Contextual Theologies

Allah cristiano, Deus islámico: implicaciones de la traducción de un nombre

by Salvador Peña

Co-authored with Miguel Vega. Published in 'Cristianismo, Islam y Modernidad', edited by J.L. Sánchez Nogales, J.S. Béjar Bacas and P. Ruiz Lozano, Granada: Facultad de Teología, 2011, pp. 215-226.

'YOUR SWORDS DO NOT CONCERN ME AT ALL': THE LIBERATION THEOLOGY OF ISLAMIC CHRISTIANITY

by Duane Alexander Miller

Published in St Francis Magazine, Vol 7:2, April 2011, pp 228-260.

In this article the author argues that contextual theology is not created by outsiders, but by insiders. He finds in... more In this article the author argues that contextual theology is not created by outsiders, but by insiders. He finds in the conversion narratives and poems of ex-Muslim Christians theological texts, which he then analyzes.

Introduction to "Christianismes en Océanie - Changing Christianity in Oceania"

by Yannick Fer

Introduction to the Archives de sciences sociales des religions n° 157, special issue "Christianismes en Océanie - Changing Christianity in Oceania", 2012. (p. 9-12)

For further details (including the abstracts of the articles), see: http://yannickfer.hautetfort.com/archive/2012/04/09/christianismes-en-oceanie-changing-christianity-in-oceania-p.html

Table of content : Christianismes en Océanie / Changing Christianity in Oceania

Dossier coordonné par... more Table of content : Christianismes en Océanie / Changing Christianity in Oceania

Dossier coordonné par Yannick Fer

Yannick FER – Introduction, présentation
Simon COLEMAN – Christianities in Oceania: "Historical Genealogies and Anthropological Insularities"
Manfred ERNST – Changing Christianity in Oceania: a regional overview
Yannick FER – Le protestantisme polynésien, de l’église locale aux réseaux évangéliques
John BARKER – Secondary conversion and the anthropology of Christianity in Melanesia
Jacqueline RYLE – Burying the Past–Healing the land: Ritualising Reconciliation in Fiji
Joel ROBBINS – Spirit Women, Church Women, and Passenger Women: Christianity, Gender, and Cultural Change in Melanesia
Gwendoline MALOGNE-FER – Les protestantismes polynésiens à l’épreuve du genre. L’exemple de l’église presbytérienne de Nouvelle-Zélande
Gilles VIDAL – La contextualisation de la théologie protestante comme lieu de changement du christianisme en Océanie

Die Politische Theologie des Gedenkens 2017

by Kenneth Mtata

Bibliography In Contextual Theology In Africa

by James R. Cochrane

Diminished Quality of Catechesis as a Basis for Limiting the Role of a Catholic Theologian: An Examination of the Controversy Surrounding Elizabeth Johnson’s Book The Quest for the Living God By Michele Stopera Freyhauf

by Michele Stopera Freyhauf

originally published on the Feminism and Religion project.

The biggest mistake people make is to use theology and catechesis interchangeably.  This is an important... more The biggest mistake people make is to use theology and catechesis interchangeably.  This is an important distinction that impacts the scholarly community of Catholic Theologians.  So what is the difference?  Catechesis in the Catholic tradition is an “echoing” of the faith.  Theology on the other hand, using St. Anselm’s definition, is “faith seeking understanding.”  Michael G. Lawler and Todd A. Salzman, in “Beyond Catechesis: What is the Proper Role of Theology”, states that catechesis can be included in theology, but theology is distinguished from catechesis because it “uses scholarly principles not only to communicate the truths of faith but also to explore the meanings of those truths and contemporary ways of articulating them.”  Also the theologians’ role is seen as mediator between the magisterium and the faithful. Richard P. McBrien states that the required role of a theologian is to investigate and examine the whole of the Christian tradition; what it means, how it fits, how it is developed, and how it relates to the outside the world in theory and in practice.  Ex Corde Ecclesiae also emphasizes community and dialogue, which is not always realized in practice.

List of Publications

by Urszula Pekala

Pentecostal Mission through Contextualisation

by Andy Lord

Pentecostalism is known as a movement which emphasizes evangelism through which it has grown around the world. It is... more Pentecostalism is known as a movement which emphasizes evangelism through which it has grown around the world. It is less appreciated that the movement has a strong contextual desire to engage with different social settings. This article argues that Pentecostal growth occurs through a mix of translation and synthetic models of contextualization. Further, it suggests a pentecostal contribution to thinking on contextualization through the theme of hospitality and a study of two key passages in the book of Acts. Hence the article contributes something to both mission and Pentecostal studies, providing foundations for further study and growth.

SIGNIFICANCE OF CONTEXT IN THE EVALUATION OF STYLE IN LITERATURE

by Ejakaitpapa Etyang

Draft only.

This paper intends to evaluate the importance of Context in the understanding of literary texts.The late. Dr. Ezekiel... more This paper intends to evaluate the importance of Context in the understanding of literary texts.The late. Dr. Ezekiel Alembi probably give us the best definition of context in his book understanding poetry(1999) in his attempt to define context of a poem, he says “it is also important to know the  social economic an d political environment in which the poem is written”. He continues to say “for instance, a poet writing during war time is likely to write about war. To be able to understand the poem, it is necessary to have as much background information as possible about that particular war, for wars differ in detail.” Essentially what Alembi is saying, is that context is the social, economic and political environment under which a piece of literary work or art is written.

Wegweiser zu einer kontextuellen Exegese? Zu einem Nebeneffekt der kanonischen Hermeneutik von Brevard S. Childs

by Peter-Ben Smit

Unter den biblisch-hermeneutischen Entwürfen, die im letzten Jahrhundert vorgestellt worden sind, ragt die «kanonische... more Unter den biblisch-hermeneutischen Entwürfen, die im letzten Jahrhundert vorgestellt worden sind, ragt die «kanonische Hermeneutik» Brevard S.Childs' heraus. Sie ist der Versuch, die Bibel wieder in ihrem ursprünglichen, d.h. kanonischen, Kontext zu lesen. Dieser Kontext ist der Glaube der Kirche, wie er in ihrer Glaubensregel («Regula Fidei») festgehalten ist. Es ist aber
merkwürdig, dass Childs diese Glaubensregel, die für seinen Entwurf von zentraler Bedeutung ist, nirgends definiert. Das Gleiche trifft auf die ebenso wichtige Grösse «Kirche» zu. Eine mögliche Folge davon ist, dass die Korrelation «Glaubensregel der Kirche» - «Auslegung der Bibel» je nach Kirche wechselt, womit der (konfessionellen und kulturellen) Kontextualität der Bibelauslegung Rechnung getragen wird. Dies dürfte z.T. wohl nicht der Intention Childs' entsprechen.

Personalized information retrieval based on context and ontological knowledge

by Phivos Mylonas

Context modeling has been long acknowledged as a key aspect in a wide variety of problem domains. In this paper we... more Context modeling has been long acknowledged as a key aspect in a wide variety of problem domains. In this paper we focus on the combination of contextualization and personalization methods to improve the performance of personalized information retrieval. The key aspects in our proposed approach are a) the explicit distinction between historic user context and live user context, b) the use of ontology-driven representations of the domain of discourse, as a common, enriched representational ground for content meaning, user interests, and contextual conditions, enabling the definition of effective means to relate the three of them, and c) the introduction of fuzzy representations as an instrument to properly handle the uncertainty and imprecision involved in the automatic interpretation of meanings, user attention, and user wishes. Based on a formal grounding at the representational level, we propose methods for the automatic extraction of persistent semantic user preferences, and live, ad-hoc user interests, which are combined in order to improve the accuracy and reliability of personalization for retrieval.

The Holy Spirit and contextualization

by Andy Lord

Personalized content retrieval in context using ontological knowledge

by Phivos Mylonas

Personalized content retrieval aims at improving the retrieval process by taking into account the particular interests... more Personalized content retrieval aims at improving the retrieval process by taking into account the particular interests of individual users. However, not all user preferences are relevant in all situations. It is well known that human preferences are complex, multiple, heterogeneous, changing, even contradictory, and should be understood in context with the user goals and tasks at hand. In this paper we propose a method to build a dynamic representation of the semantic context of ongoing retrieval tasks, which is used to activate different subsets of user interests at runtime, in a way that out–of-context preferences are discarded. Our approach is based on an ontology-driven representation of the domain of discourse, providing enriched descriptions of the semantics involved in retrieval actions and preferences, and enabling the definition of effective means to relate preferences and context.

"Prospects for Developing Asian American Christian Ethics," Society of North American Christian Studies 3 (2011): 91-102.

by Grace Kao

An earlier version of this article was delivered at the 2009 annual meeting of the Society of Christian Ethics.

The Ongoing Challenge of HIV and AIDS to African Theology

by Adriaan van Klinken

Published in Exchange 40/1 (2011), 89-107

This article offers an extended review of some recent publications in the field of African theology and HIV and AIDS.... more This article offers an extended review of some recent publications in the field of African theology and HIV and AIDS. Hence it critically examines the progress that is made in the engagement with and the reflection on issues related to the HIV epidemic by African theologians. The article notices the emergence of a new strand of Africa theology, a (liberation) theology of HIV and AIDS, which builds on and employs the classic strands of African liberation, inculturation, reconstruction and women’s theology. Moreover, some challenging issues for the further African theological engagement with HIV and AIDS are identified.

"The Body of Christ has AIDS". A study on the notion of the body of Christ in African theologies responding to HIV and AIDS

by Adriaan van Klinken

Published in Missionalia, 36: 2/3 (2008), 319-336

In the response of African theologians to the challenges raised by HIV and AIDS, they often refer to the metaphor of... more In the response of African theologians to the challenges raised by HIV and AIDS, they often refer to the metaphor of the body of Christ. This article investigates how this metaphor is used and understood by African theologians, and why it has become so prominent in their reflections on the reality of HIV and AIDS. Two dimensions of the metaphor are highlighted: an ecclesiological one, concerning the church and its mission in the context of HIV and AIDS, and a sacramental one, concerning the significance of the Eucharist/Holy Communion in the HIV and AIDS context. It is argued that the particular attraction of the metaphor is in its notion of solidarity. For this reason, "the body of Christ" has become a central biblical metaphor in what can be called an HIV and AIDS liberation theology. Furthermore, it is argued that the use of the metaphor of the body of Christ in African theologies responding to HIV and AIDS has a theological impact that transcends the African context. This raises critical questions for Christian churches and for theology worldwide.

The mechanisms of collinear integration

by John Cass

Cass, J. & Alais, D. (2006). Journal of Vision

Low-contrast visual contour fragments are easier to detect when presented in the context of nearby collinear contour... more Low-contrast visual contour fragments are easier to detect when presented in the context of nearby collinear contour elements (U. Polat & D. Sagi, 1993). The spatial and temporal determinants of this collinear facilitation have been studied extensively (J. R. Cass & B. Spehar, 2005; Y. Tanaka & D. Sagi, 1998; C. B. Williams & R. F. Hess, 1998), although considerable debate surrounds the neural mechanisms underlying it. Our study examines this question using a novel stimulus, whereby the flanking ‘‘contour’’ elements are rotated around their own axis. By measuring contrast detection thresholds to a brief foveal target presented at various phases of flanker rotation, we find peak facilitation after flankers have rotated beyond their collinear phase. This optimal facilitative delay increases monotonically as a function of target–flanker separation, yielding estimates of cortical propagation of 0.1 m/s, a value highly consistent with the dynamics of long-range horizontal interactions observed within primary visual cortex (V1). A curious new finding is also observed: Facilitative peaks also occur when the target flash precedes flanker collinearity by 20–80 ms, a range consistent with contrast-dependent cortical onset latencies. Together, these data suggest that collinear facilitation involves two separate mechanisms, each possessing distinct dynamics: (i) slowly propagating horizontal interactions within V1 and (ii) a faster integrative mechanism, possibly driven by synchronous collinear cortical onset.

Solidarity and Subsidiarity in an Age of Globalization: Critical Analysis of Catholic Social Teaching in the Hong Kong Context

by Mee-Yin Mary Yuen

Doing Local Theologies in the Asian Context—Implications of Inculturation Since the Second Vatican Council

by Mee-Yin Mary Yuen

A new era began in the Roman Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council. Instead of holding the classicist... more A new era began in the Roman Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council. Instead of holding the classicist worldview of a single normative culture, a new and more positive attitude towards the modern world and bearers of modern social, political and cultural movements was employed. New developments in various aspects of the life of the church spread out all over the world, including Asia. Among them is the flourishing of theological thought. Theological works at both academic and more popular levels in Asian churches blossom, with emphasis on their particular contexts and cultures. In spite of this, problems arise in the process of inculturation in theology. Some of them are: Without neglecting cultural diversity and being sensitive to the already presence of Christ in different cultures, how does one respect the normative character of Christianity? If religious faith is at the core of a culture and the goal of inculturation is to transform the culture by the Christian life, will it destroy the religious root of another culture?

In this paper, the above issues are explored through examining the notions of culture, local church, diversity of cultures and theological pluralism. It has shown that the Council affirmed the following new understandings: the modern sociological and ethnological sense of culture, the universal church exists only as the communion of local churches, the rich diversity of cultures and the contributions of the local churches, the importance of diversity in proclaiming the good news and in theologizing, and the role of theologians in seeking more suitable ways of communicating doctrine and faith to the people of their times. All these new ideas encourage church members, including theologians of local churches, to find expressions in indigenous ways of thought, symbols and practices, so as to make the Christian faith take root in local culture.

This article illustrates that inculturation can be understood as a two-way process of mutual enrichment and critique between Christianity and the local culture, with the interpretation of the FABC on inculturation. Both the Asian reality and the Christian evangelizer are purified, healed and transformed. In the view of this, inculturation is not a one-way process of replacing the local culture with Christian faith. Neither does it abandoning the Scripture and the Christian tradition. Rather, it stresses that unity and harmony are to be realized in diversity; it is important to cultivate an all-embracing and complementary way of thinking. In doing theology, apart from employing Scripture and church tradition, Asian theologians also engaged in Asian realities and resources of local cultural traditions. Furthermore, the theological works of Indian theologian Felix Wilfred and Hong Kong-Chinese theologian Chi-Fan Ng were used as examples to manifest how Asian theologians theologize in a local context. Wilfred focuses more on the social realities whereas Ng highlights more the cultural and philosophical resources. Both of them demonstrate how these resources can be integrated into their works. They make great contribution in the inculturation of theology and the development of theological methods in doing local theology.

Contextualizing the Gospel for the Urban Poor: A Critique of Praxis Contextuality

by Curt Watke

Praxis contextuality is examined from the perspective of theology, culture, poverty and urbanism. Several trialogues... more Praxis contextuality is examined from the perspective of theology, culture, poverty and urbanism. Several trialogues are conducted which clarify and evaluate the relation between praxis contextuality and the urban poor in light of an evangelical understanding of theology, poverty and culture. These trialogues include: praxis, poverty, and theology; praxis, poverty and the kingdom of God; praxis, poverty, and salvation today; praxis, Christianity and culture; and praxis, urban poverty and culture.