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The Number of the Beast in Revelation 13 in Light of Papyri, Graffiti, and Inscriptions
Get PDFRevelation’s portrayal of a tyrannical beast concludes with a riddle, which identifies the beast’s number as 666 (Rev. 13:18). Among the factors that complicate the interpretation of the riddle are: first, that there is a notable textual variant that reads 616 instead of 666; second, that there are differences over the appropriate method of interpretation; and third, that even those who agree about method may reach different conclusions. Many scholars find the most plausible interpretation to be that the number summarises the numerical value of ‘Nero Caesar’ written in Hebrew characters, while others find this proposal unconvincing. This article provides fresh support for the ‘Nero Caesar’ interpretation by examining recently published graffiti from the agora at Smyrna, papyri from Oxyrhynchus, Ketef Jericho, and Murabba‘at, and inscriptions from the synagogues at Sardis and Dura Europos
White Religious Educators Resisting White Fragility: Lessons From Mystics
Get PDFDecades of work in dismantling racism have not yielded the kind of results for which religious educators have hoped. One primary reason has been what scholars term “white fragility,” a symptom of the structural racism which confers systemic privilege upon White people. Lessons learned from Christian mystics point to powerful ways to confront and resist the siren call of such formation and instead to make resisting racism an integral part of Christian identity for White people
Lift Up Your Hearts: Preaching Grace Effectively as a Pastoral Response to Shame
Get PDFProposes preaching grace effectively as pastoral response to shame. Sources include Robert Albers, Robin Stockitt, James Fowler, Serene Jones and Cameron Harder. Argues fall-redemption theology harms those experiencing shame. Employs shame as alternative lens for reading scripture. Explores social, biblical and theological dimensions of shame. Differentiates shame and guilt. Demonstrates shame’s connections to mental illness, trauma, and addiction. Honors people’s formative narratives. Claims baptismal basis for identity. Seeks preaching practices that build resilience from shame’s spiritual and psychological consequences. Identifies narrative practices enhancing understanding God’s acceptance. Offers insight into crafting sermons that celebrate identity within a reconciled future
Oppression Interrupted: The Sabbath and Justice
Get PDFThe Sabbath commandment establishes the principle of God’s regular, gracious intrusion into the economic bondage of life: one day in every seven, work is to stop. From this primary law, the principle of God’s gracious intrusion radiates outward so that other aspects of oppressive work and economic bondage are also affected graciously
Transforming Narratives Through “LIVE”: A Pastoral Model of Care for Women in Sex Work
Get PDFThis work, “Transforming Narratives Through “Live”: A Pastoral Model of Care for Women in Sex Work,” seeks to provide the Church with a pastoral response from the narratives of the women doing sex work as streetwalkers in Nigeria. The work uses the four steps of practical theological model of Rick Osmer to describe, interpret, theologize, and strategize on pastoral care of women in sex work. The literature review, both descriptive and interpretive, examines the perception of agency as exercised by the women in sex work through the work of scholars, writings by women in sex industry, the different pastoral models of care and the conceptual framework that shape this study. Research shows that different factors contribute to women being in sex work. Writings by women in sex work demonstrate that the women perceive their agency in different ways. For some, sex work is liberation, while for others it is oppression. Pastoral models of care vary depending on how theologians and pastoral care workers judge the powers that shape the choices women make as sex workers. The most prevalent opinion is that sex workers are victims in many ways and, therefore, cannot be empowered as long as they remain sex workers.
The conceptual framework used for interpreting the data utilizes three major theories to study the narratives of women in sex work. The Karpman Triangle, also called the Drama Triangle, suggests that people normally vacillate between Victim, Perpetrator, and Rescuer roles depending on how they perceive and utilize their agency. This theory iii aims to understand how those roles play out in the lives of sex workers so as to have a holistic view while proposing a pastoral model of care for them. Nonviolent communication emphasizes connection through compassion in every communication. Critical Realist Personalism, a sociological theory, affirms the dignity of every person irrespective of functioning. Both theories help to maintain that female commercial sex workers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect in spite of the way they are choosing to use their bodies. The critical praxis correlation method of theology invites theological reflection to turn to the poor or neglected members of the society.
This work collected data from female sex workers in Nigeria (n=10), using narrative inquiry as the research methodology. The data were transcribed, manually coded, and analyzed. The emerging themes were grouped under three broad categories: self-identity, relationship with God and the Church and relationship with the family and the society. The theological chapter portrays a narrative and ideological reading of the text of Jesus encounter with the women caught in adultery (John 7:53-8:11) to propose “LIVE” Listening, Introspection, Validation, and Emancipation, as a pastoral model of care for the church in working with women in sex work
