Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Significance Of Pentateuchal Tithing As A Legal Instruction For The 21st Century Reader, Miracle Ajah

The Asbury Journal

So much debate has arisen as to whether or not the obligation to tithe was bound to the Old Testament and Judaism, or applied to the contemporary Christian Church. This paper seeks to answer the questions about how we can understand and apply the Old Testament datum to the contemporary church in Africa; how we can define our relationship to God’s covenant revealed in the Old Testament in the light of our New Testament experience; and the significance of Pentateuchal tithing as a legal instruction for the 21st Century reader. Discussions were done under the following headings: The Pentateuchal tithing …

Chronicles As Revisionist Religious History, Moshe Reiss, David J. Zucker

The Asbury Journal

Chronicles takes history and reconstructs it to make it more acceptable in terms of its time and place. The Chronicler writes a form of revisionist religious history, to revitalize, reinvigorate, and renew Judaism for the returning exiles from Babylon and their descendants. Chronicles is selective history. The Chronicler understands that Moses created the nation of Israel from a group of slaves, and that David created a dynastic monarchic system of government. By the time Chronicles is written, that system was gone and what replaces it is a religion based on the Temple, the cultus and the attendant Levitical personnel.

Local Residents’ Responses To Tourism As A Framework To Understand Hosts’ Responses To Short-Term Missions, Jeremy Griffin

The Asbury Journal

The research on the perspectives of the hosts in short-term missions is beginning to gain a stronger presence in the literature on short-term missions. To analyze the hosts’ point of view in short-term missions, this article uses four theoretical frameworks from the anthropology of tourism that measure hosts’ attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions of tourism, its development and impacts. The result is that the hosts may show advocacy, concession, contention, or resignation towards short-term missions.

From The Editor, Robert Danielson

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

The Practical Theology Of The General Rules, Andrew C. Thompson

The Asbury Journal

The “General Rules of the United Societies” were a central component of the early Methodist movement under John Wesley’s leadership. Examinations of the General Rules in contemporary literature tend to focus on their role in personal and organizational discipline for early Methodists and for the movement as a whole. Yet a close examination of the rules shows that they served a greater purpose: as the practical theological articulation of how Methodists could expect to experience sanctification in the context of their lives. This crucial aspect of the General Rules’ use can be seen by exploring Wesley’s understanding of the means …

Anticipating Change: Missions And Paradigm Shifts In Emergence, Sam Law

The Asbury Journal

As our global community is in an unprecedented period of rapid change, missiology, being a study of crossing boundaries, plays a critical pathfinder role in anticipating, participating and mediating the change process, for change itself is a temporal boundary. Failure to do so in the past has left the Church and other groups in a position in which they lag change, and have been marginalized and considered irrelevant. Emergence theory is introduced as a new model, in place of Kuhn's pyramid of causality, to describe how change itself has changed, as networks are now the opinion leaders. As well, Emergence …

Identification By Spirit Alone: Community-Identity Construction In Galatians 3:19-4:7, Susaan Liubinskas

The Asbury Journal

Interpretations of Paul's letter to the Galatians have tended to focus on its theological content, particularly Paul's attitude toward the Law and Judaism Moreover, the question of how the theological portion of the epistle relates to the paraenetic section (Gal 5:13---6:10) continues to vex interpreters. However, the author notes that the position of Jews and Gentiles within the Christian churches is ultimately a question of identity. Accordingly, the goal of this study is to perform a sociological analysis of Gal 3:19--4:7, drawing upon aspects of social identity theory, in order to analyze Paul's method of constructing community identity in terms …

Public Theology For Global Development: A Case Study Dealing With "Health" In Africa, Gregg A. Okesson

The Asbury Journal

This article makes a simple assertion. The problems faced by global societies require a multi-disciplinary approach, in which theology actively engages other disciplines, such as politics, health, economics, science, and cultural studies, for the purposes of helping the Church of Jesus Christ accurately represent "the fullness of him who fills everything in every way" (Eph 1:23). This reflects the writings of John Wesley and involves a process of reinterpreting the Asburian heritage of "the whole Bible for the whole World" for relating the Gospel to such issues as poverty, disease, famine, ecological disaster, and other facets of development crisis. In …

Poetry As The Handmaid Of Piety: Hymns As A Catalyst For Human Development In Early Methodism, Brian Yeich

The Asbury Journal

In the preface to the 1780 edition o f Hymns for the People Called Methodist, John Wesley stated, 'When Poetry thus keeps its place, as the handmaid of Piety, it shall attain, not a poor perishable 'Wreath, but a crown that fadeth not away."l While John Wesley may have never used the term ''human development," a student of Wesley would quickly observe that Wesley and the early Methodists were focused on the transformation of individual human lives as well as the society in which they lived. This paper explores the connection between the hynmody of early Methodism and …

A Macarian-Wesleyan Theology Of Mission, Matt Friedman

The Asbury Journal

In this paper, Iwill begin by providing an outline of the development of the theology of union with God, or theoric. I will have a particular focus on fourth-century Syrian monk Macarius-Symeon, whose Fifty Spiritual Homilies had an influence on early Pietism and early Methodism From there, I will seek to demonstrate how John and Charles Wesley, as well as their colleagues such as John Fletcher in the first generation of Methodist leadership, sought to critically fold this understanding into their own teaching regarding justification, sanctification and the ultimate goal of those who walk in union with God in …

Impacting The Orienting System: The Role Of Theological Education In Influencing Socio-Cultural Images Of God, Anne K. Gatobu

The Asbury Journal

Theological educational has classically been associated with educating pastors for local church ministries, non-pastoral ministries and theologians for higher education. In this article I postulate that the role of theological education goes beyond these practical ministry perception to the shaping of societal images of God expressed through the orienting system.

In the first part of the article I argue that one's faith formation is closely related to one's development of God's image. This is not an isolated process, but an appropriation of God's image disseminated through nurture by one's immediate family and society at large. The proliferation of all these …

The Tabernacle And Contextual Worship, Craig Keener

The Asbury Journal

Christians today sometimes debate the propriety of contemporary worship styles. Examining features of Exodus's tabernacle in light of cultures surrounding ancient Israel offers one biblical model for contextual worship. These features reveal that this model was relevant to its cultural setting Some contextual elements fit Israel's setting merely out of necessity or expediency. Other elements employ existing forms, sometimes even from non-Israelite religious practices, to communicate a point intelligible within that cultural sphere. Still other elements show striking contrasts with surrounding cultures, contrasts highlighted all the more conspicuously by the aforementioned similarities. Noticing which elements are similar and which elements …

The Journey To God: Union, Purgation And Transformation Within The Ascent Of Mount Carmel And A Plain Account Of Christian Perfection, Stephen L. Martyn

The Asbury Journal

This article is both a call to Christian maturity and an appreciative recounting of how a Roman Catholic mystic, John of the Cross, helped me reclaim and love my own Wesleyan tradition of entire sanctification. In this article I hold up the theological doctrine of Union with God as the goal of the Christian life and review and contrast how Wesley and John of the Cross approached the issue. UThile these two spiritual masters outline differing views of the path to perfection in love, they both, nevertheless, continue to inspire and offer the light of Christ to Christians seeking full …

Christian Publishing In Korea, Stephen Andrew Major, Stephanie Zugates Major

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

God's Silence: Psalm 28, Terry C. Muck

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

"Justification By Faith": Richard Baxter's Influence Upon John Wesley, Joseph W. Cunningham

The Asbury Journal

Correction In our Spring 2009 issue we published an essay, "'Justification by Faith": Richard Baxters Influence upon John Wesley." Due to an editing error, the essay was mistakenly attributed to Floyd T. Cunningham, president of Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary. We apologize to Dr. Cunningham for the inconveniences this mistake has caused.

We also apologize to Dr. Joseph W Curmingham of Eureka College who is the correct author of the essay. In order to emphasize this correct attribution, we are republishing the essay in this issue with Dr. Joseph W Cunningham listed as the author.

-Terry …

"A Classless Society?": The Pneumatology Of E. Stanley Jones In Conversation With Mortimer Arias' Theology Of The Kingdom Of God, Angel Santiago-Vendrell

The Asbury Journal

This lecture addresses the pneumatology of E. Stanley Jones in

conversation with Mortimer Arias' theology of the kingdom of God. Jones was an advocate of what is known today in Latin America as mission integral. Integral mission seeks to restore every dimension of human life by requiring from Christians to be completely involved in the historical moment by the concrete demonstration of the power of the gospel in everyday life. Later, this illlderstanding of mission was used in Bolivia to propagate the gospel illldera brutal right-wing military regime by Bishop Mortimer Allas. Therefore, the kingdom of God as used …

New Directions In Transformational Development, Stephen Offutt

The Asbury Journal

How does theology and theoryinfonn evangelical international development initiatives? The present article answers this question by reviewing the creation and growth of the international development industry, by outlining the dominant theory in evangelical development today, and by pointing to possible future directions. It argues that Transformational Development, currently the dominant evangelical development paradigm, has played a critical role in evangelical development theory and practice. But there are weaknesses to the theory. New voices, especially Wesleyan voices, are needed to shape evangelicalism's response to poverty in the 21st century.

Christian Sensitivity In Interreligious Relation, Paul D. Numrich

The Asbury Journal

This essay reflects on the implications of my mandate to guide seminary students "to think creatively and responsibly about how to proclaim the Christian gospel in multi-cultural contexts with a sensitivity to interfaith perspectives." I ask the question, What does it mean for Christian seminarians--and Christians generally--to engage adherents of other faiths with sensitivity to their perspectives? I offer a general definition of "sensitivity" and distinguish Christian sensitivity from other kinds, in that it is informed by the revelation of God in Jesus Christ and the continuing presence of the Holy Spirit in the living heritage of the Christian faith. …

Sensing The Spirit: Wesley's Empiricism And His Use Of The Language Of Spiritual Sensation, James E. Pedlar

The Asbury Journal

This paper examines the relationship betweenJohn Wesley's empiricism and his use of the language of "spiritual sensation." Through a close reading of Wesley's own espousal of empiricism, as well as his use of the language of the spiritual senses, it will be argued that Wesley, while committed to empiricism as a natural epistemology, views the experience of the Spirit as something which is known intuitively. H is references to the spiritual senses are therefore best understood as an analogy for this intuitively known experience of the Spirit. While Wesley's discussions of spiritual sensation are not simply an extension of his …

The Johannine Writings: Symbolism And The Symbol Of 'Light' In The Gospel Of John, Clyde Muropa

The Asbury Journal

Jesus says ofhirnself "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12) and the gospel of John intercepts the meaning of this statement through the motif of symbols and symbolism.

Journal In Entirety

The Asbury Journal

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editorial

God's Silence: Psalm 28 Terry C Muck

Essays

"Justification by Faith": Richard Baxter's Influence upon John Wesley Joseph W Cunningham

A Classless Society? The Pneumatology of E. StanleyJones in Conversation with Mortimer Arias Angel Santiago-Vendrell

New Directions in Transformational Development Stephen Offutt

Christian Sensitivity in Interreligious Relations Paul Numnch

Sensing the Spirit: Wesley's Empiricism and his Use of the Language of Spiritual Sensation James E. Pedlar

Symbolism and the Symbol of Lig!ot in the Gospel of John Clyde Muropa

Features

Christian Publishing in Central and Eastern Europe Katharina Penner

Journal In Entirety

The Asbury Journal

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Essays

Anticipating Change: Missions and Paradigm Shifts in Emergence Sam Law

Identification by Spirit Alone: Community-Identity Construction in Galatians 3:19-4:7 Susann Liubinskas

Public Theology for Global Development A Case Study Dealing with ''Health'' in Africa Gregg A, Oktsson

Poetry as the Handmaid of Piety: Hynms as a Catalyst for Human Development in Early Methodism Brian Yeich

A Macarian-Wesleyan Theology of Mission Matt Friedman

Impacting the Orienting System: The Role of Theological Education in Influencing Socio-cultural Images of God Anne K. Gatobu

The Tabernacle and Contextual Worship Craig Keener

The Journey to God: Union, Purgation and Transformation …

Christian Publishing In Central And Eastern Europe, Katharina Penner

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Editorial: Bible, Theology, And Mission, Terry C. Muck

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Green Eggs And Shawarma: Reinterpreting The Bible, Reforming Mission, With Leviticus' "Non-Indigenous Resident" As A Test Case, Mark A. Awabdy

The Asbury Journal

This article encourages Christians to revisit and reinterpret the Bible in order to more faithfully align with God's mission in the world. As a test case, the article reinterprets the socio-religious status of the "non-indigenous resident" in Leviticus and concludes with some possibilities for reforming mission theology and praxis. The first section of the article reviews the conventional interpretation of Leviticus' as one granted absolute religious freedom. Against this view, the body of the article contends that the in Leviticus was bound in covenant to Yahweh, yet free to practice some foreign customs and practices. To argue for this, the …

Inhabiting The Garden: Bible, Theology And Mission, Lawson G. Stone

The Asbury Journal

This essay explores the role of biblical exegesis in the task of Christian theology and in the contemporary global mission of the church from the perspective of an Old Testament scholar. It poses the question what a biblical exegesis would look like that was consistently Christian in its assumptions while, at the same time, honest and competent in dealing with the phenomena of the biblical text. Using the exegesis of the early centuries of the church as a case study, the essay develops insights into the role of serious biblical study in empowering the early church's vibrant expansion through the …

The Pannenbergzan Retroactive Significance Of Resurrection, Brian M. Ebel

The Asbury Journal

According to Wolfhart Pannenberg the Scriptures are born out of the historical acts of God in salvation history. It is this focus upon history, most importantly from the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that sets Pannenberg apart from his contemporaries. Previous attempts to hurdle these historical issues such as theological positivism have given way in the postmodern era to the recognition that there are few uninterpretable facts as modernity claimed. As such, hermeneutics are key to the manner in which the Scriptures are interpreted. It is therefore the purpose of this paper to consider how Wolfhart Pannenberg, an important theologian of …

Missional Holiness In A Post-Christendom World, Timothy C. Tennent

The Asbury Journal

The following address was given by Dr. Timothy Tennent, president of Asbury Theological Seminary as the Fall 2010 Convocation Address, first on the Florida-Dunnam Campus (September 7, 2010) and then on the Wilmore (Kentucky) Campus of Asbury Theological Seminary (September 9, 2010). It has been left in its oral form of address.

A Brief Look At Methodology And Grace In Wesleyan Theology, Kyle Blanchette

The Asbury Journal

In a recent piece for the Asbury Theological Journal, Nathan Crawford has attempted to put current understandings of emergent phenomena within the neurosciences in conversation with Christian soteriology; in particular, Crawford has sought to link up themes found in emergence with distinctively Wesleyan perspectives on sanctification. In this article, I offer some reflections on theological methodology in light of Crawford's analysis, and I identify some needed clarifications of Kenneth J. Collins's model of John Wesley's soteriology. In the latter half of the piece, I present a critical analysis of the issue of monergism and synergism in Wesley's understanding of grace.