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Beyond the Shadows: a Public Theology of Disability Inclusion International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-08-16 James Gould
This paper presents a public theology affirming the normalization of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Religious convictions about human equality and social justice contribute constructively to matters of public concern. While official principles of disability services do, operating practices often do not, accord with a theological vision of God’s desire for human flourishing
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Binding Citizenship as a Bridge between Communities and Institutions: Dialogues between Christian Social Ethics, Political Philosophy and Social Sciences International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-08-16 Marianne Daher, Cristián Hodge, Antonia Rosati, Rodrigo López
People are intrinsically relational beings and this need to interact is channelled into the establishment of communities, whose organization is often formalized into institutions. An opposition between both types of groups has been raised in the literature. This article seeks to critically analyze the relationship between communities and institutions, based on Christian social ethics, political philosophy
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The Crucified People: the Divinized African State and the De-divinized African People International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-08-16 Fidelis A. Olokunboro
How are we to talk about a God who is revealed as love in a situation characterized by poverty and oppression, especially when such poverty is debilitating and vulgarizing? In addressing this question, this article will emphasize the essentiality of economic and anthropological categories in African political theology. It will proceed to explore the reality of the divinization of the African state
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The (Im)Possibility of Doing Public Theology in Korea? International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-08-16 Minseok Kim
This article aims to examine the possibility and some challenges of doing public theology in Korea. While vibrant public theological discourse can be seen in many different contexts around the globe, the conservative Korean churches and theologians (which are the mainstream of Korean Christianity) remain largely indifferent to public theology. This is unfortunate, especially considering that the DNA
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Intersex and Medical Health: a Construction of a Public Health Theology Paradigm for Sexual Polymorphism in Indonesia International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-08-16 Andreas Kristianto, Emanuel Gerrit Singgih, Stefanus Christian Haryono
This article looks at intersex from a medical health perspective, with descriptions of gender and various forms of sex ambiguity. The discussion of the history of medical care for intersex individuals, particularly the model of ‘gender parenting’ created by John Money in the 1950s based on sexual dimorphism is still the dominant paradigm today. Through the paradigm of sexual polymorphism, medical theology
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On Critiquing Christian Nationalism: Two Recent Books on the Perils of Christian Nationalism International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-08-16 Michael F. Bird
This article engages in a concerted review and interaction with two recent books about Christian nationalism by David Gushee and Nilay Saiya. It offers affirmation and critique with respect to their warnings about the dangers of such for Christian political witness. Each book is evaluated pro and con for the validity and accuracy of its critique of Christian nationalism: alternative options are also
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Triangulated Challenges to Democracy: a Critical Voice of Public Theology to Counter Fear and Escalating Polarization in Indonesia International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-08-16 Danang Kurniawan
This article seeks to unveil the triangulated forces which challenge contemporary democracy in Indonesia. Those forces are irrational fear, the problem of likeness (like and unlike), and the grip of Leviathanic force. Indonesia’s secular yet religious democracy struggles to deal with a real polarization amongst the citizens as a consequence. The present intention is to explore a critical view of a
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A Comparison between Pope Francis and Leonardo Boff’s Views on the Ecological Crisis International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-05-21 Jiji Chen
This article sets out to compare the works of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ and Leonardo Boff’s Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor in the way in which they share a common theme to do with the environmental crisis facing our earth. The similarities include their focus on Latin America, the importance of cross-cultural dialogue, and their concern for the welfare of the poor and other created beings. Both
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‘Obligatory Relegation’, ‘Willing Translation’, or ‘Unreserved Declaration’? The Place of Religious Ideas in Public Square Deliberation International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-05-21 Edmung Fong
This paper describes three basic positions that have been held in relation to the place of religious ideas and reasons in public square deliberation by outlining the arguments of major representatives of each position. The three positions are: ‘obligatory relegation’ (Robert Audi); ‘willing translation’ (John Rawls and Jürgen Habermas), and ‘unreserved declaration’ (Nicholas Wolterstorff and Charles
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The Passing-On of F.W. de Klerk: a Trigger for a Renewed Theological Discourse on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-05-21 Jonas Sello Thinane
After his death on 11 November 2021, social media in South Africa was immediately inundated with reactions to the mixed legacy of Frederik Willem de Klerk, the last President of South Africa during apartheid (1989–1994) and the former Vice President of Nelson Mandela (1994–1996) under the democratic dispensation. In most transitional justice processes, truth is often required in exchange for reconciliatory
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The Rise of Catholic Thought on Social Communication in the Pontificate of Paul VI International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-05-21 Jesús Sánchez-Camacho
In a period of mass media emergence and renewal of Catholicism after Vatican II, the church initiated into a profound approach to its Social Doctrine on the media. With a theology of communication as a cornerstone, numerous ecclesial documents published during the Papacy of Paul VI explored the implications of the media for society and the internal life of the church. This study aims to analyse the
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Speak So I May See You: Doing Public Theology in an Arab-Muslim Context International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-05-21 Eshak Estafanos
Public theology is a contemporary field that transcends mere trendiness; it stands as a vital imperative for the Arab Church. This imperative arises not only from the need for effective communication with its counterparts but also as a means to bridge the cultural chasm between the East and the West. Rooted in historical legacies and lived realities, Arab Christian theology boasts rich wellsprings
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A Theological and Contextual Exploration of James Torrance’s Covenant or Contract? International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-05-21 Hamish Maclean
The covenant concept is a central theme original to the Bible and is generally defined as a formal commitment between two parties. James Torrance’s theological definition of a covenant is employed in this article to highlight two critical characteristics. It then explores Torrance’s claim of a legacy of confusion between a covenant and a contract in theology and discovers that this ambiguity is true
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“Why Is the Old Dying and the New Is Not Being Born?” The Church’s Struggle with Public Justice and Righteousness in Zimbabwe International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-05-21 John Gaga
This article attempts to present how the church has struggled with public justice and righteousness in Zimbabwe where the past and old dominate the national debate without giving room for emerging personalities and ideas. The church introduced programmes, organisations and documents in an attempt to theoretically break away with the past. The documents are results of transformative projects designed
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A Biblical-Theological Critique of Neo-Liberal and Neo-Conservative Evangelicalism in the Season of Climate Change International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Sungho Choi
The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism upon American evangelicalism. It does so in the season of climate change. Given the commitment of neo-liberalism to the sovereignty of individual, the notion of government intervention in implementing climate mitigation policies is perceived as an unacceptable violation of freedom. It sits along the ideological
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Justice and the Atonement: a Public Theology to Confront Police Brutality in America International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Matt R. Coulter
This article proposes a public theology of justice in light of police brutality and broad injustice in American policing. That public theology is created through rediscovering the socially and politically transformative nature of the atonement to build a foundation for understanding justice as a proactive, communal, and transformative force. By diagnosing the sickness via historical context and engaging
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Natural Theologies of Gender as National Conservative Political Theology International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Stephen Waldron
National conservatism is a post-liberal political ideology associated with conferences held by the Edmund Burke Foundation. The intellectual core of this ideology is the use of natural theologies of gender to undergird a transnational and interfaith approach to political theology. This mode of political theology is analyzed in the thinking of political theorist Yoram Hazony, theologian R.R. Reno, philosopher
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A Public Theological Reflection on Biblical Antecedents of Protocols for Managing Pandemics International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Patrick Kofi Amissah
This article is a public theological discourse, arguing that the protocols, such as handwashing, social distancing, and face-covering, used to halt the spread of COVID-19, have biblical antecedents. Some observers contend that church leaders failed to inspire biblical hope, faith and courage when they focused on promoting the preventive protocols. It can be argued that promoting these protocols was
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Reconstructing Love for God vis-à-vis Religious Intolerance in Nigeria through the Philosophy of Samae Spirit International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Chammah J. Kaunda, Cyril Emeka Ejike
This article addresses the question of how the spirit of love, as articulated in the Samae spirit (three loves – divine, humanity and environment), can offer a concrete approach to translating divine-love into actionable expressions in a volatile religious pluralistic context, such as Nigeria. Drawing lessons from the theory of the Samae Spirit, we argue that love for God should not be considered in
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Rousseau’s Contribution to Public Theology International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Jae Yang
This article argues that Jean-Jacques Rousseau can be seen as a public theologian by analyzing two well-known treatises. It draws on the Latin root of the concept of the ‘public’, in order to underscore the anthropology and sociology of public life. The article argues that Rousseau is a public theologian as his public policy of social organization, presupposes anthropological and sociological views
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Towards a Christian Face amid Political Islam’s Presence in Indonesia International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Aulia Simon Partogi Situmeang
This article sets out to address the root of religious-based intolerance cases in Indonesia arising out of particular groups of Muslims in Indonesia. It seeks to identify which group triggers those cases and offers a possible response for Indonesian Christians faced with this confronting reality. The case is made for a non-violent response that opens up the possibility of reconciliation with those
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Alone and Naked: Reading the Torture of Jesus alongside the Torture of Miriam Leitão International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 David Tombs
Recent biblical scholarship has called for more careful and detailed attention to the experiences of torture victims to better understand the crucifixion of Jesus (Menéndez- Antuña 2022). To this end, this article examines the torture of Miriam Leitão, one of Brazil’s most prominent journalists. Leitão’s torture in 1972 is attested in the report Brasil: Nunca Mais (1985), compiled by the Archdiocese
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Cemeteries as Spaces of Interreligious Encounter? The Use of Different Types of Neutrality in the Context of Graveyards in Scandinavia International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Ryszard Bobrowicz, Jakob Wirén
In Scandinavia, the loss of members in established (or formerly established) churches, the rise of unaffiliated, and diverse migration led to a need for new approaches to historically Christian spaces. To create all-inclusive spaces, the idea of neutrality has been adopted. Among others, burials, and cemeteries, which are still mostly run by the national churches, have been affected by this effort
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From Consumption to Communion: The Ecclesial Role of Public Theologians in Cultivating a Livable City International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Dylan Parker
Urbanism has become the dominant form of human dwelling, giving rise to the concept of livability, accompanied by livability indexes and city rankings. These reports provide brief bragging rights and marketing opportunities for high-ranking cities while glossing over the complex realities and inherent dangers of urban life. The issues surrounding livability rankings reveal corrupted anthropologies
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Liveability at Risk International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Clive Pearson
It is now recognized that the majority of people who will be adversely affected by climate change will live in cities. It is time for a public theology to explore how its resources might be put to use in the service of extreme cities in the era of the Anthropocene. The city of Sydney provides a rather surprising case study for such. Through 2019/2020 it was subject to succession of extreme heat, fire
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Living beyond Fear International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Susana Vilas Boas
In this article I will highlight some of the most harmful consequences of Covid-19 with respect to interpersonal relationships. I will argue that, as in a pandemic period, it is fear that continues to guide these relationships, and it is urgent to enter into a dynamic of reconciliation for the real healing of humanity. Furthermore, I will defend the need for an ecology of relationships so that the
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Secularism under Dispute: Towards Agonistic, Pluralistic, and Democratic Politics. A Latin American Perspective International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Nicolás Panotto
This article introduces some discussion on the limitations of the distinction between laicidad and secularization in Latin America (and to a lesser extent, the notion of religious freedom), mainly highlighting the problem of the colonial origin of these conceptions and their relationship with the liberal hegemonic political framework of the field. The paper’s thesis is that the boundaries for achieving
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Theology from the Suburbs: The Challenge of Life for the City as a Whole International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Cobus G.J. van Wyngaard, Marius Louw
This article seeks to interrogate critically and problematize the silence on the suburb in urban theology: in the process the article seeks to illustrate the importance of the suburb through examining it considering the soteriology underpinning apartheid spatial planning and its persistent quasi-soteriological envisioning of the good life in the ongoing spatial imagination of the South African city
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Embodying the Transcendent: On the Way to a Global Ethic International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-10-13 Peter Hooton
The threat now posed by human beings to the future of life on Earth demands a genuinely global response. It would seem to require a global ethic of some kind that is more than the sum of humanity’s existing declarations of rights and freedoms, wars of intercession, and judicial systems of redress – a concrete ethic of global responsibility which normalises altruistic behaviours while at the same time
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City as Human Good and Epiphany International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-10-18 Patrick H. Byrne
In response to rising awareness of environmental and climate change crises, some theologians have examined more deeply the ways in which God’s presence is revealed through the natural world. While such explorations are important and necessary, they need to be balanced by complementary reflections on God’s presence in human activities as well. Cities have posed a special problem for such reflections
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A Journey without Maps International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-10-18 Simon Rae
The challenge of finding a Protestant public theology appropriate for a pluralist, newly independent, Muslim majority nation was taken up initially by a mixed group of lay and ordained theologians, among them T. B. Simatupang, a recently retired lieutenant-general, still in his late thirties. This study links Simatupang’s experience as a soldier-diplomat and strategic planner in Indonesia’s struggle
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A Metaphysical Foundation for Religious Thinking in Public? On Sharing Reason with Afro-protestant Thought International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-10-18 Julius Crump
This article examines metaphysics as a method for religious thinking in public. Such a method invites criticism because 1) no one institution or population group can determine how well others use reason and 2) religious justifications for optimal reason-sharing emanate from privileged institutions. Reason is worth using and sharing when traditions share limit-questions. On what basis had the determination
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The Practice of Pluralism: How Ritual Strengthens Democratic Politics International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-10-18 Joel Gillin
This article argues that ritual can play a positive role in democratic politics in conditions of pluralism. It situates discussions of ritual and pluralism in the context of anthropological and social theory. It examines two insights scholars have made with regards to ritual that make it both compatible with and enabling of pluralism: ritual creates cohesion without agreement and a ‘subjunctive’ space
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Reconsidering David Tracy’s Public Theology in a Digital Age International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-10-18 Stephen Okey
While public theology initially developed amid concerns about secularization, its continued flourishing requires attention to the digital. Shaped especially by mediatization, digital intimacy, and accessibility issues, the digital sphere impacts both the idea of ‘public-ness’ and the practice of theology. Building on the work of David Tracy, this article offers four possible approaches in light of
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The Works of Alan Richardson as a Prototype Public Theology International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-10-18 Terence George Root
Public theology today is a discipline engaging with an ever-growing array of publics, seeking to view their various social, political and cultural issues through a theological lens. In this article I will argue that the discipline has often failed to pay attention to earlier work which can claim to be antecedent of the genre. To evidence this claim I will describe and contextualise the work of Alan
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A Burmese Public Theology of Religions and Reconciliation after the 2021 Coup International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-08-03 David Thang Moe
This article is a contextual reflection on the religious dimensions of reconciliation and anti-coup resistance. In doing so, the article addresses some fresh methodological issues and nuanced approaches to religions and public life. It begins by suggesting a paradigm shift in reimagining a public theology of religions and reconciliation that calls for engaging not only with academics, but also with
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The Necessity of a Polycentric Federal Democracy in Myanmar International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-08-03 Tun Myint
The military coup of February 1, 2021 ended Myanmar’s nominal transition to democracy. That transition had begun with the 2010 election under the military-drafted 2008 Constitution. The coup and post-coup Myanmar’s crises are the tip of the iceberg of a long endured political crisis about how to build an inclusive political system that respects the ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity of Burmese
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Reading Romans 13:1–7 as a Hidden Transcript of Public Theology International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-08-03 David Thang Moe, James C. Scott
Romans 13:1–7 is a potential key text in determining the theological response of the churches in Myanmar to the 2021 coup. The text presents those who invoke its use with a dilemma that requires resolution and decision. Is it an oppressive text that justifies the coup and commands the church’s blind obedience to the coup-led state? Does Paul’s exhortation to be subject to the governing authorities’
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The Role of Ethnic Minorities in the Resistance Movement International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-08-03 Elijah Young
This article explores the role of some prominent ethnic minority armies in the course of resistance to the coup. It selectively describes how some ethnic minorities such as Karen, Kachin, Karenni, Chin, Rakhine, Wa, and Shan play leadership role in the resistance movement before and after the 2021 military coup. It emphasizes the ongoing movement of how the 2021 coup created a window of opportunity
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Suffering and Spirituality in Myanmar Today: Hope amid the National Crisis International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-08-03 Timothy C. Geoffrion
Myanmar’s citizens have been devastated by the military coup on February 1, 2021, and by the ensuing violence, destruction, and chaos. As the people are struggling to cope with the horror and suffering, Christian faith and spirituality are playing significant roles for Myanmar Christians, albeit in different ways, depending on their personal spiritual preference (temperament) and theological perspective
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The Twin Challenges Facing Myanmar and How the World Can Help International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-08-03 Scot Marciel
The Myanmar resistance’s urgent task is to push the hated, brutal military out of political power once and for all. Just as importantly, however, it simultaneously needs to create the best possible conditions for any future democratic government to succeed. This goal will require addressing a wide range of difficult issues that either have lingered unresolved for many years or that have grown out of
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Who Is My Neighbour? Reading the Good Samaritan in the Context of the Coup International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-08-03 Layang Seng Ja
The parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) is a classic paradigm of perception and blindness. The story reflects ideas of identity in the time of Jesus but also raises issues that are pressing in our world today and the tendency to divide humanity into categories. This parable challenges us to question this categorization, to step across the boundaries it draws. Drawing on firsthand experience
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Ethnic Reconciliation from the Margins International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-05-12 Kevin Muriithi Ndereba
The Kenyan post-election violence of 2007 deepened the ethnic differences that have been growing for the past decades after independence. While the August 2022 elections revealed political maturity, the October 2017 re-elections indicated that the hostility was not a settled issue. Kenyan churches in the post-democratic space have courted with political alliances along ethnic blocs. Additionally, some
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‘Flood this Nation with the Bible’: Rev. Godfridah Sumaili, Politics and the People’s Bible in Zambia International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-05-12 Chammah J. Kaunda
Ever since the Declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation in 1991, the Bible has become foundational in the public of life, and often cited in public debates. This article employs symbolic power as an analytical tool to examine Sumaili’s state theology of the Bible which politicized and reduced the Bible in the public into a state apparatus for defining, shaping, and determining the meaning and content
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Lost for Words: Samoa’s Constitutional Crisis and the Case for a Public Theology International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-05-12 Sam Amosa
The Samoan election of 2021 provoked a constitutional crisis. It brought to an end sixty years of political stability that had been determined by the interweaving of democratic ideals with indigenous cultural values and Christian principles. The election had led to a tie on the night and led to various legal appeals, protests and the reluctance of the Prime Minister of more than twenty years refusing
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Protestant Theological Perspectives on the Contribution of Military Chaplains to Moral Formation International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-05-12 Thijs Oosterhuis, Pieter Vos, Erik Olsman
Military chaplains are involved in the moral formation of military personnel. They have to do justice to the internal perspective on morality of their religion, while honouring the plurality of perspectives. The objective of this article is to examine how the contribution of military chaplains to the moral formation of military personnel can be substantiated from a Protestant theological perspective
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Tension, War, Peace, and Unification: South Korea’s Unification Policies in the Light of Theological-Ethical Theories of War and Peace International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-05-12 Chang-Ho Lee
This article analyzes South Korea’s unification policies and makes ethical suggestions in light of Christian theological and ethical theories of war and peace. Since 1948, South and North Korea have repeatedly confronted each other with heavily armed forces. Unification would be considered the achievement of the Korean people’s endeavour to deter military warfare and promote peace between the two Koreas
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‘Who Touched Me?’ Embodied Witness as Public Theology International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-05-12 Ruth Wivell
This article addresses how trauma might inform the way Mark’s account of the haemorrhaging woman is read, and what a Christology derived therefrom might offer to Christians who wish to witness to people’s traumatic and posttraumatic realities. If Christians and theologians are called to witness to others’ suffering and their attempts to make sense of it, then they need to be able to inhabit a space
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Always with You: Questioning the Theological Construction of the Un/Deserving Poor International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-01-29 Rachel Muers
The cultural persistence and political salience of the ‘un/deserving poor’ – the moral categorization of people in poverty – rests, inter alia, on the use of Christianity to construct a class-inflected position from which to judge or categorize the lives of others. Interpretation of the claim that the poor are ‘always with you’ (Matthew 26:11) plays a role in this process of asymmetrical moralization
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Broadening the Reign of God in Every Sphere: Understanding Christian Action between Church and State in Schleiermacher’s Philosophical and Christian Ethics International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-01-29 Easten Law
This article investigates Schleiermacher’s ethics in relation to two important questions in public theology: how should a Christian negotiate their religious and civic identities in between church and state and how should this relationship direct Christian life and action? In his Philosophical Ethics, the spheres of the state and church carry distinct roles and responsibilities toward attaining the
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Jesus as a Socially (Ir)responsible Innovator: Seeking the Common Good in a Dialogue between Wisdom Christologies and Social Entrepreneurship International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-01-29 Christine Woods, Steve Taylor
This article examines the contribution of Jesus as an innovator to a public world in need of change. Jesus, as the fulfilment of God, is interpreted using the insights of Josef Schumpeter who argued for innovation as social change through creative recombination. The potential of recombination is located in the wisdom literature of the Hebrew Bible and then in Pauline literature, with ministry in 1
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The Prophetic Role of the Church and Postcolonial Portrait of Nigeria in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-01-29 Adolphus Ekedimma Amaefule
This article brings together Christian theology, creative literature and history in the current spirit of interdisciplinary scholarship. It endeavours to unveil, in the first place, the image painted of Nigeria as a post-colonial entity in the novel, Purple Hibiscus, by the award-winning writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Through the events, characters and realities employed by her in painting the above-mentioned
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The Third Space Between Church and City: Coproduction in a Danish Municipality International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2023-01-29 Lars Buch Viftrup, Dan Grabowski
The city is essentially a public arena where diverse people and multiple systems, networks and cultures encounter each other. It is where church interacts with all the other agents of the city. Understanding the implication of these encounters for church as well as city is notoriously difficult and ambiguous. As a result of an empirical study in the Danish city of Aarhus, eight ‘functions’ have been
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Apologies for the Public Good: Towards a Taxonomy of Sorrow International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2022-12-26 Stephen Parker
Apologies are frequently called for today, and can make a valuable contribution to the public good. However, many so-called apologies are actually vague regret, blaming, placating, excusing or merely mourning. Given their importance, this article explores their nature and proposes a taxonomy of sorrow that elucidates the meaning of claims to apology. Simply saying ‘I am sorry’, or worse, adding ‘that
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Black Protest as Public Theology International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2022-12-26 Antipas L. Harris
This study investigates African American protests with particular interest in major movements of the civil rights and hip-hop eras. While scholars argue over the comparisons between the two eras, this work searches for underlining philosophical strands that may locate black protest as intimately cultural-theological. It considers Bourdieu’s habitus as ideological framework to understand philosophical
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Confronting the Monster of Slavery: David Ruggles, Public Theology, and Structural Sin International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2022-12-26 Daniel Lee Hill
While traditionally predicated of the individual’s will, sin seems to become enmeshed in our social structures and woven within the very fabric of our societies. The analysis of these social structures requires greater precision as does the manner in which the call to Christian charity conditions the response to them. This article seeks to extend the conceptual tool developed by Daniel Daly wherein
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The Eclipse of Equality in a World of Extremes International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2022-12-26 Peter Hooton
Christianity and democracy have in common the idea of equality before God and the law. But how seriously was this notion taken by the Christian architects of modern representative democracy, and how seriously is it taken in today’s deeply unequal democratic societies? Democracy has long embraced the idea of a formal equality of persons but has generally held substantive equality to be incompatible
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A Public Convergence: Embracing the Congregation as a Place of Difference International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2022-12-26 Dylan Parker
Communitarians and public theologians alike tend to discuss the church’s identity as a clearly demarcated community separated from the world or public life, each defining publicness as something that is found outside the church. It is a more likely argument that publicness is already present in the congregation as a place of difference: it is possible for the particulars of the community to interact
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What are the Opinion Editorials Saying to the Church in the Philippines? Toward a Diagnostic Public Theology International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2022-12-26 Noel G. Asiones
This article seeks to contribute to the discourse from the perspective of opinion editorials (op-eds). We searched and collected a large sample of op-eds (N=110) from three major national newspaper archives to achieve this purpose. A thematic content analysis captured the central theme of the data related to the research question. There is a pressing need for the leaders of the Church to reform in
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Blue Disciple: A Christian Call for the Sea in Peril International Journal of Public Theology (IF 0.4) Pub Date : 2022-10-27 Elia Maggang
This article offers the notion of ‘blue disciple’ as a constructive concept that might encourage and enlarge Christian engagements in dealing with the contemporary marine ecological crisis. I start with a discussion on the sea in Christian ecological discourse and practice. Then, I reread Jesus’ call for the four Galilean fishermen in Mark 1:16–20 to construct this idea of a blue disciple navigated