Journal of Contemporary Ministry
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114 research outputs found
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Why Churches Should Consider the Formation of Social Capital in the Design of their Welfare Programs
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A Theological Reflection on the Parable of Samaritan Luke 10:25-37
Get PDFThis paper is a theological reflection on the Parable of the Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). It resulted from PhD research into the conversation and relational dynamics between LGBTQ persons and their advocates and individuals who are members of churches belonging to Baptist Churches of South Australia (BCSA). The paper weaves the issues, experiences, and expectations from the participants’ narratives with a theological reflection on Luke’s approach to ‘other’. It concludes with the lessons gleaned from the parable of the Samaritan, along with some practical applications
Re-Building Confidence as a Prelude to Ministry
Get PDFIn order for the churches to exercise ministry in Australia, there must be confidence in them. While confidence in a range of systems and organisations has been falling over recent decades, in 2018 just 11 per cent of the adult population indicated a great deal or complete confidence in the churches and religious organisations, having fallen from 22 per cent in 2009.
Analysis of data from the Australian Survey of Social Attitudes (2018) identified some factors which contributed to this low level of confidence, including the following:
Most Australians feel that religious organisations are too powerful.
They also feel that religious organisations have contributed more to violence than to peace.
Many are concerned that religious organisations are a barrier to gender equity and that religious people are too intolerant.
Many reject the “knowledge” on which the churches are based, including the idea of God.
Building public confidence will need to address these issues of the perception of power, building the perceptions that the churches are contributing to peace, that they treat women and men equally, and that they are tolerant. It also means addressing its “knowledge base”, helping people to understand the meaningfulness of the concept of God
Greenspace Pastoring: Integrating Nature-Based Therapy & Pastoral Care
Get PDFThe global pandemic's impact on the church in Australia was felt in many areas. Clergy faced numerous challenges, including providing pastoral care and support amidst social distancing and isolation. The need to innovate saw an increase in the use of technology such as hybrid services. However, there has not been much in the way of new pastoral care methods and models reported during these challenging times. What started as a personal journey for this author several years ago found traction during the Pandemic. This paper argues that pastoral care can borrow the concept of “greenspacing” from urban ecology and apply it to the diverse practices of eco-spirituality. While the potential expressions of this are endless, this paper explores a method for engaging in pastoral care and counselling through walking and talking. The empirically powerful modality of walk-and-talk therapy has been borrowed from psychotherapeutic tradition and infused with elements of eco-spirituality. While the walk is the focus, pastors are encouraged to integrate practices from various spiritual traditions to complement these greenspace encounters
“Tractio Divina” – A Particular Christian Spiritual Discipline: Exploring how it may Assist Embodiment and the Transformation of Trauma
Get PDFAlthough there is increasing research to demonstrate the beneficial effects of the classical contemplative practices to transform trauma, there is a gap in the research exploring the efficaciousness of the Christian Spiritual Disciplines (CSD) and how they may facilitate embodiment and the transformation of trauma. Some research recommends that further studies are needed to understand the role of spirituality in healing trauma. This article examines how Tractio Divina (TD) – a particular Christian spiritual discipline, practiced in combination with two other CSD – Lectio Divina (LD) and Visio Divina (VD), may facilitate embodiment and transform trauma from Child Sexual Abuse (CSA). It highlights the case study of a survivor of childhood sexual trauma who engages daily with these three CSD. It seeks to gain insight that may inform ministry and improve outcomes for trauma survivors – particularly, survivors of childhood sexual trauma.
Keywords: Tractio Divina, Christian spiritual disciplines, child sexual abuse, trauma, drawing, embodiment, transformation
God of light and darkness
Get PDFThis paper is part of an ongoing project in which I aim to rethink the traditional understanding of beauty as an attribute of God. Working within the context of the theory and theology of aesthetics and the practice of liturgy, I examine liturgical expressions of light and darkness, and beauty and ugliness. My aim is to show how these pairings are related rather than mutually exclusive.The project was reshaped somewhat in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the problematic liturgical situation in which we found ourselves. So, here, I examine the seeming opposites such as illness/wellness, breaking/healing, absence/presence, celebration/lament and praise/reproach. These will be explored in terms of relationships rather than oppositions. The theological implications of these relationships are used to explore our understanding of the nature of God and the flow-on implications for our Christian mission to heal
