Acta Theologica

Multicultural Pentecostal Congregations:

2024-02-01T13:59:37+02:00

The study investigates the extent of gender discrimination and prejudice in multicultural Pentecostal congregations and the potential for a future in which gifts and ministry contributions of women are foregrounded. Multicultural congregations were studied to explore the gifts that the ministry of women contributes to the work of the church
and to the social cohesion of the congregation. This qualitative study collected data from men and women in five focus group discussions, with about 10 people in each group, held in five multicultural congregations. The data collected were analysed through the Atlas.ti program and findings were divided into themes that answered the question whether multicultural congregations create a space for the inclusion of the gifts and ministry of women.

The Problem of Evil:

2024-02-13T11:33:33+02:00

Open theism argues that traditional responses to the problem of evil fail to provide comfort amidst suffering because of their notion of metaphysical determinism and over-dependence on Greek philosophy. Open theists argue that the best solution to the problem of evil lies in our understanding of the nature of God’s power, which has been relinquished due to his love, the open nature of creation, and the creatures’ inherent powers. This study argues that the open-theistic notion of divine power is reductionistic because it does not consider coercive power as part of divine power. Further, the open theistic logic-of-love defence propagates a loveless God who respects his covenant with the beloved more than the
beloved. Finally, the study argues that the open theists’ notions of divine omniscience and divine power are not viable; they raised many questions and objections and, therefore, created room for despair rather than comfort in adversity.

Mission to the Wounded Youth: Scripture Union’s Evangelistic Approaches in Senior High School in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

2024-04-22T12:45:19+02:00

The article forms part of a broader research project that investigated Scripture Union’s (SU) missional responses to the wounded youth. It discusses SU’s evangelistic response to the youth in the senior high schools in Kumasi through their campus ministry. The article seeks to answer the following question: What evangelistic strategies are used by Scripture Union in responding to the needs of the senior high school (SHS) students in Kumasi? Empirical data were collected through SU’s institutional records, interviews, and participant observations to investigate how SU addresses the spiritual, physical, and social challenges of SHS students through evangelism. The study found that SU blended traditional evangelistic approaches with media engagement, leveraged adult media literacy for youth interests, used fun activities
for gospel outreach, and involved youth in campus evangelism in its campus ministry.

The enthronement of compassion and care and the unseating of customary obligation in the parable of the Good Samaritan

2024-02-09T11:22:16+02:00

The article studies the parable of the compassionate and caring Samaritan as source of radical lessons in dispensing care. In the parable, Jesus stressed that the dispensing of care should be primary and conformity to customary obligations are to be subordinated. This study primarily examines the power of obligatory customs that Jesus “overpowered” and attempts to elaborate on the following reasons why Jesus had to dethrone customary obligations. First, traditional customs turned prejudices have debilitating effects on character, behaviour, and moral agency. Secondly, overcoming negative prejudices will free our minds for creative responses and lead us toward a better understanding of compassionate care as possessing a divine character.

Rethinking contending themes in indigenous and Christian religions in contemporary Africa

2024-01-09T11:57:37+02:00

Despite myriad of studies on the interface between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR), there still is an unexplored lacuna in contending themes. In the vast majority of deficit-prone literature, such themes as symbolism, liturgy, sacrifice, saints, sinners, and ontology, among others, are far from balanced. The extant gap has further increased the befuddling perception of African traditional religion by indigenous Christians as belonging to the “Kingdom of Satan” that needs salvation through the instrumentality of Christianity. But irrespective of the waves of evangelism in the continent, many Africans have remained attached to their indigenous religious practices. There has been continuity in practice because the two religions’ themes are similar in content, context, and teachings. This study intends to provide
insightful knowledge and awareness about some of these themes and their meeting points. This knowledge will bridge the gap between the two religions and highlight Africa’s contributions to human ideas and civilisation.

The pragmatic function of asides that stage an event in the Fourth Gospel

2024-06-20T08:51:38+02:00

This article seeks to investigate how asides that function to stage an event in the Fourth Gospel fulfil their pragmatic/performative role. Despite numerous insightful contributions on this topic, the article contends that
scholars have not comprehensively explored this specific literary device in the Fourth Gospel. It therefore seeks to contribute to Johannine research by analysing these specific asides from a speech act interpretive perspective. It aims to demonstrate that these asides are inherently performative, representing a deliberate communicative strategy by the implied author to engage and compel participation from the reader. The article concludes that asides that function to stage an event play a performativerole and contribute to enhancing the attainability of the overall purpose of the Gospel (20:30-31).

Leadership by the Spirit in Pentecostalism:

2023-10-11T11:37:45+02:00

Pneumatology refers to the study of the Spirit within Pentecostal theology. Similarly, Pentecostals believe that pneumatology has a role to play in ecclesiastical leadership, which results in leadership through the Holy Spirit. In this article, this kind of leadership is theorised as pneumatocracy and is discussed in contrast to other leadership theories such as autocracy and democracy. The article seeks to demonstrate that pneumatocracy in the Pentecostal movement is important. However, it should engage in societal transformation, development of communities, and socio-economic and -political challenges for its relevance in the 21st century. Furthermore, this theory is proposed as an approach relevant to addressing gender parities in ecclesiastical leadership. The practices of pneumatocracy in early Pentecostalism, the early church, and contemporary times are explored in detail. A transformational pneumatocracy is proposed to address current leadership challenges in the African context.

Corrigendum: Jeremiah 29:5-7 reread through the lens of posttraumatic growth

2024-05-23T08:35:09+02:00

Jeremiah 29:5-7 is well known for exhorting the exiles to settle down and pray for the welfare of Babylon. The idea of settling down conflicts with the prophecy of returning home in the book of Jeremiah, and it sounds odd to encourage prayer for the enemy. Typical solutions focus on the strategy of survival. However, these solutions are not convincing enough because the language used in Jeremiah 29:5-7 indicates that the exhortation involves not survival but restoration. Given the background of national trauma behind the book of Jeremiah, this article proposes rereading Jeremiah 29:5-7 from the perspective of posttraumatic growth (PTG). Accordingly, the exhortation to settle down reflects the domain of appreciation of life in PTG, and the exhortation to pray for Babylon indicates the belief in a just world for self (BJW-self), which is closely related to PTG and entails forgiving others.

Metaverse as challenge to homo religionis. Diachronic thinking in theory formation for pastoral caregiving to netizens

2024-06-20T08:53:58+02:00

Metaverse brings about the reshaping of the playful human being (homo ludens) into the digitalised human being (homo digitalis). Transcendence (homo transcendentalis) has become digitalised by the power of technologised options (optimalisation of our being human) and fictive forms of sublimations (avatars). Due to, inter alia, Facebook and Instagram, a spirituality of diachronic networking and digital immediacy, set in: I start to exist through and via (Greek: dia) the digitalised other. Thus, the following research question: How could metaverse thinking contribute to a multidimensional reinterpretation of religious spirituality?

Ecclesiological implications for the church as intergenerational space focusing on families

2024-06-20T08:56:18+02:00

The church is God’s primary vehicle to minister in a global landscape dotted with globalisation, social media, wars, environmental issues, global economics, global social developments, and politics. Given the fact that the family is the microcosm where discipling should take place according to Psalm 78:4-7 (also Deut. 6:7-9; Matt. 28:19-20; 1 Cor. 3:4-9), this focus naturally leads to the critical question: Where do families fit in this mandate? Segregation in ministry results in divided age groups, lack of inclusiveness of all members in all of church life, and a low view of children as part of the church (Holmes et al. 2022:1-3). The article revisits a biblical framework of what church should be, in order to refresh insight into how the church could and should respond to an intergenerational understanding of the form and function of the church.

Wayang civilizes religion: From spectacle to guidance

2023-05-04T12:16:25+02:00

Indonesia’s cultural acculturation and Christianity left behind by Islam are undeniable social realities that could be harmonised through puppetry. However, the propagator of Islam has used wayang (puppet) as a national symbol and original face. It has raised a polemic that involved serious conversations and sharp debates between religious and customary communities and invited the struggle of religious-cultural groups. Efforts to acculturate Christianity and culture in Java have not received serious attention. However, various opportunities could be used as media or objects of encounter such as wayang. Christian inculturation with a wayang perspective could contribute to the contextualisation
of mission in Java, promoting smooth conversations with the community. This study aims to capture the potential that contributes to wayang for the mission and contextualisation of Christianity. A qualitative method with an analytical-descriptive approach was used to examine the past mission of Islam as well as wayang and model contextualisation in church traditions. The findings show that wayang is an opportunity for Christianity to take root and grow together with its culture. It must be an aim in the contextualisation mission to civilise Christianity in society.

Ecology and theology together within African Pentecostals worship liturgy

2024-02-13T13:18:37+02:00

The African Pentecostal pneumatological experiences and the hesitancy to engage with the “other-worldly” (earth-based/earthly) matters have contributed to the slow uptake to contribute to the ecological crisis. An intentional, comprehensive, practical approach is needed to alleviate the ecological crisis. For the ecological strategies to be effective, they should blend into the churchs spiritual life, such as worship. The starting point is to identify and amplify any ecological notions that the church uses consciously or unconsciously. This studyuses qualitative data to explore how hymnal worship songs construct and dialogue ecotheological notions. It concludes that bringing ecology and theology together within the church worship liturgy is an appropriate strategy for churches to contribute to the ecological crisis.

The beauty of sorrow:

2024-03-06T17:58:11+02:00

This article explores the Ma’badong dance in the death rituals of the Torajan culture in Indonesia, emphasizing Gerardus van der Leeuw’s expansive definition of dance as a comprehensive expression of the human spirit. It argues that dance transcends a mere reflection of the soul, positing that sorrow in the Ma’badong danceis a manifestation of divine presence. This dance, still practiced today, embodies a theological aesthetic of “the beauty of sorrow,” examined through several dimensions. Firstly, it expresses sadness and empathy towards death. Secondly, it universalizes the human body as an instrument of sorrow. Thirdly, it celebrates life amidst grief. Fourthly, it provides a language of lamentation, creating a space for encountering God. Lastly, the Ma’badong dance affirms that God is present in the dancers’ sorrow. This article
presents the Ma’badong dance as a profound theological aesthetic, where sorrowful movements become beautiful,
facilitating remembrance of self, others, and God.

Challenges for women's leadership in organisations, from the perspective of judge and prophetess Deborah

2024-04-17T20:23:44+02:00

This article presents a contextual and biblical approach to the phenomenon of women’s low participation in topmanagement positions. Studies show that the difficulties women face in organisations are related to biases that
assume a natural inferiority of women compared to men. These biases have uncritically been assimilated into the
culture, including the work environment, and to overcome them, it is necessary to create scenarios of individual and
collective confrontation, in order to recognise women’s capacity to exercise authority and power. The biblical narrative of judge and prophetess Deborah and her editorial process in the 8th century BC provide clues for confrontation and transformation by naturally portraying a woman exercising authority in a patriarchal setting, relating to men on an equal footing, and being recognised and respected through attitudes of listening, care, and empathy.

Recurrent and current trends in the study of the Book of Psalms

2024-06-20T08:59:00+02:00

In the past one hundred years, two approaches to the study of the Book of Psalms have tended to dominate, namely form criticism and shape and shaping (canonical criticism). Other studies such as the theology of psalms, the poetics of psalms, the redaction of psalms, as well as psalms and intertextuality have also been done. These approaches to the Psalter will continue to be points of focus for studies – the recurrent trends. In the late 20th nd early 21st centuries, other approaches to the Psalter emerged such as, among others, rhetorical criticism, liberation theology, feminist criticism, the psalms and
spirituality, and so forth – the current trends. This article offers a summary of the current state of the form critical and the shape and shaping studies of the Psalter – the recurrent trends – and then moves on to examine a number of the 21st-century approaches to the book of Psalms – the current trends. The article concludes with some tentative thoughts about the future of psalm studies in the 21st century.

Ecological hermeneutics as a current trend in Old Testament research in the Book of Psalms

2024-06-20T09:02:04+02:00

This article addresses an urgent ecological crisis of this century. It explores the transformative potential of ecological hermeneutics as a current trend in Old Testament research in the context of the Book of salms. As we face the unprecedented ecological threat of global devastation, this article identifies a new kind of speech emerging from current ecological trends in biblical research. The article examines the historical implications of biblical texts in the discussion about ecological degradation by providing an overview of the development of ecological hermeneutics. It then presents
methodologies such as dark green religion and the ecobosadi approach and advocates for ways in which they reshape culture and have the potential to play a crucial role in reshaping it.

Seeking a path of its own: Old Testament ethics in current research

2024-06-20T09:04:28+02:00

Old Testament ethics has been a Cinderella discipline. However, since the 1980s, it has emerged as an important area of study, albeit one where certain key questions continue to be unresolved, including: Is this a discipline in its own right? Is Old Testament ethics a descriptive or normative discipline? If so, which texts does it consider? If it does contribute to contemporary practice, by what mode is that determined? This article outlines the issues involved in each of these questions, exploring a path towards understanding Old Testament ethics as a distinct discipline that draws on the whole canon with the aim of shaping contemporary practice, while accepting that fundamental differences continue.

Song of Songs – Current trends in research

2024-04-10T12:47:04+02:00

This article reviews recent developments in Song of Songs scholarship with a focus on publications within the South African context. The article provides an overview of the interpretation of the Song of Songs and describes the main lines of research. Research on the Song of Songs continues the trends of recent years, with an emphasis on literal interpretation. However, there is renewed interest in patristics, allegorical interpretation as erotic or intertextual allegorisation, and reception history. Interpretation in the context of a myth seemed outdated, but it is also back. Southern African studies have contributed to these fields and to contextual studies.

Contemporary issues in Christian marriage: In commemoration of the retirement of Rev. Dr. Samuel Oluwafemi Oladimeji from active ministry of the Nigerian Baptist Convention

2024-06-20T09:08:32+02:00

Book Review

Research on the Letter to the Galatians 2000-2020

2024-06-20T09:14:22+02:00

Research on the Letter to the Galatians 2000-2020

Mission: The “labour room” of theology

2024-06-20T09:16:22+02:00

Book review.

Resilient religion: Resilience and heartbreaking adversity

2024-06-20T09:18:10+02:00

Resilient religion: Resilience and heartbreaking adversity

Interview with Prof. Julian Müller: Reflections on a career in Practical Theology

2024-06-20T08:48:47+02:00

Emeritus Prof. Julian Müller is a distinguished practical and pastoral theological scholar celebrated for his contributions to interdisciplinary and postfoundational studies, a narrative approach towards pastoral theological practices, and research
on pastoral care and Ubuntu. This interview delves into Prof. Müller’s journey from ministry to academia, the evolution of his research interests, and his insights on the future of practical and pastoral theology in South Africa. Prof. Müller’s reflections offer valuable perspectives on the dynamic nature of practical theology and its relevance in addressing contemporary challenges.

Editorial

2024-06-20T08:46:19+02:00

Only time will tell whether the current edition speaks knowingly into our “now”. By now, you know that these articles have gone through an extensive blind internal-and-external double peer-reviewed process and eventually got an A or B grading by their peers in the field. Now, after the release of yet another edition, it is perhaps wise to make a few remarks on what lies between the lines as we discern our times. What is this new knowledge we all aspire to be associated with?