The renewal of the diaconate and the holistic mission of the Church

Research on the diaconate in recent years has provided a stimulus for discussion on possible reform and renewal of the ordained ministry. Whilst some critics see this as arising merely from an attempt at a uniformity which might further the search for unity in the Church, this article argues that there are in fact certain natural reasons for reforming the diaconate. The author focuses on the relationship of mission and diakonia and the renewal of the diaconate with each other. Though the term ‘mission’ is not often used, the article follows the central points of ecumenical missiological discussion, addressing the crucial question, ‘What is the place of diakonia and the diaconate in the holistic mission of the Church?’ There is thence a certain logic in the argument, leading to the conclusions the author finally draws.     

Cultural psychology and theology: Partners in dialogue

Cultural psychology stresses the importance of the historical and socio-cultural in the formation of the self, and, in its more sophisticated versions, acknowledges the importance of embodiment, emotions and intra-psychic factors too, making it a promising dialogue partner for theology. Following a brief summary of bridging issues between psychology and theology, Benson's recent cultural psychology framework is outlined. Its relevance for theology is considered under three headings: incarnational categories, self-knowing and God-knowing, and theological method. The essay concludes with a short reflection on the self in Eucharistic space, and the limits of cultural psychological accounts.     

Crossing Tables and Queering Deification

Abstract

To respond to the dominating force of religio-cultural salvation in the U.S., this article analyzes two disparate tables and the bodies associated with them: the Unsung Founders memorial at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Eucharistic table in the work of seventh century Christian monk Maximus the Confessor. Drawing on Sara Ahmed's methodological exploration of how tables orient bodies, I constructively "cross" the racial, gendered, and economically marginalized bodies represented by the monument and the body of Christ on the Eucharistic table. The product of this crossing queers Maximus's doctrine of deification, or union with God, which opens a site of resistance to contemporary notions of this specific privatized and personally responsible salvation. Further, this combination betrays Maximus's theological assumptions that only normative bodies have access to God.     

Five Books on Sacrifice: New Approaches in Sacrifice Studies

These books, each of which is grounded in familiarity with historical sources and at the same time alert to philosophical and theological questions, reveal that sacrificial studies are thriving. Grand theories have been enfeebled, but a rich repertory of hermeneutical strategies is being applied all the more freely to the vast material from many cultures. Bloodshed is no longer indisputably central, even in discussion of the classical and well‐documented traditions of India, Israel, and Greece. Past attempts to rationalize sacrifice, through spiritualization for example, are confuted by the sturdy texture of ritual. Despite the opacity of archaic rituals and texts, the social function of sacrificial customs and their potential pathologies are better understood, and interconnect with sacrificial dynamics in our own culture. The sacrificial interpretation of Calvary and the Eucharist is better appreciated as a rich and powerful New Testament construct, despite attempts to whittle it away. Yet those such as René Girard who urge a change of theological paradigm now have impressive critical resources at their disposal.     

Pastoral Ministry and the Fleshly Body

This paper will explore the fleshly body of the pastor/priest/liturgist/caregiver and its engagement with the fleshly bodies of the ones given to their care. Its purpose is to address the physicality of being involved in pastoral ministry.     

Calvinist Metaphysics and the Eucharist in the Early Seventeenth Century

This paper wishes to make a contribution to the study of how seventeenth-century scholasticism adapted to the new intellectual challenges presented by the Reformation. I focus in particular on the theory of accidents, which Reformed scholastic philosophers explored in search of a philosophical understanding of the rejection of the Catholic and Lutheran interpretations of the Eucharist. I argue that the Calvinist scholastics chose the view that actual inherence is part of the essence of accidents because it was coherent with their theology. In this paper, I bring to attention the Reformed scholastic philosophy which was taught in the Scottish universities in the first half of the seventeenth century, an area so far neglected by scholars. In so doing, I compare Scottish scholasticism with coeval Calvinist sources, and highlight the differences from authoritative Catholic and Lutheran philosophers. The conclusion is that Calvinist scholasticism, both Scottish and Continental, brought about fundamental changes in seventeenth-century metaphysics, which are coherent with a humanist interpretation of Aristotle, and anticipate some themes of early modern philosophy.     

Diakonia and diaconate in the World Council of Churches

Since the World Council of Churches (WCC) was founded in 1948 both diakonia and diaconate have been on the agenda of the organisation. As time has passed the understanding of these concepts has changed, and the theological importance given to them has varied due to external and internal factors. In this article I shall describe this development. My basic hypothesis is that the reflection on diakonia and diaconate has followed two separate tracks, the first considering diakonia as inter-church aid in contexts of human need, while the entry point of the second has been the ecumenical perception of the Church's ministry and within it a possible renewal of the diaconate. It is my hypothesis that these two tracks to a large degree have not been interrelated, but have mainly been isolated from each other. In my opinion this has limited the reflection on both concepts, and consequently both have lost momentum in ecumenical theology.     

A dialogue between the Orthodox Church of Georgia and the ‘Evangelical Christians-Baptists’ of Georgia (1979–1980) with its wider Baptist context

In 1979–80 conversations were held between representatives of the Orthodox Church of Georgia and the ‘Evangelical Christians-Baptists’ of Georgia in a situation of oppression by the Communist state. The agreed document that emerged from this dialogue is printed here, and is preceded by an article which expounds it from a Baptist perspective, sets it in the wider context of Baptist theological and ecumenical theology, and relates it to the practices of the present-day Baptist Church of Georgia. The stated purpose of the dialogue was to achieve reconciliation and unity between Orthodox and Baptist Christians in Georgia, first by agreeing substantial matters of doctrine and then by adopting a common liturgy and common sacramental life. Among the range of subjects reviewed, including the Blessed Virgin Mary, the saints, nationalism, confession and icons, the discussion on baptism is perhaps the most adventurous, and remains promising though flawed. The document does not represent the views of the present-day Orthodox Church of Georgia, and its contents clearly reflect the political pressures under which it was composed. However, it is of historical interest, and some will see it as a sign of hope for co-operation in the mission of God.     

Budgets are Moral Documents: Hunger,Money, and Community

Abstract : This article seeks a path for Christian social teaching and advocacy to address concern for how the money we budget nationally truly serves the common good. The status of hunger and food security, global and local, is a good barometer for the wellbeing of the human community. The Bread for the World Institute Report and its updates on the progress of the Millennium Development Goals is an excellent resource for tracking food security and for guiding active Christian concern for connecting money and the common good, a concern grounded in eucharistic fellowship and trinitarian faith.     

Jesus ACTED UP and Any Possible Future of “Queer Theology”

What can we learn about the prospects for “queer theology” from how Goss wrote Jesus ACTED UP into the future for which he hoped? Theology seems to add four things to the book's political arguments and exhortations. It deepens the analyses of oppression, provides stronger means for re-education, invokes divine help, and doubles political theater with sacrament. These tasks of critique, re-education, invocation, and ritual will continue to define any Christian theology that might be called “queer.” Each requires the transformation of language. In order to have a future, queer theology must undertake a poiesis outside the endless prattle that sustains present power. Its poetry may first appear as silence.