Theology Research Articles

Ritualized Affective Performances: Syriac Etiquette Guides and Systems Intelligence in Early Christian–Muslim Encounters

In 2009, Michael Penn published a transcription and English translation of two Syriac texts, To the Rulers of the World (ܠܘܬ ܪ̈ܝܫܢܐ ܕܥܠܡܐ) and Concerning the Entrance before a New Emir (ܕܡܥܠܬܐ ܨܝܕ ܐܡܝܪܐ ܚܕܬܐ). This essay proposes a new historiographical approach to these texts based on the concepts and theoretical apparatus of systems intelligence theory and affect theory. I show how these texts use key Islamic theological and cultural ideas that would affectively resonate with the Muslim authorities while remaining non-objectionable to the orthodoxy of the Assyrian Church of the East. Specifically, I argue that Christians sometimes sought to curry favor with Islamic authorities not so much through logical persuasion, but by creating a sense of affective coherence through attunement to the discursive and theological systems of Islam. Through this strategy, Christians perhaps hoped to gain some small measure of political and religious advantage, especially over and against other Christian jurisdictions, such as the Syrian Orthodox Church. I conclude by discussing what methodological prospects these approaches can offer to the subfield, particularly if combined with other theories that similarly remain underused.

Voorbeskikking, goed en kwaad, menslike verantwoordelikheid, en die sending

Predestination, good and evil, human responsibility, and mission. The background of this article is the challenge that Paul deals with in Romans, namely predestination and the reference to good and evil in theology. It seems as if God ordained good and evil. God is, however, holy and totally good. Sources by Augustine, Calvin, Weaver, Van de Beek and others highlight the questions in this regard. The central implications of the cross of Jesus, as well as the issue of human responsibility are extremely relevant in this regard. The objectives are to give a sound theological evaluation of the question of good and evil from the perspective of reformed theology in interaction with Scripture. Interaction with Scripture and theologians leads to a literature study and thereafter exegetical, hermeneutical and systematic theology issues are addressed. The results established that different positions are taken, but God is just and not the author of sin. This implicates a clear view on mission: reject sin and turn to God. The conclusions are: God is holy, but all mankind should reject evil and accept that God is the fountian of good. Mission is the act of the Triune God (missio Dei) in Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, to lead sinners from darkness to God. The good in Jesus Christ, by his death on the cross and in his resurrection, overcame evil.Contribution: The article illuminates the issue of good and evil in a new way and offers insight into its significance for the mission. This has significance for the current missiological engagement.

Images as a Resource for Catholic Theology

The aim of this article is to demonstrate why Catholic theology should actively engage with artistic images and elucidate how they could serve as a valuable resource for theological knowledge and content. The discussion is articulated in three distinct steps. Firstly, drawing from theological-historical perspectives within Christian tradition, it is shown that certain images possess significant theological potential. There have been various forms of interaction between theology and the visual representation of faith. The second step discusses the gradual reduction of theological reflection towards rational and conceptual cognition. The author relies predominantly on inner-theological arguments to advocate for the necessity of expanding the intellectual and conceptual horizons of contemporary Catholic theology so as to include the aesthetic dimension. In the final, third part, these insights are substantiated through the examination of two examples from contemporary Catholic theology: the works of Alex Stock and Peter Hofmann, exploring how artistic images can enrich systematic theology by serving as a “locus theologicus”. In conclusion, the author asserts that images have the potential to expand and concretize abstracted topics within dogmatic theology. They can also facilitate the reintegration of fragmented theological disciplines and forge a more direct link between theology and the lived experience of faith.

Crucified Boy in Russian War Propaganda

The very first thing I heard when starting my studies in 1993 at the protestant Theological University in Kampen, the Netherlands, was about Theology after Auschwitz (Theologie nach Auschwitz): how it helped confront the legacy of violence and change mindsets in post-Nazi Germany. Coming from the Soviet Union, I immediately began to hope that a similar theological reflection on the Soviet past might start soon. As no such reflection emerged during the following twenty years, I gradually came to understand that I myself had to start a project to contribute to a systematical re-orientation in the post-Soviet countries. Thus, such had become my task and my calling. In 2016 I launched a project called ‘Theology after Gulag’, which name I have changed to ‘Theology after Gulag, Bucha, and beyond’ since Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“In Communion with God”: The Inculturation of the Christian Liturgical Theology of Giulio Aleni in His Explication of the Mass (Misa Jiyi)

Liturgical practice and its theological interpretation are not only very important to the Chinese inculturation of Catholicism in particular and Christianity in general but also of great significance in the establishment of an indigenized Christian faith and system of life. This paper will analyze the methodological approaches and historical inspirations for the inculturation of Christian liturgical theology through Giulio Aleni’s (1582–1649) Explication of the Mass (Misa Jiyi, 弥撒祭义), the first book to utilize Chinese cultural resources to systematically interpret the Mass (Eucharist). Continuing the general Jesuit accommodation initiated by Matteo Ricci, Aleni established an indigenized liturgical system of theology through intercultural learning, borrowing, and creative construction. Three of his contributions especially stand out. First, Aleni explained the significance of the Mass in terms of the Chinese philosophical–ethical concepts of “repaying the roots” (baoben, 报本) and “giving thanks” (gan’en, 感恩). Second, he elaborated on communion with the Trinitarian God in the Mass through Jesus Christ by drawing on the ancient Chinese teachings of repaying (chou, 酬), commemoration (shi, 示), and hope (wang, 望), which Aleni related to “giving thanks to the Father,” “commemorating Jesus,” and “invoking the Holy Spirit.” Finally, he provided a deep spiritual explanation of the Mass, using the traditional Confucian concepts of “self-restraint” (keji, 克己), “self-reflection” (fanji, 反己), and “spiritual meditation” (chouyi, 抽绎) to help believers understand the activities of repentance, commemoration, and prayer in the Mass. Overall, Aleni emphasized that the essence of the Mass was to achieve “communion with the heart of heavenly Lord” (xihe tianzhuzhixin, 翕合天主之心), which, as a pivot of faith, could be extended into daily life through its spiritual practice. Aleni, therefore, established a comprehensive system of “liturgy-spirituality-life” for Chinese Christians by indigenizing Christian liturgical theology through intercultural learning. His creative synthesis yielded a dynamic balance between Christian and Chinese traditions, absorbing Confucian resources to imaginatively enrich and expand the Christian tradition, while encouraging the creative transformation of the Christian tradition into the Chinese cultural community.

Apophasis and System. Dogmatic Theology in Apophatic Perspective

The subject of the article is the nature of theological apophasis in relation to the systematic aspirations of theological reflection. This relationship is analyzed from the perspective of the three essential truths of Christianity that form the hard core of its message: the Trinity, the personal union of the two natures in Christ, and deification. Accordingly, Trinitarian theology, Christology and anthropology are characterized, each area separately and in relation to the others, by a high degree of systematization. They constitute compact, organic and interrelated theological systems which, as constituent parts, form an organic whole. All three contain significant apophatic themes. An analysis of the connection between their systematicity and their apophatic dimension allows us to draw broader and more general conclusions about apophaticism in general and its place in theological systematization.

Erikus Olai: istochniki i metody shvedskogo istorika XV v.

The article is devoted to Ericus Olai, the 15th century theologian and historian, and his “Chronica regni Gothorum", the history of Sweden from primordial times to the second half of the 15th century. The author demonstrates that Ericus Olai, processing the information derived from ancient sources, wanted to praise Sweden and its spiritual center Uppsala. He attempted to stress the following: 1) the necessity of cooperation between the spiritual and the temporal authority; 2) the importance of Sweden's independence; 3) the need of taking care of the people; 4) the political role of aristocracy. The appendix contains the Russian translation of selected passages from “Chronica regni Gothorum" carried out by the author of the article.

Cardinal Stanislaw Nagy’s Ecumenical Ecclesiology

The systematic theology of the 20th and 21st centuries has experienced revolutionary changes. The tremendous effort of theologians – which was already evident on the eve of Vatican II to experience order and confirmation during its deliberations – is still bearing fruit today. It seems that interpretations of the Council’s teaching have now become more problematic than the doctrine of Vatican II itself.
 One of the great figures of the theological world is Prof. Stanislaw Nagy, whose create efforts were honoured with a cardinalate, and to whom we are all indebted. Indeed, it is worth discovering his difficult path from the pre-council rigorous spiritual and intellectual formation to formal apologetics, thus paving the way for fundamental theology in Poland during the Communist period, to the ecumenical commitment of the times of freedom. In this respect, it is not without reason to speak of his ecumenical vision of the Church.

Author’s Response

AbstractThis essay aims to reply to the three essays devoted to Systematic Theology, volume 2. Common to all three essays is the conviction that my Trinitarian theology exhibits a kind of unicity that gives rise to inconsistencies of method and worries in matters of doctrine. My reply lays out several forms of unity and details how I hope to present proper uniformity in form and matter of dogmatics. A precis of my underlying Doctrine of Scripture and my forthcoming Christology is appended as well, as these prove central to the essayists' queries about the volume.

K.E. Løgstrup: Phenomenology of the Social World and Systematic Theology

In K.E. Løgstrup’s (1905–1981) theology, the point of intersection between phenomenology and systematic theology is our life experiences. In this article, Løgstrup’s way of combining phenomenology and theology is explored from the 1930s to the 1970s. The idea that life is not an amorphous abyss, but God’s creation runs like a connecting thread throughout Løgstrup’s oeuvre. This idea negating a nihilistic understanding of life requires a phenomenology of the social world that explores both the ethical and the metaphysical implications of our life experiences. Human beings are interdependent animals, and in this interdependency, an anonymous and unavoidable ethical demand makes itself present, saying that you have to take care of the life you have in your hands. Sovereign expressions of life are phenomena that support the ethical demand and the idea of creation. In the 1970s, Løgstrup broadened the perspective and explored how the universe is present in our life experiences through our bodily existence and our senses. Even so, there is not an unbroken way from these metaphysical considerations to theology. Christian Faith is based on God’s revelation in Jesus Christ. Life experiences are just the horizon against which it is possible to understand what the Christian message is. Systematic theology connects phenomenology on the one hand and the proclamation of the Gospel on the other hand.

On ‘Systematic theology’ and the contested shape of a discipline

This essay takes up questions about how systematic theology can understand itself in light of critical questions about the functioning of the label. In face of concerns about the exclusionary functioning of the term, the essay develops a set of philosophical distinctions that may help theologians to understand the shape of their discipline. The picture that emerges is of a discipline that is constituted by shifting constellations of historical precedents rather than rigid boundaries; that moves through epistemic justice for the sake of discovering truth, which furthers the pursuit of wider forms of justice; and that functions hermeneutically rather than analytically or critically in its understanding of language.

To Think and to Speak of the Living God: Katherine Sonderegger's Systematic Theology, Volume 2

AbstractThis review of the second volume of Katherine Sonderegger's Systematic Theology reflects upon its several extraordinary features before exploring in some detail the theological account of Scripture integrated into its argument. The possibility of unfolding a metaphysically robust account of God's immanent triune life on the basis of the biblical witness turns upon a highly distinctive view of the Bible and its relation to God's own being.

Addressing the Shinto establishment: “Faith talk” and “God talk” in political rhetoric in contemporary Japan

ABSTRACT In The God Strategy, David Domke and Kevin Coe introduced the concepts of God talk and faith talk to distinguish between explicit and implicit references to religion in American political discourse. Although God talk is perhaps more prevalent in nations where allusions to religion are commonplace in political language, faith talk – speaking to adherents through the use of “cues” that are often imperceptible to outsiders – is more likely to be used by politicians in states such as Japan, where secular legislation restricts the political discourse. In this paper I will illustrate how faith talk is used as a rhetorical strategy in the discourse of politicians representing Japan’s conservative right, with a particular focus on the rhetoric and public image of Abe Shinzō. Abe fostered an image of himself as a self-proclaimed nationalist and devoted “Shintoist,” and he retained close ties to many of the organizations that together form the postwar “Shinto establishment,” including the Association of Shinto Shrines (Jinja Honchō, NASS). Although Abe was rarely as explicit as U.S. presidents tend to be, through his words and actions he disseminated the image of Japan as a “Shinto” nation.

Enhancing Religious Life for Positive Impact on Narcotics Offenders in Penalty Institutions

Religious behavior is a theological construction. Religious institutions are greatly influenced by factors including ignorance and ignorance of the human ability to deal with certain problems and the scarcity of resources that can provide satisfactory answers. Thus, religious behavior is a form of response or action against the teachings of religion that is adhered to or believed. Religion is one of the factors that can change a person to have a better personality, while it is also a life-guide to follow the right path. Religion can reassure one’s soul and mind psychologically and physically. Religious people perform religious activities based on the theological system. Fundamentally, the theological system will be maintained by its adherents. Religion refers to the behavior of someone who understands their God in various ways according to their socialization. Thus a psychological approach can be used in various ways, one of which is rehabilitation for narcotics abuse. Some narcotics abusers, according to research, have unfavorable mental conditions characterized by aggression, restlessness, and loss of self-confidence. To overcome these conditions they need services which can aid recovery both physically and mentally. Psychological approaches to Islamic studies can play a role in therapy through methods like prayer therapy, Al-Quran reading therapy and giving advice based on religious teachings. With the psychological approach used in rehabilitation it is hoped that it can help people who are struggling both physically and psychologically.
 Keywords: Religious Life To Give, Narcotics Confidents

‘The Bible is not “like any other book”’: Katherine Sonderegger and the Bible as Vestigium Trinitatis

AbstractThe second volume of Katherine Sonderegger's Systematic Theology is a daring attempt to do something new in trinitarian dogma: find a fulsome, technically sophisticated doctrine of the Trinity in key Old Testament texts using an interpretive approach, and employing assumptions, that might be recognizable to certain Jewish theological readings of the same texts. This paper situates this project in Sonderegger's longstanding belief in a need for Christianity to overcome its pervasive anti‐Judaism, and shows how, to achieve this aim, Sonderegger constructs a highly unique and provocative understanding of the Bible as the creaturely site wherein God's immanent, holy life is manifest. The author commends Sonderegger's ontology of scripture as stimulating and compelling, while also raising some questions for further consideration.

A Treasure Hidden in a Field: Katherine Sonderegger on Scripture

AbstractThis paper considers Katherine Sonderegger's view of Scripture. In volume 2 of her Systematic Theology Sonderegger suggests a ‘dogmatic reading’ that overcomes the impasse of both a too historicist and a too theologically narrow view of the biblical text. As evidenced in her innovative reading of Isaiah 53, Sonderegger's engagement with Scripture is both thoroughly traditional and a novel approach to theologically engaging the biblical text.

The God of Chance and Purpose: Divine Involvement in a Secular Evolutionary World

The God of Chance and Purpose: Divine Involvement in a Secular Evolutionary World

Peter von der Osten-Sacken (1940–2022)

Prof. Dr Peter von der Osten-Sacken is one of the important post-Shoah German theologians who gave many impulses for new paradigms of Christian-Jewish relations in Germany. With his theological work he laid the foundation of a fundamental critique and the redefinition of a Protestant theology in the face of Judaism.

Praktický ekumenik: Josef Smolík a ekumenika

The article focuses on Josef Smolík's activities in the field of ecumenism. In addition to the connection between the teaching of ecumenism and practical theology at the Protestant Theological Faculty, attention is given to his activities both in the world ecumenical work (World Council of Churches) and in Czech ecumenical work in the context of strained relations with the communist regime. Smolík's emphasis was on the practical orientation of ecumenical activities.

„V otázce ‚fenoménu Hromádka‘ je třeba se rozhodnout“: Vztah Josefa Smolíka k J. L. Hromádkovi v soudobém evangelickém kontextu

Josef L. Hromádka represented for Josef Smolík from the beginning of his study of theology and his active engagement in the Evangelical Church of the Bohemian Brethren as pastor and teacher of practical theology a dominant figure for his theological orientation. His view on the Czech systematic theologian saw a development from a more critical view in the time after the Second World War to a strong appreciation in the 1970s and 1980s. This study examines the evolution of Smolík’s view on Hromádka in the context of the stages of the communist rule in Czechoslovakia and compares it to the views of his contemporaries in both the Protestant establishment as well as in dissident circles of the time.