The unity of the Church according to Calvin and its meaning for the churches in Indonesia

Since the founding of the Council of Churches in Indonesia (DGI), which later changed its name to the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI), a recurring question has been asked about what kind of unity the DGI/PGI intends to achieve. This issue was discussed by the General Assemblies, from the first in 1950 until the 10th in 1984, with various ideas being put forward. Some underscored the unity of structural organisations, whereas others emphasised our spiritual unity in Christ. It was only at the 10th General Assembly held in 1984 at Ambon that Indonesian churches discovered the answer they had been seeking all that time. The unity they sought was a shared understanding of Christian doctrine, mutual recognition and acceptance, and co-operation in working together to carry out their task and calling in Indonesia. In this respect, I believe that the view of Indonesian church unity conforms to Calvin’s concept which does not stress organisational unity but rather spiritual oneness, oneness in Christ, and oneness in the basic principles of the faith, in recognising each other as having the true preaching of the Word and administration of the sacraments. It is this kind of unity which has been expressed in the Five Documents of Church Unity (LDKG), later called Documents on Church Unity (DKG). The churches of Indonesia can learn much from the view of church reformer John Calvin.     

The Fortieth Anniversary of Women's Ordination in the Lutheran Church

Abstract : This article offers a perspective on the present and future roles of women in the ELCA. It gives some analysis of women's roles in the trend of declining traditional congregations and rising megachurches while imagining the role of clergywomen in the church's next forty years as new models of ministry emerge.     

The Influence of Ethnicity,Social Class,and Context on Judgments About U.S. Women

Abstract

In 2 studies, the authors investigated impression formation as influenced by category-based stereotypes associated with ethnicity and social class. The participants in Study 1 made judgments about 1 target woman, described as interested in running for office in the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) of her children's school. The hypothetical woman was presented to the respondents along with her photograph and information about her ethnic background (Anglo-Saxon, Latina, or Jewish) and occupation (middle class or working class). In Study 2, the authors changed the context and presented a younger target woman (also varied by ethnicity and social class) to the respondents as the new girlfriend of their older brother or cousin. In both studies, judgments were assessed by the participants' responses to 45 bipolar adjectives that, in each case, yielded 8 component factors. In both hypothetical contexts, social class was a powerful trigger for a variety of negative expectations: With respect to ethnicity, the Latina women were judged to be more unsuitable for the job of PTO vice president than were the Anglo-Saxon or Jewish women. The authors discussed potential psychological and social consequences of such category-based judgments.     

The factor structure and psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale

The current study examined the validity of the Italian version of the Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale (ACSS; Henderson-King & Henderson-King, 2005) in a sample of 378 Italian adult women. A series of confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. A three-factor solution provided the best fit to the data and confirmed the Intrapersonal, Social, and Consider dimensions. The three factors were strongly inter-correlated. Cronbach's alphas were high (all alphas > .86). The scale showed good convergent and discriminant validity (estimated by Composite Reliability and the Average Variance Extracted). The nomological validity of the Italian version of the ACSS was confirmed by its significant correlations with participants’ body dissatisfaction and sociocultural influences (internalization of thin ideals and perceived media pressure). The ACSS seems to be a useful measure of acceptance of cosmetic surgery in the Italian context. This instrument can be used with Italian speakers for research, health promotion, and preventive interventions.     

The Rhetoric of Religious Dissent: Anti-Calvinism,Satire and the Arminian Controversy in the Dutch Republic

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of the Arminian controversy (1609-1619) on the literary culture of the Dutch Republic. Focusing on the work of pivotal figures like Dirck Coornhert, Reinier Telle, Samuel Coster and Joost van den Vondel, it is argued that political and religious controversy gave rise to a culture of religious satire that directly shaped the outcome of the conflict. Analyzing the similarities between satire and the practice of religious parrhesia, it aims to examine the paradoxes inherent in the early modern debate on toleration.     

The Beast: Interpretations of Daniel 7.2-9 and Apocalypse 13.1-4, 11-12 in Lutheran,Zwinglian and Calvinist Circles in the Late Sixteenth Century

Abstract

The trial of the Spanish theologian and physician, Miguel Servet, charged with heresy and blasphemy by the City Council of Geneva in 1553, led to a long and abstruse debate between two apparently irreconcilable standpoints. In an attempt to clarify the terms of discussion on such crucial areas as the Trinity, divine immanence and the immortality of the soul, Calvin and Servet embarked on a three-day written debate (15-17 September 1553). In what ultimately became a genuine ‘duel to the death,’ what stands out, over and above the actual argumentation, is their use of insults as rhetorical weapons. Given that both adversaries were equally convinced that they were defending the ‘true faith,’ most of their attacks were aimed at demonstrating the corrupt nature of their opponent. Accordingly, mutal denigration was inseparably intertwined with the substantive debates and thus in the old tradition of demonizing polemics. When the duel of words is examined carefully it reveals ultimately the deep gulf separating not only the doctrinal standpoint of the protagonists, but also their basic visions of the world.     

The Catholic Church,moral doctrine,and HIV prevention in Recife,Brazil: Negotiating the contradictions between religious belief and the realities of everyday life

Religious beliefs have had a key role in shaping local responses to HIV and AIDS. As the world's largest Catholic country, Brazil is no exception. Yet little research has been conducted to document how religious doctrine is enacted in practice among its lay leaders and followers. In this article, we present ethnographic research from Recife, Brazil, conducted to understand the way in which religious doctrines are interpreted at a local level. Contextualised within the sociology of contemporary Brazilian Catholicism, we draw on interviews with clergy members, lay leaders, and parishioners to discuss how the Catholic Church's vision of sexuality translates into everyday lives of its followers. We explore the disjuncture between the Catholic ideals of fidelity and delaying sex until marriage with the everyday reality of the Church's followers, highlighting the role that gender plays in defining sexual roles and expectations. We conclude by posing questions for future research and HIV prevention strategies considering the formal institutional response of the Brazilian Catholic Church to AIDS on the one hand, and the social and cultural contexts in which Catholics live their daily lives on the other.