Acta Theologica

YouVersion verses-of-the-year in relation to Afrikaans prepositional met and van constructions expressing fear and loneliness

2024-12-10T15:40:10+02:00

How do the 2022 YouVersion Bible verses-of-theyear reflect the way in which fear and loneliness were communicated via prepositional phrases that year? The associated objectives of this article are to compare Afrikaans met and van prepositional constructions expressing fear and loneliness in 2022 in two print books with the top 2022 YouVersion Bible verses; to establish how met and van relate to other prepositions in this regard, and to determine how these related prepositional constructions can expand a trauma-informed gradient of uses. This article considers Afrikaans met (with) and van (of) prepositional constructions expressing fear and loneliness in a subset of a corpus of such constructions produced in 2022. The Cognitive Linguistics analysis of the prepositional constructions centres on them as asymmetrical constructions on a spatiotemporal continuum of use in relation to the human body.

“Like sand through an hourglass, so are the days of our lives”: Youth, religion, and social capital in South Africa

2024-08-15T08:26:46+02:00

South Africa has experienced significant transformations, including the dismantling of the apartheid system and the transition to a democratic regime. Despite progress, South Africa still struggles with inequality and fostering social cohesion. Social capital refers to networks, relationships, and customs that enable collaboration. Young people’s networks and connections shape their social and economic success. Social capital helps young people establish friendships and access to resources. Religion improves social capital in many places. This article analyses the concept of social capital imposed by religious institutions and their practices in various communities, larger societies, and younger generations.
It aims to investigate the distinctive role of religion in enhancing social capital in an effort to demarginalise youth. The article examines the correlation between youth, religion, and social capital in South Africa, focusing on how religious practices and beliefs can affect young people’s sense of social connectedness and community.

St. Thomas Aquinas’ Doctrine of Christ’s Descent into Hades and its implications for African Ancestor Christological discourse

2024-08-06T10:49:38+02:00

The statement “he [Christ] descended into Hades” in the Apostles’ Creed has generated theological debate concerning the nature and purpose of the descent and the relationship of Christ to ancestors. Given St. Thomas Aquinas’ outstanding contribution to the development of this doctrine, this article explores Aquinas’ contributions to the doctrine of Christ’s descent into Hades. It then critiques ancestor Christology through the lens of the descent doctrine. A desktop research approach is used to gather and analyse data from journal articles, books, and theses. The article argues that Christ died in place of sinful humanity and bore the total punishment for sin; therefore, there is no sacrifice for salvation except that which Christ offered. This emphasises that salvation is solely through Christ, and no rituals, sacrifices, or ancestors can replaceHis redemptive work. The article also asserts that Christ,as the Son of God, surpasses any human ancestor in
importance and power, making ancestor Christology invalid. It encourages Akan Christians to place their faith solely in Christ.

Pentecostal ecclesiology in the new adaptation era:

2024-10-11T10:51:13+02:00

The Synod of the Gereja Bethel Indonesia/GBI (Bethel Church of Indonesia) is Indonesia’s largest Protestant and Pentecostal denomination, with over 7,000 local churches and nearly three million church members. It is, therefore, significant to discuss this church. Over the past three years, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced churches worldwide to adjust to the off-site system of worship and ministry. The pandemic also led to the speedy acceleration of digital technology. Consequently, it called for redefining and repositioning our ecclesiology and praxis. This article presents the theological position of GBI in a new era of adaptation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This article uses a systematic approach, by briefly introducing the concepts of ecclesiology and fellowship, then developing these concepts further with concrete and relevant examples in the context of the GBI church.

Let's do theology - as in the book of Job: Developing theology in dialogue

2024-10-24T13:46:47+02:00

This article demonstrates how the Book of Job might inspire us to do theology in a different way. For nearly two
millennia, Christian theology has mainly been presented in monologues, either from the pulpit or in the classroom.
The Book of Job offers an alternate way to develop theology – through dialogue. It is argued that the speeches
of the three (or four) friends should be valued and viewed as an important part of the Book of Job. The faith-based
facilitation (FBF) process, a praxis cycle developed by the Salvation Army, is used as a filter on the Book of Job. The
FBF process stresses communal decision-making and the importance of Kairos experiences. It is argued that the Book of Job contains at least two Kairos experiences, the divine speech from the storm and the soft voice in Eliphaz’ first speech, which was unfortunately overheard. The article ends with four conclusions for doing theology nowadays.

Between the Pandemic, the War and the Value Conflict: Polish Ecumenism at Crossroads

2024-12-10T16:26:56+02:00

Poland is still an exception on the European map of Christianity, although this exceptional position is increasingly fading away. Churches in Poland are facing the challenges known elsewhere in Europe. This matters when asking about Polish ecumenism. However, it is merely part of the picture. Global trends influence ecumenical and interconfessional relationships; nevertheless, some have a specific feature in Poland. This article attempts to map Polish ecumenism, with an emphasis on the most significant achievements and severe threats to interconfessional relationships. It also aims to bring to light what churches in Poland have in common and how they differ in their answers to the current problems.

Cur Deus Homo vs Homo Deus and the Evolution of Humanity: Quo Vadis?

2024-10-31T08:38:32+02:00

This article deals with the profound shifts that are taking place in light of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, in which
humanity’s future is highly topical. The article engages Thomas Merton’s re-evaluation of Anselm’s Cur Homo Deo with Harari’s book Homo Deus (2015) and argues that, while we must take Harari’s views seriously, thefuture evolution of humanity is not the human godsuggested by Harari, but that suggested by Merton, who argues that the incarnation shows God’s love for creation; shows Christ as the pattern of what it means to live a holy life, and, ultimately, shows the future of both the cosmos and humanity, where all is taken into the very heart of God. Harari views the future as the creation of a benevolent human god; Merton views the future as a place where all of creation is divinised.

2024-10-22T15:00:02+02:00

As a sub-focus area of African theology, “Pastoral care in Africa” has been discussed considerably since the beginning of the post-colonial period in the 1960s. However, few scholars have articulated a definitional framework. Therefore, the ontological question: What is pastoral care in Africa? is worth posing to understand its “being”. This article locates the discussion of pastoral care in Africa within the rising trend of creative theologies that emerged after colonisation. The article proceeds by framing the context of pastoral care in Africa, followed by describing the undergirding presuppositions to caregiving in Africa. Then the article advances a definition of pastoral care in Africa, which is followed by a discussion about the elements that demarcate it. The article concludes by proposing “relationality, participation, presence,
consultation, joint exploration and collective decisionmaking, cooperation, and contribution” as critical principles that emerge from the conceptual definition of pastoral care in Africa for effective caregiving.

Pastoral leadership for a relevant missional ecclesiology in a context of poverty

2024-12-10T15:47:09+02:00

The relevancy of an ecclesiology within a context of poverty is determined by an understanding of missional ecclesiology, the context of poverty, and the interaction of leadership and congregants within a context of poverty. Missional ecclesiology, a short conceptualisation of poverty, and empirical data on practices of pastoral leadership within a context of poverty guide the professional practice to answer the question as to the relevance of a missional ecclesiology in congregations within a context of poverty. The definition of poverty evolves from a discussion on the basic needs of people. In this article, poverty is defined as a circumstance where the deprivation of individual and collective human abilities and resources hinders people in achieving their well-being. Where the professional practices of leaders in congregations within a context of poverty resemble love, caring, understanding, and commitment towards the well-being of the people, congregants allow their leaders to have autocratic authority over their lives. When congregants experience mutual trust and pastoral leaders attend to their needs, they grow in their experiences of their well-being. Due to the latter, these congregants are committed to take part in a missional ecclesiology through the autocratic authority, inspiration, and teachings of their pastor.

Dynamics of health and wellness at an African Pentecostal Churchrelated institution in Zimbabwe:

2024-12-10T15:52:55+02:00

The article explores the challenges faced by God’s Grace University in Zimbabwe (a pseudonym), an African Pentecostal Church-affiliated institution, due to an increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among its students. As one of the pioneering African Pentecostal church-affiliated universities in Zimbabwe, it has experienced a significant surge in student enrolment, which coincides with an increase in STI incidents. The information gathered during the research highlights the frequent visits by students to the university clinic for STI treatments, an indication that the university’s exclusive dependence on premarital abstinence as a preventive measure is inadequate. To curb the escalating infection rates, the article recommends the implementation of additional STI prevention strategies. Data for the article was gathered through interviews with university administrators and students, employing a descriptive phenomenological approach and interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Due to ethical considerations, the names of participants and the organisation have been omitted.

Jesus uttering his last words and drawing on his final breath: reflecting on Luke 23:46

2024-10-28T13:34:06+02:00

The last words and final breath of any human being in the wake of death is a moment in time one should not underappreciate. The death of Jesus certainly falls into the category of a human being taking a final breath while uttering last words. If these statements are afair assessment, then it is reasonable to reflect on the existential value and significance of Jesus’ last words and final breath. To state the obvious, his death, as a central figure within Christianity, holds potential theological value and significance for how millions interpret their final moments. His death also possesses existential value for obvious reasons. There is thus a substantial theological burden on what his death means, the impact
it has on those “believing” in him, and the consequences for all those who consider their death as dying “in him”. This study does not overburden Jesus’ last moments with theological concerns but aims to reflect on Luke 23:46 and parallels from an existential-anthropological point of view. It deliberately accentuates the mundane, “human” character of Jesus’ “last” moments on this earth. The purpose of this reflection is to come to a deeper appreciation of his death, with the hope that it might mean something to someone struggling to breathe while dying.

African theological education and its curriculum responsiveness towards African Union’s Agenda 2063.

2024-10-29T11:56:29+02:00

This article considers the development of African theological education with the new imperative to support the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the need to engage global processes of development. By employing the strategic focus of curriculum design and content that focuses on African realities, theological education can support this transformative agenda. Expanding access to quality theological education aligns with Agenda 2063’s emphasis on quality education. However, for African theological education to remain relevant and effective, beyond denominational myopia and internal ecclesial concerns, it must gain significant traction in the political, social, and economic spheres of modern-day Africa. A
theology of transformation to prepare the Church as an agent of change can be instructive. To consider this task, this article reflects on integrative curriculum design as a means that educates for the required competencies, including ethical leadership, with an outward focus.

Karl Barth’s Christological anthropology as a basis for building an interreligious relationship

2024-07-08T14:25:25+02:00

This article shows that Barth’s Christological anthropology can contribute to conversations about interreligious relations. Using constructive analysis methods, this article begins with an analysis of Barth’s Christological anthropology. A thorough observation of Barth’s Christological anthropology reveals that his theology provides a potential basis for a theological
concept of interreligious relations. The theological concept of interreligious relations, based on Barth’s Christological anthropology, affirms that the most fundamental commonality between Christians and other religious people lie in the fact that they are God’s chosen human beings in Jesus Christ as partners of the covenant with God and with others. This theological concept of interreligious relations can guide Christians in relating to other religious groups, while they can also remain faithful to witness Jesus Christ as the centre of the message of true humanity.

Jesus talks to the Samaritan woman

2024-09-01T20:12:31+02:00

The contemporary world is characterised by the dehumanisation of “the other” on multiple grounds. Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42) sheds light on his attitude towards, and his engagement with her as a conventional “other” for Jews. This article aims to explain their dialogic encounter as an informal teaching and learning event against the backdrop of Jew-Samaritan relations and the status and roles of women in New Testament times. It uses the conceptual framework of diacognition, drawing on the notions of dialogue, position, and cognition to conduct an analysis of the episode as a learning event. It finds that the encounter enables the Samaritan woman to recognise Jesus as
prophet and Messiah and transforms her conventional female positions to those of partner in dialogue, agent,
and apostle. It thus challenges the “othering” of outsiders in contemporary church and society and affirms the leadership and agency of women.

Reviewers of articles received in 2024

2024-12-10T16:21:45+02:00

A list of reviewers and their affiliations for the year 2024.

BOOK REVIEW Sinsoekers: Tussen twyfel en troos

2024-12-10T16:19:16+02:00

A book review of "Sinsoekers: Tussen twyfel en troos" by Cilliers, J. (Aucklandpark: UJ Pers, 2023), pp. 203, ISBN: 978-1-7764827-6-4. The review is in Afrikaans.

Book review: Christian mission in a diverse British urban context: Crossing the racial barrier to reach communities

2024-12-10T16:02:06+02:00

A book review of "Christian mission in a diverse British urban context: Crossing the racial barrier to reach communities" by Afrane-Twum, J.A. (Langham Publishing, 2024), 213 pages, ISBN: 978-1-83973-875-3.

BOOK REVIEW Bibles in Africa through European eyes

2024-12-10T16:11:26+02:00

A book review of "Bibles in Africa through European eyes" by Nyirenda, M. (Bukuru, Hippo Books, 2023) pp. 176, ISBN: 978 1839732522

BOOK REVIEW Digital homiletics: The theology and practice of online preaching

2024-12-10T16:05:49+02:00

A book review of "Digital homiletics: The theology and practice of online preaching " by Yang, Sanggu A. (2024) Fortress Press: Minneapolis. 173 pages.

Interview with Prof Sunggu A. Yang

2024-12-10T15:34:49+02:00

D. Martin Laubscher inteviews Prof. Sunggu A. Yang.