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Our Contributors

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

Pantayong Pananaw Bilang Dulog Sa Teolohiyang Pilipino (From-Us-For-Us Perspective As An Approach To Filipino Theology), Mark Joseph Santos

Mabini Review

Colonial and elitist theology have been dominating the Philippine theological landscape for a very long time. This is a kind of theology that is Western and thus alienated from the reality of Philippine society, and written in English and therefore cannot be comprehended by the people. Because of this, a large part of theology as an academic discipline is still irrelevant to the Filipino context. One of the instruments that can serve as an antidote to this problem is the use of Pantayong Pananaw (From-Us-For- Us Perspective) as an approach. Through Pantayong Pananaw, Teolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino Theology) can enrich itself …

House Churches (Full Issue)

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

House Churches In The New Testament: Contextual, Theological, And Missiological Perspectives, Boubakar Sanou

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

For most of the first century, private dwellings shaped the Christians’ community life. Evidence to this phenomenon is found in the Acts of the Apostles and the letters of Paul. According to Acts 2:41, the Early Church numbered more than three thousand members after Pentecost. When the synagogues became off limits to them, meeting in private homes became a practical necessity for worship, fellowship, service, and mission (Acts 2:46; 5:42). In four of Paul’s epistles, he explicitly references private homes as the gathering places for early Christians (1 Cor 16:19; Rom 16:3-5; Col 4:15; Phil 2). The epistles are better …

Book Review: New Funding Models In Global Mission: Learning From The Majority World By Tim Welch, John Cheong

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

African Ethnopolitical Rivalry In A Public Theological Lens: Building Bridges Between The Luo And Kikuyu, Dan Kidha Kidha

The Journal of Social Encounters

This research explores African ethnopolitical rivalry within a public theological framework, aiming to build bridges between the Luo and Kikuyu communities of Kenya. It argues that as a community enterprise, theology should engage with the public and be concerned about the wellbeing of God's people. Ethnopolitical conflict is a major impediment to human flourishing in sub- Saharan Africa, causing loss of life, displacement, and fractured identity. The paper draws on practical and public theologies to understand the lived contexts of human experience and argues that a robust interdisciplinary approach is necessary to uplift those affected by ethnic conflicts. As an …

Canadian Lutheran History Sources And Resources Presentation: Remembering For The Sake Of The Gospel, Karen Kuhnert

Consensus

This Article is from a three-part presentation delivered in Webinar 2 (November 15, 2022) of the Webinar Series “For the Sake of the Gospel” hosted by the Remembering Today for the Church of Tomorrow Project in partnership with Martin Luther University College and Lutheran Theological Seminary. The presentation featured images, some of which are presented herein.

Our Contributors

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

We Are Kamea Christians Not Because We Sing Like Berrien Springs Christians: Towards A Methodology Of Developing A Biblical Theology In Context, Unia Api

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

This paper attempts to demonstrate a methodological approach to doing theology in context. A lot of homogenizations of Western Christianity have very much impacted the way we do church in Melanesia (Pacific Islands). This trend motivated me to ride on the wave of Melanesian thinkers to make theology relevant in the Melanesian context. Title: Exploring

Who Is To Blame? African Feminism, Human Rights, And Sexual Violence Against Izintombi (Virgins) In South Africa, Goodness Thandi Ntuli

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article highlights the intensifying prevalence of sexual violence in South Africa, which affects women including izintombi (virgins, also known as Zulu maidens). Ubuntombi (virginity) traditionally represented a typical identity marker of young-womanhood in the indigenous lives of Zulus. As an aftermath of colonialism and imperialism, the cultural importance of women’s virginity faded into the past with only sporadic survival in some rural areas of South Africa. For some reasons, it was visibly revived together with virginity-testing as public events in the 1980s and 1990s. The practice of virginity-testing was criticized by some scholars, human rights and gender activists, who …

Global Women’S Precarity, Borderlands, Decoloniality, And Transformative Change, Vivienne Tailor, Nupur Ray, Goodness Thandi Ntuli, Lihini Ratwatte

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Review Of Los Profetas: The Prophetic Role Of Hispanic Churches In America, Hanna Larracas

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Then Peter Stood Up: A Dialogical Narrative Analysis Of Peter’S Preparation For Spokesperson At Pentecost, Rebekah Bled

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Dialogical Narrative Analysis (DNA) asks, in brief, what work a story does in the context in which it is told and on the teller of the story itself. In applying DNA to Peter, this article assumes the premise that Peter’s meaning-making, or construction of the dialogical self in dynamic relationship with Jesus, positioned him to be the spokesperson who narrated the events of Pentecost. Therefore, this article seeks to understand how Jesus’ naming and accompanying statement to Peter that “on this rock I will build my church” and the unfolding narrative of Peter’s discipleship uniquely prepare Peter for this role. …

Growing In Global Perspectives: A Review Of Reading The Bible Around The World, Ethan Hovrud, Jaelyn Dragt, Joya Schreurs, Susan Wang, Hannah Landman

Student Work

"Effects of colonization, refuge seeking, and persecution affect how communities interpret meaning in Scripture."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the book Reading the Bible Around the World from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/growing-in-global-perspectives-a-review-of-reading-the-bible-around-the-world/

Constructing A Theological Framework That Revitalizes The Missional Nature Of Churches Of Christ In South Australia, Mark Daniel Riessen

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses the need for a theological framework that revitalizes the missional nature of Churches of Christ in South Australia. The problem identified within this ministry context was a lack of clear theological principles that informed a common understanding of identity for missional engagement. The purpose of the project was to create a study guide that informs common theological commitments and grounds congregations for missional vitality. A research and development team made up of seven Church of Christ ministers from different backgrounds was assembled to design a curriculum that addressed the problem. Through eight two-hour sessions over four months …

Our Contributors

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

Trauma And Grief: Developing A Framework For Equipping The Hispanic/Latino Churches As A Healing Community In The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Of North Carolina, Santiago Reales

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This project aimed to equip Hispanic/Latino congregations of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina (CBFNC) as a healing community to help people in recovering from loss and trauma in a healthy way. Participants in five-workshop sessions over four weeks explored stories of grief and trauma from the Old and New Testament along with contemporary grief and trauma theories. Each workshop presented what the Scriptures and mental health best practices teach about how to deal with grief and trauma. Also, the project sought to determine whether the participant’s training experience impacted their stress level.

Can Anyone Withhold The Water...?, Brandon Keith Lacey Sr

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Abstract

Thesis

Contextualization and indigenization have always been necessary and expected components of establishing Christian communities of faith and practice. Failed or obsolete attempts at contextualization and indigenization in evangelism and missions continue to harm the development of the African American Church. This results in the development of spiritually marginalized communities alienated from the very relationship with God that such communities need. Preventing such spiritual marginalization in communities requires a training curriculum that combines a working theology on appropriate contextualization and indigenization with a framework for practical implementation. The outcome would decrease the tendency to replicate non-contextual religious practice and …

An Evaluative Study To Understand The Mission Motivation Of The Theology Students Of Spicer Adventist University With Missiological Implications And Applications, Anish Puthusseril Joseph

Dissertations DIS

This dissertation critically examines the understudied domain of mission motivation among theology students at Spicer Adventist University (SAU) to provide valuable insights for developing an appropriate missiological response. Chapter I provides a comprehensive overview of the research proposal. Then the study builds upon a biblical and theoretical foundation established in Chapters II and III. Official statistics reveal a significant need for focused missiological attention in India, where the Adventist community constitutes a ratio of 1:811 (1.26 billion Indian population vs. 1.55 million Adventists in India). However, there has been a lack of evaluation concerning the mission motivation of theology students …

An Interdisciplinary Theological Method From The Knowledge Of The Forgotten, Alexandre A. Martins

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Leadership Integrity In Kenya : The Best Leadership Practices That Promote Leadership Integrity Among Leaders In Christian Institutions Of Higher Learning In Kenya, Mike Mulwa Mutua

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Through The Looking Glass: Worship Music With Indigenous Sounds In Los Angeles And Manila, Maria Rica Bartolome Silbol

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the Philippines’ wonderful indigenous music and talents, Manila Baptist and Los Angeles Baptist churches do not utilize indigenous sounds in typical worship practices. This paper contends that the untapped resources of cultural sounds may contribute to a dynamic worship experience that resonates more effectively as Filipino. This study investigates the absence of indigenous sound in two Filipino Baptist churches from Los Angeles and Manila (QC). It analyzes relevant ethnic music components and each church’s response to the fusion of indigenous and traditional music in the worship experience. The explanatory sequential mixed method will focus on an artistic-creative study to …

Review Of The Routledge Handbook Of Pentecostal Theology, Tabitha Turpin

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

The Routledge Handbook of Pentecostal Theology. Edited by Wolfgang Vondey. New York, NY: Routledge, 2020. 464 pp.

Review Of Apostles & Prophets: The Ministry Of Apostles And Prophets Throughout The Generations, David Osei-Nimoh

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

S. B. J. Oschoffa (1909–85): The Miracle Of A Shared Life, Samuel Olamiji Akibu

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

In the twentieth century, God raised many faith giants among Africans for Africans and the whole world. These faith heroes contributed immensely to the decolonization, indigenization, and expansion of Christianity in Africa and the Global South. Among these highly spiritually invested Africans was a Beninese-Nigerian carpenter, Samuel Biléou Joseph Oschoffa (1909–1985). He was educated in the Methodist tradition before the Lord called him to lead one of the most significant African prophetic-charismatic indigenous movements, the Celestial Church of Christ. This article explores his life, ministerial legacies, and theology.

John Paul Ii: A Role Model Of Participative, Transformative, And Empowering Leadership, Tomasz Bialokurec

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article sets out to revisit charismatic leadership theory through the concepts of servanthood, participation, transformation, and empowerment. We will argue that only servant and participative leadership reflects the relational nature of the Holy Trinity and has a potential to transform and empower followers, offering a remedy to the issue of power in Spirit-empowered Christianity. We propose that this emerging paradigm of charismatic leadership is exemplified by Karol Wojtyła (John Paul II). The assessment employs the criteria of personal and socialized charismatic leadership, as well the apostle and teacher/scholar paradigms of leadership derived from Ephesians 4:11. The study also features …

Profile Of A Spirit-Empowered Leader: Opoku Onyinah, The “African Paul”, David Osei-Nimoh

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Spirit-empowered leadership takes its shape from both the Old and New Testament Scriptures. God raised up, transformed with the Holy Spirit, and set aside some men and women to impact their generations and influence the trajectory of the church. Most operated within the apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral, and teacher/scholar paradigms to execute God’s plan for their lives. In contemporary times, however, questions arise as to whether other individuals qualify as effective modern-day Spirit-empowered leaders who operate within the boundaries of these paradigms through the Holy Spirit’s enablement. Consequently, this research sought to examine the spiritual and theological infrastructure behind the …

Paradigms Of Global Spirit-Empowered Leadership, Eric N. Newberg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Spirit-empowered leaders employ different paradigms of leadership. The aim of the article is to identify, explain, and critique these paradigms. Spirit-empowered leadership is conceived of as belonging to the category of charismatic leadership. Following Max Weber, charismatic leadership is understood as flowing from charisma or giftedness, which is attributed to the leader by his or her followers. The article starts with the findings of theorists concerning charismatic leadership. Then it delineates five paradigms of Spirit-empowered leadership—the apostle, prophet, healing evangelist, pastorpreneur, and teacher/scholar. Examples are offered from global contexts. Last, a summative assessment of the paradigms is conducted, using criteria …

Against These Things There Is No Law: Spirit-Empowered Witness In Secular Uruguay, Rebekah Bled

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Uruguay is a country unique in Latin America for its secularism. It secularized early, thoroughly, and publicly, under the leadership of President José Batlle y Ordoñez, at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. A century later, Uruguay still boasts the highest percentage of atheists, agnostics, and nones in the continent. This is a country that seems to defy the sometimes triumphalist narratives of the pentecostalization of the global South. Yet, even amidst this backdrop, there are bright spots of Spirit-empowered witness. This article seeks to examine two of these bright spots of Spirit-empowered hope during …

Full Issue: Spiritus 7.2 (2022) - Missional Leadership, [email protected]

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.