Open Access Journal Atlanta University Center
Not a member yet
962 research outputs found
Sort by
Journal of the Interdenominational Theological Center, Back Matter, 2014
No full textInterdenominational Theological Center An Ecumenical Professional Graduate School of Theolog
Can Ancient African Styles of Making Decisions in the Early Church Still Work Today?, 2011
Get PDFEver been in a contentious church meeting or school meeting? Likely they were meetings where, to paraphrase the lyrics of the old Joe Jones rock classic, “We taw - aw - awawawawk - we talk too much!” Unproductive decision-making processes without civility are one of the curses of church work and even sometimes of life in the academy. Could it be that the early church, inspired by African roots, can provide another model - one that is characteristically African
Exodus as the Subversion of Egyptian Imperial Mythology, 2011
No full textOn the basis of the features of the Exodus narrative, I suggest that we are dealing in parts of Exodus with a subversive parody of Egyptian mythology. It is not that the Egyptian gods are (so to speak) brought recognizably on stage, but that some of their characteristic actions— significantly, actions of fundamental symbolic importance for the stability of the Egyptian dynasty—are mimed by other characters: not only by Israel’s god, the LORD, but by the anti-characters—ostensibly polar opposites to the glorious, powerful figures of Egyptian myth—through whom the Lord’s purposes are accomplished. One powerful and, I suggest, an intended effect of the Exodus account operates at the level of mythology, specifically, the myths involved in the distinctly Egyptian ideology of kingship. We are not dealing in Exodus with an “ancient” or “primitive” attempt to explain, in mythic terms, otherwise bewildering natural events (earthquakes, atmospheric effects, naturally occurring environmental imbalances, etc.). To the extent something else is going on, modem attempts to develop scientific explanations for reconstructing “what really happened" as natural phenomena rather miss the point
Baby Becky, Menarche and Prepubescent Marriage In Ancient Israel, 2011
Get PDFPhysiological factors must to be taken into account when reading and interpreting texts from ancient time periods or when studying the religious life of populations different from one’s own. Focusing on the Biblical figure of Rebekah, this study observes that given a later age for the onset of menarche in ancient times, Rebekah was likely not being depicted as an adult in the story but merely as a child when she married Abraham ’s forty year old son, Isaac. Delayed childbirth in the marriage is not to be attributed to barrenness in the mind of the storyteller but to her prepubescent state. Prepubescent marriage in ancient Israel was practiced when religious, economic, social or political factors warranted it
The American Constitution: Its Troubling Ethical And Theological Paradoxes For Blacks, 2007
No full textFor Black Americans, the Constitution symbolizes both despair and hope, oppression, and freedom. This is the case primarily because the Constitution speaks in troubling exclusionary/inclusionary terms regarding Blacks’ humanity or their partial lack of it. I he document both excludes Blacks as being inferior and includes them as being equal under the preamble’s “We the people’’ clause. Except for the Bible, the Constitution’s ritualistic place in the consciousness of Blacks is without rival. All national public officials must promise to uphold the Constitution in their oath-taking ceremonies for public office or service
The Role of Ecumenical Leadership In Poverty and Public Policy, 2007
Get PDFThe church and its leadership continue to be prominent stakeholders in the war on poverty. From the early existence of the African-American Church, ecclesiastical leaders possessed great insight regarding the economic needs of constituents. Due to their unique position in the community, clergypersons have been on the frontline battlegrounds of poverty. Ecumenical leaders and their parishioners fought this war long before faithbased initiatives and funds were popular and available. Church budgets steered limited financial resources to meet needs and close gaps in the lives of the needy
Journal of the Interdenominational Theological Center, Back Matter, 2007
No full textInterdenominational Theological Center An Ecumenical Professional Graduate School of Theolog
Teaching Christians to “Read”: Theological Education And the Church, 2004
Get PDFLet me begin with an incident out of the life of Frederick Douglass. The young boy Douglass had just been sent away from the plantation to the home of Mr. Hugh and Mrs. Sophie Auld of Baltimore, MD. There, he was to be the slave and companion of the Aulds’ young son. Shortly after Douglass arrived, his mistress discovered that he could not read, where upon she determined to teach him to do so. When Mr. Auld discovered this practice, he forbade it
Children and the Seder, 2002
No full textThe Torahs Passover narrative and instructional commandments provides a background to understand the prominent role of children in the Seder. Their role in the Seder is examined from the perspective of Classical Rabbinic Literature
Our Children and Welfare, 2002
No full textMy mother was a teenager during the time her generation called “the great depression.” She lived in rural Arkansas and lost both parents during her teenage years. She experienced first hand the loss of family and economic stability. My upbringing was different both financially and in terms of family support. A name she often mentions to this day is President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He, for her, represented a leader who cared about those who were on the margins of society. Roosevelt’s support of social programs and social welfare were important reminders that the government can help people when they need it