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Cultivating the Holy Callings of Ordinary Saints: The Church at Work for the Life of the World
Get PDFThe Christian Church has long struggled to make better connections between Sunday and Monday by effectively equipping the priesthood of all believers for living out its faith in the world. This thesis reports the results of a participatory action research project aimed at cultivating connections between faith, baptismal callings, daily work, and the missio Dei through several congregational interventions. The results showed the effectiveness of cultivating a congregational culture through worship, faith formation activities, service, and especially small groups, for the purpose of strengthening congregation members’ witness in the workplace
Coram Deo et Coram Mundo: The Two Kinds of Righteousness as a Normative Framework for the Description, Interpretation, and Healing of Shame
Get PDFContemporary pastoral theologians, though describing and interpreting shame from an interdisciplinary perspective, drawing both from theology and psychology, tend to propose healing for shame only from a theological perspective. Transposing Martin Luther’s doctrine of the two kinds of righteousness into an interdisciplinary framework, this work proposes that pastoral theologians need to describe and interpret shame as well as suggest strategies for its healing from both theological and social-scientific perspectives.
Luther distinguishes between two kinds of righteousness, one passive and the other active. Passive righteousness is the righteousness of Christ bequeathed to us through the Word and the Sacraments (baptism and Holy Communion), which we receive through faith alone, a total trust in God and God’s promise. This righteousness justifies us before God (coram Deo) and is salvific. Active righteousness, on the other hand, is what we do to serve and to care for the well-being of the self and the neighbor. It justifies us before the world (coram mundo), but is not salvific.
The two kinds of righteousness can be associated with theology and sciences. Also, the conditions of the relationship between the two kinds of righteousness can determine the conditions of the relationship between theology and sciences. The two kinds of righteousness are inseparable, distinct, and asymmetrical in order, with passive righteousness having primacy over active righteousness. Theology and sciences are also iii inseparable, distinct, and asymmetrical in order, with theology having logical priority over sciences.
The two kinds of righteousness as an interdisciplinary framework therefore recommend that pastoral theologians approach pastoral issues such as shame from the perspectives of both theology and sciences. Indeed, the two kinds of righteousness as an interdisciplinary framework recommend that pastoral theologians address shame from both theological and scientific perspectives, not only at the descriptive and interpretive levels, but also at the pragmatic level.
Hence, while chapters two and three of this work develop Luther’s doctrine of the two kinds of righteousness as an interdisciplinary framework, chapter four interprets shame from both psychological and theological perspectives, chapter five describes the personal, social, and theological dynamics of shame among Malagasy, and chapters six and seven suggest strategies for the healing of shame from social-scientific and theological perspectives, respectively
Preaching Texts of Multiple Masculinities to a World of Multiple Masculinities
Get PDFToday’s preachers proclaim the word into a world that is fraught with dissonances about the expectations of gender roles. The Bible itself demonstrates a similar complexity, though sometimes in different modes. Ultimately, an exploration of biblical masculinity can offer preachers and their congregations new ways of navigating those intersections between the ancient text and our world today
The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength: How Your Passions Can Serve God\u27s Mission in the World
Get PDFThis participatory action research project utilizes praxis events to enhance the understanding of Lutheran vocation in relationship to joy bringing activities. The research question driving this project is,
How would a participatory action research (PAR) intervention utilizing praxis events encourage congregational members to recognize and exercise their own gifts and passions as avenues of joyous participation in God’s mission in the world?
Data were collected through baseline and end-line interviews, transcribed meetings of a journey team, and census surveys. Data revealed that participation did yield a positive change effect on the understanding of joy bringing passions to enhance the missional congregational work.
Theoretical lenses of vocation, chaordic leadership, and American pragmatism provided the secular perspective. Luther’s understanding of vocation and the priesthood of all believers, joy, and the narrative of Jesus calling the fishermen disciples provided additional perspectives
The Interplay of Word and World: Biblical and Experiential Reflections
Get PDFFrom his vantage as a New Testament scholar and seminary leader, Craig Koester reflects on the interchange between Word and World through the lens of biblical studies, especially through several examples. Koester is Vice President of Academic Affairs, Professor and Asher O. and Carrie Nasby Chair of New Testament at Luther Seminary