Search Results (56)

In 2021, the National Centre for Religious Studies in New Zealand published the new religious education curriculum for Catholic schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. While in many ways, very like other religious education curricula, from its naming in Māori before English, Tō Tātou Whakapono Our Faith shines a light on the role of culture and language in the transmission and expression of faith. This paper is written in two parts. Part 1 of this paper provides an examination of the key curriculum documents and website to find that Tō Tātou Whakapono Our Faith is unique in three ways. First, it enjoys a level of security in the dominant presence of Catholics in the Catholic school, guaranteed by the Integration Act of 1975. Second, it offers flexibility in approach, necessary for a curriculum with national status, and finally, it demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to the inclusion of Māori culture and language. Part 2 of this paper takes up the inclusion of Māori culture and language to offer a response to the call that Māori need to be allowed to develop a theology from within their own culture and language. It proposes that the introduction of a new hermeneutical lens in the study of scripture, one that would replicate the practice of the Bible authors who drew freely on their own experience and language to speak of God, could provide a simple but effective way of developing such a theology. It is in Part 2 that the significance of the subtitle of this paper will become apparent. Full article

Recent attempts to reconcile the doctrine of original sin with evolutionary theory have sought scientific validation for the historicity of Adam and Eve, particularly through arguments for a single ancestral pair. This paper critically examines such efforts, arguing that they constitute a disguised form of creation science, selectively engaging with evolution to preserve classical Christian anthropology. Through biblical exegesis, theological hermeneutics, and biological research, this study demonstrates that these approaches rest on uncertain scientific and theological premises. Genesis 1–11 is sapiential rather than historical, and genetic evidence biological evidence points to population-oriented emergence of our species. Theological attempts to preserve a literal Adam and Eve rest on an outdated view of revelation as mere information transfer, leading to conceptual confusion and misinterpretation. The pursuit of a historical Adam and Eve as a scientific reality ultimately distorts both theology and science, reducing theology to ideology and fundamentalism while undermining its engagement with mystery and transcendence. Full article

African immigrants in the UK, especially in places such as London, Birmingham, and Manchester, contend with institutional racism, xenophobia, and socio-economic marginalisation. This study analyses how first- and second-generation African diaspora communities understand Jeremiah 29: 4–7 to create resilience and belonging. This study uses desktop research from African diasporic churches and analyses the UK’s Inclusive Britain Strategy (2023) to contend that biblical tales are reinterpreted to confront modern issues, including the Windrush Scandal and racial inequalities in NHS maternal care. The document emphasises the influence of African-led churches in formulating integration plans and promoting policy reforms in the UK. The findings indicate that African diaspora churches reinterpret Jeremiah 29: 4–5 to promote resilience and structural involvement in combating systemic racism and socio-economic disadvantage in the UK. The paper concludes by reinterpreting biblical tales to connect spiritual resilience with systemic activism, promoting hybrid identities, and integrating legislative reforms with community-driven initiatives for equity. The paper recommends the decolonisation of curricula, the enhancement of culturally competent healthcare training, the expansion of church–state collaborations, and the modification of legislation such as the Hostile Environment to foster inclusiveness. This study enhances academic discourse by merging diaspora theology with policy analysis, presenting an innovative framework for the theological examination of migration and elevating African agency within UK socio-political environments through decolonial hermeneutics and hybrid identity paradigms. Full article

A major plank in the Evangelical apologetics platform (especially for the Jewish witness) has always been the predictive prophecy about Jesus in the Hebrew Bible. The number of these prophecies or “predictions” varies widely among Conservative–Evangelical sources. A brief survey of claims about the number of Christ-related Old Testament (OT) prophecies ranges from 50–400+. Regardless, the assertion of direct, intentional Old Testament prophetic pronouncement about Jesus has been a non-negotiable mainstay of Evangelical thought and theology since its beginning. However, today, those who align with the Evangelical movement in general, would disagree on technical grounds with the traditional way that Messianic prophecy has been explained hermeneutically or exegetically. Progressive Evangelicals, however, generally are concerned with the interpretation or exegesis of biblical passages in their grammatical–historical–cultural contexts. The focus is on texts rather than traditions. An irony is that traditional and untraditional Evangelicals who favor contextual exegesis in principle are still very divided when it comes to explaining how the NT used the OT, especially in relation to Messianic prophetic texts. This article describes the problem and illustrates it with examples of how some older and newer Evangelicals disagree when commenting on OT Messianic prophetic passages. Full article

In my paper, I will outline how Ricoeur’s early phenomenological interpretation of the symbol provides the starting point for the later phenomenological hermeneutics of freedom, and how the transition can be defined, which led him from the early phenomenology of the symbol to the biblical hermeneutics and Christian ethics of freedom. Full article

This article investigates the concept of hospitality (xenia) in the ancient Mediterranean world and its relevance to contemporary migrant communities. To bridge the gap between ancient texts and modern experiences, we utilize a combined lens of contextual biblical hermeneutics and migration theory to analyze the Parable of the Returning Son (Luke 15:11–32), highlighting the inherent tensions and complexities of welcoming the stranger. Ethnographic research among Latin Pentecostal migrant congregations in the Nordic countries reveals how these communities embody xenia through tangible acts of welcome, risk-taking, and prodigal hospitality. This analysis demonstrates the vital role of hospitality in fostering community building within contexts of mobility. Furthermore, the concept of xenia helps address the limitations of applying modern migration theories directly to ancient contexts by providing a framework for understanding the continuity and evolution of hospitality practices across time and cultures. Full article

This article explores the question, ‘What is distinctive about doing theology as an evangelical?’ It takes an autoethnographic approach, recounting how this practical theologian has wrestled with how evangelical conviction should shape the stance for practicing theology. This article will work with the findings of the writer’s own empirical studies to develop an argument for how two stances create a distinctively evangelical practice of interpretation. First, the stance of biblicism is explored in terms of how it functions for evangelicals carrying out theological reflection. Second, the article discusses how evangelicals practice theology as though divine revelation is on-going, as Andrew Root writes, ‘Jesus still does stuff’ (2014). This leads to a stance of expectancy that God is still at work in the world and ‘talks back’. This article concludes that the implication of the stances means that practicing theology entails hermeneutics and research which decentralize the self. Full article

Preachers cannot assume the mere presence of different cultures or diversity means a congregational context is multicultural. Fostering an environment conducive to multiculturalism can be difficult, partly due to the persisting colonial structures. The colonial systems created spaces where different cultures and diverse groups interacted, yet these interactions were destructive. The goal of integrating, especially understood through assimilation, cultures into the existing system limits multiculturalism. This article outlines three inter-related foci for preaching, especially preaching where both the preacher and the congregation have social privilege, to foster healthy multiculturalism. Drawing from the works of Jared Alcántara and Matthew Kim, I recognize the need for preachers and congregations to increase their intercultural competence and hermeneutical tools for recognizing, interpreting, and ethically navigating biblical and modern cultures. Because some preachers and congregations have taken their cultural formation for granted, intercultural development is a critical step toward preaching in multicultural contexts. The article discusses Homi Bhabha’s The Location of Culture as the second major movement. His notions of hybridity and the distinction between diversity and difference are particularly helpful for pushing against colonial limits. Preaching in multicultural contexts needs to be approached as more than the sum of diverse cultures present and absent. Through the work of Bhabha, I conceive of preaching in multicultural contexts as fostering interstitial spaces which embrace difference, while resisting the objectification of culture. Turning more directly to the homiletical theory in the final section, I argue that O. Wesley Allen’s conversational model, guided by the concepts of interstitiality and hybridity, can develop preaching in multicultural spaces by emphasizing open-ended relational discovery rather than singular objective understanding. This conversational approach actively seeks relational participation where individuals are committed to mutual growth through critical interactions which account for culture as a general concept and particular cultures. This conversational reframing invites growth through multicultural understanding. Full article

Whilst there is much published research looking at the use and/or interpretation of the Bible in popular culture, there has been little research investigating the impact of such cultural biblical engagement upon contemporary Christian Bible readers. Drawing upon focus group data, this paper thus explores the influence that the cultural history of Noah’s ark, particularly in popular culture, has upon the way evangelicals interpret. This paper shows that evangelical readers were influenced by the interpretations of the Noah story in the spheres of science, new atheism, children’s books and films, and this affected the conclusions they came to about the issue of historicity, morality and applicability. The paper closes with a reflection on why this phenomenon occurs and what hermeneutical benefits it might offer the reader by considering how God might be at work in the cultural depictions of Scripture and what they might offer interpretative practice. Full article

The post-communist period has seen several wars in regions with a majority of Eastern Orthodox Christians. These conflicts have prompted Eastern Orthodox churches to formulate stances on war and develop new doctrines of righteous war. These responses draw on a long lineage of Eastern Roman and Slavonic traditions, particularly the Cyrillian doctrine of righteous war expounded in the Life of Constantine-Cyril. This paper examines the theological responses of the Serbian Orthodox Church to the wars in the former Yugoslavia, providing a reference point for comparison with the current theological debates and assessment of doctrines of warfare in light of the war in Ukraine. The focus is on the biblical hermeneutics and theological framing of various Serbian-centered doctrines. These new outlines draw on diverse traditions within Slavonic and Eastern Orthodox theology. The paper aims to provide insights into the shaping of Eastern Orthodox positions on war and the theological genesis of justifications for war. The discussion sheds light on the intricate relationship between war and Christianity within the Eastern Orthodox context in Serbia. Full article

The ocean is a site of energy, space, movement, depth, and extraction. The biblical creation account begins there, with the energy of movement of the Spirit over the Deep. The exploitation of the ocean can be read as a desecration of the Deep, of divine presence and creativity, where beings of the deep roam. Many of these beings are beyond human knowledge, known only to the Creator. Many disturbances of the ocean floor and ocean dwellers have already occurred; penetrating even deeper into the ocean is a form of sacrilege. Extractive politics in the Arctic Ocean and in Northern Sápmi continue following decades of overfishing, poaching, and repression of indigenous coastal traditions. The Sámi tradition and ecological theologies offer a different way of looking at coastal and ocean regions. As tools to counter the calls for endless extraction, we offer narratives that highlight the importance of the coastal Sámi oral tradition and a decolonial ecotheology of a protective apophasis of the Deep. Countering extraction involves rejecting a hermeneutics of commodity fetish that distorts the ocean and those that live and travel within it by framing them as endlessly extractable. This article seeks to resist the extraction of oceanic waters and remind us of ways to respect ocean-dwelling species, the ocean, and ourselves in a time where we are facing the sixth great extinction. Full article

This article identifies and analyzes four passages in the ancient Chinese Christian manuscript Yishen Lun (YSL) that exhibit distinct Jewish characteristics. The phrase “yizhong zuo shenghua” (lines 356–358) mirrors the Book of Acts’ theme of “sanctification of the Gentiles,” rooted in the Jewish dichotomous worldview, placing Jews, or Shihu Ren, at the center. The author’s use of this phrase distinguishes him from yizhong ren (Gentiles) and aligns him with Shihu Ren. In lines 256–263, YSL directly attributes messianic declarations to Jesus, a central issue in Jewish accusations of false Messiahship. In contrast, the Gospel accounts avoid making such direct accusations, as Jesus did not openly declare himself the Messiah. This distinction highlights YSL’s closer alignment with Jewish polemical traditions and legal concerns. Additionally, the use of “City of Judah” in lines 345–347 as an archaic designation for Jerusalem, predominantly found in Jewish traditions, contrasts with the more common “City of David” in other biblical texts. A philological analysis of lines 279–281 reveals imagery analogous to the synagogue parochet covering the Ark of the Scrolls. These four Jewish elements complement the one analyzed in the author’s earlier 2024 article, “The Parable of Wise and Foolish Builders in Yishen Lun and Rabbinic Literature.” That study concludes that the parable of wise and foolish builders in lines 146–156 of YSL aligns more closely with Jewish rabbinic traditions than the Gospel version. These new hermeneutical insights should provide interesting and fresh data for ongoing research into YSL. Full article

The authors argue that the future existence of evangelicalism as an ecclesial tradition depends on its ability and courage to re-imagine the dual nature, human and divine, of the Bible as written revelation and, consequently, to renew the way that this community engages with it. Such an endeavour requires a new way of understanding and engaging with the Bible that can be built around the model of the Incarnation. As mainline Protestants, who ministered for many years in evangelical ecclesial communities and who have conducted extensive doctoral and post-doctoral research in patristic and contemporary theological studies, the authors are convinced that if evangelicalism is to survive and flourish in the complexities of the contemporary world, it requires a new hermeneutic. It should move away from a dominating docetic view of the Scripture, which overemphasises its divine nature, to the detriment, and sometimes the total neglect, of its human authorship, to give a full account of its dual nature, equally divine and human. Full article

The judgment of Eve in Genesis 3:16 has traditionally been construed as an etiological curse on the relationship dynamics between genders, garnering scholarly scrutiny on the terms for desire and rule. Many exegetes regard this verse as the biblical rationale for patriarchal cultures throughout history. Despite attempts to ameliorate the notion of husbandly rule to protectorship, guidance, and loving servant-leadership, the power asymmetry between genders hinges on the interpretation of a simple Hebrew preposition b^e, commonly translated as “over” at the end of Genesis 3:16 as “he shall rule over you”. This article re-examines the semantics of the linguistic pairing of the particular ruling verb māšal followed by the preposition b^e through three verses in close proximity: Genesis 1:18, Genesis 3:16, and Genesis 4:7. Given the contextual sensitivity inherent in flexible prepositions, a theocentric reinterpretation of the surrounding narrative opens the possibility for a new redemptive reading by rendering the preposition as “with,” a meaning well within its semantic spectrum. In that case, to a woman hurt by betrayals from the animal, botanical, and human realms of her new existence, God promises help in healing her damaged marriage by intensifying her emotional desire for her husband, then chiding Eve to include him in her future decisions: “and he must rule with you”. Full article

In the past, the Netherlands took on the form of a pillarized society, with three ‘pillars’ (Catholic, Protestant and liberal) ‘living apart together’. Each pillar came with its own education system, health care, and newspapers. In the 1980s, a fourth ‘pillar’ was added: the Islamic pillar. During the same period at the end of the 20th century, a model was developed at one of the country’s primary schools—the Juliana van Stolberg school—for the inclusive interreligious education of all pupils, irrespective of the (religious or secular) life orientation of their parents. This innovative educational process became the object of research. Literature reviews on (inter)religious education were complemented by qualitative interviews with the school’s principal and supplemented with historical research of the school’s filing cabinet kept in the city archives. I conclude that by revisiting the process and the developed model of inclusive interreligious education, its implementation in all schools is possible, provided that the latest insights are taken into account about leadership, biblical and qur’anic hermeneutics and the position of parents in the pedagogic civil society. For such an adapted model, I introduce the concept of hospitable education—hospitality as a competence, which connects knowledge, affective attitudes and skills. Full article