Arts and Humanities Commons^™

From The Editor’S Desk, Cyprian Davis O.S.B.

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

The Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium, Volume One, is a continuation of something that began almost thirty years ago. In Baltimore at the Motherhouse of the Oblate Sisters of Providence on Gunn Road was held the first meeting of African American theologians, historians, psychologists, liturgists, and other scholars. We had assembled to discuss our place as African American scholars and theologians in our Catholic Church. We were faced with two questions: Can one be a serious black Catholic theologian and can one be at the same time authentically black? As black Catholics, we were faced with a double …

Surviving Tenure: The Plight Of Black Faculty; A Panel Discussion, Kimberly Flint-Hamilton, Diane Batts Morrow, John Morrow Jr., Jamie T. Phelps O.P.

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

This essay, delivered during the 2006 Annual Meeting in Boston, presents four tenured professors from three different universities who discuss the unique problems faced by Black faculty at predominantly White institutions as they attempt to earn tenure and promotion. Chair Kimberly Flint-Hamilton provides the introductory remarks.

Committed To The Faith While Sticking Out Like A Sore Thumb: Stories Of Black Catholics On The Social Frontier, Robert L. Bartlett

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

Bartlett presents the results of a survey of Black Catholics in predominantly White parishes, a topic he presented in part during the 2002 Annual Meeting in Spokane, Washington. He focuses on the lived experiences of these Black Catholics who maneuver within what he terms “the social frontier” as they describe their challenges as they’ve tried, with mixed results, to practice their faith in the face of tension generated by racial, community, and personal pressures.

Economic Ethics And Implications For Health Care Access, Shawnee M. Daniels-Sykes S.S.N.D.

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

In this paper, delivered in New Orleans at the 2004 Annual Meeting, Daniels-Sykes summarizes current scholarship on social justice and health care, inequality of access to health care and insurability, and welfare programs. She presents an analysis of Catholic theological ethics and its application in debates regarding access to health care.

Cover And Front Matter, Black Catholic Theological Symposium

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

Cover, table of contents, administrative information

A Vision For The Future, Kimberly Flint-Hamilton

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

Nearly thirty years ago, a group of young Catholic scholars gathered together to start what would be a long journey. The Reverend Thaddeus Posey convened them in 1978, and they met once again in 1979. They began meeting at that time because they all shared the same vision, to form a theology “that is authentically Black and truly Catholic,” as stated in what would become their Constitution.

More than a decade passed. Then, in 1991, Jamie T. Phelps, O.P., reconvened the group. Since then, the Black Catholic Theological Symposium has met almost every year, developing their vision together and offering …

Catholicism And The Color Line: Black Catholics Beyond The Veil, Cyprian Davis O.S.B.

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

This paper, delivered in Atlanta, Georgia on October 9, 2003, was the keynote address of the 2003 Annual Meeting, which was dedicated to the centennial anniversary of W.E.B. DuBois’ The Souls of Black Folk. Here, Davis discusses the history of the ‘double consciousness’ as perceived by Black Catholics throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Canons And Customs In Colonial Zimbabwe: Jesuits And African Marriage Practices, C. 1890-1967, Nicholas M. Creary

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

This article, delivered as a paper for the 2003 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, treats of African Marriage in Zimbabwe according to “Customary Law” and Western Christian Marriage according to Canon Law. In the beginning of colonialism the missionaries required observance of canonical requirements for Catholic marriage. The colonial government sought to regularize the African marriage traditions. The result was a lessening of Church marriages. This article is a report on the efforts made to renew inculturation in Zimbabwe from c. 1890 to 1967.

George Fox: A Man Of Fiery Passion On A Mission For Jesus, Tom Crawford

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

Impassioned by his personal experience of the “light of Christ” Fox became a dynamic, fanatically sincere speaker. He would speak the “truth” anywhere that God provided an opportunity for him to “convince” people that it was possible for them to “experience” the indwelling light of Christ to change their lives. He was not particular about where he spoke, for he would preach in barns, houses, fields, and in churches after the pries was finished. His ministry began in the northern part of England where he would preach, pray, and protest without reservation. Because he often denounced creeds, forms, rites, external …

Book Review: Hit The Bullseye: How Denominations Can Aim The Congregation At The Mission Field, Randy M. Keeley

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

Book Review: The Celtic Way Of Evangelism, Jeffrey Mansell

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Why Churches Die: Diagnosing Lethal Poisons In The Body Of Christ, Gordon Penfold

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

Volume 18 Issue 3 (Complete), Garly L. Mcintosh

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Biblical Church Growth: How You Can Work With God To Build A Faithful Church, Darryl Thompson

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

Book Review: The Next Generation Leader, Dirke Johnson

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

Evangelism Or Disciple-Making?, Charles Arn

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

There is a growing body of evidence in church growth research, as well as in the practical experience of pastors and church leaders, to make the following somewhat startling observation: Many current evangelism methods are, at best, irrelevant to church growth…and, at worse, are inhibiting the effective outreach of well-meaning Christians and churches.

Senior Adult Evangelism, David E. Moore

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

Senior adults need to personally know God and His promise of eternal peace. Seniors in this state of hopelessness and fearfulness need to be given the opportunity to hear and then be invited to receive the hope and assurance of personal salvation with the promise of eternal peace and security. The lack of evangelism which targets today’s seniors is a growing crisis. The number of unsaved seniors will continue to expand unless today’s churches and believers intentionally evangelize these needful individuals that God loves and desires to be a part of His kingdom for eternity.

A Critical Evaluation Of Ebina Danjo’S Syncretistic Christianity With Respect To Church Revitalization In Japan, Shuma Iwai

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

This article will explore how Ebina Danjo’s syncretistic Christianity influenced church growth during the Meiji Era and what his theology and pedagogy imply for developing church revitalization today. It is significant to examineEbina’s syncretistic Christianity because it will provide some evidences to show the importance of building a healthy churchthrough biblical foundations, not through inappropriate paradigm shift from Japanese religious thoughts to the Western religion, which is Ebina Danjo’s case.

The Protean Church, Allan Karr

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

This article examines some symptoms of ecclesiological shifts that are being observed and documented in the “church” meta-narrative.

Migrations And Unexpected Interreligious Dialogue, Orlando O. Espín

Journal of Hispanic / Latino Theology

The author takes first steps toward theologically unpacking the growing, but often unnoticed, interreligious dialogue occurring among the world’s “popular” religions. Christian theologies of religions in the last forty years have directed considerable attention to theological dialogue with non-Christian religions. However, these have seldom methodically analyzed the universe of the so-called “popular” religions — the actual religions of the vast majority of humankind. Much less have theologians wondered about the mutual impact that these “popular” religions might have on each other at the “popular” level. Building on earlier writings on culture, popular religion, and interculturality, the author’s addresses these lacunae, …

Remembering Win Arn, Gary L. Mcintosh

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

Dr. Win Arn completed his life’s journey on earth this past December (June 26, 1923—December 13. 2006). For many of us who identify with the Church Growth Movement, his passing brought back memories of an important era in the life of North American churches that began in the early 1970s.

Learning To Love — At Any Age, Win Arn

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

What is it? It is not one of God’s attributes. It is the sum total of all God’s attributes. It is the reason Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world.

A Short History Of Winfield C. Arn And The Institute For American Church Growth, Gary L. Mcintosh

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

This article is being reprinted from the Fall 2005 issue of the Journal of the ASCG in tribute to Win Arn. Readers who are not familiar with the early history of church growth, and particularly the role played by Win Arn and the Institute for American Church Growth, will find this article of interest. —Editor

The Korean Pentecost, Elmer L. Towns

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

Although Korea was one of the last nations in the Far East to hear the Gospel, a series of revivals early in the twentieth century quickly turned the Korean church into a powerful force for God. These awakenings transformed Korean culture and society and reached beyond its borders to other nations in Asia.

Bye Bye Rocking Chair, Win Arn

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

Senior adults in most churches have more available time … give more financially (one study indicated seven times more) than younger members … have years of valuable experience working in the church … don’t go “church shopping,” nor do they often move their residence … their work quality is high, and church loyalty solid.

My Pilgrimage In Church Growth, Waldo J. Werning

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

By the Spirit’s strength, various teachers and mentors shared truths and life applications of God’s Word with me to walk the justification and sanctification path Jesus offers with the light that He gives. My pilgrimage in the ministry of church growth that involved both Christian stewardship and church health has been and is one of reflecting Christ, our Savior and Lord, and learning from teachers, mentors, leadership networks and informative books that provided a healthy diet of God’s Word.

Introduction, Gary L. Mcintosh

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

Characteristics Of People Who Live Long & Love It!, Win Arn

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

For centuries, laughter and positive emotions have been known to contribute to people’s health, healing, and happiness. Scripture records that “a cheerful heart is good medicine.” So senior adults — or anyone else who desires to live long and love it — will want to keep a twinkle in their eye and a merry heart.

Organic Change: 12 Emerging Communities Of Missional Theologians, Bob Whitesel

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

My journey into postmodernal progressions of ecclesial change began with an ethnographic survey of 12 Christian congregations that were largely led, staffed and populated with adults between the ages of 22 and 35. My research within these communities was designed to uncover synergies and strategies that might inform further research among our masters and doctoral students in the College of Graduate Studies at Indiana Wesleyan University. The result of the above and subsequent research has led the present author to believe that the topic of organic change among emerging communities of missional theologians will be of both research and pragmatic …

The Shaping Of Things Now: Questions Of Emerging Churches, Darren Cronshaw

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

The term ‘emerging church’ has been hotly debated. Some mainstream churches say ‘what are you doing that we are not?’ and some emerging churches resent the implication that they are still ‘emerging’ into being a real church. 3 But ‘emerging’ describes something that is changing and evolving rather than fixed in one place. The label recognizes that such churches are emerging from a modern into a postmodern framework, in a post-Christendom era, in a digital age, for a post-colonial era. Interestingly, it is a term that has been used to describe the early church in the first century, since that …