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In this landmark volume, a rich array of voices make the case that religion is not partitioned off from the secular in the Global South the way it is in the Global North. Authors work at the intersections of freedom and Nationalism, peace and reconciliation, and gender, ecology, and ethnography to contend that religion is in fact deeply integrated into the lives of those in the Global South, even though "secularism"--a political philosophy that requires the state to treat all religions equally--predominates in many of the regions. World Christianity and Interfaith Relations is part of the multi volume series World Christianity and Public Religion. The series seeks to become a platform for intercultural and intergenerational dialogue, and to facilitate opportunities for interaction between scholars across the Global South and those in other parts of the world by engaging emerging voices from a variety of indigenous Christianities around the world. The focus is not only on particular histories and practices, but also on their theological articulations and impact on the broader societies in which they work.
The work of uniting churches is slow, challenging, and multifaceted; and it changes in each generation and location. In this book, Josiah Baker studies the efforts of believers towards reconciliation as something significant for how we understand the church. He offers a theology for laborers, people for whom unity is not only an idea but a calling and sure hope. A Visible Unity is a study in systematic theology on the relation of ecumenical methodology to ecclesiological convergence, how acting together results in the churches being together. Ecumenical work informs ecclesiology because it involves the actions of Christians together in accordance with their shared views of the church. Whenev...
Recognized as a leading interpreter of major movements in American Christianity such as Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, and the Holiness movement, Donald W. Dayton has produced a body of work spanning four decades and diverse areas of inquiry. In From the Margins, friends and colleagues respond to major essays by Dayton (several published here for the first time) so as to celebrate and reflect on this diverse and rich body of work. The essays highlight the breadth of Dayton's contribution while also revealing a methodological core. The latter could be described as DaytonÕs deconstructive reading of standard scholarly narratives in order to short-circuit their domesticating effects on the more radical aspects of American Christianity. DaytonÕs work has challenged long-held assumptions about the conservative nature of American Christianity by showing that both in their history and in their deeper theological substructures, traditions such as Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism are far more radical and productive of social change than was previously imagined.
This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of Seventhday Adventist interchurch relations – a 20-million member body whose ecumenical stance has so far been underresearched. For the sake of interpreting denominational involvement and reservations in Adventism as well as beyond, the study develops a new academic approach to ecumenism based on Relational Models Theory, a comprehensive social science paradigm of interpreting human relationships. The resulting typology of ecumenical interactions and the historical case study of Adventism suggest that such a relational interpretation of ecumenical interaction sheds light on many of the unresolved issues in ecumenics – such as divergent concepts of unity, difficulties in recognition processes, and the permanence of denominationalism.
Cross-racial pastoral ministry and multicultural ministry are wonderfully complex endeavors. Practical Theology for Church Diversity suggests that they include a substantial amount of conversation, preparation, and prayer if they are to be done faithfully. Sacred spaces within Christian churches can have a meaningful witness through diversity in their particular locations. This book skillfully informs, gently challenges, and respectfully questions some widespread components of church life along demographic lines. Most importantly, it focuses on pragmatic approaches to cross-cultural pastoral ministry and multicultural ministry for readers to utilize. All persons of faith, religious institutions, professors, seminarians, and others interested in church diversity on any level will find this book a valuable resource.
The denominational plurality in continental Europe keeps growing. The churches of African origin are of increasing number. Seeking for a new identity in their new home, the concept of Diaspora and the question for legal issues get important for their identity. To what extent is their identity determined rather by seclusion or openness? Are the churches missionizing amongst Germans and are there ecumenical relations? What are the characteristics of such a new identity? How does it develop? By analyzing three different types of churches of African origin in the German context, especially by examining their sermons, the author demonstrates how those churches develop in a missionary direction and how they can become ecumenical partners.
How did one of last century's most celebrated liberals change so dramatically? In this intellectual and spiritual memoir, Thomas Oden journeys from conservative rural Methodism in Oklahoma to free-spirited theological innovation in the land of academia and back to the foundations of ancient Christianity.
This volume contains the official dialogue results and common statements issued between 1998 and 2005 by an astonishingly wide range of Christian churches and communions. Reflected here are the solid advances made by well-established dialogue partners, as well as explorations in dialogue by churches new to the dialogue process at world level. Also included is the ecclesiology text adopted by WCC member churches at their assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
The patriarchal approach to leadership in the African context is indeed an enigma, judging from the unpredictable outcomes and the quest for effective leadership. In many ways, the secularized big-man in the public square is no different from the sacralised great-man of God in the church. The Lord Jesus Christ calls his followers to servant leadership. The secular world has also established the efficacy of the servant leadership approach for cutting-edge leadership. This book looks at the nature of evangelical associations in their diversity and what it takes for leaders to build unity and harmony for effectiveness, especially in the African context.