Christian Experience Research Articles

Mediated Immediacy and the Distinct Theological Contribution of Christian Experiences of God

Mediated Immediacy and the Distinct Theological Contribution of Christian Experiences of God

Symbolic Cohesion and Interpretive Freedom

Within contemporary Australian and Indonesian society, diverse cultural and religious expressions are celebrated to promote mutual understanding and tolerance. However, while such expressions are treated as symbolic of broader pluralist or liberal ideals, the interpretive dynamics of these traditions are rarely considered integral to shaping mainstream discourse on social cohesion. In this article, we consider two distinctive contexts of Indigenous and minority engagement with aspirations for unity in diversity, a concept that can encapsulate a range of responses to varied contexts, such as religious diversity or the need for interdependence within social organisation. Specifically, we explore Warlpiri Australian formulations of kinship through ngurru-kurlu and Indonesian Christian engagement with Pancasila. Showing the potential for these perspectives to enrich broader discourse on social cohesion, we suggest that similarities in the originating impetus of these frameworks can stimulate heuristic enquiry and critical reflexivity across diverse settings. While upholding distinctly localised traditions and experiences, intimations of gift in traditional Warlpiri ceremony and Christian experience underscore the importance of relational generosity to the embodiment of unity in diversity.

Reading Black Theology of Liberation in the African American Christian Experience of the 1900s–2000s

ABSTRACT Like other forms of theology, Black Theology emerges out of the critical thinking, reflection, and Christian practices of African American people. Theology is generally developed out of Christian people's experiences at different times. Since theology is not mentioned in the Bible, people would continue to formulate theologies using scripture to answer their theological questions. This article discusses African Americans’ questions, thinking, and reflection through their Christian experience and a few responses to Black Theology in the United States. Since the emergence of Black Theology, there have been questions and criticism raised by European theologians. This article reflects on a few of those questions to further examine the context and purpose of Black Theology.

The Christian experience on the confession of ‘Self’ in Kim Seung-ok"s “Life Practice” and the tendency of subjectfication of it

The Christian experience on the confession of ‘Self’ in Kim Seung-ok"s “Life Practice” and the tendency of subjectfication of it

Representations of Christianity in Chinese Independent Cinema: Gan Xiao’er’s Postsocialist Religious Critique

Representations of Christianity in contemporary Chinese cinema are very limited, making the scholarship of this subject underexplored. Filmmaker Gan Xiao’er has made three feature-length independent films focusing on Christianity in China. These films, The Only Sons (2003), Raised from Dust (2007), and Waiting for God (2012), are used for case studies, with close analyses of their narratives and formal elements. They are also examined in the social and cultural contexts of postsocialist China. This article argues that Gan’s religious features are significant in the context of postsocialist Chinese cinema. They not only depict the religious experience of Chinese Christians, which has been under-represented cinematically, but also provide a religious critique rarely seen in Chinese films. On the one hand, these films critically engage with the experience of underprivileged people during the Reform period, when economic development and materialism became dominant, while the socialist political system remained. Gan’s religious features provide an alternative perspective that cares for people’s spiritual needs. On the other hand, Gan’s later films interrogate the local religious institution in China, questioning the arbitrary separation of the ‘holy’ and the ‘unholy’, proposing a more inclusive approach to the religious concept of love.

Music And Philosophy In Relation To Christian Belief

This research explores the relationship between music and philosophy within the context of Christian faith. The research methodology employed is descriptive and qualitative, utilizing a hermeneutic approach that involves literature review, in-depth interviews, and qualitative analysis. The findings indicate that music, as an art form that utilizes sound, plays a significant role in expressing Christian faith, facilitating church worship, and fostering fellowship. Christian philosophy is the study of the nature of reality. It helps to understand the meaning of music in the context of Christian beliefs, examine aspects of music, and develop Christian theology. The Bible provides guidance on the role of music and philosophy in the Christian faith. Music and philosophy complement each other, enriching the religious experience of Christians and encouraging a deeper appreciation of both

The Faith of Christians in a Muslim Society: A Case Study of Nigeria

This study delves into the intricate dynamics of faith in a Muslim-majority society, with a focus on the Nigerian context. The research systematically explores the experiences of Christian witnessing and its repercussions, highlighting the challenges posed by ethno-religious conflicts. Additionally, it delves into the pervasive issue of persecution as a defining element of Christian witnessing, and investigates the factors contributing to religious violence in Nigeria. The central argument posits that, on the whole, Muslims have been more detrimental than beneficial to the coexistence with Christians, who, in contrast, have struggled to foster peaceful relations. The discourse surrounding the fate of Christians in a Muslim society is characterized by a singular perspective on Islam's perceived 'bloody corridors' and the escalating violence, leading some to view Christianity skeptically. The experiences of many Christians in Nigeria have created an environment where rhetoric tends to lean towards calls for revenge, often devoid of logical justification. The study reveals that the faith of Christians in Nigeria is seemingly in jeopardy. In light of these findings, the study advocates for religious tolerance and enlightenment as the primary solutions to safeguard the faith of Christians in Nigeria. It underscores the importance of fostering an environment where diverse religious beliefs can coexist harmoniously. The recommendations offered aim to promote understanding, tolerance, and dialogue between Christian and Muslim communities, with the ultimate goal of preserving the fabric of religious diversity in the nation. Keywords: Faith, Christianity, Islam, Society and Moslem Society

Religious Experiences, Expectations of Discrimination, and Distress Among Biracial Christians

Similar to their monoracial counterparts, Black–White biracial individuals experience negative psychological and social responses to discrimination and racial stigma, including experiencing fears of future discrimination (anticipated discrimination). Extending minority stress theory (MST) to the stigma-related experiences of Christians, a unique subgroup of the biracial population, this study assessed responses to future expectations of multiracial discrimination (FEMD; discrimination based upon biracial status) among a community sample of 199 Black–White biracial Christians. We hypothesized that various religious/spiritual experiences might moderate the association between FEMD and distress. Several moderation analyses were conducted evaluating the role of God-centered self-esteem, communion with God, and church support in moderating the association between FEMD and depression, anxiety, and stress. Church support moderated the association between FEMD and depression and stress in an unexpected direction. As participants’ FEMD increased, they reported more depression and stress symptoms, with more depressive and stress symptoms endorsed at medium and high levels of church support but not at low levels of church support. Furthermore, despite the lack of a moderating role in the association between FEMD and distress variables, communion with God demonstrated a negative association (a small effect) with depression, and God-centered self-esteem showed a negative association with depression (a medium effect) and anxiety (a small effect). Clinical implications and directions for future research are presented.

‘We too are human’: Religious experiences of gay and lesbian Christians in Harare

The issue of same-sex relationships is complex in Zimbabwe because of the prevailing hostile legal provisions, and cultural and religious beliefs. While it is a criminal offence to practise same-sex relationships in Zimbabwe, the Constitution of Zimbabwe does not tolerate any discrimination against people. The debate on same-sex relationships has been on spotlight in Zimbabwe since 1995 when the late former President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, disparaged same-sex relationships as not only unnatural and un-African, but also unchristian. The practice of same-sex relationships has since remained politicised in Zimbabwe and elsewhere within the African region and those practising it have often been discriminated against by society. This article used a qualitative methodology to explore the religious experiences of Christians in same-sex relationships in Harare, using insights from the notion of ubuntu. Field data were gathered through social media from purposively selected respondents who were living in same-sex relationships. Findings revealed that these people felt discriminated against and unsafe in their own churches. Based on these findings, it is argued that despite their respective views on same-sex relationships, the African church should respect the dignity of the people involved in these relationships, and should also create safe spaces for them.Contribution: The article promotes sensitivity to the needs of minority groups in the society and encourages the provision of appropriate guidance on how to deal with the phenomenon of same-sex relationships.

Fear and Self-Truth: Parrēsia in Augustine’s Doctrine of Emotions

Fear, as a kind of human emotion, has a close relation with the ancient Greek parrēsia since it can be rendered as “fearless speech.” To investigate this concept, Foucault brings the obligation to truth and the practices of confession of early Christians in late antiquity into the spotlight, from which Augustine is, however, almost absent. The reason Foucault excludes Augustine from his study, which, on the other hand, highlights Augustine’s particularity regarding the experience of parrēsia, is his attention to cordis affectus. This paper brings the perspective of emotion theory to bear on the study of Augustine’s practice of confession. The study is divided into three parts: First, I analyse the relationship between the self-truth and God, the Truth itself, with Foucault’s study of parrēsia of early Christianity, and draw attention to Augustine’s concern with the inner emotions in confession. Second, considering Augustine’s theory of emotions, I examine how fear relates to love and how fear functions in conversion through the power of the Holy Spirit. Finally, I explore how fear interacts with the disclosure and manifestation of the truth about the self in Augustine’s own conversion described in Book VIII of the Confessions. The study concludes that Augustine’s confession, a kind of parrēsia full of fear, is basically in line with the Christian experience of parrēsia in the ascetic tradition described by Foucault but that his focus on fear makes his practice of confession distinctive.

The Future of Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa

It would be presumptuous of me to say I am telling the future. This attempt is only an educated guess arising out of my own experience of the evolution of Christianity in the space under review, my memory of the shifts as I involved myself in the study of global Christianity from the epoch of the early church through to the modern ecumenical movement. Through all this I made it my business to focus on the area of the world in which God had placed me. One’s locus is critical for what one observes and what one hopes for. This concluding chapter is therefore anchored on what I have read in the preceding chapters of Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa as they illuminate my experience of Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa since 1940, when I became aware of my being part of this development. In fact I am, by this contribution, making a wish-list, expressing what I pray for and hope will come to pass. Most germane of all, it represents what I would like to be involved in if I had the requisite talents, and therefore what I would encourage those who have the gifts to undertake. But before I launch into this dream or vision, let me say how I see the landscape before us.

Roman Sword for the Traumatized Community: A Sociolinguistic Approach to Rom. 13:4

The article deals with the experience of first-century Christians traumatized by persecution, displacement, and other trials mentioned in the Epistle to Romans. Special attention is given to their expectations and the problem of justice. It is argued that the Apostle Paul’s pastoral approach to this problem has a strong eschatological aspect: he encouraged the suffering Roman believers to expect some expressions of God’s vengeance to be revealed during their lifetime. The Roman sword, mentioned in 13:4, can be seen as an instrument of God’s righteous wrath. This perception of human agency may be applicable (with some limitations) in the 21st-century context of Ukraine’s war for independence.

Teaching Christian Ethics Beyond Europe and North America: From a Postgraduate Research Seminar to a Theology of Listening

This article explores the process of teaching Christian theological ethics beyond the common focus on European and North American sources. In conversation with moves to decolonise university curricula, the article proposes a theology of listening, an example of a research seminar for master’s and doctoral students at the University of Aberdeen on Christian ethics beyond Europe and North America, and an exploration of broader challenges for the formation of the theologian. The article asks, what can we learn when we give up power and control when teaching and learning theology? How can we shift our methods of knowing and practising theology? We write as theologians from India, Mexico, and the United States living in the United Kingdom. We reflect on forms of exclusion in theological method and formation that arise from colonising, systemic violence, and inequalities. The article considers intercultural challenges when encountering different methods of reflection on the Christian experience. In a search for a more profoundly theological approach, we propose listening to the other as integral to doing theology. In an intercultural move, we draw on Dietrich Bonhoeffer's theology of listening, proposing that theology must be an advent of voices from beyond our usual places and methods.

Jesus Our healer: Experience of Christians in Indonesia

Jesus Our healer: Experience of Christians in Indonesia

Challenging the Integration of Youth, Faith, and Sports: Alternative Religious Beliefs and Assumptions

The sport/faith interface has long been a site of contention for religious youth who routinely experience two significant obstacles to living out their faith amidst the complexities of sporting locales. The first is a general problem that pertains to the character of adolescent spirituality and is typified by a subscription to a compromised, diluted religious belief system known as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD). The second concerns the way in which the Christian religion functions as a servant to sport and when the reality of the gospel becomes subordinate to the identity, power, and cultural meaning and norms of the institution of sports and is commonly termed ‘sportianity’. This paper maps the contours of a high school retreat for Christian student-athletes—Baylor University’s Faith and Sports Institute (FSI) retreat- that intentionally seeks to address these problems. The paper is theological in that we interpret MTD as a religious belief system and how it structures and orients reality and the lived experiences of Christians in general and religious youth in particular. As contributors to the original design of the retreat, we unpack some of the relevant working cultural and religious presuppositions that have the potential to dominate how Christians think about and practice the integration of faith and sports. In turn, we explain key aspects of the baseline narrative for the design and development of the retreat and tease out how these presuppositions are antithetical to orthodox Christianity. In conclusion, we suggest a number of immediate implications that frame how the FSI retreat has moved forward in relation to the integration of Christian faith and sports.

THE HISTORICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL AND THEOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF ORTHODOXY IN THE CREATIVE HERITAGE OF P. YEVDOKIMOV

The article provides a general overview of the philosophical and epistemological vision of P. Yefremov’s views on the Orthodox worldview. The subject field of onto­gnoseological, methodological and anthropological components of P. Yevdokimov’s worldview position is outlined. The position of the thinker regarding the philosophical and theological components of the genesis of Orthodox doctrine is determined. P. Yevdokimov’s attempts to define the peculiarities of epistemological traditions of human cognition of the animal world and non­commodity God in the Eastern branch of Christianity are emphasized. The author analyzes the thinker’s reflections on the relationship between denominations in Christianity on the basis of ancient Greek philosophy and the theological tradition of the first five centuries. The author emphasizes the special role of Jewish and Byzantine cultures, as well as the teachings of Plato and Aristotle in this process. The eschatological characterization of Christianity in the views of P. Yevdokimov as a basis for understanding the mystical and sacred nature of the Creator’s dialogue with man and the world was considered. The issues of the methodological dimension of human cognitive capabilities are highlighted on the example of apophatic and cataphatic ways of comprehending the image of God. A descriptive and comparative analysis of these methods is carried out, their weaknesses and strengths are highlighted, as well as the impact of these methods on the Orthodox culture of thinking in general. P. Yvdokimov’s desire to point out the mystical and sacred nature of the dialogue between man and the Creator in the Christian worldview is emphasized. The author traces the creative attempts of the French thinker to include in his analysis a number of new concepts and their author’s content, which form our understanding of the semantic image of his philosophy. The author emphasizes the special philosophical status of man (as a subject of cognition) in the cognitive element of the human spirit, as a witness, commentator, participant and interpreter. The problem of love is revealed through an epistemological component, the important elements of which are the concepts of «heart» and «asceticism». This emphasizes the role of the monastic experience of Christianity in the formation of the Orthodox tradition of thinking. P. Yevdokimov’s view on a special way of interpreting the Holy Scriptures and the patristic heritage – through feelings, as a form of exegesis, which the thinker calls «the instincts of Eastern Orthodoxy» is studied.

The Loss of the Sense of Sin and the Arrogance of Life: Challenges for Today’s Evangelization

At the beginning of 2014, during his morning meditations, Pope Francis, when referring to a famous phrase by Pius XII, stated that losing the sense of sin is the evil of this civilisation, an evil that strengthens Christian mediocrity and is inversely proportional to directing attention towards – and constructing – the Kingdom of God among men. The categories of sense of sin and sense of guilt, at least in theory and without generalisations, become understandable in the context of the Christian experience and the ecclesial consciousness; yet, when the human horizon is extended, the two concepts do not find a right to citizenship because the question is not even raised. The children and creators of contemporary culture, the men and women of our time, although directed towards the Kingdom of God, are strongly influenced by the global and plural secularist mentality, and this has a negative impact on their attitudes, behaviour and expressions of their existence. The Church, both within herself and outside herself, poses to herself the question of how she can redirect the expressions of this unprecedented anthropology towards Gospel values. The problem is not so much how to bring to the surface the sense of guilt and sin but, rather, how to restore or generate faith in the hearts of men. Effective evangelisation has the task of bringing back the Gospel into men’s hearts and educating in a sense of God so that contemporary man can have a higher paradigm (God) on which to base himself.

Transformation and Annihilation: Emmanuel Falque and Søren Kierkegaard on the Dialectic of Philosophy and Theology

AbstractIn his recent work Hors phénomène, Emmanuel Falque identifies the Danish thinker Søren Kierkegaard as both a progenitor and exemplifier of his account of the way philosophy becomes more rigorously itself through an encounter with theology. However, this article challenges the affinity Falque claims to share with Kierkegaard. It argues instead that there is a fundamental philosophical discrepancy underlying their respective treatments of the encounter between philosophy and theology: the nature of the dialectic and their respective positions in it. By exploring Falque's and Kierkegaard's diverging uses of the metaphor of ‘crossing the Rubicon’, the article demonstrates that where Kierkegaard stresses the military sense of the metaphor, depicting the relationship between the two disciplines as that between two armies seeking the annihilation of the other, Falque precisely abstracts from this military sense, letting the expression instead become a metaphor for a mutually beneficial transformative encounter. However, when considered more profoundly, we argue that this annihilation is itself a Christian experience out of which Falque's transformation is born. Ultimately, we conclude that Falque and Kierkegaard are both trying to conceive of the relationship between philosophy and theology according to a somewhat similar structure, namely, the quantitative intensification of one discipline by way of its qualitative differentiation from the other.

Natura drogi oświecenia według o. Pawła Ogórka OCD

The path of enlightenment consists imitating of Jesus by practicing the virtues, especially the supernatural ones. The condition for this development of virtues is a some purity of heart. Man has to put his passions in order and fight with his major weaknesses. Then comes self-control, order in everyday life, deep conviction of the truths of faith, and more time to talk with the Lord during prayer. To achieve this state, a Christian must to pass a process of passive purification, which leads him into the mystical life. All imperfections must be removed. Therefore, God’s intervention is needed, which is expressed through special inspirations. Then the gifts of the Holy Spirit enable us to receive them. The Christian experiences passive purifications of senses and of spirit. This state can be compared to the purification of the senses. The purification of the soul is compared to the purification of gold in a crucible. In this state, prayer develops from meditation to emotional prayer. The Christian must therefore remove the obstacles in the development of prayer.

«Живая религия» и «вернакулярная религия». Проблема концептуализации терминов

The conceptual network used in modern religious studies is being constantly updated and supplemented with new terms, while “classical” concepts are undergoing semantic shifts as well. This paper is focused on the history of the notions of lived religion and vernacular religion, which entered the scientific lexicon in the late 20th century. Both terms relate to the study of everyday life and its philosophical understanding and are based on extensive empirical research as well as anthropological data. The concepts of lived religion and vernacular religion were proposed by scholars as an alternative to the traditional and widespread binary schemes for describing religion, which contrast the high/low, elite/folk and institutionalized/non-institutionalized forms of religion. The genesis and spread of these concepts reflected the general trend, which consists in refraining from applying a uniform Western European model and denominational theological discourse to the variable phenomena of religious experience. The term lived religion, which originated in memoirs and biographical literature, characterized the personal experience of Christians, extending to the daily religious practices of various traditions. Vernacular religion goes back to the Latin word vernaculus, which had been used to describe something native, local, domestic and, later, to distinguish the local language from the official Latin. The term was proposed by philologists to solve religious problems of studying unorganized, spontaneous, everyday and individual forms of manifestation of religion. Currently, both terms are being successfully used, including in Russian scientific discourse, in religious studies on various phenomena of materialization, kitsch, gender and many other aspects of religion.