THE COMMUNITY VIEW REVISITED

Abstract: Joining a vast Wittgensteinian anti‐theoretical movement, John Canfield has argued that it is possible to read the claims that (1) “language is essentially communal” and (2) “it is conceptually possible that a Crusoe isolated from birth should speak or follow rules” in such a way that they are perfectly compatible, and, indeed, that Wittgenstein held them both at once. The key to doing this is to drain them of any theoretical content or implications that would put each claim at odds with the other. I argue here, first of all, that it is not possible to detheorize both (1) and (2) and still hope to say anything illuminating about the nature of language. In fact, Canfield himself does not succeed in detheorizing both (1) and (2) but ends up trivializing (1) and leaving (2) with quite a bit of theoretical content. I further argue, however, that this is getting the matter the wrong way around. Contra Canfield et al., it is only when we recognize this that we can appreciate how radical and innovative Wittgenstein's claims about language really are.     

PEIRCE'S PRAGMATIC THEOLOGY AND STOIC RELIGIOUS ETHICS1

Charles S. Peirce believed that his pragmatic philosophy could reconcile religion and science and that this reconciliation involves a religious ethics creating a real community with the cosmos and God. After some rival pragmatic approaches to God and religious belief inconsistent with Peirce's philosophy are set aside, his metaphysical plan for a reconciliation of religion and science is outlined. A panentheistic God makes the best match with his desired conclusions from the Neglected Argument for the reality of God, and this God is also capable of fulfilling the pragmatic role demanded by Peirce's ethical expectations for the intelligent functioning of religion. The discussion proceeds to an elaboration of the aesthetic, metaphysical, and ethical elements of Peirce's philosophical system, which indicate why Peirce's religious ethics is best categorized as akin to Stoicism, with some Christian elements. For Peirce, religious ethics proceeds from the (potentially universal) agapic community's cooperation with God's loving creativity of the universe.     

Kotahitanga and koinonia in shalom as the objective of the mission of God

Evangelical theology and the missions that flowed from it was born in an era of high colonialism, shaped by enlightenment dualism and scientific method, under the influence of industrialization. As evangelical Christianity’s centre of gravity shifted south, global North dominance over its theology and missiology persisted, translated into new tongues. This paper, sensing a tipping point in evangelical thought as we emerge out of global pandemic disruption, proposes an alternative framing of church and missions from the collectivist perspective shared by those less affected by the influence of Western industrialization and individualism. It proposes that both the means and the objective of the mission of God should be common unity in-Christ. It shifts focus from the Great Commission to the Great Commitment, which emphasizes being one and holding fast to that unity for the joy that awaits those who persevere in mutuality. Along the way, the demonstration of whole-of-life covenantal community in-Christ serves as our witness to the world, which provides those of us in-Christ with an opportunity to explain the hope that we have and invite others to join us in the experience of God’s shalom goodness.     

Fostering Well‐being through Social Support: The Role of Evangelical Communities in the Lives of Dominican Women of Haitian Descent

Women of Haitian descent living in the Dominican Republic experience oppression due to their gender, ethnicity, and economic status. They also exhibit high rates of participation in evangelical Christian communities, a paradoxical finding given the restricted roles women have traditionally played in these settings. The goals of this study were to explore the perceived benefits of participation in evangelical communities and the setting characteristics that lead to these benefits. The research team interviewed 19 current and former church participants aged 18–59. Thematic analysis revealed three perceived benefits of congregational life. Participants viewed their participation as: (a) an opportunity for personal growth and development; (b) protective against negative social influences; and (c) providing social support in the face of life challenges. In addition, dependable, expected, and reciprocal relational support was a key characteristic of evangelical communities. Findings extend the current understanding of how religious communities enhance well‐being for marginalized women through social support networks. Findings also explore the dialectical nature of settings as both empowering and disempowering. Implications for future interventions are discussed.     

Doing history that matters: Going public and activating voices as a form of historical activism

For many of us academics, doing community‐engaged research means coming to terms with the significant gaps in experience, privilege, and power, and overall access to knowledge. We are trained to learn through texts, not through direct experience. In some ways, we are even conditioned to tune out experience, or anecdote, to dilute personal subjectivities in favor of a critical analysis informed by a combination of methods and sources, and a reliance on text‐based forms of evidence. Whereas for most community members, evidence is experiential. This dynamic also underscores the tremendous power and responsibility we have as historians to shape identities and legacies through the stories we tell. In the end, I believe the risks are worth the rewards.     

和平心理学的经典传统与现代研究趋向

本文讨论了不同历史时期的心理学家对和平心理的看法,以“和平”为主线,追溯和平心理学思潮兴起的历史逻辑。毕达哥拉斯、恩培多克勒、柏拉图、奥古斯丁、夸美纽斯、康德等从本体论视角,确立了实现永久和平的理想追求。冯特的民族心理学重视研究原始人、战争英雄等的和平心理品质,早期的意动心理学重视人类和平意识研究,机能心理学强调通过建设学校“微型共同体”,提高儿童的和平意识。精神分析心理学则为战争与和平心理提供了新视角。人本主义心理学主张研究人的和平潜能、致力于世界和平冲突化解,推动了和平心理学的兴起。20世纪末的和平心理学主张用和平的方式实现和平,发生了“政治道歉”、和平冲突化解、“人类命运共同体”等研究趋向。     

Collaborative competence,social capital,and mental health: A cross‐sectional analysis of a community‐based intervention for older adults

Social capital interventions for the mental health of older adults have been inconclusive to date, and have rarely investigated the psychological resources that are important to having social capital. This study focused on the “Neighborhoods in Solidarity” (NS), which are a series of Swiss community‐based interventions that aim to empower older adults to participate in their communities. Our goal was to understand whether the NS were associated with collaborative competence, social capital, and subsequently, symptoms of depression. Cross‐sectional data were collected from 947 individuals aged 55 and over (M_age = 68.66, SD = 9.04) in 10 Swiss neighbourhoods (five with the NS [n = 479] and five control neighbourhoods [n = 468]). Structural equation modelling was used to model the relationship between the NS intervention, collaborative competence, cognitive and structural dimensions of social capital, and symptoms of depression (measured by the CESD‐R‐10). Individual participation in the NS had total and indirect effects on symptoms of depression via collaborative competence and both social capitals. These findings suggest that existing community‐based interventions can be indirectly associated with better mental health outcomes in the ageing population.     

Female Offenders Under Community Supervision: A Phenomenological Analysis

In this phenomenological study, we examined the lived experiences of 10 female offenders under community supervision. Findings include five essential themes. We propose clinical implications and actionable service recommendations for clinical mental health counselors working with this population.     

The African Palaver Reconciliation Model and Mission

This article presents the African palaver as a model of reconciliation in the social context and examines its missiological significance. Palaver is the interactive dialogue that animates many African communities’ affairs, seeking holistic interventions on issues of life and maintaining relationships within the hierarchy of existence. The African palaver model of reconciliation is about managing “words” in a reconciliation process that takes place in a public assembly discourse. The African palaver model has implications for (1) an appreciation of the importance of “words” as a source of reconciliation in a social context and (2) an introduction, in an African context, to the catechesis on the “Word of God,” revealed in Jesus Christ, as the language of God to humanity and the entire world. The article is developed in three parts: reconciliation and mission, the African palaver model of reconciliation, and the South African model of palaver. In its conclusion, it relates the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission model of reconciliation to the African palaver, which is rooted in people’s culture and tradition.