Theological Paradigm Research Articles

Bodies as Temples

Abstract The portrayal of disability within sacred and dramatic narratives offers an avenue for the examination of societal and theological paradigms. Such an examination is attempted in this study by investigating the representation of disability in the Bible and Ola Rotimi’s play Hopes of the Living Dead through the theoretical frameworks of Ableism and Reynolds’ hermeneutical approach. Biblical stories depicting disability as a curse, a tool, and a subject of divine healing are used in the research to explore the complex interplay between societal perceptions and theological implications. Rotimi’s dramatization of people with leprosy further elucidates themes of marginalisation and resilience within a predominantly secular context. Integrating Ableism theory, this paper critiques normative conceptions of ability and disability, while Reynolds’ hermeneutical methodology facilitates a nuanced interpretation of the often-conflicting representations found in both sacred texts and dramatic literature. This interdisciplinary approach yields comprehensive insights into the cultural, religious, and social constructs surrounding disability, advocating for more inclusive and empathetic interpretative practices.

Preaching the pandemic: COVID-19 specific theodicies among Iranian evangelical Christians in the diaspora

ABSTRACT Given its roots in Christian theology, the usage of theodicy as an analytical tool in the study of religions can easily become controversial. This notwithstanding, several scholars in the field have instructively drawn upon the term to conceptually frame reactions to human suffering among religious actors in diverse contexts. This article aligns with this strand of scholarship and studies Persian-language sermons delivered in Iranian evangelical exile churches during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses four major theodicic interpretations advanced by Iranian evangelical pastors, who viewed the pandemic either as divine retribution, a ‘wake-up call’ for humankind, an opportunity for spiritual growth, or a theological lesson. Arguing that theodicies are shaped by the immediate context they emerge in, rather than by static theological paradigms, this article highlights the ex-Muslim identity and the exilic status of Iranian evangelicals in the diaspora as key factors shaping theodicy-making among them.

African theology of reconstruction and queer epistemic violence: A theo-ethical discourse

The legacies of colonialism in South Africa and broadly in Africa have problematised discourses on violence and discrimination. To counter coloniality and its continued efforts to dehumanise Africa, many Africans have often uncritically embraced certain notions of African culture that exacerbates the problem of homophobic violence and discrimination. This has left certain African discourses embracing ubuntu without critically addressing the violence and discrimination where ubuntu is often promoted. Recognising the attempts of African reconstruction theologians such as Mugambi and Ka Mana who advocate the necessity for African epistemic paradigms or epistemic justice, I engage their paradigms considering epistemic violence from the context of the queer community. Ubuntu must be understood within the context of African holism, a framework which African reconstruction theology makes use of. Using Dotson’s three orders of epistemic oppression, I argue that Mugambi’s theological paradigm could become problematic for the queer community because of the epistemic shells it carries into the future from the past. Considering the queer community, I argue that the epistemic flexibility of Ka Mana’s theology of reconstruction allows for more engagement because of its commitment to an ethic of African holism. At the heart of such an ethic is a commitment to the unity and the interconnectedness between God, humans, ancestors, plants and animals. This paper makes a theological contribution by engaging queer epistemic violence from the context of two African theological reconstruction paradigms.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This paper engages discourses from African masculinities, social sciences, African theology and philosophy with reference to epistemic violence enacted against the queer community.

Building welcoming and inclusive congregations: Biblical hospitality as a theological paradigm

This article addresses the question, ‘how can congregations that exhibit prejudice toward LGBTQQIA+ persons (different expressions of nonheterosexuality), overcome bias and discriminatory practices to become missionally holistic, hospitably welcoming, and inclusive of these individuals?’. The answer can be found in engaging an alternative biblical hermeneutic that emphasises the socio-historical context of a given narrative, thus creating a broader and deeper understanding of the principle of biblical hospitality as a fundamental theological premise inherent within the Judeo-Christian scriptures. Accomplishing transformative change demands intentionality by clergy equipped to engage the issues effectively. Pastoral ministers must cultivate the exegetical skills needed to guide local missional churches towards greater inclusivity, with the goal of creating more hospitably welcoming and inclusive faith communities.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article engages a dialogue between biblical and practical theology as missional praxis supporting congregational development as ecclesial reformational transformation to enable local churches to become hospitably welcoming and inclusive.

All or Nothing: Polemicizing God and the Buddhist Void in the Jesuit Mission to East Asia

The Jesuit mission to East Asia highlights the polemical difficulties inherent in the process of introducing, translating, and creating a new theological paradigm within a host culture without a common religious worldview. Both Matteo Ricci in China and Ricci’s erstwhile teacher, Alessandro Valignano, in Japan, both inveighed against Buddhism for positing a “void” as the Absolute rather than God. The East Asian Jesuit mission had an incomplete understanding of what emptiness/nothingness/void referred to until the native Japanese convert and former Zen monk, Fukansai Habian, took up the mantle as the Jesuit polemicist against native systems of thought, in particular, Buddhism. Whereas Ricci and Valignano attacked the “void” within the context of a negation of “something”, Habian correctly understood the void as akin to the pleroma, the fullness of possibility, and the creative principle, but used his more nuanced understanding as a polemical expedient to deny or negate all Buddhist doctrines as expressing nothingness (which he erroneously equates with the void), even such form-affirming schools as the Pure Land school with its clearly defined goal of a physical post-mortem Pure Land. The polemical paradigm engendered by this encounter also served as the starting point for Buddhism’s appearance in the Western imagination. This paper will make a comparative investigation of the polemical discourse between the Jesuits and Buddhists regarding the Absolute and demonstrate how this historical instance would have far-reaching consequences that have ongoing relevance regarding the interplay of Christian and Buddhist teachings.

Theology of Science as an Intertextual Reading: The Bible, the Book of Nature, and Narrative Paradigm

The paper addresses the question of the identity of theology of science, fostering its interpretation as an intertextual narration. The starting point is the consideration of the domain of theology of science, which is viewed as a third domain of truth, according to Hans Urs von Balthasar. An analysis of the Swiss theologian’s perspective on this subject and the concept of God’s unknowability presents a strong counterargument to the claim that the natural sciences serve as a locus theologicus. Theology of science, nonetheless, exists and is engaged in a lively dialogue between science and theology, encompassing both the Revelation of God and the natural world or the Bible and the Book of Nature. What kind of discourse is this? This question concerns the position of theology of science within the field of science, specifically its objectivity and rigour, according to Evandro Agazzi’s analogical notion of science. Both the Bible and the Book of Nature ensure the objectivity of theology of science, while its rigour is established by the narrative paradigm. Therefore, theology of science can be seen as an intertextual narrative that engages both the Bible and the Book of Nature. The narrative paradigm of theology of science is subsequently elucidated, with particular emphasis on its cognitive aspects, narrative reasoning, the corresponding verification method, and Jewish corrective. The conclusion outlines a special task for theology of science in the modern age.

Pravoslavna crkva u raljama aktuelnih globalnih geopolitičkih promena - kanonska i socio-politička analiza

This paper points to processes that have been going on for a century and aim to change the modern image of the Orthodox Church. One patriarchy, the first in honour, is trying to impose itself as the supreme interpreter of traditions and theological narratives, as well as to change the canonical structure and ecclesial identity of all other autocephalous Orthodox Churches. The prehistory of the devastating processes starts with the restoration of national and church self-consciousness in the 19th century in the Balkans, which led to the emergence of the brainchild of restoring the autocephalous status of church communities in the liberated territories. The procedures for church independence were not initially approved by the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The leading patriarchate in honour, faced with the actual church situation on the Balkan Peninsula, confirmed the independence of the Athens Archdiocese and the Metropolitanate of Belgrade in the second half of the 19th century. However, the 20th century brought massive changes. The Balkan Wars, the Great War, the communist revolution in Russia, the disappearance of the Ottoman and Austrian empires, and the great tragedy of the Orthodox Greeks in Constantinople and Asia Minor led to changes in theological paradigms in the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which also initiated a change in its church position from Primus inter pares (The first among equals) to Primus sine paribus (The first without equals). This fact leads to the pretensions of this patriarchate to the entire Orthodox diaspora, as well as to the exclusive right to form criteria for granting autocephalous status to church communities that request it. However, the representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople very consistently continue to develop the theological assumptions of the new ecclesiological matrix, especially in the decades after the Second World War. Quite consciously and with the expected outcome, they are approaching the levers of power of the US political elite with the desire to strengthen their position in front of the repressive regime in Turkey. Soon, they began to use the established connections and increased political potential to impose their ecclesiological and canonical views on other Orthodox churches, especially since the fall of the Iron Curtain and the demolition of the Berlin Wall. The resistance of the new ecclesiological narratives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which give it a priority place in relation to all other churches and in the processes of accomplishing canonical and spiritual authority, not just honour, to all reasoned theological and historical criticism from Orthodox theologians, canonists, and archbishops, points to the fact that the theological turnover of this Patriarchate is well and studiously prepared. It is apparent that this church expects essential benefits from it, but also that the shaped narratives have a reflective effect on anticipated political situations that have been preparing for decades under the guise of the pseudo-ideological supremacy of the West. Since it is under massive transformative pressure from the Western power centres, it's evident that the Orthodox Church is in great turmoil, with painful uncertainty about its resolution. The processes that are mentioned are part of global geopolitical change. Rational interpretation of reality suggests they are synchronized from the same centre of power and political decision-making, as well as mutually compatible and complementary. This fact tells us that the mutual relations of the Orthodox churches are in a crisis that seems to be designed and managed for the purpose of more comprehensive intervention in the self-consciousness of the Orthodox peoples and their ecclesial, national, ethical, and political identity.

Methods of academic theology: Pro et contra of Paul Tillich

The article focuses on special aspects of theology methodology. The academic specificity of the subject of theology, in addition to developing its own methods, involves turning to methods of the humanities and natural sciences, which have already received scientific recognition. A specific “meeting place” of theology and humanism in the middle of the twentieth century is the academic paradigm of cultural theology, interpreting the reality of culture through theology. A unified understanding of the essence of culture provides the scientific principle of the universality of scientific knowledge in theology. The foreign experience of cultural theology includes several authorial methods of cultural theology. The paper examines Paul Tillich’s correlation method, presented by him in three volumes of “Systematic theology” (1951–1963). Two tenets of the Tillich culture theology system are analyzed: ontology and culture. The correlation method allows you to agree on the content of the theology of culture in relation to the coexistence of two facts of being: divine (non-divine) and human (created). The potential of the correlation method allows us to compare the theological and humanitarian series of concepts in a broad research paradigm without distorting Orthodox dogmatics based on the doctrine of hypostasis. Following the dogmas of the Church during the implementation of the correlation method is ensured by the observance of the antinomian theological judgments based on the dogmas of Ecumenical Councils.

Evaluating the Relationship between Christianity and Indigenous Religion in the Context of the Christian Evangelical Church in Timor (Gereja Masehi Injili di Timor)

This article examines the relationship between the Christian Evangelical Church of Timor (Gereja Masehi Injili di Timor, or GMIT) and Indigenous religions. It gives special attention to the Monthly Cultural Liturgy (Liturgi Bulan Budaya, or LBB), which is a contextual theological construct instituted by the GMIT Synod. This research explores the limited efficacy of contextual theology as the approach only aids GMIT members in observing aspects of Indigeneity within the context of Christian worship, while the LBB otherwise rejects Indigenous cultural and religious practices as errant and infidel. Despite incorporation of Indigenous values within an ecclesial milieu, the discriminatory attitudes of GMIT members towards Indigenous communities remain unaddressed within the current prism of contextual theology. Consequently, I aim to improve Christian contextual theology through studying other religions by means of the Indigenous religion paradigm. The goal is to create a more inclusive theology that encourages GMIT members to be more open and accepting of local communities practicing Indigenous religions. Such an amalgamation yields an intersubjective paradigm of contextual theology, the upshot of which makes for a more adaptive LBB that fosters relationships within the scope of GMIT’s ministerial services.

Entering the Prophetic Realm: ʿAbd Rabbihī ibn Sulaymān al-Qaliyūbī (d. 1968) on the Nature of Mediation (tawassul)

In his comprehensive work Fayḍ al-wahhāb, ʿAbd Rabbihī ibn Sulaymān al-Qaliyūbī (d. 1968) extensively explores the Prophet Muhammad’s role in theology and argues against interpretations influenced by Wahhābī thought. He emphasizes the prophetic realm, or prophecy and its traces, particularly the means by which believers can establish a connection with it. This article pays special attention to al-Qaliyūbī’s understanding of mediation (tawassul); that is, how the Prophet—by virtue of his elevated status, ordained by God—can serve as a means; similar to how a ritual prayer or any good deed ultimately serves as a means to draw closer to God. For al-Qaliyūbī, following the Prophet means not only regarding him as the founder of the religion, but also incorporating his spirit and character into one’s own life. This article proceeds in four steps: (1) It addresses the systematics of prophecy concerning practical ethics and how this realm can be entered; (2) It introduces the three-layered paradigm of later theology and al-Qaliyūbī’s work; (3) It explores the topic of what constitutes a means (wasīla) and the theological implications of using a means in prayer (tawassul); (4) It zooms in on the aspect of what qualifies a means to be used in an individual prayer.

Evil in Exile: Fiction, Franzen, Faust

Abstract Serious fiction, according to Frank Kermode, avoids the apocalyptic paradigm of beginning, middle, and end. Part of the paradigm that escaped Kermode’s attention, however, is the inevitable defeat of evil by forces of good. The present essay inquires after the narratological fate of evil in the sorts of literary fiction that exist outside this paradigm. Taking up the novels of Jonathan Franzen, which are replete with representations of evil, this essay locates the sources of Franzen’s fixation in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and argues that, as theodicy fell out of favor in the European eighteenth century, Goethe developed a proto-existential poetics that sought to reckon with the apparent ineluctability of evil. The essay thus aims to offer a newly historicized reading of Franzen’s literary project; to draw attention to the significance of the collapse of theodicy for the development of literary fiction; and to position Goethe as a critical voice to emerge from that collapse and put forward literary fiction as a discursive alternative to theological paradigms.

New Technologies and the Supply Chain of African Neo-Pentecostals

Academic conversation in missional activities revolves around some variables, including spiritual and theological paradigms. Among African Neo-Pentecostal Churches (ANPCs), where miracles and wonders are central to missional activities, it is uncommon to think that excellent delivery in missional service goes beyond power display, miracles and spiritual due diligence. Although some Christian ministries employ professional managers to oversee certain missional operations and logistics, the dynamics and impact of such managerial services, especially the “supply chain” process in the face of evolving technologies, are rarely brought forward in theological conversations. To fill this gap, this article places a searchlight on the interaction of ANPCs’ supply chain with new technologies (NTECH) in the past. Likewise, with an empirical survey covering 219 respondents as the primary source, it juxtaposes the current state with the future of the interaction. The outcome indicates no substantial interaction in the past and a possible wide margin between current and expected future interaction, with a 22.3% total median rate. Lastly, causes of low interaction are briefly discussed and lessons are presented for improved future interaction.

TEOLOGI PUBLIK DAN PRAKSIS PENGEMBANGANYA DALAM PASTORAL PARIWISATA DI KEUSKUPAN RUTENG

This article specifically describes the model of public theology development played by the Catholic Church of the Diocese of Ruteng in responding to the destructive impacts of tourism development in Labuan Bajo - West Flores. The main issue that will be described in this article is that there are a number of destructive impacts in the development of the Labuan Bajo tourism industry that sacrifice the interests and lives of local people. The development of Labuan Bajo tourism only provides benefits for business actors and state actors, while the local community must bear the burden of destruction due to tourism development. On the other hand, the public role of the Church has not been so significant. The research method used to elaborate this article is a qualitative study with a contextual theological paradigm and approach. The results of the study conclude that the public role of the Church by prioritizing the concepts and messages of public theology is very important for establishing a just tourism development model, especially for the local community in Labuan Bajo.

“Teaching” of Vladimir Monomakh as Synthesis of Ethical Traditions Byzantine Patristics and National Paganism

The research is devoted to the ethical views of Vladimir Monomakh, reflected in the “Teaching” of the Grand Duke. The author’s reflections concerning such fundamental moral categories as good and evil, virtue and vice, the meaning of life and death, free will, duty, happiness are considered and analyzed. A partial continuity of the Grand Duke’s views concerning the relationship to the categories of good and evil, as well as virtue and vice, with the Byzantine Christian tradition, in particular with regard to the “theory of three small deeds”, which is based on the theory of repentance of John Chrysostom, and the theory of “asceticism in the world”, based on the writings of Basil the Great. It is revealed that the ethical views of the Grand Duke do not fit into the strict paradigm of Christian medieval philosophy and theology. In this regard, the author of the article draws attention to the syncretic nature of the worldview of the author of the “Teaching”, expressed in a kind of worldview combining Christian and pre-Christian beliefs. In this vein, the specific understanding of the problems of the meaning of life, death, happiness by Vladimir Monomakh is analyzed, which is revealed when considering the peculiar attitude of the author of the “Teaching” to the sacred rites of prayer and burial. The author’s views on the category of duty in the universal and state terms, as well as the principles of practical behavior, are studied. According to the results of the research, the author of the article comes to the conclusion that the work of the Grand Duke is an ethical “micro-treatise”, the ideological content of which fully reflects the moral concept of the existence of the ancient Rus-sian man.

A Critical Approach to the Sources of Early Human Ontology as a Theological Paradigm

İnsanın yeryüzü serüveni hakkında merak ettiği en önemli konulardan biri ontolojik kimlik arayışıdır. İnsan, varlığına dair tarihi, dini ve bilimsel olarak elde ettiği birçok bilgiyi değerlendirmiş ve her çağda bir varoluş teorisi geliştirmeye çalışmıştır. Bu bazen tarihi köklerine dönerek bir sondaj yapmayı, bazen elindeki dini ve/veya bilimsel veriyi analiz etmeyi bazen de çevresindeki kültürlerin sahip oldukları varoluş teorilerinden yararlanarak kendi varlık süreçlerini anlamlı kılacak bir anlatıyı benimsemesini sağlamıştır. Bu mantıktan hareketle ilk insanın kimliği konusu her çağda edinilen bilgiler ışığında farklı anlatımlarla yeniden ele alınarak anlatımı bazen değişen bazen de eklenen yeni bilgilerle şekillendirilen hikâyeler, mitolojik ya da dini referanslarla zihin dünyasına sunulmuştur. Aynı kurgunun İslam düşünce dünyasında da benzerliklerin veya farklılıkların yaşanması ihtimaline karşılık ilk insan sayılan Hz. Âdem ve kıssasına dair verilerin bilgi kaynaklarının incelenmesine ihtiyaç duyulmaktadır. Bu noktada Âdem kavramı semantik yönden ele alınmakta ve mitolojilerden başlayarak günümüze değin ilk insanın varoluşuna dair anlatılar incelenerek değerlendirmelerde bulunulmaktadır. Kökenine ilişkin birçok kültür ve dini inanışta kullanılan Âdem isminin geçirdiği semantik sürecin incelenmesi konuya ilişkin kanaatleri daha belirgin bir hâle getirmektedir. Çünkü Âdem kelimesinin zengin bir anlam içeriğine sahip oluşu; bu varlığın yapısal özelliği, kıssa içindeki öznelliği, türüne dair kapsayıcılığı ve cinsiyeti hakkında önemli ipuçları vermektedir. Ayrıca bu kelimenin hangi inanışlarda nasıl anlaşıldığının incelenmesi, konuya ilişkin ayrıntıların ortaya çıkışı ve nasıl şekillendiğinin anlaşılması, İslam kültürünün geçmişin bilgisinden ne kadar etkilendiğini anlamak bağlamında önemini vurgulamaktadır. Mitolojik anlatılarda insanın yaratılışına dair göze çarpan ilk konu, tanrıların kendileri için yeryüzünü imar etmek amacıyla yarattıkları insanı bizzat yeryüzünde var etmiş olmalarıdır. Benzer üsluplarla yaratılışı anlatılan ilk insan, bazen topraktan meydana gelirken bazen basit bir gerekçe ile herhangi bir şeyden bazen de doğumla yeryüzünü teşrif etmiştir. Ayrıca ilkel, antik ve doğu mitolojilerinin tanrıça motiflerinde Kitab-ı Mukaddes’in sunduğu ataerkil kabulün aksine kutsallığın dişil varlıklarla da temsil edildiği görülmektedir. Bu durum aslında başlangıçta insan cinsinin herhangi birinin diğerinden önce ve değer bakımından üstün olmadığını, görev ve sorumluluklar bağlamında eşit bir yapıda olduklarını göstermesi bakımından önemlidir. Ancak daha sonraları bu durumun kurumsallaşan dinlerde erkek lehine üstünlüğe dönüştürüldüğü anlaşılmaktadır. Ehl-i Kitap açısından ilk insan konusu incelendiğinde konunun mecrası insan odağından bütün bir ırkı ilgilendiren boyuta taşınmaktadır. Burada Hz. Âdem’e Yaratanı tarafından verilen özel yetilerle elde ettiği “kutsallık”, Yahudi ırkının da kutsal sayılmasına imkân sağlaması yönüyle Hz. Âdem’in ve kıssasının önemini artırmaktadır. Hıristiyanlık açısından ise Hz. Âdem’in işlediği günah dolayısıyla insanoğlunun da cennetten çıkmasına sebep olarak gösterilen “asli günah” olgusu ve vaftiz geleneği dikkate alındığında konu Yahudiliğin aksine günah teolojisine dönüştürülmektedir. Bilgi ve kültür etkileşimlerinin olduğu bu anlatımların, Kur’ân’a aykırı olan kısımları hariç, anlatılardaki iddialar ve görüşler neredeyse İslam kültür ve geleneğinin kabulleriyle uyum göstermektedir. Bunun sebebi olarak da iç içe yaşanılan bölgelerin topluluklarının birbirleriyle birçok yönden etkileşimde oldukları görülebilir. İslam düşünce geleneğinde de ilk insanın yaratılış sürecini anlatan ayetler ışığında yapılan yorumlar dikkate alındığında, bölgesel anlatımların benzer yönlerinden etkilendikleri anlaşılmaktadır. Ayrıca Mezopotamya kültürlerindeki yaratılış hikâyelerinin, üslubu bakımından ortak bir anlatım etrafında birleşerek birbirleriyle uyum içinde olmaları, yaratılış konusunda ilk insan ile ilk peygamberin farklı kişiler olduğu düşüncesinin oluşmasını engellemektedir.

(Practical) Theology: A story of doubt and imagination

Theology as a story of doubt and imagination is to be understood against the background of interdisciplinary social science and in contrast to the traditional paradigm of theology as a system of propositional certainty. The concepts of doubt and imagination are part and parcel of narrative research and can also be linked to postfoundational philosophy. The relevancy of this theological paradigm will be discussed on the basis of the following: (1) It is in touch with its own doubt, (2) It is in touch with its own story (tradition), (3) It can therefore interact with other stories, stories of hope and despair, stories of suffering, stories of power and of marginalisation, (4) It can also imagine alternative stories.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The interaction with ‘other stories’, which is one of the important outcomes of this postfoundational approach, makes it possible for theology to be a humble but important participant at the interdisciplinary conversational table.

Karakteristik dan Corak Pemikiran Teologi Islam Klasik dan Modern

Classical theology is a legacy from past theologies in the span of Islamic history and has apologetic characteristics (long debates on the area of mortal sin, eschatology, heaven and hell and the eternity of the Qur'an) and romantic remembers and longs for the greatness and excellence of past theologians without filling and preparing for global competition to be faced, while the style of modern theological thinking is to prioritize substance rather than form, and function Islamic values to overcome concrete community problems such as ignorance, poverty, unemployment, and social backwardness and develop science and science within the framework of prosperity and the peace of mankind on this earth. The two theological styles that exist in society make the color of the paradigm of Islamic theology must be able to be dialecticized by adherents of more moderate theology, so that abandoning classical theology does not mean leaving totality but changing the construct of thinking towards the substance of ijtihad in accordance with messages of humanist values.

Public Theology as Cultural Witness: Christological Contours for “Times That Are A’Changin’”

Churches in Europe are being faced with a transformation that can be described as a seismic shift. In order to face the challenge of cultural witness in this context, this contribution proposes a Christologically contoured public theology. This will be spelt out in four consecutive steps. After a brief introduction on the paradigm of public theology, the second part tackles the question of addressees. Is the witness of public theology directed at the church or at the world? Making use of the insights of German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, this contribution argues for going beyond the binary and understanding the one Christ-reality as the frame of reference for public theology and cultural witness. The third part seeks to uncover the transformative power of Christology for public witness by making use of the traditional dogmatic figure of the munus triplex for the task of witnessing to the “public Christ” (Michael Welker). In the final part, three theses sketch out the implications of public witness in “times that are a-changin’.” (1) Public witness needs religious literacy and bilinguality. (2) For public witness, diaspora existence and missional existence are sisters. (3) Public witness is ecumenical, practical, and spiritual.

The Bride of Christ with a hellish existence on earth: Insights from Eboni Turman, the black church and black liberation theology

This research is based on the reading of Eboni Turman’s work that focuses on body politics, especially through a theological paradigm. The study confirms that the body is a theological problem, and the extent of the problem stretches to the annals of Christian theology to the present, especially in light of racism, sexism and capitalism. The study will engage black womanist eschatology to draw from the rich well of seeing how the experience of black women gives new meaning to understanding the presence and coming of God through wrestling and struggle. The study will use the black church, especially in the United States of America (USA), to dialogue with. The researcher has previously done work on the black church in the USA and South Africa, as well as work on the contribution of African womanist theologians. Thus, the study uses the USA purely because of Eboni Turman’s discussion on the body as a theological problem.Contribution: The study seeks to invite men and the black church to remember the black sacred dance from old, which has remained with black women as they continue to dance, thus critiquing those who are out of rhythm and need it now more than ever.

Tete wↄ bi ka, tete wↄ bi kyerɛ: Pius Agyemang’s Sacred Music and Ghana’s Catholic Liturgical Inculturation

Abstract This article provides an ethnographic reading into Catholic liturgical music rooted in African indigenous concepts. It analyzes some selected lyrics of the compositions of Pius Agyemang, SVD, who was a versatile Ghanaian Catholic composer and historian with vast knowledge in Ghanaian culture, to explore the nexus between Christian religiosity and being an African. These songs are not just literary texts but indigenous theology in action that expresses the religious understanding and reflections of a people within the context of Ghanaian indigenous knowledge system’s philosophy. The article shows how Pius Agyemang’s works provide a paradigm of indigenous theology that combines the Asante thought-form and culture with indigenous expressions of the Christian faith. It argues that there is complementarity between Christianity and the indigenous knowledge system’s philosophy that situates Christian belief in a stronger way in the Ghanaian traditional setting and serves as a relevant source of African Christian epistemology.