundational for child development and that parents are significant influencers on a child’s spiritual development, little research has considered parental approaches to passing on faith to young children. Guided by frameworks of sociocultural theory and viewing parents as funds of knowledge, this exploratory, qualitative study involved an online survey of 71 self-identified Christian parents in the UK with children under 5 years. The results were analysed using thematic analysis to identify themes in the data. The findings indicate that Christian parents want to support their child’s spiritual development and that they find rhythms, routines, and sharing faith in everyday moments of life helpful for doing so. The project found support for parents to be varied and suggests that churches and the wider Christian community ought to intentionally evaluate the support they provide for parents and the approaches they have for doing so.

Impact of Elevated Screen Time on School-Age Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analytical Study.

The rise in digital technology use, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, has heightened concerns about extended "screen time" (ST) among adolescents. Excessive screen use is linked to negative physical and cognitive effects, yet digital media also offers educational and social advantages. Cultivating healthy digital habits is crucial as technology continues to evolve. Thiscross-sectional studywas conducted betweenJuly and August 2022 amongschool-going adolescents and a total of 221 participants were assessed through questionnaires, employing statistical analysis. In the current study, all participants fell within the 16-18 year age group, with 114 (51.6%) being male and 107 (48.4%) female. The majority 209 (94.5%) identified as Hindu, while the rest were from Muslim and Christian communities. Most participants, both male and female, resided in urban areas, 140 (63.3%) were pursuing Class 12, and73 (33.1%) were pursuing Class 11. Mobile phones were the most commonly owned devices, followed by desktops or laptops and tablets. Males generally spend more time on these devices than females. Notably, 168 (76.01%) adolescents exceeded the recommended 2-hour daily screen time limit set by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), with92 (80.7%) males more likely to do so than 76 (71%) females. The study found a significant link between increased screen time, reduced physical activity, and academic performance, while no association was observed for behavioral risk factors. There is increased digital device use among youth, with many exceeding recommended screen time limits, particularly males. This was significantly linked to reduced physical activity and academic decline, highlighting the need for further research and balanced digital use.

Manuscript Mystique

Abstract The following study takes its cue from a body of literature that seeks to challenge the academic discourse on “religion” as transcendent, irreducible, and unique – sui generis. Naturally, a sui generis conception of religion also views religion’s objects through a lens of transcendence and divine authority. These objects possess immense meaning potential and act as social mediators in particular social contexts. In both ancient and modern times, early Christian manuscripts are examples of such religious objects. They are evidence of the literary practices of early Christians and are windows into their social contexts, reflecting how these believers navigated their socio-cultural realities. Modern scholars often use these manuscripts as evidence to postulate the existence of homogeneous Christian communities who created these texts for their theological upliftment. However, are such postulations supported by the material evidence? This paper examines one case study where 𝔓72 has been propped up as a witness to the presence of a coherent unified proto-orthodox Christian community in the fourth century CE in Egypt. The following research concludes that extant evidence points to a socio-religious context in Egypt during this period that was remarkably complex; as such, the existence of such a community cannot be supported.

Whiteness, Innocence, and Childhood in the Prioress’s Tale and Its Devotional Milieu

ABSTRACT This article draws on recent scholarship in premodern critical race theory and the history of childhood to argue that in the Prioress’s Tale, whiteness signifies innocence and describes innocent bodies. In the tale, the color white gains its meaning from its contexts in devotional and antisemitic literature in which it evokes milk and breastfeeding, which in turn evokes a complex set of ideas about heredity and learned culture. By referencing this tangle of meanings around whiteness, the Prioress’s Tale resituates Christian anxieties about the nature and value of childish innocence into the genre of the antisemitic miracle, whose primary anxieties are focused on the coherence of the Christian body and the Christian community. When the “white metaphors” of devotional literature move into an explicitly racial and racializing genre, they become part of race-making discourses of white Christianity or Christian whiteness.

The Fraternity of Milk: Sovereignty and Anthropotheophagy in Derrida’s Unpublished Seminar Manger l’autre (1989–1990)

Abstract In the unpublished seminars given in the United States and France between 1989–1991, Manger l’autre: Politiques de l’Amitié and Rhétoriques du Cannibalisme, Derrida analyzes the rhetorical function that the act of eating has in the Western tradition’s philosophical texts. In this paper I analyze the reading Derrida makes in those seminars of Saint Augustine’s Confessions, in order to show that they are entangled with a critique of political sovereignty. For Derrida, Augustine has a cogito of his own, which is a cogito du manger l’autre. Augustine’s formulation is “I think, eat and drink” (ego cogito, manduco et bibo), and Derrida understands it as a way of constituting both the self of the ego and the self of the community. The first form of Christian community configured through the intake of food is the fraternity of milk: infants that suck the same milk from the breast of their nurse or mother. The second configuration of the community is, of course, the sacrament of Eucharist, in which the body of the father is divided (partagé) among the brothers. I show how the analysis Derrida makes of Augustine in these seminars is a way of deconstructing the very concept of community and its relation to sovereignty. This is attempted by Derrida through the problem of jealousy: the brothers of milk will always be jealous of each other, being themselves the condition for the breaking of the community and their sovereignty. But the second form of community is also threatened by food: since the holy wafer is an edible thing and the act of incorporation of food is really an act of theophagy.

Is there a place for young children in the modern-day UK church? Investigating approaches to faith nurture in the early years

ABSTRACT This phenomenological study examines lived experiences and perceptions of Christian parents of young children to investigate their approaches to faith activity and nurture and the extent to which this includes authenticity of welcome for young children in the modern-day church. Online survey data was analysed thematically through the lens of established theories regarding the nature of faith in the early years. Findings revealed that families with young children do wish to engage with their local church and wider Christian community, but often find existing approaches unsupportive and unhelpful. Significant adjustments are therefore required to church-led ethos and approaches to faith nurture to better serve the needs of young children. Recommendations are made for more flexibility and inclusivity within the church environment, enhanced partnership with parents, and greater church focus on co-constructing faith nurturing pathways within the home and church context to align more with relationships within the child’s microsystem.

Understanding the Christian Sacrament of Baptism: Perspectives of Some New Testament Personalities

Baptism is a sacrament that Christ established before His ascension. It symbolizes His death and resurrection, representing the unity of the baptized person with Christ and their acceptance into the body of Christ. This paper explores baptism in the New Testament (NT) by focusing on some specific personalities. The study shows that water baptism, as an outward act, serves as a reminder and symbol of God’s redeeming work through Jesus Christ for the salvation of humanity. Consequently, baptism unites us with Christ and invites us to be part of the Christian community. The study concludes that baptism is not an optional extra, but a command from our Lord Jesus Christ to all generations of believers, regardless of denomination, tribe, race, culture, or ethnicity. The study uses published textbooks, electronic books, and journal articles as secondary sources to examine baptism in the NT.

Agape and the Antichrist: Soteriological and Eschatological Masculinities in the Homilies of Wulfstan

ABSTRACT This article offers a focused analysis of the construction of masculinity as a byproduct of Wulfstan’s rhetoric in his Old English homilies. Wulfstan presents Christ and the Antichrist as the singular and physically embodied poles in a system of moral masculinity that is instrumental in shaping his representation of the wider Christian community. Wulfstan depicts the Antichrist as performing a seemingly attractive and powerful but ultimately hollow and fraudulent form of masculinity. This, in turn, means that the hegemonic form of masculinity practised by saints, disciples, and priests is atypically strongly characterised by watchfulness and vigilance as means of safeguarding against both deception and corruption.

High non-use of contraception among tribal and non-tribal women in North-Eastern India: alarming but neglected.

Limited evidence exists about the contraception uptake in indigenous tribal groups of the north-eastern region of India. This study based on the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) IV (2015-2016) reports aimed to describe the pattern and factors associated with contraceptive non-use in the tribal women of the north-eastern part of India. The study was a cross-sectional analytical study based on secondary analysis of NFHS-IV data. All women in the age group of 15-49 years from the north-eastern part of India were included. Data were extracted and analysed using modified STATA-14 software. The association of socio-demographic and economic characteristics with contraceptive non-use was assessed using logistic regression. The inter-group differences of population characteristics for non-use contraceptives were assessed by modified Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition technique using 'Fairlie decomposition'. A total of 65,941 women were included, of whom 34,936 (52.9%) were tribal women. The proportion of contraceptive non-use was higher in tribal women. Tribal women with age at marriage above 30 years, Christian community, and women from Assam and Manipur state had higher odds of contraceptive non-use. The decomposition analysis showed that geographical variations, parity, and Christian religion contributed the most to contraceptive use disparity in the population. A huge gap was observed in contraceptive non-use among tribal and non-tribal women in the north-eastern part of India. The healthcare system must involve community representatives in designing context-specific community-based initiatives to increase the uptake of contraceptive use in these remote vulnerable communities.