The purpose of this paper is to investigate what are Jonathan Edwards’ (1703–1758) "religious affections" and "distinguishing marks" for judging the genuineness of affections, and to evaluate the revival experience of Korean missionary Robert A. Hardie (1865–1949), who initiated the Korean Great Revival (1903–1910) in view of Edwards’ religious affections. Edward’s book, Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, was written in the historical background of the Great Awakening of the early 1740s, and the concept of religious affections originated from his personal experience in childhood and from the influence of John Locke’s empiricism. Rejecting the positions of the revivals of his day as unshackled emotionalism, Edwards defended revivalism by emphasizing the significance of "spiritual sensation". However, he believed that revivals must be evaluated for their genuineness in terms of religious affections and suggested distinguishing marks to assess whether revival experiences were true or not. A number of descendants of the Great Awakening came to Korea as missionaries and contributed to the Korean Great Revival. In particular, Hardie’s repentance started the revival and the revival movements spread to the whole country in a similar pattern. This paper suggests that Hardie’s revival experience proves to be true gracious affection in light of Edwards’ distinguishing marks.
The present study explores prophetic influence on the present text of Genesis. It argues that the account of the birth of Jacob (Gen. 25:19–26) is modeled largely on the account of Jeremiah’s call (Jer. 1:1–10). Both accounts follow a pattern of background, conception, and fateful hand. A detailed analysis of two passages (Jer. 1:1–10 and Gen. 25:19–26) indicates a possibility that the writing of Genesis is partly dependent on Jeremiah. No matter how great the difference between the two texts seems, Genesis shows acquaintance with Jeremiah’s prophetic message.
This paper argues that spiritual leadership is a unique model, where followers as well as leaders become connected and committed to the group’s wellbeing through a Spirit-filled way of living for positive transformation. The theories on spiritual leadership, thus, should not only be on functional leaders but also on followers who provide an essential motivation to rediscover life-filled pathways that are fulfilling for the group. In this light, the follower who identifies a need, bonds to it, and shares the burden to fulfil the need qualifies to be a spiritual leader. Such a person is one who is empowered by the Holy Spirit to become connected and committed to the network to drive the goals of the organization and initiate moves for positive transformation. The paper uses a narrative critical reading of Hannah’s story in 1 Samuel 1:1–28 to support the argument that some followers play key roles as spiritual leaders.
This article offers insights into the narrative of the Gerasene Demoniac (Luke 8:26–39) from grassroots interpreters in Owamboland, Namibia. The participants’ perspectives on the ‘Living Landscape’—contextualised against a background of Owambo ethnographic data—disrupt understandings of landscapes and spirits found in Western-centric professional biblical scholarship. This illustrates the potential of Contextual Bible Study (or variants thereof) both to bring forth original interpretive insights and to capitalise on particular cultural contexts as sites of expertise.
Abortion is a controversial and complex matter that has been debated since the dawn of modernity. Current anti-abortion protests in some parts of the world are only the most recent examples of resistance against the legalisation of abortion. Anti-abortion protests continue to trigger debates on whether abortion is permissible from a Christian point of view. This article analyses the question of whether abortion is permissible from an African ecofeminist perspective. The article analyses ongoing protests against abortion, considers the question of moral rights and the Christian understanding of the sacredness of life, and discusses circumstances in life that may render abortion permissible. The article’s contention is that life is a sacred gift from God but there are situations in life when abortion should be allowed as a painful last resort.
Following some general remarks on recent significant trends in biblical studies, I note that these will exacerbate the gulf between church and academy with respect to biblical interpretation. A brief introduction to the official documents of the Church of Scotland shows that they provide little indication of how the Bible should be interpreted as a document of the church. In view of the ideological nature of many of the biblical texts an argument against too ready recourse to theological interpretation is outlined.
It is often taken for granted today that the differing terms for God in the Hebrew Bible function as synonyms, although, originally, not all terminology used for God referred to the same deity. This article provides an overview of the terms El, Yahweh, and Elohim, which are all equated today, and a hypothetical reconstruction of when these terms came to prominence in Ancient Israel. After plotting and considering the contribution of each term to the development of monotheism in Israel, which ultimately laid the foundation for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the following analysis considers some of the ensuing implications for communities of faith today when relating to their differing faith traditions.
This article demonstrates the relevance of the legacy of David Livingstone for the promotion of sustainable tourism. The life and work of Livingstone as a missionary-explorer are analyzed with the aim of distilling those of his thoughts and actions that can contribute not only to the development of plans for sustainable tourism but also to increased ecological justice. The article furthermore shows that current international policies on trade and tourism are not based on principles of equal distribution of resources. A third aim of this article is to consider ways in which David Livingstone’s commitment to the promotion of Christianity, commerce, and civilization in Africa has thus far served to promote legitimate trade and tourism. Finally, the need for economic and developmental policies built on the equal distribution of resources is discussed. The contention of this article is that David Livingstone considered western civilization, Christianity, and commerce as building blocks for the development of Africans, promoting their human dignity and for opening possibilities to create a sustainable tourism industry.
This article explores the intertextual relationships between Psalm 78(77 LXX):12–32 and Mark 4:35–8:21 in terms of their structural and thematic similarities. The spatial settings of the sea and the desert in both texts function as a framework of the narratives in which Mark 4:35–8:21 reflects the Exodus imagery following the pattern of Psalm 78(77 LXX):12–32. In relation to the main theme, Mark has similarity with the Psalm in that as the Israelites fail in their faith despite experiencing God’s mighty works, the disciples show ignorance of who Jesus is despite witnessing his miraculous works.
This paper presents some of the important issues pertaining to the role of the (Hebrew) Bible in Jewish–Christian dialogue, some of the problems arising around it, and suggests some solutions to how Jews and Christians can share this corpus without forcing Christian readers to give up their unique perspective on the text or justifying reading practices in which Jews lose a full claim on the text.
Romans 6 has been a difficult chapter owing to a number of dialectical elements: being and doing, theology and ethics, indicative and imperative, divine and human agency, and ‘already’ and ‘not yet’. Despite some previous attempts to view this chapter as presenting the theology of baptism, this article argues that Paul’s primary concern in this chapter is to explain the fundamentals of the gospel of grace and their implications for Christian life. The proper understanding of the gospel of grace includes: that everyone belongs to one of the two domains of authority (either under the domain of law/sin or under the domain of grace/Christ); that by the grace of God believers have experienced the transfer of lordship; and that despite this transfer, both aspects of ‘already’ and ‘not yet’ are creatively working together in Christian life. This article concludes with two implications: that the gospel of grace does require (rather than ignore) a moral life and that in Christian moral life we must not lose sight of both God’s empowerment and humans’ power.
Scholarly evaluations of how Paul interpreted the ‘Christ event’ within his arguments routinely compartmentalize the crucifixion and the resurrection, placing the weight of emphasis on the former. Whilst never explicitly denying the critical significance of the resurrection, the appraisals of certain commentators often seem to limit the import of the event to a vindication of Jesus’ ministry, in view of its seemingly ignominious climax. The Pauline lexicon of revivification, however, makes the validity of such a stance questionable and opens the possibility that both elements of the Christ event influenced Pauline thought in ways obscured by the tendency to undervalue the implications of Jesus’ resurrection. A consideration of the distribution and functionality of the ‘death and life’ language in the Pauline corpus, illustrates the weightiness which the apostle attaches to the concept of death reversed by life. By applying such an understanding to 2 Corinthians, this paper will consider how readings of Paul might be enhanced by reassessing the impact of death and new life operating in tandem.
This article investigates Paul’s use of the term o ootilde; in the letter to the Galatians. Firstly, the term is considered from the standpoint of lexical semantics. Secondly, select relevant parallels from Ancient Greek literature are adduced and studied comparatively. Based on these considerations, it is argued that Paul uses o ootilde; as a rhetorical device, whereby he distances himself from the Jerusalem leaders and, in so doing, turns his opponents’ argument against them.
This article is a reflection on the ways in which scripture was approached by participants within one of the Church of England’s Shared Conversations on Human Sexuality. It notes the significance of historical-critical hermeneutical concepts within the conversation and concludes that the hermeneutical aspect of the debate on scripture and sexuality, as carried out within the context of the shared conversations, is far removed from the scholarly discussion of theological hermeneutics for which the issue of human sexuality has been a great stimulant.
In prayer and ritual, time and eternity intersect. The theology of time is a lens through which such comparable texts may be examined. Time is also a means for reflecting on hermeneutic method in studying prayer texts. This article explores time and eternity in both the prayer texts and the study of the prayer texts of the Psalms and the Eucharist, with reference to the work of Eliade, Levine, and Begbie. The two prayer texts, and the three theologians, thus contribute much to the interpretation of one another when read together.
Challenges to the hypothesis of over realised eschatology behind 1 Corinthians must be taken into account. However, the broad idea that the Corinthians were behaving as though they could lay claim to eschatological arrival is worthy of renewed consideration. This article argues for a modified version of the hypothesis, using the phrase "premature triumphalism". This conception emphasises the problem as chiefly behavioural rather than doctrinal. Further, the problem is seen to be largely unwitting, being implicit, rather than explicit, in its eschatological claims. It is an issue perceived by Paul, rather than fully by the Corinthians.
Desiderius Erasmus was the first to make the Greek New Testament available in printed form. By doing so he established the form the Greek New Testament would take for almost four hundred years. Consequently, vernacular translations based on the Greek reflected that form. In the English-speaking world, where the King James Version dominated until the 1980s, his influence persisted for over 450 years. Some aspects of it persist in the majority of English versions in use today.
This article discusses diversity and inclusiveness in the early church in terms of Mark’s attitudes towards the unknown exorcist in Mark 9:38–40. Exorcisms are well-documented phenomena in early Christianity. Mark’s episode of the unknown exorcist reflects such a historical situation. Through the episode, Mark explains that God’s kingdom expands not merely through certain well-known authoritative figures, but also anonymous, minor figures such as the unknown exorcist. The evangelist explains the diversity and inclusive characteristic of God’s kingdom to the reader. While many studies on the given Marcan passage understand the exorcist as an outsider of God’s kingdom, this research suggests that the evangelist regards the exorcist as an authentic member of God’s kingdom and his exorcism as a mystical way of the growth of the kingdom. The twelve disciples fail to recognize such a secret expansion of the kingdom. They define the boundary of the kingdom rather narrowly. Mark reveals the disciples’ narrow view and engages the reader in reflections on the true characteristic of God’s kingdom. He invites the reader to understand the mysterious expansion and the inclusiveness of the kingdom and participate in that expansion.
Vito Mancuso is an Italian theologian and philosopher of religion, who deflects from traditional Catholic theology with the intention to draft a new perspective on how theology should be understood, not only in the academy but also in public and private life. This is why he resorts to Hegelian concepts, which redefine most of what traditional theology has held dear throughout history, with a specific focus on how to turn theology from ideas defined by divinity to notions explained by anthropology. A prolific writer, Mancuso has written almost one book per year for the past decade or so, while he is also very active in the media by giving interviews and writing short articles for famous Italian newspapers, such as La repubblica. In all his endeavors, Mancuso attempts to provide contemporary society with a view of God which is essentially human and profoundly anthropologic in nature in the hope that such an understanding of God will make sense of humanity’s current issues and struggles. Despite the rather controversial fame he acquired in Italy, Mancuso is virtually unknown to the English-speaking public, so this paper is an attempt to present him to those who are not only versed in English theology and philosophy of religion, but also to those who still believe that theology and philosophy of religion may be valuable instruments for the information and transformation of today’s society.
The spread of Pentecostal-charismatic churches is changing the Christian landscape in Africa. In the process mainline churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, are getting transformed. The present article considers the impact of the Pentecostal-charismatic movement on one African mainline church, namely the United Church of Zambia (UCZ). Based on relevant research and using social change theory as an analytical tool, the article concludes that the Pentecostal-charismatic movement in Africa is challenging mainline churches to redefine ways in which they do mission and respond to people’s spiritual, physical, social, and economic needs.
In recent years, there have been numerous tragic incidents resulting from the special vulnerability of migrants in Africa and Europe. In South Africa, threats against foreign nationals have been precipitated by the myth that their presence contributes to high unemployment levels in the country. This development has led many observers to turn their attention to the state of democracy in Africa. The present article examines the underlying causes of both the recent xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals and the removal of the Rhodes statue at the University of Cape Town. First, the felling of the Rhodes statue is analysed. Thereafter, the problem of xenophobic attacks by black South Africans on foreign nationals in townships is examined. The article argues that xenophobia and the removal of the Rhodes statue are both forms of protest against political oppression and economic exploitation in South Africa. Lastly, the article proposes an African-Christian model of political praxis that re-affirms the Christian mandate to make positive contributions to the creation of a life-giving democracy in South Africa.
In this paper, I illustrate that there has been a neglect to consider what Hebrews has to say on Jesus’ temptations in studies on the temptations of Jesus. I therefore conduct an exegesis of Hebrews, whereby I argue that in the epistle, the purpose of Jesus’ temptations is understood as designed to enable fully his priestly role of intercession for those in temptation whom he represents before God. Such an anthropocentric understanding of the purpose of Jesus’ temptations makes them highly devotional in their application as I demonstrate in applying them to the experiences of the Baganda Christian martyrs of the 19th century, with the edification of Uganda Martyrs’ Seminerians in view.
Throughout his retirement, John Hick, the Philosopher of Religious Pluralism, collated a collection of papers in his home office, which had built up over the course of his career. Until now, the contents of this collection remained unknown. The collection totals 40 boxes of material and has been donated by the Hick family to the Cadbury Research Library at the University of Birmingham.1 It is a remarkable collection, which contains a lifetime’s work, including: unpublished manuscripts, journal articles, lectures, interviews on VHS and DVD, sermons, and diaries which he kept during his work with the Community Race Relations Committee, and SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education). Of particular interest have been the correspondences Hick has kept with his former colleagues, interlocutors, critiques as well as other notable figures. Some of these correspondences include letters written, to use Hick’s own words, in ‘almost undecipherable’2 handwriting from Norman Kemp Smith, Donald MacKinnon, and Ramu Gandhi. Further letters are from other key figures in Hick’s life, including: T. E. Jessop, H. H. Farmer, H. H. Price, Wilfred Cantwell Smith, Peter Heath, and Paul Knitter. There are other letters from some notable figures such as: John A. T. Robinson, Karen Armstrong, and Desmond Tutu. A few of the letters contain quite a fierce exchange, noting in particular those between Hick and Antony Flew, Don Cupitt, Charles Hartshorne, and the then Cardinal Ratzinger. The John Hick Estate and the Spalding Trust have generously funded my research into the archived papers.
The central argument presented here is that 1 Corinthians 4–6 reflects a single eschatological vision of the identity of the Corinthians. This single vision works itself out in two separate references as Paul addresses them as both ‘kings’ and ‘judges’. This conclusion is based on a fresh reading of Paul’s identification of the Corinthians as ‘kings’ in 1 Cor. 4 and ‘judges’ in 1 Cor. 6. This study proposes that these labels actually reflect a single reality based on Paul’s inaugurated eschatology.
Because most scholars have limited themselves exclusively to the identification of the Lord in 2 Cor. 3:17a, "Now the Lord is the Spirit", their studies have failed to understand the relationship between that Lord and the Spirit. This short study explicates the relationship that Paul establishes between the meaning signified by the nouns "Lord" and "Spirit." In particular, it will address the issue of how the Lord and the Spirit are interrelated by contextualizing the statement in the Pauline Corpus, and will expound upon the dynamic relationship that Paul proclaims in this controversial verse.
The encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman of Sychar recorded in John 4:7–30 foregrounds the concept of the Messiah as an eschatological Mosaic prophet (Deut. 18:15–18). Little attention, however, has been directed to the significance of the water imagery in the Gospel’s narrative unit to Jesus’ claim to be the Mosaic Messiah. Through a comparative study with the Dead Sea Scrolls, this paper claims that the Gospel’s dual witness to Jesus as the provider of the eternal well of living water and as the ‘prophet like Moses’ (Deut. 18:15–18) is not incidental but essential to reinforcing the coherence of the narrative section in John 4:7–30. This observation is supported by intriguing parallels observed in the Dead Sea Scrolls, which preserve evidence for the intertextual association between the prophet like Moses of Deut. 18:15–18 and the eschatological figure traceable in Joel 2:23 (cf. Hos. 10:12), in which water imagery comes to the fore. This understanding, in turn, illuminates subtle ambiguities in the interchange between Jesus and the Samaritan woman (John 4:7–30), including her apparently unanswered request for living water (v. 15) and her recognition of Jesus as ‘a prophet’ (v. 19).
Defamiliarization is transformative exegesis. More than a search for meaning, the process of defamiliarization attempts to revitalize scriptural symbolism and let symbols do what they do, namely, to push back, refusing to be pinned down and mediating an ongoing, transformative relationship that can always go deeper.
When Scripture is defamiliarized, Scripture defamiliarizes, resulting in a revitalization of certain symbols that facilitate a life-giving exchange between text and reader especially for personal prayer and preaching that enriches the community of faith. In this essay, I will explore the application of this thesis to Zechariah 11:4-17, a most enigmatic passage. Analysis of the pastoral symbolism and its rhetorical function in this passage reveals how the process of defamiliarization revitalizes biblical pastoral symbolism. Since God is dynamic, the symbols that represent him should be dynamic. No symbol reveals the whole truth, but the possibilities to reveal different aspects of the same truth can be limitless.
The article analyses the words ‘we ... died to sin’ in Rom. 6.2, with special reference to the question whether the words are to be taken in a ‘forensic’ or a ‘moral’ sense, and argues that a stronger case can be made for the latter. It is also argued that the words are written with reference to baptised believers with a view to reminding them of the radical change they experienced at the time of their initiation into the Christian faith, and exhorting them to continue living as those who have renounced their former life-styles and are now alive in Christ.
Just before his ascension, the disciples ask Jesus, ‘Lord will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ (Acts 1:6). Commentators have been quick to criticise the disciples’ question as ignorant and mistaken. Three arguments are usually offered for why the disciples are wrong: they were expecting a political and territorial kingdom; envisaging a national kingdom; and assuming it would come immediately. Despite the popularity and long shelf life of these arguments (dating back at least to Calvin), they are not as strong as often claimed. This paper will show that the first two arise from mistaken views about the kingdom of God, and the third, while having some basis, overlooks the eschatological expectations that have been created following the resurrection and prior to the ascension.
In this article I provide an overview of what scripture means and does in a Buddhist context. The article has three main parts. First, by way of introduction I explore the history of Buddhist scripture and a few of the different ways in which scripture was defined and classified in the early period. In the second section I use the common division into three ‘baskets’ of scripture (discourses, monastic discipline and higher teachings) to structure a closer look at some of the main genres of early Buddhist texts. Finally I examine the role of scripture in Buddhist life, as a source of teachings, a means of making karmic merit, and a vehicle of great power.
In the interests of time and space I have chosen to focus largely on the earliest scriptures of Indian Buddhism. Later compositions and compilations, such as the many scriptures of Tibetan or East Asian Buddhism, are not considered here.
This article explores the burgeoning interest in biblical studies in the use of the Bible in music, as a medium and as an ever fresh way of expounding and expressing the stories and sentiments of the Bible. It looks at some recent scholarship on the Bible and music and then goes on to look closely at a sample book, that of Ecclesiastes, to see which texts have been used as inspiration for musical expression and in what ways that has evolved in ever fresh historical and cultural contexts. It is seen that particular themes such as time (Eccl 3:1-8), the fate of humans and animals (Eccl 3:9-14) and that of ‘vanity’ (the repeated refrain of the book) have been of particular interest to librettists and composers.
Julian’s aggressive engagement of Christianity has usually been understood to be confined to more polemical works such as his Against the Galilaeans. However, his seventh oration contains a narrative borrowing from and ridiculing Christianity. This article focuses on a short narrative and argues that Julian borrowed from Matthew 4, casting himself in the role of Christ for rhetorical effect.
Preaching has often had something of an awkward place in Christian theology. Is it a reflection on the Word of God, proclamation of the Word of God, or is it the ‘Word of God’ itself? In many accounts, the event of preaching is seen as nothing more, nor less, than exegesis. Although this is what preaching should aim to be, it is more than the public interpretation and explanation of a biblical text. Preaching is a unique speech event in which the Spirit speaks prophetically, through Scripture. But is preacherly speech more authoritative than any kind of speech which attempts to interpret Scripture? Many theological conceptions of preaching maintain that there is a unique authority which may accompany the preacher’s words from the pulpit. Traditional Reformation accounts, particularly Calvin’s, stress the exposition of the biblical text as the primary ‘event’ of preaching, irrespective of any ‘fresh’ prophetic work of the Spirit which may occur. This article attempts to speak of preaching as a unique pneumatological event which nonetheless retains Scriptural exposition as the essential sermonic content. Preaching is the moment in which the biblical text is fully consummated as spoken proclamation, even as it speaks beyond the aesthetic confines of the text itself. Such an event maintains both the authority of Scripture and the ongoing – perhaps even ‘surprising’ – work of the Spirit in the interplay between biblical text, prophetic sermon and ecclesial context.
This article argues that the term ‘spiritual gifts’ is a theologically loaded English concept that is often used to catalogue certain gifts, abilities, or ministries. It also argues that ‘spiritual gifts’ should be seen and used more broadly to refer to any kind of gift (including eternal life, for example) that is of/from the Holy Spirit. This article employs some basic theories from modern lexical semantics to analyze μα, μαó, and μα, three Greek lexemes that have been rendered as ‘spiritual gifts’ in Rom 1:11, 1 Cor 1:7, 12:1, 14:1, and 14:12.
It is suggested in this article that St John’s Gospel is a ‘confessional recital’ of salient acts and teachings of Jesus and was intended for liturgical performance in a Christian synagogue. The principal strands of the argument are first, the well-known affinity between the Gospel and Greek Drama and the obvious but generally unremarked inference from this that the Gospel was intended for performance. Second, the fact that large tracts of the Gospel are written as Semitic poetry strengthens the case for it being a performance piece. Finally, whatever format first century Jewish synagogue liturgy took, there is little doubt that extracts from the OT were its principal ingredients and the OT themes running through the Gospel were clearly meant to connect with this then familiar liturgy. This surely confirms the purpose and setting of the putative performance in a worshipping Christian community.
Offering meaningful ministry to those affected by dementia provides a significant challenge to the Church. Those who would like to offer worship and pastoral care are often intimidated by their own fear, feelings of inadequacy or futility in the face of this devastating disease. The diminishment of cognitive abilities in those affected by dementia challenges our understanding of what it means to be a human person and raises questions about the basis of our faith. This article offers a theological reflection on the experience of ministering to those living with dementia, and explores ways the Church might respond to this challenge.
This article explores the similarities between John 1:44-51 and 20:24-29, the Nathanael and Thomas narratives, and proposes that the two accounts are so close to each other in structure and vocabulary that they can be profitably read in parallel with each other.
The failure to engage academic biblical studies with sufficient seriousness involves great danger for the Church. Recent trends in biblical studies suggest that more attention needs to be given to the integration of biblical studies with theology than may be possible within the context of the divinity degree. Ministry and mission in an increasingly secular society may require the Church to invest heavily in ministerial development if its ministers are to properly relate the biblical story of Israel, Jesus and the early church to the critically reconstructed story in a way that is theologically relevant and allows both stories their necessary integrity.
Over a number of years I have contended that powerful religious experiences comprised a major factor in the religious innovations represented in earliest Christianity. These are experiences that strike the recipient with the force of new revelation, typically introducing new beliefs or a significant reconfiguring of previous beliefs. In this essay, I return to the topic, surveying more recent interest in religious experience and also proposing some of the specifics of the experiences that helped to generate innovations in earliest Christian circles, with special attention to the eruption of the remarkable Jesus-devotion that distinguished them.
The sea and the elusive term ’iyyîm ( - ‘islands’, ‘coastlands’, ‘shores’) are important features of the eschatology of Isa 40-55. YHWH’s action in primal history (defeating the sea monsters Rahab and the dragon) as well as his action in Israel’s history (dividing the sea for Israel to pass through) ground the possibility of future salvation. This future action is understood to be good news for the ’iyyîm and will result in the sea offering praise to YHWH. The role played by the sea in Isaiah’s eschatology challenges the dominant caricature of the sea in the Hebrew scriptures as primarily symbolic of primal chaos. Furthermore, it might also stimulate theological responses to issues surrounding the future of the world’s oceans.
One argument advanced for the Syrian, rather than Roman, provenance of Mark’s Gospel concerns geographical proximity to the 66-70 war. This article evaluates this largely unexamined argument, concluding that the attempt to sustain Syrian provenance on the basis of geographical proximity to the events narrated in Mark 13 fails to persuade. This argument cannot show unique correspondences between text and context, and the equation of great effects with geographical proximity fails the tests of Philo’s narrative concerning Gaius’ threat to the temple, contemporary experience, and contemporary attachment theory (Kirkpatrick) that highlight the key role of psychological attachments that are not restricted by geography.
This article, and its companion "Ethics and the Spirit in Paul (1): Religious-Ethical Empowerment through Infusion-Transformation?", deal with the question of how, according to Paul, the Holy Spirit enables religious ethical life. The first essay challenges the "infusion-transformation" approach to Pauline pneumatology which builds on a Stoic concept of the Spirit as a material substance that transforms the substance of its recipients in order to enable ethical behaviour. This article argues that in Paul (as well as in a significant number of texts from early Judaism) the Spirit transforms and empowers people for ethical living primarily through initiating and sustaining an intimate relationship with the divine and with the community of faith.
This article, and its companion "Ethics and the Spirit in Paul (2): Religious-Ethical Empowerment through the Relational Work of the Spirit", deal with the question of how, according to Paul, the Holy Spirit enables religious ethical life. This article challenges the "infusion-transformation" approach to Pauline pneumatology which builds on a Stoic concept of the Spirit as a material substance that transforms the substance of its recipients in order to enable ethical behaviour. The second article argues that in Paul (as well as in a significant number of texts from early Judaism) the Spirit transforms and empowers people for ethical living primarily through initiating and sustaining an intimate relationship with the divine and with the community of faith.
The Antioch incident is a crucial event in the history of the early church, especially the key role it plays in the debate regarding the relationship between gospel and law. However, most commentators who discuss this passage pay little attention to an important textual variant, between o and in Gal 2:12. While most simply take o (third person plural) to be the original reading based on internal evidence considerations, I will argue that the evidence suggests an (third person singular) reading. This is based primarily on external evidence, but internal evidence is also considered. I will argue that the reading makes sense of both external and internal evidence, and fits in well with the context of the narrative.
This study will argue against recent popular interpretations of the Markan Jesus’ last words on the cross as a triumphant cry signifying Jesus’ joining the Father. Rather, Jesus’ last words are a genuine cry of abandonment, lacking in the triumphant implications that many scholars construe from the text. Jesus is left to die an undignified death, alone and rejected by all, even by God. This reading should not be softened but accepted as the text presents it, for it functions as the climax of the necessary-sufferer motif that is prevalent throughout the gospel. This piece will compare the Markan last words with the redacted Lukan last words. Luke appears to reverse Mark’s portrayal of Jesus’ shameful and isolated death, thereby alleviating his suffering because he and his audience, like many contemporary scholars, feel uncomfortable with accepting this negative portrayal of their Messiah.
The practice of an experimental Christian café-centre in inner city Sheffield provokes reprise with Mark’s multi-faith and multicultural narratives. The dramatis personae, the street-level exposées, and the cultural clashes of Mark 5 evoke spontaneous but complicated reactions from Jesus. Contemporary disciples today find them "working out" for themselves and their attempts at Mission.
It is my contention that far too many of our congregants fail to understand the importance of ongoing confession of sin. We can begin to correct this misunderstanding by preaching (expositionally) passages like Psalm 32. In this article, I help preachers and teachers navigate their way through Psalm 32—understanding the structure of the psalm, the key theological words, and the numerous figures of speech—so that solid sermons and lessons on Psalm 32 can be written and delivered. My hope is that as this psalm is exposited, the church will move from prideful to penitent.