‘Serving Two Masters’: Protestant Churches in Korea and Money

Materialism or religio-economic entrepreneurship has been a primary impetus for the explosive growth of Protestant churches in Korea, especially since the 1960s, when rapid industrialisation began to propel Korean society into tremendous economic prosperity. However, since the early 1990s, there has been stagnation, even decline. The primary aim of this article is to identify the most pressing problems facing the Korean Protestant churches and show how these problems have begun to render them less vibrant and possibly to bring about decline in their membership. More specifically, the article identifies how materialism, having deeply penetrated Korean Christianity, led it first to grow and then decline; thus robbing it of its requisite or intrinsic organisational characteristics – being the light and salt of the world.     

Learning the Church: ecclesiological thought and ecclesial practice

This article illustrates how the ecclesiological ideas developed by Professor Daniel Hardy (1930–2007) have been received and used in the life of the Church of England's Diocese of Coventry. It highlights the importance of theological engagement for those in a position of oversight and leadership in the Church, and goes on to connect Hardy's language of intensity and extensity with the story, structure and ethos of Coventry Cathedral in general, and with the iconic Stalingrad Madonna in particular, illustrating the rich synthesis that can be achieved between systematic ecclesiology and the central ethos of a church. The article goes on to argue that certain practices in the Church of England in general, and Coventry Diocese in particular, resonate well with Hardy's idea of ‘socio-poiesis’. These include the nurture of virtuous ecclesial practice and use of measurement in parish life (notably through ‘Natural Church Development)’, the new form taken by ecumenism in British cities and the role of the Bishop within it, as well as the embeddedness of the Church of England in many of the nation's schools. In relating Hardy's key themes to these concrete practices, this article challenges the stale division between Church and Academy, advocating fruitful and animating dialogue between the two as the best response to the challenges faced by each today.     

Pastoral Care for the Sick in a Post-Secular Age: An Ignatian Perspective

This pastoral-theology-based reflection on hospital chaplaincy,set within the horizon of the pastoral situation of Germanyin the post-secular (!) age, introduces the perspective of aconsolation-oriented ministry, as this was developed by Ignatiusof Loyola. Such a pastoral care for the sick, as integratedinto the basic offices of the church, presents a gradedmodelfor action: while human accompaniment is offered to all, spiritualministry is restricted, but realized in an ecumenically encompassingsense. Spiritual and ritual care for members of other religions,while these members are to be addressed according to the principleslaid down by Vatican II, is severely limited for reasons ofidentity and alterity. In all cases, however, Christianity ispresented as "therapeutic religion".     

Your Neighbour Is Yourself Reflected in the Mirror of Life

This paper engages with the narrative of the Good Samaritan from a Naga perspective in the context of COVID-19. It demonstrates how Naga Indigenous hospitality, as opposed to contemporary Christianized hospitality in Nagaland, has an affinity with the teaching of Jesus in the narrative. The pertinent question it raises is what the Good Samaritan hospitality would look like if articulated from an Indigenous context during a pandemic. The paper argues that through rereading the story of the Good Samaritan, the Naga churches and society in general have the potential to reclaim and engage Naga’s Indigenous culture of hospitality that supersedes ethnicity in the ongoing pandemic.     

A Search for a Theology of Life

The COVID-19 pandemic offers the opportunity for theological meditation on several themes: life, death, illness, loneliness, fear, human relations, suffering, and social responsibility. This article addresses these themes only briefly, aiming not to build a systematic theological reflection but to share honest thoughts and concerns. Perhaps in our postmodern times we need, not so much theological certainties, but a theology that accompanies human life. Life and death are the only certainties, regardless of our worldview, perceptions, and theological convictions. The current global crisis has illuminated our shortcomings, failures, and disbeliefs on different levels. As Christians, we are united today also around our weakness, grief, and the loss of “normality.” We are challenged, together with the rest of humanity. Could this be a God-given opportunity for renewal in our theology and church life?     

The Catholic Church’s Mission with the Marginalized

The Catholic Church’s primary mission is to spread the kingdom of God. In the broader sense, the kingdom of God means the reign of righteousness, justice, and peace. However, widespread social, political, and economic inequity tramples the rights of the weak. The church wields tremendous power and influence in the world. However, at times it has failed miserably to protect the weakest. The various scandals within the church call for thorough introspection and repentance. Church authorities need to alter power structures radically to empower the poor and the marginalized. In this paper, I shall refer to Pope Francis’s Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium to propose concrete steps the church could take to reach out to the marginalized, heal their wounds, and collaborate with them to spread the kingdom of righteousness, justice, and peace in this world. Apart from Evangelii gaudium, I shall also refer to the documents on the social teachings of the Catholic Church and the views of experts in this field.     

Homosexual Applicants to the Priesthood: How Many and Are They Psychologically Healthy?

The current investigation evaluated the psychological profiles of applicants to seminary who were identified as being either homosexual or heterosexual in orientation. The MMPI-2 from 63 seminary applicants conducted between 1990 and 2004 was reviewed. Results indicate that 49 applicants (78%) identified themselves as being heterosexual while 14 applicants (22%) identified themselves as being homosexual. Few psychological differences emerged on the MMPI-2 when comparing heterosexual to homosexual applicants.     

“Towards a Global Vision of the Church”

After the publication of The Church: Towards a Common Vision (TCTCV) in 2013, the major task and challenge for the Faith and Order Commission's Study Group II has been the progress of the multilateral ecumenical dialogue on ecclesiology. The two subgroups of Study Group II have been working in close cooperation with each other, focusing on two major ways to achieve this progress. The focus of Subgroup 2 has been to harvest the fruits of the official responses to TCTCV. This is being done by the collection and analysis of the official responses to TCTCV, the identification of some key themes and issues that emerge from them, and the evaluation of how they point to the next steps. So far 74 responses have been received; however, geographically speaking, there has been essentially no response from the global South (there have been no responses from Africa, no responses from Latin America, and one from Asia); and, denominationally speaking, roughly 10 percent of the responses come from churches or streams that have not been part of the “traditional” ecumenical movement. Nevertheless, the latter regions and denominational families are crucial: they represent the largest and fastest‐growing part of global Christianity, and thus it is impossible to have a really “universal” and contemporary‐sensitive approach to ecclesiology without substantial input from them. Many of them have also not always been clearly or strongly part of the ecclesiological conversation before TCTCV, and thus it is even more important to include them from now on, and be enriching the multilateral ecclesiological conversation with their contributions as well. Hence, the focus of Subgroup 1 has been to broaden the table of ecclesiological dialogue, by getting into more and wider conversations with ecclesiological perspectives from regions (especially from Asia, Africa, and Latin America), denominational families (e.g., evangelical, Pentecostal, Independent churches, etc.), and forms of being church (e.g., movements, new monasticism, online churches, etc.) “which have not always been clearly or strongly part of discussions on the way to TCTCV, and whose understandings of ecclesiology we want to discover and to enter into dialogue with” (Caraiman minutes, p. 55; cf. Krakow report p. 1).     

The Spirit‐led Church

We live in a world where technology is radically changing the way we live. The rapid development in the fields of science, especially artificial intelligence, cloning, and stem cell technology, is making our lives more convenient; however, it is also giving rise to a plethora of new ethical issues. Further, weakening of organized religions, moral depravity, and loss of societal values are making society more complex and vulnerable. In such a context, what would be the mission of the church in the contemporary world? How can the church help those who are seeking to know the meaning of their lives? Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is the protagonist in the life of the church. How can the church be truly Spirit led in fulfilling its mission in the world? This article focuses mainly on the mission of the Catholic Church in the contemporary world. The main sources of the study are the documents of the Second Vatican Council, church documents, especially on mission, and views of experts in missiology.     

What Does the Development of Fresh Expressions of Church in the UK Tell Us about Mission Today?

This article explores the significance of the Fresh Expressions movement in the UK since the ground‐breaking Mission‐Shaped Church report was published by the Church of England in 2004. After reviewing the background to this report, the article explores some of the report's central themes and examines some of the more recent research on the movement's impact in the UK. It then highlights six ways in which fresh expressions continue to be significant as a missionary response in a post‐Christian context. These include the movement's theological underpinnings, its reassessment of key questions in ecclesiology, its commitment to local and contextual mission, and the emergence of a predominantly lay leadership. In recognizing that the movement is still in a state of evolution, the article concludes by suggesting some areas of continuing debate and challenge for the future.