Public Theology Research Articles

God, the Good Life, and Pastoral Practice

In this study, I emphasize that pastoral practice revitalizes the significance of spiritual life as an alternative way to negotiate the science of well-being. This article is written from the perspective of practical theology, which is framed as a way of “living well” in which it is doubtful for both the individual and community to fulfill the good life without spirituality. Such an approach entails a degree of a transformative and transcendent life created by new senses, attentions, knowledge, ontological understanding, and disciplines out of the experience of the triune God. This study responds to the vocation of practical theology according to Ruard Ganzevoort and Johan Roeland, who assert that, “In its focus on praxis, practical theology has evolved out of three historical different styles of theology with differing concepts of and methodological approaches toward praxis: pastoral theology, empirical theology, and public theology.” They suggest that pastoral practice should be something that contributes to the culture of well-being and that the roles of spiritual life in the formation and reformation of the good life should be clarified.

Asian Theological Ferment (For Doing Theology in Contemporary Indonesia: Interdisciplinary Perspectives)

Creative theology in Asia started emerging mostly after decolonisation. The experience of nationalist struggles against colonial rule provided a new impetus, new perspectives and indigenous resources for original theological enterprises. The first part of this presentation goes into the analysis of factors and forces at work in the post-colonial era for the creation of Asian theologies. The second part goes into some of the salient features and characteristics of Asian theologies, despite regional differences in terms of societies, cultures and histories. The third and final part highlights the importance of moving in a new direction in Asian theologising, which should assume the nature of public theology. The presentation then goes on to sketch some of the features that will characterise Asian public Theology along with the challenges it presents.

INTERVIEW

Nico Koopman is Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel at Stellenbosch University, and Professor of Systematic Theology, Ethics and Public Theology. He is also an ordained pastor of the Uniting Reformed Church in Ida’s Valley, Stellenbosch. He served as pastor in the congregations of Atlantis, Westfleur-Atlantis, and Bellville (as university chaplain and youth minister). He was Vice-Rector of Huguenot College in Wellington, and later Dean of the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University. He was a founding member and chairperson of the Global Network for Public Theology and is a fellow of the Institute for Theological Inquiry in Princeton, New Jersey. His research focuses on themes such as inalienable dignity, healing reconciliation, embracive justice, responsible freedom, equality, as well as the reciprocal and transformative impact of universities on various spheres of society, including politics, economics, the natural environment, civil society, and public opinion-formation. He is involved in public discourses in the academy, churches and broader society, both locally and internationally.

Book review: African public theology

Book review: African public theology

The church and state redefined in the 21st century: The relevance of the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) in the democratization of Malawi

The study reflects on how the church and state could be redefined in the 21st century with reference to the relevance of the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) in democratization of Malawi. In the recent past, the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) and some socio-political analysts accused the Malawi Government of corruption, nepotism; rigging and stealing of elections, plunder of state resources known as “cash-gate” or maize gate by the ruling elite, theft of hospital drugs, closure of Colleges of the University of Malawi, failure to deliver other essential social services to the population leading to poverty and hopelessness. In retaliation, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) under President Professor Peter Mutharika, supported by a few religious leaders polemically demonized the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) challenging its constitutional and Scriptural mandate and declared it irrelevant in contemporary politics of Malawi. The aim of this study is to explore how the church and state could be redefined in the 21st century with reference to the relevance of the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) in democratization of Malawi, the socio-political factors for the formation of the Public Affairs Committee, relationship between Christian religion and state and lastly redefine an interdisciplinary political and public theology for the democratization of Malawi and elsewhere.

Biblical Theology

Biblical Theology Christopher T. Begg, Fred W. Guyette, and J. Edward Owens Christopher T. Begg Catholic University of America Fred W. Guyette Erskine College and Seminary J. Edward Owens OSST, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio TX 2620. [Messiah in the OT] Andrew T. Abernethy and Gregory Goswell, God's Messiah in the Old Testament: Expectations of a Coming King (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2020). Pp. xiii + 292. Paper $29.99. ISBN 978-0-8010-9975-5. At the start of the introduction to their joint volume, A. and G. offer the following statement about what the book is about (p. 1): "The subject of this book is fundamental to a proper understanding of the faith we profess, for the name of our faith (Christianity) and the name given to its followers (Christians) derive from a core belief that Jesus of Nazareth is the 'Christ' (Messiah). In terms of a definition of 'messiah' and 'messianism' in this book these terms are understood to refer to the hope of the coming of a royal agent who will serve God's kingdom purposes, an expectation that Christians believe finds fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Put simply, a messianic passage or book in the Old Testament is one in which this royal figure is prefigured, anticipated, predicted, or described." Against this background, A. and G. trace the canonical unfolding of the messiah concept in the Hebrew Bible from its opening in the Pentateuch through its conclusion in Chronicles in a sequence of 15 chapters as follows: (1) The Seed, the Star, and the Template in the Pentateuch; (2) The Need for a King in Judges; (3) The Book of Ruth and the House of David; (4) The Heart of Kingship in 1–2 Samuel; (5) Failure and the Royal Ideal in 1–2 Kings; (6) Royal Messianic Expectations in Isaiah; (7) The Death and Rebirth of Kingship in Jeremiah; (8) The Prince Forecast in Ezekiel; (9) Kingship for a United Nation in Hosea; (10) David's Booth in Amos; (11) Davidic Rule in Micah; (12) The Sprout, the Divine Shepherd, and Messenger of Zechariah and Malachi; (13) The Portrait of David in the Psalter; (14) Where Is David in the Book of Daniel?; and (15) Kingship and the Temple in 1 Chronicles. A 16th chapter ("Looking Forward to the New Testament") enlarges the perspective beyond the OT and is itself followed by a conclusion, a bibliography, and indexes of Scripture and ancient writings, names of modern authors, and subjects.—C.T.B. Google Scholar 2621. [The Doctrine of Creation; Abraham Kuyper] Bruce Riley Ashford and Craig G. Bartholomew, The Doctrine of Creation: A Constructive Kuyperian Approach (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2020). Pp. xi + 430. $50. ISBN 978-0-8308-5490-5. Apart from the doctrine of God, no doctrine is as comprehensive as that of creation. It is woven throughout the entire fabric of Christian theology. It goes to the deepest roots of reality and leaves no area of life untouched. Across the centuries, however, the doctrine of creation has often been eclipsed or threatened by various forms of Gnosticism. Yet, if Christians are to rise to current challenges related to public theology and ethics, we must regain a robust, biblical doctrine of creation. According to A. and B., one of the best sources for outfitting this recovery is Dutch Neo-Calvinism. Abraham Kuyper, Herman Bavinck, and their successors set forth a substantial doctrine of creation's goodness, but recent advances in this tradition have been limited. Now in their volume, A. and B. develop the Kuyperian tradition's rich resources on creation for systematic theology and the life of the church today. In addition to tracing historical treatments of the doctrine, the authors explore intertwined theological themes, such as divine omnipotence, human vocation, and providence. They draw on diverse streams of Christian thought while remaining rooted in the Kuyperian tradition, with a sustained focus on doing theology in deep engagement with Scripture. [End Page 978] Approaching the world as God's creation changes everything. Thus, this volume concludes with a consideration of its implications for current issues, including those related to philosophy...

Personal and Common Good – Personal and Common Evil. Liberation Theology perspectives

Whatever its grammatical status, the verb “to discern” has an implicit transitive element. That is to say, we always discern about something or between two options. What is the right course of action in this situation and in these circumstances? In our paper, we want to look at responses to this question from the perspective of the theology of liberation. As the name implies, this is first and foremost a theology, a way of seeking to understand and articulate the faith of the believing Christian community. But it is also necessarily political, because it seeks to contribute to the liberation of those who are not free – the poor, the oppressed, those to whom injustice is done, both negatively, by decrying the presence of unfreedom and positively by working for social transformation. It is thus a public theology, a manifestation of the ongoing power of religion to inform and motivate its adherents to engage in attempts to transform the world not only in terms of a post mortem future but here and now.

‘It is now in your hands’: South Africa’s dilemma for religion and governance in the changing COVID-19 context

This article examines how coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) impacted on religion–state relations in South Africa. By examining the models of religion–state relations the article highlights the implications of these relations in the context of the South African government’s national response to COVID-19 and critically engages a public theology of ‘immense trust and authority’ assigned to leaders. The article identifies ‘separation with interaction’ as a model, which informs the South African government’s state–religion engagement. Although this model is constitutional and promotes religious freedom, the article identifies the government’s failure to act decisively on religious leaders who exploit the poor as a major obstacle to socio-economic and religious transformation. The article contends that the dark part of South African history presents a dilemma to church–state relations in South Africa and suggests that life-affirming practices of political and religious leaders should be tested through the values of goodness, kindness, justice and obedience as a demonstration that they are essential workers who have an important transformational role to play in the context of COVID-19. Contribution: This article represents a systematic and practical reflection within a paradigm in which the intersection of philosophy, religious studies, social sciences, humanities and natural sciences generates an interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary contested discourse.

A theological response to collective trauma in South Africa

This contribution in the field of public theology explores two questions: (1) Could South Africa be regarded as a traumatised society, presenting with acute symptoms of post-traumatic disorder and (2) what would be an appropriate theological response to a traumatised society? These questions became even more acute with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic during 2020. Historical events and current statistical data relevant to the first question are presented, which could indicate that South Africa might indeed be regarded as a highly traumatised society. The second question is discussed from the perspective of reformed theology. This limits the research focus, based on the assumption that all theology and all churches respond in a particular way to traumatic events and the effects of individual and collective trauma.

Locations of God: Political Theology in the Hebrew Bible

Locations of God: Political Theology in the Hebrew Bible

Megachurches and Social Engagement: Public Theology in Practice, by Mark J. Cartledge, Sarah L.B. Dunlop, Heather Buckingham, and Sophie Bremner

Megachurches and Social Engagement: Public Theology in Practice, by Mark J. Cartledge, Sarah L.B. Dunlop, Heather Buckingham, and Sophie Bremner

Smith's "Awaiting the king: Reforming public theology" (critical book review)

Smith's "Awaiting the king: Reforming public theology" (critical book review)

다시 생각해보는 공적신학

Korean churches are receiving a lot of criticism from the society these days. The church, which should give a good influence on the world, is rather negatively pointed out by the world. Given this situation, interest in the public responsibility of the church is increasing, and public theology is actively discussed as a solution to this problem. However, despite the contributions of public theology, this writer is somewhat skeptical about how successful public theology has contributed to carrying out the goal. It has limitations that can weaken the identity of the church. It is necessary to recognize that the public influence emphasized by public theology can be achieved when the church is not absorbed by the wave of secularization but well preserved.

Public Theology and Global Governance: Weak Actors in Lawmaking for the World Economy

Abstract The world confronts an enormous range of challenges in the global economy. A far-reaching enterprise has arisen to meet these challenges by producing laws and regulations to shape and protect global commercial and financial markets. This article considers how a Christian theology can guide the highly consequential processes of creating law for world commerce. First, from the perspective of the sociology of globalization, law and markets, the article describes findings from current research on who makes global law and how they make that law in the United Nations’ principal body for the creation of private international law. Second, the article proposes that public theology offers Christian theological principles and middle level axioms to deepen and extend the dimensionality of global lawmaking, thereby offering ethical guidance for prospective global lawmaking. It sharpens focus by appraising the participation and creativity of weak actors in global lawmaking. Third, the article turns to praxis for weak actors in global lawmaking and concludes with considerations that may foster mutually productive dialog between social scientists and public theologians of the global.

A Christian Response to Global Conflict: Realism and Reconciliation

Abstract This article considers avenues for fruitful engagement between international relations and public theology in order to ask what an ethical Christian response to global conflict should entail. The process of mediating principles of biblical justice into a contemporary international context requires interpretation in a reality of territorial bounded states, with rules and norms governing international interactions that are unique to the present day. This article draws on two theologically oriented contributions to international relations, Christian realism and political reconciliation to probe the question as to how we conceptualise justice as a pursuit in international relations from a Christian worldview. It reflects on the contingencies of the present-day context of global conflict, and the implications for praxis from a public theology standpoint.

Public Theology Perspectives on Religion and Education, edited by Manfred L. Pirner, Johannes Lähnemann, Werner Haussmann, and Susanne Schwarz, in connection with Peter Bubmann, Florian Höhne, Andreas Nehring, Henrik Simojoki, and Thomas Wabel

Public Theology Perspectives on Religion and Education, edited by Manfred L. Pirner, Johannes Lähnemann, Werner Haussmann, and Susanne Schwarz, in connection with Peter Bubmann, Florian Höhne, Andreas Nehring, Henrik Simojoki, and Thomas Wabel

The Passion of Christ on Television: Intertextuality as a Mode of Storytelling

The Passion is a contemporary performance of the passion of Christ live on stage, combined with pop music, city marketing, social media, and entertainment. The result is an encounter between the Christian gospel and traditional elements of devotion like a procession of the cross on the one hand, and the typical mediatization and commercialization of late modern society on the other. In this article, I will first briefly describe the phenomenon, including the different effects that the event has upon the audience and the stakeholders and benefits it has for them. It is one characteristic of The Passion that it allows for a variety of possible approaches, and this is, at the same time, part of its formula for success. Another characteristic is the configured intertextuality between the sacred biblical text and secular pop songs. In the second section, I will interpret this as a central mode of storytelling in The Passion. It can evoke traditional, but also new, interpretations of the Christian gospel. The purpose of the article is to interpret The Passion as an expression of constructive public theology. It is an example of how the gospel is brought into dialogue with secular society.

At the Borders of Identity: Reflections on Egyptian Protestant Public Theology in the Wake of the Arab Spring

Abstract A common narrative characterizes Egyptian Christians as a people beset by persecution, struggling to survive in a hostile Muslim context. Other narratives seek to smooth over the differences between Christian and Muslim Egyptians to emphasize national unity and shared citizenship. The revolutionary upheavals starting in 2011 brought questions of subjectivity and agency in shaping Egypt’s future to the forefront of public debate. In spite of continued limitations to free speech and political participation, Egyptian Christians are engaging creatively in prophetic discourse and community-building praxis, contributing to the construction of a revitalized theology of public life. Protestant theologians Andrea Zaki, Safwat Marzouk, and Anne Zaki, for example, draw on the resources of the biblical tradition to think critically about their own subjectivity as Egyptian Christians and about the complex challenges and the hopeful promise facing these communities as they seek effective ways to participate in public life.

Political theology and religious pluralism: Rethinking liberalism in times of post-secular emancipation

Recent debates in liberal political theory have sought to come to terms with the post-secular condition, characterised by deep religious pluralism, the resurgence of right-wing populism, as well as new social movements for economic, ecological and racial justice. These forces represent competing claims on the public space and create challenges for the liberal model of state neutrality. To better grasp this problem, I argue for a more comprehensive engagement between liberalism and political theology, by which I understand a mode of theorising that reveals the theological basis of modern secular political concepts. In considering two contrasting approaches to political or public theology – Carl Schmitt’s and Jürgen Moltmann’s – I argue that liberal political theory can and should open itself to a diversity of social movements and ecological struggles that pluralise the political space in ways that unsettle the boundary between the secular and religious.

The Subject of Education: Disruptive Dilemma in Abraham Kuyper and Ellen White Thought

Abstract. The nature of education receives attention and public discussion as it is one dominant core of the cosmological system. However, it echoes to other public squares such as; the state, political power, culture, and religion, contains multi-layered of identity, and against a post-modernism era, which is a very disruptive period that could impact its nature. Abraham Kuyper is known as a public theologian, who offers wide works of education in Europe-Reformed tradition, while Ellen White, a central figure in American-Adventist, even worldwide, contributes unique perspectives. This article conducts qualitative research, attempts to interpret the works of Kuyper and White and reconstructs their idea in order to answer the intention of this research. Eventually, this essay shares the agreement between them concerning God's glorification and adoration as the intention of education, further, demonstrating the diversity where White maintains the holistic approach of education in which Kuyper against it. Moreover, this research attempts to uncover how both figures define the role of state over education.