Developing a Public Hermeneutic for the Future of Theological Education?

Abstract : This article considers whether there is a need to develop a public hermeneutic for theological education. Churches and theological schools are rethinking the programs they are providing and other new ways to enhance their process of leadership formation for ministry. In a dynamically global context, where churches have been “disestablished”—as in Canada—the religious needs of the wider public remain important. I suggest that more attention needs to be given to the public questions of “belonging.” Perhaps a notion of public ministry as active accompaniment of people and communities provides a helpful metaphor or public hermeneutic for theological schools in charting their future.     

MANY QUESTIONS,FEW ANSWERS: THE HOLOCAUST IN THE THEOLOGY OF LOUIS JACOBS

Louis Jacobs identified the Holocaust—and the creation of Israel—as the two most significant events influencing contemporary Jewish consciousness. Yet his engagement with the theological implications of the Holocaust is notably limited. Since many of his writings are focused on issues facing those he termed “the Jew in the pew,” this absence of detailed consideration of the theological questions posed by the Holocaust seems particularly perplexing. This paper will consider if there is an explanation for this lacuna.     

Reproductive loss: toward a theology of bodies

ABSTRACT

Reproductive loss—the loss of a pregnancy before 24 weeks—is estimated to occur in 20-50% of all pregnancies. It is a common human experience. However, it is an experience that is shrouded in silence and mystery. Not only is reproductive loss culturally taboo but given the marked absence of theological reflection on the experience, it would seem to be theologically taboo as well. The experience of reproductive loss raises profound theological questions about what it means to be (a gendered) human, issues of suffering, the providence of God, and eschatology. This research considers some of the reasons for this theological silence and begins to examine the experience of reproductive loss with the aim of taking the embodied experience of the miscarrying woman seriously as a site for theological reflection.     

“I Am Still With You”: Dementia and the Christian Wayfarer

Persons with dementia suffer not only from neuropathology but also from cultural norms that exalt agency, privilege rationality, equate worth with capacity, and discourage disability and dependence. In Christian theological context, however, these are faulty assumptions that harm people with dementia. Christian tradition affirms, rather, that humans are integrated, whole-person, embodied souls on a journey to God; dependent on others and on God; and endowed by God with intrinsic worth that is unrelated to capacities. Four theological parameters—creation, participation, lament, and song—enable resistance to prevalent toxic social norms and promote faithful Christian re-membering of people with dementia.     

The World Council of Churches and the Theology of Christian-Jewish Relations

This essay explores the approach of the World Council of Churches (WCC) to the theological questions involved in Jewish-Christian relations, while also noting connections between these questions and political factors. The first part focuses on WCC assemblies. At Amsterdam in 1948, a brief document emphasized four key issues: the relationship of the Jewish people to God and to the Church; antisemitism; mission; and the State of Israel. At subsequent assemblies, especially after 1967, with attention focusing on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the plight of the Palestinians, theological discussion of these questions was avoided. The second part of the essay turns to the discussion of these four questions at other levels of the WCC, also considering the wider context of this discussion in the varied approaches developed among WCC member churches. A major theme throughout the essay is that because of the spectrum of ecclesiastical and regional affiliations across member churches, theological discussion of these questions has been controversial within the WCC. If its output in this field of theological work has therefore understandably been limited in comparison with that of some member churches and ecumenical partners, the WCC does nevertheless have a unique capacity to play a convening role for discussion of these difficult questions between Christians of different traditions and from very different political contexts.     

“The Only Safe Guide is Love”: Models of Engaging Luther's Ethical Hermeneutic for Theological Responses to the Affirmation of Same‐Sex Sexuality

Lutheran theological discussions over the morality of same‐sex sexuality not only raise “ethical” questions, but point to deeper interpretive tensions that arise when resources of the tradition are interpreted in new contexts. Responding to these debates, in this article I propose that Luther's application of the law to challenging ethical situations provides a historically situated hermeneutic that can redirect theological discussions on same‐sex sexuality. Drawing upon feminist Lutheran and queer theological work, I consider how we may reengage with Luther in a way that is both faithful to his commitments, and also takes queer people seriously as moral subjects.     

Evolution,the End of Human Uniqueness,and the Election of the Imago Dei

Abstract

In both popular opinion and the minds of many scientists and theologians, the idea of human uniqueness and human superiority has been linked to the Christian doctrine of the imago Dei. Pursuing what is called the comparative approach to theological anthropology many have asked, in what ways is human nature different from the nature of animals and, therefore, like the nature of God? This article questions any concept of the imago Deithat equates the divine likeness with some characteristic, behavior, or trait which presumably makes humans unique—in a non-trivial way—from other animals and from the non-human hominids. Instead of grounding the image of God in human uniqueness, the author concludes that the imago Dei is—exegetically, theologically, and scientifically—best understood in light of the Hebrew theological framework of historical election.     

Does Jesus Save the Neanderthals? Theological Perspectives on the Evolutionary Origins and Boundaries of Human Nature

Does Jesus save the Neanderthals? Do the Neanderthals need saving? Are they worth saving? And what about other non‐human animals? What theological sense can be made of the boundaries of human nature when considered in light of contemporary evolutionary biology and paleoanthropology? This article explores how theologians can begin to approach such questions by looking at four key areas where theological anthropology, evolutionary biology, and paleoanthropology intersect—1) human nature, 2) human uniqueness, 3) the imago Dei, and 4) the incarnation.     

Depicting Caribbean Theological Libraries

Theological libraries in the Caribbean have suffered from invisibility, so this study aims to bring these libraries to the fore. It presents key features of the libraries and seeks to determine if these are influenced by the libraries’ denominational affiliation, geographic location, and size. Geographically speaking, the target area was twenty-nine Caribbean territories. Data was gathered using a questionnaire containing mainly open-ended questions in English and Spanish, which was mostly administered face-to-face. The general results are offered first: the number of libraries found, their geographic location—whether in the English, Spanish and Dutch-speaking Caribbean—their denominations, and their size. These results are followed by a more detailed presentation focusing on classification schemes, subject headings, automation, and staffing at the supervisory level. The findings are then analyzed by denomination, location, and size. The article ends with a discussion of the results, comparing theological libraries in the Caribbean with theological libraries in the United States, Asia, and Europe. The study concludes that denomination and location have not affected the findings; but size has to some extent. Also, in some areas, Caribbean theological libraries resemble those in North America, while in others they resemble those in Asia and Europe.     

INTERPRETATION NEUTRALITY FOR QUANTUM THEOLOGY

Within contemporary scientific and science-adjacent communities, it is generally accepted that quantum physics is our best theory. For this reason, it is understandable—and laudable—that scholars interested in questions at the intersection of science and theology wish to meaningfully engage with this physics. Recent work in foundations of physics has, however, importantly altered the landscape of quantum theory; in this article, my goal is to introduce these advances, then make an argument within this new landscape that I hope will be useful for certain theological inquiries. Specifically, I shall argue from grounds of the physics itself that one may, with clear philosophical conscience, access the majority of quantum theory's tools, models, and explanations while maintaining an interpretation-neutral yet realist stance toward this physics.     

Seven Theses on Dogmatics and Patristics in Catholic Theology☆

These seven theses suggest the centrality of reflection on Patristic theology for the enterprise of dogmatic theology in a Catholic context. Dogmatic theology itself is used here as an alternative to the modern use of “systematic” theology. In order to see why and how Patristic theology should occupy this place, reflection is necessary on the theology of tradition—and the continual authority of Patristic texts for Catholic theologians—and then on the importance of post-Renaissance modes of historiography. These discussions constitute part of a theological reflection on the nature of theology itself. Although the aim of this piece is to discuss the configuration of (Latin) Catholic theology, the questions raised should be of interest to theologians across a broad ecumenical range.     

IF OUR GENES ARE FOR US,WHO CAN BE AGAINST US? THOUGHTS OF A PRAGMATIST ON SCIENCE AND MORALITY

Abstract. The philosopher Michael Ruse accounts for the difference between hypothetical and categorical imperatives, and thus the origin of distinctively moral obligations like that of altruism, in genetic terms. This is part of an attempt to develop a philosophy that takes Darwin seriously by substituting respectable scientific entities, specifically those of evolutionary biology, for suspect theological or philosophical ones, like God or the transcendental ego, as a basis for addressing philosophical questions. Pragmatists take Darwin seriously, but in a very different way from that proposed by Ruse. Darwin introduced a “logic” into the study of living things—including human beings, the human mind, and culture— that leads philosophers to ask new and different questions about morality rather than trying to supply new answers to the same old questions. This essay contrasts these two different ways of taking Darwin seriously for purposes of philosophy and claims certain advantages for the pragmatist way over Ruse's.     

Varieties of Belief over Time: Reflections from a Longitudinal Study of Youth and Belief

ABSTRACT

This article reports longitudinal research involving young people in adolescence and early adulthood, focusing on questions about belief and identity. The author finds that significant varieties of belief—propositional, felt (emotional/embodied), performative—were created and sustained through social relationships. A seven-part analytical model permits holistic, organic analysis to identify the shifting and mutually interdependent dimensions of belief: content, source, practice, salience, function, time, and place. The articles forms part of a special issue of the Journal of Contemporary Religion, entitled “Belief as Cultural Performance”.     

Sexual Motives: Cultural,Evolutionary, and Social Psychological Perspectives

Recently, scholars from a variety of disciplines have begun to investigate passionate love, sexual desire, and sexual behavior. Specifically, they have started to ask such questions as: “Why do young men and women engage in sexual liaisons?” “Why do they avoid such encounters?” Unfortunately, in attempting to answer such questions, scholars have generally focused on surveys and experiments within their own disciplines and have accorded scant attention to the discoveries of other disciplines. In this paper, we will begin by discussing three theoretical perspectives that have had the most to say about why young people seek out (or avoid) sex—cultural psychology, evolutionary psychology, and social psychology (where theorists often take a biopsychosocial approach). Then, we will (1) describe the many scales that have been used to assess sexual motives, and (2) review the multidisciplinary data which has been assembled in an attempt to answer the questions as to why people seek out (or avoid) sexual activity. Unfortunately, almost all this research was conducted by Western researchers, investigating the attitudes and behavior of young American men and women, who were heterosexual. (Alas, the wider-ranging data one would wish to consider is as yet only rarely available.) Through this multi-disciplinary synthesis, we hope to demonstrate the impact of culture, social experience, and biological imperatives in shaping young men’s and women’s motives for engaging in sexual encounters and provide a sort of “encyclopedia” of sexual motives measures and research for future scholars.     

Spiritual Machines,Personal Bodies,and God: Theological Education and Theological Anthropology

Programs of theological education in Christian traditions are exploring “distanced learning” as one way to address certain challenges to their educational excellence. A major strand in a twenty‐year old discussion of the nature and purpose of theological education has urged that analysis of theological schooling's failures and assessment of proposed remedies ought to be framed explicitly in theological terms as part of an ongoing inquiry into what makes theological education properly theological. This essay tries to show how following that advice can make a practical difference in assessing the merits of distanced learning. It does so by raising questions about the theological‐anthropological assumptions, respectively, of theological education and of distanced learning.     

How to answer an unanswerable question? Factors affecting correct “don't know” responding in memory tasks

When reporting from memory, people may often be asked unanswerable questions—questions for which the correct answer has never been encoded. These unanswerable questions should be met with an “I don't know” response. Previous research has shown that a manipulation commonly used to enhance memory at retrieval—context reinstatement—reduces appropriate “do not know” responding to unanswerable questions. Here we investigated whether this reduction is due to increased belief that a given question is answerable, or solely to increased confidence in specific responses for questions already believed to be answerable. In two experiments, we show that context reinstatement reduces “do not know” responding even when a “do not remember” option is available to express beliefs that particular questions are answerable. These results indicate that improved access to contextual information at retrieval creates an erroneous belief that unanswerable questions are in fact answerable.     

Consumer witchcraft: are teenage witches a creation of commercial interests?

The production of books, magazines, kits, films, TV programmes and Internet sites aimed at teenagers, especially girls, on witchcraft, Wicca and related topics, has been a growth industry of the late 1990s and 2000s. This article examines whether Ezzy’s distinction between ‘traditional witchcraft’, a serious religious path, and ‘white witchcraft’, an aspect of consumerism, can be used to understand the phenomenon of ‘teenage witchcraft’. An analysis of some of the materials available and of interviews with young women who identify as witches attempts to answer the question of whether young people are being exploited by commercial interests, or whether the ‘teen witch’ phenomenon cannot be so easily dismissed. The author suggests that at least some young people who identify as witches or Pagans are not mere consumers of exploitative materials, but are well‐informed, critical thinkers articulating their own serious spiritual and theological perspectives.     

The English public space: developing spirituality in English Muslim schools

Developing a language and a context for a spirituality that can speak to children and young people in a post‐modern, secular English society is a challenge for anyone, parent or teacher, who wishes to raise the vision beyond the purely material and the everyday. The challenge is both epistemological and pedagogical. How young people see, know and describe the world in which they find themselves is central to any school curriculum. For English Muslim schools the epistemological and pedagogical interfaces with the cultural and theological in a search for a language and spirituality that is a reflection of a contemporary English Islam.     

Ministry with Adolescents: Tending Boundaries, Telling Truths

This essay explores anxieties, risks, and responsibilities of ministers and other spiritual leaders who seek honest and healing dialogue about sex and sexuality with young people in their care. Building on a delicate scene from Laurie Halse Anderson’s young adult novel Speak, it draws from psychotherapeutic works of Ron Taffel and David Schnarch, and from theological writings of Sebastian Moore and Mark D. Jordan, to press the importance of safe, direct, non-shaming pastoral conversations around sensitive adolescent sexual concerns.