Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Book Notes, Kenneth J. Collins

The Asbury Journal

William B. Lawrence

Methodism in Recovery: Renewing Mission, Reclaiming History, Restoring Health

2008. Nashville: Abingdon Press

Charles Yrigoyen, John G. McEllhenney, and Kenneth A. Rowe

United Methodism at Forty: Looking Back Looking Forward

2008. Nashville: Abingdon Press

Scott J. Jones

Staying at the Table: The Gift of Unity for United Methodists

2008. Nashville: Abingdon Press

Book Reviews, Frances Adeney, Gwinyai Muzorewa, Laurence W. Wood

The Asbury Journal

Ogbu U. Kalu, ed., Alaine Low, Associate ed.

Interpreting Contemporary Christianity: Global Processes and Local Identities

2008, Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Reviewed by Frances Adeney

Afe Adogame, Roswith Gerloff and Klaus Hock, eds.

Christianity in Africa and the Africa Diaspora: the Appropriation of a Scattered Heritage

2008. London: Continuum International Publishing Group

Reviewed by Guinyai Muzorewa

Jehu J. Hanciles

Beyond Christendom: Globalization, African Migration, and the Transformation of the West

2008. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books

Reviewed by Guinyai Muzorewa

Thomas Jay Oord, ed.

Divine Grace and Emerging Creation, Wesleyan Forays in Science and Theology of Creation …

Editorial: No Religious Preference, Terry C. Muck

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Justification By The Faithfulness Of Jesus Christ, Chad Harrington

The Asbury Journal

This essay focuses on Paul's description of justification by faith in Galatians 2:16. Scholars such as J.D.G. Dunn and N.T. Wright have recently challenged more traditional perspectives on justification. This essay appropriates some of these challenges to Paul's letter to the Galatians. The problem for Paul is that some Christians are distorting the gospel (Gall:7) and excluding Gentiles Christians (2:12-13). Paul's solution is gospel reorientation. Instead of being a Torah-focused church, he instructs the Galatian church to be Christ-centered. This essay examines justification, works of law, and faith/fulness to reveal Paul's rhetorical purposes by analyzing socio-rhetorical backgrounds and literary, grammatical, …

From "Cults" To Cultures: Bridges As A Case Study In A New Evangelical Paradigm On New Religions, John W. Morehead

The Asbury Journal

The increased awareness of the new religions with the counterculture of the 1960s saw various responses, including a "counter-cult" approach by evangelicals. The counter-cult approach has tended to view new religions as "cults" and to respond to them as heretical systems of belief in need of refutation by doctrinal and apologetic arguments. Over the last decade or so a new evangelical paradigm has emerged based in missiology which, while recognizing theological disagreements that the new religions have with Christianity, approaches new religions as religious cultures rather than as cults. Various resources have been produced as a result of the new …

The Most Indispensable Habits Of Effective Theological Educators: Recalibrating Educational Philosophy, Psychology, And Practice, Mark A. Lamport

The Asbury Journal

In this article, the author provocatively claims that "theological education is neither"; it is not theological unless it is considers the nature of its mission to be ultimately Ministerial; and it is not education unless it takes seriously the learner as focal point of the process.

Armed with "best practices" research on effective teaching in higher education, this rather personal, sometimes feisty, essay challenges the fundamental assumptions of theological education professors' most strongly held beliefs regarding their educational philosophies (advocating critical thinking over accumulation o f content), educational psychologies (promoting learning outcomes and the characteristics of the adult learner over …

Bridging The Gap: Understanding Knowledge Of God In Gregory Of Nyssa's Commentary On The Song Of Songs, Nathan Crawford

The Asbury Journal

The problem of how one knows God is central to the theological endeavor. This paper seeks to explore how Gregory of Nyssa deals with this problem. I suggest that it is by understanding the role of Christ in the incarnation that Gregory finds knowledge of God possible. The incarnation bridges the gap that exists between God and humanity. And, through bridging this gap, Christ enables a person to have mystical knowledge of God.

Journal In Entirety

The Asbury Journal

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editorial
Terry C. Muck

Justification by the Faithfulness of Jesus Christ
Chad Harrington

From "Cults" to Cultures: Bridges as a Case Study in a New Evangelical Paradigm on New Religions
John W Morehead

The Most Indispensable Habits of Effective Theological Educators: Recalibrating Educational Philosophy, Psychology, and Practice
Mark A. Lamport

Bridging the Gap: Understanding Knowledge of God in Gregory of Nyssa'sCommentary on the Song of Songs
Nathan Crawford

John Wesley's Question: "How Is Your Doing?"
David Werner

Book Notes
Kenneth Collins

Review Essay
Kenneth M. Loyer

Book Reviews
Michael Matlock and Bradley Johnson
Charles Meeks
Amos …

John Wesley's Question: "How Is Your Doing?", David Werner

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Notes, Kenneth Collins

The Asbury Journal

James L. Schwenk
Catholic Spirit: Wesley, Whitefield, and the Quest for Evangelical Unity in Eighteenth-Century British Methodism
2008. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press

Scott Kisker
Mainline or Methodist: Discovering Our Evangelistic Mission
2008. Nashville: Discipleship Resources

L. Faye Short and Kathryn D. Kiser
Reclaiming the Wesleyan Social Witness: Offering Christ.
2008. Franklin, Tennessee: Providence House Publishers

Unlocking Catholic Social Doctrine: Narrative Is Key, William J. Wagner

Scholarly Articles

The argument of the present essay is that the pragmatic pressures of contemporary circumstances that lead to Catholic social doctrine – as set out in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, for example, – to being strongly emphasized in Catholic law schools should not be permitted to create a doctrinal hegemony severing doctrine from the contextualization from which it draws its meaning. Catholic social doctrine depends, for its coherence and truth, as do all of the doctrinal formulations within Catholicism, on its relation to both philosophical and theological understanding and, for the purposes of my present …

Arvind Sharma And Katherine K. Young, Eds., Fundamentalism And Women In World Religions, Colby Dickinson

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This article reviews the book, Fundamentalism and Women in World Religions edited by Arvind Sharma and Katherine K. Young.

Reclaiming And Cultivating The Christian Contemplative Tradition, Phileena Heuertz

ATS Chapel Services

No abstract provided.

Changing Paradigms Of Evangelism: Three Generational Views, Elmer Towns

Great Commission Research Journal

This paper attempts to summarize the overarching movements of evangelism in the past 70 years in the United States, most of which this author has personally observed and influenced. While there has always been evangelism in various expressions and to some degree, certain expressions of evangelism have been more effective than others. The primary emphasis of evangelism has gone from soul-winning evangelism (pre-1950), to Church Growth evangelism (1960–1990), to missional evangelism (2000-to the present). Each of these categories will be explored with concluding observations made as to the continued import of evangelism as a priority.

The Conversations Of Our Times, Bill Easum

Great Commission Research Journal

The changes in what the church is and what the church does is explored in this article. These changes are the result of the challenges that have descended on culture in the 21st Century. In the midst of these challenges several conversations are taking place that Christian leaders can’t afford to ignore because each one challenges the fabric of Western Christianity as we know it today. With the goal of reporting what is at stake six budding movements are explored: Emergent, Incarnational, Organic, Reproductive, Missional and Sim Card. Each is summarized with a short explanation as to their potential impact …

Building Bridges Of God During Calamity: Lessons Learned From India, Gary L. Mcintosh

Great Commission Research Journal

The Church Growth Movement has historically placed a priority on evangelism over that of social action. From a church growth perspective, if social action takes priority, evangelism is eventually lost amid the numerous good things that a church can do. In contrast the thinking of the missional church declares it is possible keep evangelism and social action in balance with neither gaining a priority edge. Using a real story from the missionary life of Donald McGavran’s father, John G. McGavran, this article illustrates that when social action does, as it often must, take first place over evangelism, effectiveness in evangelism …

Emerging Church Growth Oxymoron: Mcgavran And Newbigin In Dialog, David Drury

Great Commission Research Journal

The Emerging church and the Church Growth movement are presented in the article in comparison and contrast, with special attention paid to the fathers of both movements, Lesslie Newbigin and Donald McGavran, respectively. An overview of problematic critiques and unhelpful practices in the treatments of each movement is given. Current trends are noted involving shifts in both movements, leaving open a possibility for more constructive dialog and partnership. A final synergy is suggested to envision a future way forward.

A Process Model For Church Change As Redected In St. Thomas’ Anglican Church, Shefceld, England, Bob Whitesel

Great Commission Research Journal

This article is an abbreviation of research originally presented to Dr. Eddie Gibbs, Donald McGavran Professor of Church Growth at Fuller Theological Seminary. Gibbs has been involved with the church under study for over two decades and lauded the author’s research. The research indicates a five-stage/four-trigger process model of change that may serve as an ecclesial prototype for effective change. The article is presented here in honor of Dr. Eddie Gibbs on his retirement.

Book Review: The Hip Hop Church: Connecting With The Movement Shaping Our Culture By Efrem Smith And Phil Jackson, Robert W. Strong

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Christianity Encountering World Religions: The Practice Of Mission In The Twenty-First Century By Terry Muck And Frances S. Adeney, Will Brooks

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.