The Christian Faith in an Inter‐Faith Context

Abstract :  In developing a Christian Theology of the World Religions, this article makes the following claims: (1) the central issue is Christology including the all‐sufficiency of Christ's work to accomplish salvation for all; (2) by distinguishing between general and special revelation, Christians can confirm that God has witnesses among all the world's religions; (3) Christianity ought to continue to live out of its missionary impulse, to proclaim the gospel of salvation, and to provide an apologetic defense of its truth claims; (4) Christian clergy should approach inter‐faith settings with extensive knowledge of the world's religions; (5) and seminaries should revamp their curricula to teach a truly Christian theology of World Religions.     

Eternal Life in Schleiermacher's The Christian Faith

This article advocates that some form of personal immortality is not only taught in F.D.E. Schleiermacher's Glaubenslehre but is also necessary for the coherence of the same work. The combination of a naturalized account of redemption, a commitment to universal salvation and the realist observation that some never know Christ in this life causes Schleiermacher to posit a certain but content‐free afterlife to account for the discrepancy.     

Schleiermacher and Spirit Christology: Unexplored Horizons of The Christian Faith

One of the more recent efforts at christological construction has focused on Spirit christology, issuing in sometimes opposing constructions. At first sight, considering Schleiermacher's synthetic approach to the doctrine of the Trinity, one would suspect the irrelevance of his christology for these present efforts. However, an analysis of the convergence between christology and pneumatology in the Glaubenslehre could contribute significantly to this debate. By interpreting the God-consciousness of Jesus as the presence of the Spirit in him and correlating this with the communication of this consciousness as the work of Christ in regeneration and sanctification we achieve an identity between Christ as Spirit-bearer and Spirit-sender (viz. the Redeemer understood according to his 'peculiar activity' and 'exclusive dignity'). By lending a stronger pneumatological bearing to Schleiermacher's theological discourse (picking up the suggestion of Karl Barth) Schleiermacher helps illuminate some of the issues that have arisen in debate over Spirit christology.     

Migrants and Refugees: Christian Faith and the Globalization of Solidarity

This article examines how Pope Francis's Evangelii Gaudium, the WCC's Together towards Life, and the Third Lausanne Congress’ Cape Town Commitment bring out three interrelated and overlapping dimensions of mission. When viewed in the age of migration, these include a three‐fold process of denunciation, annunciation, and promotion. Evangelii Gaudium speaks of the denunciation of a globalization of indifference that has made us unresponsive to the plight of the migrant poor. Together towards Life speaks about the annunciation of the God of life through a renewed commitment to justice and peace. The Cape Town Commitment speaks about the promotion of the reign of Jesus’ kingdom through love and service, especially for those like migrants who are poor and marginalized. Underneath the collective vision of these three voices, a more fundamental migration urges the churches to move from established institutional comfort zones into new territories of risk, vulnerability, and possibility. While divisions remain, new strategies are emerging to engage in a common faith, a common humanity, and a common care for those considered least and last in the human community.     

The Impact of a Christian Liberal Arts Education on Faith Maturity

For four years, graduates of The King's University College (TKUC) three-year Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science programs were polled as to their perception of TKUC's success in attaining its missionstatement claims. The questionnaire results suggest that the claims, which pertain to “gaining a deeper understanding of God's creation, maturing and growing as Christians, contributing to an advancement of knowledge, and being of service to the community,” have been met for a substantial number of students. However, because the numbers are small, i.e., 132 students out of a possible population of 226, follow-up research will be necessary to determine whether perceived changes in students' faith and understanding are specifically attributable to the college's influence.     

社会转型与农村青少年基督徒的宗教信仰——以甘肃W村基督教群体为例

本文借助于问卷调查与田野调查两种方法,对148名农村青少年基督徒的宗教信仰进行研究。研究发现,社会转型过程中,农村青少年基督徒的宗教信仰出现了分化,一部分青少年脱离了宗教信仰,另一部分青少年则依然保持着宗教信仰;农村青少年基督徒宗教卷入程度较低,个体私人性的宗教卷入行为相对较多,群体公共性宗教卷入行为较少;农村青少年基督徒的宗教态度趋于理性化。因此,世俗化会带来信仰的多元化。     

Constructive Theology: A Contemporary Approach to Classical Themes The Faith of the Christian Church A Primer for Christian Doctrine

Books reviewed:
Serene Jones and Paul Lakeland, eds., Constructive Theology: A Contemporary Approach to Classical Themes. Tyron Inbody, The Faith of the Christian Church. Jonathan R. Wilson, A Primer for Christian Doctrine. Reviewed by Mike Higton University of Exeter     

The Nicene Faith: Formation of Christian Theology, Vol. 2 Parts 1 and 2

Book reviewed:
The Nicene Faith: Formation of Christian Theology, Vol. 2 Parts 1 and 2 by John Behr (Crestwood, NY: St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2004) xviii + 507 pp. Reviewed by Andrew Louth University of Durham Department of Theology and Religion Abbey House Palace Green Durham DH1 3RS UK     

The Viability of Christian Same-Sex Unions: Why Scripturally Normed Faith Communities Must Support Homosexual Relationships

Abstract

This article examines the common, competing lay theologies employed to address the viability of Christian same-sex unions and critiques their problematic underpinnings. Particular attention is given to the unproductive hermeneutical dynamics that have characterized the debate over this issue. After a critical examination of the relevant biblical texts and other foundational assumptions, the author proposes a biblical theology of Christian same-sex unions as a constructive, conciliatory alternative. The author contends that Christian communities that grant a controlling influence to the Bible as Scripture must accept the biblical testimony on the identity of human beings and the calling of human beings to image God's covenant faithfulness through the gift of sexuality, regardless of sexual orientation. The article is written primarily with clergy in mind, specifically to offer resources for providing guidance in ecclesial processes of discernment on the issue of Christian same-sex unions.     

Fact and the Narratives of War: Produced Undecidability in Accounts of Armed Conflict

This paper explores how providing the inferential basis to argue for a range of equally plausible interpretations features as a way of managing issues of accountability in talk about armed confrontation. We examine conversation produced in open-ended interviews with diplomatic representatives of the United States and Great Britain in discussion about those countries' involvement in the Persian Gulf conflict of 1990–91. By providing the inferential basis upon which to argue for a range of equally plausible interpretative scenarios, speakers attend to the potential for any one account to be privileged over another. Further, in speculating upon the relationship between interpretative particulars and the inferential outcome to be drawn for some specific version of events in question, speakers work to establish the parameters of an admissible narrative trajectory with which to account for those events. In so doing, they manage the implications that excluded versions would otherwise make relevant.