Theological Perspective Research Articles

SOLIDARITAS DI MASA PANDEMI: PERSPEKTIF KRITIKAL TEOLOGI BISNIS

This study aims to analyze and describe the form of solidarity of business actors in the era of the covid-19 pandemic and the factors that influence solidarity. Data were collected through documentation and interview techniques. Problems which are related to appreciation and solidarity were analyzed theoretically from the perspective of business theology by using a qualitative research method approach. The results of the study inform that the solidarity of business people was reduced during the covid-19 pandemic. People were more concerned with personal safety and business continuity than the safety of others. The improvement of the welfare of the stakeholders was maintained and prioritized over the welfare of the employees. Sense of social responsibility was decreased. Employees were not considered a valuable asset that must be cared for and saved. The sense of family and togetherness was reduced. Egoism and greed were capital for business people to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the sense of sacrifice, love, responsibility, and a sense of kinship which are the basic principles of social solidarity need to be revived and lived by business people to achieve social welfare as exemplified by Jesus by loving humans. Jesus has willing to sacrifice himself on the cross for the salvation of mankind.

Empirical Theology as Theological Netnography: Methodological Considerations

Abstract It is clear that the role of the internet is ubiquitous in everyday life. With smart phones almost everyone can access the internet 24/7 and use it for emails, social network activity, searching for information and navigation when driving a car to a new destination. It is also the case that the online world intersects directly with and is embedded in the off-line world of our everyday lives. Almost all forms of religion have this intersection and function with it as a matter of course. For Christians this has meant that ecclesial dimensions of spiritual life have also been taken online, or that the online dimensions have intersected with the everyday ecclesial life of most if not all Christians. The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated how easily it was for most church congregations to arrange for services to be live-streamed online, supported by social media. Indeed, these new types of services attracted many visitors during the various lockdowns and a number of regular church-goers decided that they preferred the online world to the concrete one they were previously familiar. These recent changes in religious life invite reflection from the perspective of empirical theology. In particular, it may be asked how might an empirical approach to theology develop in relation to virtual ethnography or netnography? There is an emerging body of methodological literature that embraces the study of online or digital communities, otherwise known as netnography (Boellstorff et al, 2012; Hine, 2000, 2015; Kozinets, 2013, 2020; Pink et al, 2016), but, so far, there is a very limited application of empirical studies from a theological perspective (although see Hutchings, 2017; Sutinen and Cooper, 2021). Therefore, this paper explores the question: is there a distinctly empirical-theological approach to netnography? This question will be addressed in this exploratory paper and a methodological proposal suggested as part of the discussion.

Christ's Body Keeps the Score

Recent findings in neuroscience and psychology indicate that “the body keeps the score” of PTSD. Concurrently, trauma-informed theology to date has deployed pneumatology to explain how God experiences trauma in the Christian narrative of salvation. Yet, in Christian theology the divine person of the Holy Spirit has no assumed human body. This raises an important question as to whether a body is needed for God to keep the score of posttraumatic stress in a manner consistent with neuroscience and how this might shape one’s account of trauma in Christian soteriology. In this article, I take an analytic science-engaged approach to assess the viability of dominant proposals in trauma-informed theology which deploy trauma theory to assert God’s experience of trauma and explain this experience with exclusive reference to pneumatology. After reviewing clinical and scientific research on the neuroscience of PTSD which has been neglected in these approaches, I argue that Christology is a more obviously fitting locus for suggesting God’s experience of trauma within Christian soteriology than the person of the Holy Spirit. I conclude that since the body keeps the score of trauma from a scientific perspective, Christ’s body keeps the score of trauma from a science-engaged theology perspective.

Inductive-theological Notes on Religious Pluralism in a Passage of the Abu Dhabi Declaration

Abstract The theological question of the recognition of the legitimacy of ‘other’ religious traditions is today a relevant issue not only for the religious sciences, but also for politics and those dealing with social issues. This contribution deals with this issue starting from some considerations of the Abu Dhabi Declaration, signed by Pope Francis and Imam Ahmad al-Tayeb, in which there is a bold statement on the theological goodness of religious pluralism. This statement is re-read in a sapiential key and with an inductive and experiential theological perspective.

From Latin American Problems to World Problems: Similarities in the Analysis of the Reality between the Texts of the Latin American Magisterium and the Pontifical Documents of Pope Francis

Catholic Social Teaching in Latin America—portrayed in the documents of the Conference of Latin American Episcopal Conferences (Río, Medellín, Puebla, Santo Domingo, and Aparecida)—seeks to provide pastoral orientations to the social problems of the subcontinent, analyzing reality from a concrete theological perspective: the perspective of the poor. This article analyzes how Latin American problems and the way to diagnose them also appear in the pontifical documents of Pope Francis, especially in Evangelii Gaudium and Laudato Si’, applied to the world context. We conclude that the perspective of Latin American theology continues to be valid and relevant for the faithful throughout the world.

Techniques or Disciplines? Mervyn Himbury and the Purpose of Ministerial Education

ABSTRACT The question of how Baptist ministers are best prepared for service in the Church has been part of Baptist life from the beginning. Mervyn Himbury (1922-2008), historian and educational leader in Wales and in Australia, wrestled with these issues continually. He challenged the focus on techniques and skills, arguing for ministerial education based upon the disciplines of biblical and theological reflection, continuous learning and love for God and the world. This paper draws upon Himbury's published works, which set these issues in an historical and theological perspective, while engaging with the immediate challenges in Melbourne, where he was the founding Principal of Whitley College. The paper draws upon curriculum inquiry and ideological perspectives which may shape educational practice, then considers whether these approaches may apply to ministerial education. This discussion serves to further clarify the nature and purpose of ministerial education in general and Himbury's contribution in particular.

Socio-Theological Interferences Regarding the Suicidal Act in a Society in Crisis

The paper entitled "Socio-theological interferences on suicide in a society in crisis" presents some aspects of suicide over time in some peoples from different cultures and spaces. In order to present the evolution of the mentality over time, several legislative landmarks from various countries were mentioned, the last part being focused on highlighting the theological perspective on the suicidal act and on a sociological research on the perception of individuals in the theological space on this act.

When We Fail to Understand Ourselves

The mobilization of Christian discourse by versions of nationalism, na­tivist populism, and champions of "Western civilization" puts new pressure on the question of how theologians should relate Christian resources for imagining communal identity to the general processes of representation in society at large. In this article, I analyze the contemporary crisis of rep­resentation as a problem on the symbolic level of societies: as a crisis of social intelligibility. I do so in order to develop a theological perspective on how churches can respond to these crises and what resources theol­ogy may offer to the larger project of understanding our contemporary political crises. In particular, I suggest that we develop a theological analysis of the limits of representation, which will, among other things, involve attention to the times and places of social unintelligibility.

Moneylender and the Welfare of Traders in Parung Market: Theological and Economic Approach

This research focuses on traders in Parung Market, aiming to discuss Moneylender and the welfare of traders in the Parung Market from theological and economic perspectives. The purpose of this study is: (1) to determine the existence of Moneylender in trading, (2) Moneylender from a theological perspective, and (3) to analyze the impact of Moneylender practices on the welfare of traders in Parung Market from an economic perspective. This research is a descriptive-qualitative research method with a critical paradigm approach in a case study research method. The primary data collection method is observation, structured interviews, and documentation. Data processing and analysis techniques are data reduction, data presentation, conclusion drawing, and verification. While testing the validity of the data is done by testing the credibility. This research’s findings indicate that Moneylender have existed since 2013 due to the need for capital and the absence of financial institutions that provide capital lending facilities. In addition, the mechanism for accounts payable is carried out with an easy process, but debt payments use the installment system daily. Moneylender harms the welfare of traders in Parung Market. From a theological perspective, the practice of usury by Moneylenders is not following the principles of Islamic economics, namely the principle of justice, the principle of Ta’awun, and Maslahat, so it does not meet the spiritual needs of traders. Meanwhile, from an economic perspective, capital loans from Moneylender can only meet capital needs for the short term and support the business being carried out because the interest charged to traders is very high.

By blood or by choice?

This article explores the range of the construct “family” in light of the author’s experience of how the death of a congregation-member exposed the strength, persistence and immovability of the construct, “family”. Despite different attempts and approaches to deconstruct and broaden the notion of what family refers to that originated in the 1970s, a traditional notion of what kinship (family) entails remains focused on ties that bind people by blood or by marriage. The article provides a brief overview and evaluation of different attempts at a postmodern understanding of family, but ultimately it is illustrated that there has been little change to the construct of family. The notion of “relational autonomy” from a Trinitarian theological perspective is presented as a more thorough foundation for familial ties that are characterised by a creative tension of both distance and belonging. This theological foundation provides a point of departure for a dynamic understanding of the range of choices related to what constitutes, “family”, which does not cast someone in the stone of the construct of a “family”, even beyond their own death.

Equal Legal Treatment for Employers and Employees from a Theological Perspective

One of the parties in industrial relations is employers and employees. Workers are frequently in a weak position as stakeholders. In truth, there is a legally binding relationship between employers and employees in the form of a work agreement, which necessitates approval prior to execution. The word "master" is frequently used in the Bible to describe the connection between employers and employees, while workers are referred to as "servants." It also clarifies the census fidei, or sense of faith, in regard to God's relationship with His church. These stakeholders have a tight bond, with the "master" being the party who performs the labor and the "servant" as the party who receives compensation for their efforts. It is a typical occurrence in today's world, particularly in business partnerships. Wages and termination of employment are generally the source of sensitive issues in the form of disputes between employers and employees. Employees should not be injured, according to the theory, because employers and employees have equal standing under the law. Employess are obligated to seek protection since they rely substantially on their salaries to support their basic requirements and those of their families.

РЕЦЕПЦИЯ АНТИЧНЫХ ЭСТЕТИЧЕСКИХ КАТЕГОРИЙ В ПЕРВОМ «ФИЛОСОФИЧЕСКОМ ПИСЬМЕ» П. Я. ЧААДАЕВА*

The relevance of the study is due to the need for an aesthetic analysis of a famous journalistic work of Pyotr Chaadayev, which in the history of philosophy has been studied in detail from the ethical, epistemological, ontological, and theological perspectives, but the aesthetic aspect has been overlooked. The problem of identifying the reception of ancient aesthetic categories in the most famous Russian philosophical letter of the first half of the 19th century is associated with a change of cultural eras and is of interest in terms of preserving the content of the categories of aesthetics that was laid down by Plato and Aristotle. The research methodology includes the text analysis method and the comparison of the content of aesthetic categories of ancient philosophers and Chaadayev. The study revealed that Chaadaev in his letter uses the reception of the Socratic dialogue, adapted for his time, which suggests the author’s commitment to ancient traditions. Chaadaev’s most popular aesthetic categories are the sublime and the base, as well as mimesis (he uses the word “imitation” in his letter). As a result, it turns out that while characterizing Western European culture the philosophical letter’s author correlates it with the category of the sublime, which is close in content to the sublime of the Platonists and Pseudo-Longinus. The opposite category of the base in the Aristotelian interpretation, from Chaadaev’s point of view, best describes Russian history and culture. According to the results of the comparison, the reason for such a bitter picture of domestic existence found by the author seems logical – it lies in the mimesis or imitation, which in Chaadaev’s definition clearly manifests the traces of both Platonic and Aristotelian meanings. As a result, the letter obviously demonstrates the reception of ancient aesthetic categories. However, it can be noted that the entire composition of the work is built on the contrast between the sublime and the base. It was this contrast that created the plot conflict of the letter, which caused a stir among the nineteenth-century readers and leaves no one indifferent to this day.

Het verhaal achter de moraal

In order to substantiate the contribution of military chaplains to the moral formation of military personnel from a Protestant theological perspective this article examines, first, how an absolute imperative can be found in a relative reality, second, how a faith-inspired view of reality can be combined with a serviceable attitude towards reality, and finally, how a vision on flourishing life should be articulated and lived by military chaplains. The conclusion is that Protestant theological views of morality offer promising perspectives on the moral formation of military personnel.

The influence of social status and identity in a struggle for matriarchal power: Genesis 16:1–15

The Genesis 16 narrative is a story about power afforded to individuals based on social status and identity. As such, modern readings of Gen 16 (and Gen 21) unsurprisingly informed the genesis of womanist theology. In her seminal text, Sisters in the Wilderness: The Challenge of Womanist God-Talk, Delores Williams offers a theological perspective centering the social and historical experiences of Black women in biblical and theological interpretation by examining Hagar’s story. This article takes a fresh look at Gen 16:1–15 by examining the influence of social status and identity in a struggle for matriarchal power between Hagar and Sarai. It does this by understanding the sociocultural context of the ancient Near East, as well as English translation choices that serve as barriers to interpretation for a modern audience. Modern Bible readers draw parallels between this text and modern struggles against oppressive power systems and are reminded of God’s sovereignty and action in favor of the oppressed.

Perubahan Makna Teologis Sungai Kahayan Bagi Masyarakat Bukit Rawi

Dayak Ngaju tribe is a biggest tribe in Center Borneo. This tribe community have big interest to live in along of river Borders. It’s because this community hang all side of their life to the river. Kahayan Rivers as the target of research is a one of biggest river in Center of Borneo Abstract which have significant meaning for Kahayan community in economic, social so on theological perspectives. In the past, rivers reputed as connector between human and god. Because of this, Kahayan River became a place to do all local religion ritual from the pregnant time to the dead time of this tribe community. But since the development age, the are a meaning shift of theological meaning of Kahayan River for local people of Kahayan. This research made by qualitative study case approach to find the background of Theological meaning shift of Kahayan River for the people of Kahayan in Bukit Rawi Pulang Pisau Residence.

Artificial Intelligence and Transhumanism in the Context of Human Nature and Consciousness in Theological Perspective

İslam dini Yaratıcıya, evrene ve insana dair değişmez bazı sabiteler sunar. Allah’a ve ahirete inanmak, dünyanın fani oluşu, tevhid ilkesi, insanın mahiyeti ve misyonu bu değişmez ilkelerdendir. Kelam ilminin amacı ise bu değişmez sabitelere yönelik yapılan itirazları değerlendirip cevaplar vermektir. Son yıllarda gelişen teknoloji ve beraberinde getirdiği yapay zekâ gibi yenilikler, diğer taraftan buna bağlı olarak ortaya çıkan transhümanizm anlayışı insan fıtratına ve dinin temel parametrelerine karşı görüşler ileri sürerek insan türünün değişmesi ve güncellenmesi gerektiği fikrini tartışmaya açmıştır. Ayrıca söz konusu anlayış, insanın tanrılaşabileceğini ve böylece kendi yeryüzü cennetini yaratabileceğini iddia etmektedir. İnsanı sadece maddi bedenden müteşekkil bir varlık olarak gören, onu sadece fiziksel mekanizmaların birleşiminden ibaret kabul eden transhümanist yaklaşım, insanın müteal yönünü ihmal etmektedir. Bu düşünce insan üzerinde her türlü tasarrufu meşru kabul etmektedir. Bu sebeple insanlık metalaştırılma, anlam ve amacından koparılma tehlikesiyle karşı karşıyadır. Çalışmamızda dinin temel ilkelerine aykırı bir durum sergileyen söz konusu anlayışlar ve onların, transhümanizm ve yapay zekâ kavramları üzerinden yaptıkları insan tanımları, iddiaları ve hedefleri kelami açıdan incelenmeye çalışılacaktır.

Death in abundance versus life in abundance in the context of COVID-19 and poverty: A practical theological reflection on pastoral accompaniment during the grieving process

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is currently holding the whole world hostage. It has led to the death of millions accross the world and thousands in South Africa. On the surface, it looks like there is an abundance of death in contrast to an abundance of life. Many of those who have lost their loved ones are being left to grieve alone without appropriate pastoral accompaniment by their pastors and other trained pastoral caregivers. In this article, written from a practical theological perspective, it is argued that those who are grieving as a result of the loss of loved ones must be pastorally accompanied. Pastors should be empowered in order to journey with the grieving persons in the context of COVID-19 and poverty. They should also be empowered to equip others who join them in the responsibility of pastorally accompanying the grieving as they transition through various stages of grief. Pastoral accompaniment should happen with due recognition of the socioeconomic context of South Africa and the context in which traditional and cultural practices of Africans persist amid opposition from churches.Contribution: This article, which is written from a practical theological perspective and using an interdisciplinary approach, contributes to discourse on pastoral care and particularly pastoral accompaniment of those who are going through various stages of grieving in the context of poverty and COVID-19.

Michelle Panchuk and Michael Rea, eds. <i>Voices from the Edge: Centering Marginalized Perspectives in Analytic Theology</i>

Michelle Panchuk and Michael Rea, eds. <i>Voices from the Edge: Centering Marginalized Perspectives in Analytic Theology</i>

Ibn Taymiyya on Human Nature and Belief in God: Using the Cognitive Science of Religion to Study the Fiṭra

Ibn Taymiyya proposes his unique epistemology by employing the concept of the fiṭra. When his statements describing the fiṭra are collected, we see that Ibn Taymiyya has presented a detailed view of human nature and how that nature relates to God and the universe as a whole. His fiṭra-centric theory of human nature can be usefully compared to other theories, not only within the Islamic tradition but also in theories of the self found in other religions or even contemporary scientific theories. As of yet, Ibn Taymiyya’s work has not been studied through the lens of Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR). Ibn Taymiyya is an ideal candidate for applying CSR research to Islamic thought in order to reach broader insights about theories of human nature within the Islamic scholarly tradition. CSR findings are relevant to Ibn Taymiyya’s work specifically because Ibn Taymiyya claims that certain human emotions, intuitions, and behaviors are inborn and universal. By applying CSR, we can conclude that some aspects of Ibn Taymiyya’s theological perspective are grounded in deeper and more universal features of human cognition that are not specific to the particularities of his biases, his milieu, political pressures of his time, etc.

Happiness and morality in Christian moral ethics and in philosophical ethics

Happiness is the ontological state of human nature by which it is defined as a being endowed with reason, will and feeling. Anthropological analysis, whether it is carried out from a theological perspective or from a philosophical perspective, places man in a continuous ascent towards happiness. Thus, the question can be asked: which of the two ethical systems can define the human person as the possessor of morality and happiness, and what are their limits?