Church History Research Articles

Interview with Prof. Piet Meiring

Professor Piet Meiring was born in Johannesburg in 1941. He studied at the University of Pretoria, and at the Free University, Amsterdam. He was ordained to the ministry of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) in 1968 and served in three congregations in Pretoria. His academic career includes the chair in Missiology and Church History, University of the North (Turfloop); a parttime lectureship at the University of South Africa.

“А Supervisory Type of Thing”: the Establishment and Impact of the Latter-Day Saint Mission in Postcolonial Southeastern Nigeria

This article analyzes the challenges that confronted the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in establishing its official mission in southeastern Nigeria following the 1978 Priesthood Revelation, and the impact of its mission strategy on the religious and daily life of Nigerian adherents. The emergence of unofficial LDS congregations in Nigeria between the late 1940s and 1970s required the LDS Church to abandon its traditional mission focus on proselytization, and instead develop a strategy of supervision–a strategy geared towards appointing and training local church leaders, teaching adherents to be proper Latter-day Saints, and integrating congregations in the administrative hierarchy. Using documentary records and oral histories archived at the LDS Church History Library and L. Tom Perry Special Collections, this article highlights the reciprocal impact of cross-cultural encounters and the shortcomings of the LDS Church’s missionary training programs.

St John’s Parish in Cape Town and a history of the lived spatial justice acts: 1956–2020

St John’s is an Anglican parish in the city of Cape Town. Its six member churches are in the southern suburbs of the city. In its history as a parish, it has gained land space in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. In recent years, numerous congregants and involved leaders began to think on how to use that land space in a way that brings justice in this area of the city. This article seeks to look at the parish’s historical spatial actions, in order to see what insights toward spatial justice may arise. This article provides detail information regarding the history of the Anglican Church and St John’s Parish. It also explores in detail the spatial knowledge and perspectives of some leaders and members of the parish. Finally, it explores what these interviews suggest for a church in search of spatial justice.Contribution: This article aligns with the scope of the journal as it created a conversation around church history, spatial history, and spatial justice within the South African context.

Response

My thanks to the reviewers for their insightful comments and to the editors of Church History, most especially Jon Butler, for shepherding the reviews. Having once served as a Church History editor, I appreciate his labors even more.

Among All the Nations

I spent much of the first decade of the 2000s writing a book about the Catholic Church in nineteenth and twentieth-century Vietnam. I came to the topic as a scholar of Vietnam, and very much not as a scholar of modern Catholicism. In the project's early stages I searched high and low for a general history to fill in the (many) gaps in my knowledge of the subject. The best I could find was Nicholas Atkin and Frank Tallett's 2003 Priests, Prelates & People: A History of European Catholicism since 1750. This book, although excellent and still worth reading, is squarely grounded in scholarship written from an older national and regional approach to the Church's modern history. It essentially ignores the fact that in the modern era more than ever before, Catholicism's historical epicenter in Europe was irreducibly tied to the rest of the world not only through the Ultramontane Church but also through the circulation of ideas and the printed word, migration, and (above all) European imperialism, and that the Church's institutional and cultural evolution since the eighteenth century is incomprehensible outside of such frameworks (Atkin and Tallett devote an astounding 5 of their 333 pages of text to the European empires in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, which made up two-thirds of the global Catholic population at the time they finished their book).

How the Priesthood of All Believers Became American

Abstract: This article examines how the common priesthood or priesthood of all believers emerged from a narrow German Lutheran context and became “Americanized” in the nineteenth century. References to the common priesthood in any of its variations were seldom in early America, and the article traces how Americans in the mid-nineteenth century, especially the church historian Philip Schaff, drew on new understandings of the common priesthood in nineteenth-century Germany propagated by August Neander, among others, and applied it to the American republican context. By the end of the nineteenth century, it had gained wide currency among Protestants in America and would become a key element of American Protestant self-understanding. Lutherans drew on it as well, but many remained ambivalent about broader claims, especially as it might impinge on the authority of the ordained office. In the formulation “the priesthood of all believers,” the common priesthood continues to resonate in the twentieth century among a diverse range of American denominations from peace church Quakers to conservative Evangelicals, although interpretations of it continue to vary widely.

Intellectualism contra Conceptualism: Remarks on the School of Eegenhoven and the Church in History

Intellectualism contra Conceptualism: Remarks on the School of Eegenhoven and the Church in History

Discussion on the Study of Philosophy and Theology in the Perspective of the Intellectual History:

In the study of the intellectual history in the traditional Chinese academia, the intellectual history is often secondary and indifferent in comparison with the history of politics and revolution. And the limitations brought about by such a bias are very clearly reflected in the traditional Chinese academic circles' perspective and attitude towards the study of Martin Luther. Luther has often been rigidly confined to the realm of peasant revolutionary movements, social history of religion, and church history; the important contribution of his intellect in the development of Western intellectual history and related humanistic fields has often been overlooked. The first two sections of this paper will start from the different schools and methods of research in the intellectual history of in the West, discussing on the one hand the differences between the research paths in the intellectual history in the West and those in pure theology and philosophy, and on the other hand the research methods and paths of the different schools in the intellectual history in the West, in order to illustrate the important contributions of Luther's intellect in the path of the history of ideas. Section three will develop in depth the entry points and innovations of the study of Luther's influence on Heidegger in the context of the history of intellect. Section four will discuss the innovations and breakthroughs in this study in relation to its predecessors through the innovations in Section three. Through this study, the importance of Luther in the development of Western intellectual history can be comprehensively and systematically represented. This study will be linked to the current series of studies on “Martin Luther and the Third Enlightenment” in the Chinese academic circles, calling for Luther's intellect not only not to be neglected, but also to be placed in an important position in the study of the history of Western intellect.

Einige Fragen der Kirchenverwaltung des mittelalterlichen ungarischen Königtums

The study deals with four problems of medieval Hungarian church law and church history. Firstly, it describes the debates surrounding the formation and status of the archbishopric of Kalocsa, emphasising the missionary nature of the early archbishopric; secondly, it discusses the relationship between archdeaconries associated with a provostship and collegiate chapters, stressing the primacy of archdeaconries; thirdly, it examines the question of the Eigenbistümer in Hungary, agreeing with the view that the bishopric of Nitra was initially such a church. In the fourth place, it interprets a sentence of a fourteenth-century Hungarian chronicle, stating that Gregory of Bicske, the elected Archbishop of Esztergom (1298–1303), was only the governor (procurator seu administrator) of the Archbishopric of Esztergom.

Prophet and politician dining around the same table: God’s message in conflict?

The research problem in this article is the modern prophets who rub shoulders with politicians. The focus is on the prophets found in New Prophetic Churches (NPCs). These prophets seek favours as much as politicians seek favours that are divinely sanctioned by prophets. The objectives here include ensuring that God’s message is not conflicted because of this prophet–politician symbiosis. It warns Christians not to commodify faith in order to achieve some political ambitions. The foundation is laid on biblical teachings on prophets and prophecy. There are two identified categories of the Old Testament prophets. Those who feasted with the kings at dinner tables and those who suffered under the status quo. These were banished, exiled, always on a run, and sometimes beheaded. Real-world examples of modern politicians who visit prophets on a regular basis are offered using social media and literature evaluations as resources. These politicians do so for a variety of reasons, including seeking spiritual affirmation and expressions of appreciation, praying for divine intervention during times of crisis that may affect their political careers or performances, and eventually soliciting favours. These favours are sought in some ungodly exchanges with expectations of some kickbacks. The solution to this compromise is the calling for the revisit of application of doctrinal and ethical dealings in and by the church and the government. Theology’s task is to clarify to citizens the relationship between church and government. The debate between these two powers (prophet and politician) should continue towards amicable understanding. The church must redefine its political involvement to avoid being swallowed up, and to remain the salt of the earth and a light in the world.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article’s intradisciplinary implication is realised through the literature and social media platforms reviews to enhance social and some theological disciplines such as biblical studies, church history, ecclesiology and pneumatology. Social disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, and psychology combined with theological disciplines argue that prophets and politicians should not become bedfellows unless for enacting social justice and this to be done ethically without any compromise to morality.

Konsep Akhir Zaman dalam Perspektif Agama, Dan Sains Serta Bagaimana Iman Kristen Menanggapinya Berdasarkan Kitab Wahyu

This study explains the concept of the end times from the perspective of religion, science, and how the Christian faith responds to it by focusing on the contents of the Book of Revelation in the Bible. The concept of the end times is a relevant topic in Christian theology and has been the focus of debate throughout church history. From a religious perspective, the concept of the end times reflects views regarding the end of the world, resurrection, final judgment, and eternal life. Meanwhile, in the context of science, rational and scientific approaches often try to explain natural phenomena related to the end times, such as climate change, natural disasters and technological developments.This article also explores how the Christian faith describes the concept of the end times based on the Book of Revelation. The Book of Revelation is the passage in the New Testament known for the prophet John's vision of the end times, featuring rich symbolism. Priesthood, judgment, and restoration are all found in this text, and followers of Christ often look to it as a source of guidance regarding what will happen in the future. In discussing the Christian faith's response to the concept of the end times, this article details the various views and theologies that exist in the Christian tradition, such as premillennial, amillennial, and postmillennial eschatology. In addition, it also highlights some contemporary approaches that integrate theological understanding with scientific thinking about the future of the planet. This research provides a holistic view of how the concept of the end times is understood from the perspective of religion, science and Christian faith with a focus on the Book of Revelation in the Bible, as well as how these various understandings coexist in modern Christian theology. As a result, this article can help promote a deeper understanding of the meaning and implications of the concept of the end times in the context of religion, science, and the Christian faith.
 

Czech Catholic modernism The renewal of Catholic literature combined with social and ecclesiastical reform

In Central Eastern Europe the theme of the modernist crisis in the ecclesial milieu is still a hotly debated topic. In the Czech lands this phenomenon differs in a number of moments from other countries, for instance in that the Czech reformers openly called themselves modernists willingly since 1895, as the protagonists of the revival movement of Catholic literature. This study is divided into three parts. The first one outlines the development of Czech historiography of the modernist and anti-modernist crisis in the Czech lands, which has undergone a dynamic development especially in the last thirty years. In the second part, it summarizes its results and the current state of knowledge of this historical phenomenon. The author focuses here on the specific and unique elements of Czech modernism, for the understanding of which a broader historical context of the church history of the Czech lands is necessary. In the third part the author presents the current challenges and prospects of research in this area.

Czech Catholic Modernism The renewal of Catholic literature combined with social and ecclesiastical reform

In Central Eastern Europe the theme of the modernist crisis in the ecclesial milieu is still a hotly debated topic. In the Czech lands this phenomenon differs in a number of moments from other countries, for instance in that the Czech reformers openly called themselves modernists willingly since 1895, as the protagonists of the revival movement of Catholic literature. This study is divided into three parts. The first one outlines the development of Czech historiography of the modernist and anti-modernist crisis in the Czech lands, which has undergone a dynamic development especially in the last thirty years. In the second part, it summarizes its results and the current state of knowledge of this historical phenomenon. The author focuses here on the specific and unique elements of Czech modernism, for the understanding of which a broader historical context of the church history of the Czech lands is necessary. In the third part the author presents the current challenges and prospects of research in this area.

What we talk about when we talk about class: discourse about the working class in the Church of England General Synod 2018–2022

ABSTRACT The Church of England struggles to talk clearly about class. This article examines discourse in the Church of England General Synod to consider both the language and themes which appear when middle-class Anglicans discuss class. It is an attempt to ‘turn the gaze’ on the powerful who allude to class whilst rarely using explicit language, preferring instead to talk about ‘the poor’, ‘disadvantaged’ and ‘deprived’. The article analyses why euphemistic reference to class are a problem, using Synod as an example. It explores three recurring themes – good news stories, leadership and church history – arguing that when these themes occur the working classes are largely presented as homogenous, lacking in agency and in need of a heroic church. The article argues that a theologically robust vision is necessary for the dismantling of classism in the Church. It outlines some promising theological starting points taken from General Synod and recent theological work by working-class theologians.

On the concept, scope, history of Christian archeology and the significance of monumental studies for historical theology. Inauguration speech, given by taking the tenured chair on the of church history at the University of Freiburg-im-Breisgau of Prof. Dr. Franz Xaver Kraus. Freiburg-im-Breisgau, 1879

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Mysticism – Conservatism – Emancipation. Lucjan Siemieński Reads St. Teresa of Ávila

The paper is devoted to the question of how Lucjan Siemieński perceived St. Teresa of Ávila, a Spanish mystic, and her works. Siemieński’s interest in mysticism developed in the 1870s, i.e., in the last stage of his life, which the poet spent in Cracow. It reflects both his fascination with the European tradition, which, as a translator, he assimilated into the Polish culture since adolescence, and the conviction (shared with conservatives from Cracow) about the important role of the Catholic Church in history. Familiarizing the Polish reader with the life and work of the Spanish saint, Siemieński emphasizes the practical and intellectual aspects of her apostolic mission. In his essay, the gender of the protagonist in no way determines her social or religious position. The critic does not address the emancipatory dimension of her activities. By presenting her image to the readers and translating her poetry into Polish, he supports the tradition of Catholic literature and Catholicism, hoping that they will contribute to the revival of the nation.

Radical inclusivity and the journey on the way to somewhere [irgendwohin unterwegs

This article represents the genre of auto-ethnographic, autobiographical research. It consists of questions which evoke narrative responses because the questions register a life story in itself. Pieter G.R. de Villiers is the interpellator and Andries G. van Aarde the respondent. They are long-standing friends and both professors of New Testament studies. De Villiers is presently the editor at LitNet Academic (Religious Studies), and Van Aarde is the editor of HTS Theological Studies. Since 1990, De Villiers has been Executive Director of the Centre for Christian Spirituality and Ethics and has been a Research Fellow and Professor Extraordinarius in Biblical Spirituality at the Department of Old and New Testament Studies at the Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State (since 2001).Contribution: The article reflects a conversation between Andries G. van Aarde and Pieter G.R. de Villiers. It contributes to an understanding of contemporary South African church history, including the protest by academics in Afrikaans ecclesial circles against apartheid and gender injustice.

Yesus Kristus Sang Gembala Penyembuh: Kristologi dalam Konteks Safeguarding terhadap Anak

This article aims to inspire readers' perspectives and help the Indonesian Catholic Church act appropriately and wisely when facing cases of sexual violence and abuse. The method used in this article is Theology in Creation, which is used to deepen the understanding of Christ as a healing shepherd who cares and fights for justice. The systematics of this article begins with the introduction of the problem, followed by a discussion of cases of sexual abuse that occurred in the history of the Catholic Church. Then, the article discusses power in Michel Foucault's theory and its challenges for political sociology. Next, the article highlights the importance of building a safe culture within the Church and protecting children from abuse. The novelty of this article lies in the Theology in Creation approach used to deepen the understanding of Christ as the healing shepherd. The article also invites the Indonesian Catholic Church to become more concerned and responsive to cases of sexual violence and abuse and to implement effective protection protocols.

Defending PhD theses defended in the Department of Church History

Defending PhD theses defended in the Department of Church History

“No Place Is So Dear to My Childhood”: Evangelicalism, Nostalgia, and the History of an American Hymn

AbstractThis article tracks the surprising history of a love ballad about a lost sweetheart that went on to become a celebrated gospel hymn about the rural roots of America's greatness. Titled “The Little Brown Church,” but sometimes called “The Church in the Wildwood,” the song's evolution speaks to the ways in which nostalgia became central to the social and religious imagination of those American Protestants call themselves “evangelicals.” Though it first appeared in college songbooks after its publication in 1865, “The Little Brown Church” eventually became a favorite of evangelists, revivalists, and other gospel singers at the dawn of the twentieth century. For these new singers, “The Little Brown Church” spoke to more than just the simple faith they wished to restore. It also illustrated the centrality of white Protestants to the American experience at a moment when the hold these believers had on the nation was beginning to slip. And they would alter both the lyrics and the church's history to bring the two in line. The process not only reveals how nostalgia for a bygone era became vital to those who think of themselves as evangelicals in the twentieth century, but also how evangelicalism itself is something of a historical construction.