Showing papers on "Baptism published in 2000"

Preventing Baptism by Fire: Fostering Growth in New Teachers

Abstract: (2000). Preventing Baptism by Fire: Fostering Growth in New Teachers. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 73, No. 3, pp. 171-173.

Horticulture: the font for the baptism of genetics

Abstract: This year marks the centenary of the rediscovery of the laws of heredity, and their introduction to the English-speaking world. Here I introduce the main events and the characters who figure in this story before turning to the task of this essay — to ask why it was that support in England for the emerging science of genetics, or Mendelism as it was then called, came chiefly from horticulture, and was only belatedly accepted into the mainstream of British academic biology.

Mark and His Readers: The Son of God among Greeks and Romans

Abstract: In his influential work, Kyrios Christos, Wilhelm Bousset confessed that he had vacillated and was still vacillating on the question of whether the creation of the title υἱoς θɛo⋯ (“Son of God”) as an epithet for Jesus ought to be attributed to the earliest community of his followers in Palestine. He tentatively took the position that the oldest community of followers of Jesus described him as the παῖς θɛo⋯ (“Servant of God”) in a messianic interpretation of the servant-poems of Second Isaiah. This epithet, he thought, was in considerable tension with the notion of Jesus as the Son of God, making it unlikely that both epithets originated in the same context. He argued that the statement of the divine voice in the scenes of baptism and transfiguration, “You are my Son,” is a tradition that circulated in the earliest community but that this address is a far cry from the title “Son of God.” He was thus inclined to conclude that this title originated “on Greek ground, in the Greek language.” He argued that the confession of Jesus as the Son of God by the Gentile centurion in Mark 15:39 cannot be understood as a recognition of Jesus as the Jewish messiah. Rather, “Son of God” was the formula chosen by the evangelist to express the identity of Jesus Christ for the faith of the Gentile Christian community.

Into the Name of the Lord Jesus: Baptism in the Early Church

Abstract: En revision och oversattning av min bok "Till Herrens Jesu namn" som handlar om dopet i Nya testamentet (1993; pa tyska 1992). Ett kapitel har tillagts, vilket utgors av en bearbetning av en uppsat ...

The Elite Status of Bishops in Late Antiquity in Ecclesiastical, Spiritual, and Social Contexts

Abstract: The Christianization of the Roman empire was greatly accelerated by Constantine’s support of the new religion. This resulted in an exponential growth of the Church in the course of the fourth and fifth centuries. As ever more people sought baptism, existing congregations grew in size, new communities were founded, and new churches were built, the need for clergymen to minister to their needs increased accordingly. The episcopate not only grew in numbers on an unprecedented scale, but bishops also acquired great public visibility as representatives of the Christian religion and as spokesmen for their communities. The bishops joined the old aristocrats, the civic officeholders, and the nouveaux riches in assuming a prominent position in society and a role of public leadership. Within the Church, they had occupied an exclusive leadership role for at least two centuries. This article explores the elite status of bishops in the late Roman empire, with a special emphasis on the era after Constantine. “Status,” in general, indicates a relative position in a hierarchical system of whatever kind, and mention of the “elite” specifies a position at or near the top of the hierarchical system in question. Discussing the “elite status” of bishops thus requires a closer definition of the contexts in which they held an elevated position and the criteria by which they were perceived to do so. The elite

The church in colonial Latin America

Abstract: Part 1 I Policy Issues Chapter 2 The Theological Juridical Debate Chapter 3 The Ordenanza del Patronazgo of 1574: An Interpretive Essay Chapter 4 The Implementation of the Ordenanza del Patronazgo in New Spain, 1574-1600 Part 5 II Parochial Issues Chapter 6 The Spiritual Conquest Re-examined: Baptism and Christian Marriage in Sixteenth-Century Mexico Chapter 7 Individualization and Acculturation: Confession among the Nahuas of Mexico from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century Chapter 8 The Battle for Bodies and Souls in the Colonial North Andes: Intraecclesiastical Struggles and the Politics of Migration Chapter 9 The Limits of Religious Coercion in Midcolonial Peru Part 10 III Cultural Issues Chapter 11 Native Icon to City Protectress to Royal Protectress: Ritual, Political Symbolism, and the Virgin of Remedios Chapter 12 The Woman of the Apocalypse

Womb of the World: Baptism and the Priesthood of the New Covenant in Hebrews 10.19-22

Abstract: 'Womb of the World' examines how baptism is an effective sign of the socio- religious reorganization of the world in the New Covenant. The article maintains that the phrase 'our bodies washed with pure water' in Heb. 10.22 refers to baptism, and therefore implies in context that baptism initiates into the Christian priesthood. The article then explores portions of Heb. 1-2 and Heb. 7 to fill out the background to 10.22. The article concludes that, because baptism is applied indiscriminately to Jew and Gentile, Levite and non-Levite, it breaks down the ritualized boundaries that formed Israel's order of 'graded holiness' and forms a new community of priests.

Fragment Oxyrhynchus 840, Fragment of a Lost Gospel, Witness of an Early Christian Controversy over Purity

Abstract: In his Unbekannte Jesusworte Joachim Jeremias writes about Fragment Oxyrhynchus 840: "Diese Perle evangelischer Erzdihlerkunst hat bis heute nicht die Beachtung gefunden, die sie verdient" ("Up until now, this pearl of Gospel narrative has not received the appreciation it deserves").' Fifty years later I still concur with Jeremias's judgment. Despite regular mention, this fragment remains relatively unknown. Yet there remains much unnoticed significance to this document: the intensity of the dialogue between Jesus and the priest, the relevance of the purity controversy, and the literary quality of the whole passage. Fragment Oxyrhynchus 840 would be deemed even more significant if it were properly interpreted. The folio is conventionally interpreted in the framework of first-century C.E. Judaism and is regarded as valuable in the quest for the historical Jesus. In my opinion, although Fragment Oxyrhynchus 840 may well speak about Jesus and his criticism of a Jewish priest, it actually fits better into ancient Christian controversies about the validity of water baptism. As we know, any material referring to Jesus' life is at the same time a window into the author's Christian community. Our fragment-this will be my hypothesis-reflects a Christian setting in the second or the third century. The philological and historical problems that have been discussed since the discovery of the fragment find a more plausible solution as soon as we no longer visualize the scene in Jerusalem during Jesus' life. Every term and cate-

The spirit of Pentecost: origins and development of the Pentecostal movement in Australia, 1870-1939

Abstract: Bibliography: p. 681-712.%%%%PART ONE - DEFINITION – The south land of the Spirit – 'Testing' the Spirit – PART TWO - DERIVATION – The Spirit of Wesleyanism (1870-1908) – The embryonic Spirit of Pentecost (1875-1920) – The Spirit of evangelicalism (1875-1920) – PART THREE - DEVELOPMENT – Following the Spirit (1908-1934) – The Spirit of love (1922-1934) – The free flowing Spirit (1926-1934) – The Spirit of revival (1925-1939) – The Spirit of prophecy (1930-1939) – Obeying the Spirit (1905-1939) – PART FOUR - DYNAMICS – Women of the Spirit – Preaching in the Spirit – The experience of the Spirit – PART FIVE - DENOUEMENT – Conclusion.%%%%In this thesis I hope to show that Australian Pentecostalism exhibits distinctive elements which do not fit accepted historical and sociological theories. Neither the deprivation theories of the 1970's and 80's nor more recent sociological and psychological explanations are adequate to explain its development. – I will also argue that the movement's major contribution to Australian Christianity lies in its rekindling of an openness to experiential religion, specifically through the baptism in the Holy Spirit accompanied by speaking in tongues, and that this has been both a strength and a weakness. Then it will be seen that the movement grew from three major nineteenth century tributaries. These were the Wesleyan movement with its emphasis on entire sanctification; the ministry of John Alexander Dowie with its focus on divine healing and separation from the world; and the Evangelical movement, with its fervent and growing desire for revival. – The early development will then be examined. This was mainly attributable to Sarah Jane Lancaster who was the outstanding pioneer of Australian Pentecostalism. She was responsible for the establishing of many local churches, she engaged in extensive welfare work during the Depression and there was a strong emphasis on experiencing the presence and power of God, especially through 'Tarry meetings.' Although certain unorthodox beliefs marginalised her from the Evangelical mainstream, her life and ministry were highly influential in the early development of the movement. – This study will then trace the origins and development of three extant Pentecostal denominations - the Assemblies of God, the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel and the Apostolic Church. It will be seen that while local leadership was indigenous, there was a strong multicultural element in these groups. Disputes over doctrine reflected the dilemma which arose when experience-based approaches to Scripture proved to be in conflict. – Dedicated and determined efforts to take the gospel to the Aborigines will be considered. In spite of limited resources and the fragile state of the early movement, there was ongoing mission among the indigenous people. – Three aspects of the dynamics of the movement will then be discussed. First, the role of women. The Spirit was seen to be bestowed on both men and women equally and so, in the initial three decades,…

Cementing alliances? witnesses to marriage and baptism in early nineteenth-century iceland

Abstract: The aim of this study is to throw light on the importance of social networks by examining the choice of godparents and witnesses to marriage in early nineteenth-century Iceland. The article analyzes parish records concerning two communities representative of different socio-economic environments in southwestern Iceland. The results show that godparents were chosen predominantly among people of standing in the neighborhood, such as communal directors, church wardens, merchants, and midwives. Grandparents figured only rarely as godparents. In the case of marriage, however, close kin played a markedly more important role as witnesses, particularly in the upland community that had a more stable population than the coastal one. Observed local variations in this respect can be explained in light of different socio-economic settings.

Baptism and the Soteriology of Forgiveness

Abstract: This article examines the relation of Christian baptism to the saving work of God in Christ. In critical conversation with the later work of Barth, the article argues that baptism, as visible word, both attests and mediates divine forgiveness. Consequently, baptism with water and baptism with the Holy Spirit are not to be bifurcated from each other. Believer’s baptism is the norm, although infant baptism is not excluded. Baptism exemplifies the koinonia of divine and human action without falling into synergism, and without appealing to inappropriate notions of causality.

Baptism and the Unity of the Church

Abstract: An ecumenical dialogue between theologians from various nations and Christian traditions concerning the topic of baptism. The book consists of a foundational study paper developed by the Institute for Ecumenical Research, followed by essays which deal with the topic of baptism and unity from the perspective of different Christian traditions and explore both the ideal unifying potential of baptism and the problems that have been faced in reality.

The Baptism of Edwin, King of Northumbria: A New Analysis of the British Tradition

Abstract: (2000). The Baptism of Edwin, King of Northumbria: A New Analysis of the British Tradition. Northern History: Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 5-15.

Between Memory and Hope: Readings on the Liturgical Year

Abstract: This anthology surveys the development and theology of the liturgical year in the order of its historical evolution: From Sabbath to Sunday"; "From Passover to Pascha" (Lent, Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost); and "From Pascha to Parousia" (Epiphany, Christmas, and Advent). In addition, introductory essays on the meaning of the liturgical year and a short concluding section on the sanctoral cycle ("From Parousia to Persons") are also provided. While written as a companion to standard works in the field, beginning with graduate students in liturgy and seminarians, this book is intended for al - pastors, liturgists, catechists, religious educators - who seek to live according to the Church's theology of time as it is reflected in its calendar of feasts and seasons. Through feast and fast, through festival and preparation, the liturgical year celebrates the presence of the already crucified and risen Christ among us today. Between Memory and Hope shows that to live between past and future, between memory and hope, is to remember Christ's passion as we encounter his presence among us now and as we await his coming again in glory. Articles and their contributors are "The Liturgical Year: Studies, Prospects, Reflections," by Robert F. Taft, SJ; "Liturgical Time in the Ancient Church: The State of Research," by Thomas J. Talley; "Day of the Lord: Day of Mystery," by H. Boone Porter; "Sunday: The Heart of the Liturgical Year," by Mark Seale; "The Frequency of the Celebration of the Eucharist Throughout History," by Robert F. Taft, SJ; "History and Eschatology in the Primitive Pascha," by Thomas J. Talley; "The Origins of Easter," by Paul F. Bradshaw; "The Three Days and the Forty Days," by Patrick Regan, OSB; "The Veneration of the Cross," by Patrick Regan, OSB; "Holy Week in the Byzantine Tradition," by Robert F. Taft, SJ; "The Origin of Lent at Alexandria," by Thomas J. Taley; "Preparation for Pascha? Lent in Christian Antiquity," by Maxwell E. Johnson; "The Fifty Days and the Fiftieth Day," by Patrick Regan, OSB; "Making the Most of Trinity Sunday," by Catherine Mowry LaCugna; "Constantine and Christmas," by Thomas J. Taley; "The Origins of Christmas: The State of the Question," by Susan K. Roll; "The Appearance of the Light at the Baptism of Jesus and the Origins of the Feast of Epiphany," by Gabriele Winkler; "The Origins and Evolution of Advent," by Martin J. Connell; "On Feasting the Saints," by John F.Baldovin, SJ; "The Marian Liturgical Tradition," by Kilian McDonnell, OSB; "Forgetting and Remembering the Saints," by James F. White; "The One Mediator, the Saints, and Mary: a Lutheran Reflection," by Maxwell E. Johnson; and "The Liturgical Year: Calendar for a Just Community," by John F. Baldovin, SJ. Maxwell E. Johnson, PhD, is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and associate professor of liturgy at the University of Notre Dame. His articles have appeared frequently in Worship. He is the author ofLiving Water, Sealing Spirit and The Rites of Christian Initiation: Their Evolution and Interpretation published by The Liturgical Press. "

Justin and Isaiah 53

Abstract: L'A. cherche a eclairer le role d'Isaie 53 dans la communaute de Justin, ce texte fournissant un paradigme de l'identite chretienne confessee dans le bapteme.

Hidden stories and the light of the new day : A Zulu manuscript and its place in South African writing

Abstract: L'A. analyse le texte d'un manuscrit ecrit en zulu et relatant la vie du prophete Isiah Shembe, fondateur de l'Eglise baptiste de Nazareth, et tente de placer ce manuscrit dans le contexte des ecrits sud-africains des annees 1920-1940

Continuing the Reformation: Re-Visioning Baptism in the Episcopal Church

Abstract: This book documents the Episcopal Church's developing focus on baptism within the context of the liturgical movement, the emerging understanding of the eucharist, prayer book revision, and the confirmation dilemma. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources, the author presents a credible case in support of her belief that a baptismal ecclesiology is emerging from these events that have enabled people to accept a radically different initiatory pattern in the church. This book exhibits clarity on the issues discussed with the support of solid scholarship and lucid writing. Contents: The Tradtional Anglican Pattern The Emergence of a Eucharistic Ecclesiology The Renewal of Baptism The Dilemma of Confirmation Admission to Communion Turning Points Toward a New Pattern of Christian Initiation: Communion of all the Baptized Redefining Confirmation The 1979 Baptismal Rite Enriching the Prayer Book Baptism and Reaffirmation of Faith Includes appendices, bibliography, and index.

Jesus' Baptism: Its Historicity and Implications

Abstract: The historicity of Jesus’ baptism by John is virtually certain. The historicity of the theophany (the Spirit’s descent and divine voice) is probable, but its timing as contemporaneous with the baptism is open to question. As a prophetic call-vision, the theophany quite possibly happened at a later time. Based on an exploration of John’s baptism and ministry within the context of Second-Temple Judaism, the significance of Jesus’ baptism is explored: it is a significant turning point in Jesus’ life; Jesus is identifying with Israel’s need to repent, and he is in agreement with, John’s vision for a reconstituted Israel; since Jesus is a disciple of John, the beginning of his ministry involves baptizing within John’s movement. It is also important to under stand Jesus’ later ministry along a trajectory that begins with Jesus’ association with John. This later ministry shows both continuity with and development beyond Jesus’ early involvement with John.

Baptism of Fire: China's Christians and the Boxer Uprising of 1900

Abstract: A few weeks later Thomas went to a congress of the World Federation of Democratic Youth in Prague, a movement strongly influenced by Marxist convictions. There, no ambiguity was to be found. The congress with onevoice affirmed their support for the Indonesian struggle and called on the world to join the battle for the liberation of the oppressed victims of imperialism. The delegates taunted M.M.: You Christians, with your ideas of sin, repentance, and forgiveness, cut the nerve of resistance to op­ pression. You relativize the struggle for liberation and justice, and so, despite your words, you serve the ends of imperial power. Are we, then, weak allies in the fight for justice, against the powers of this world? We must always ask that question. Yet there is an answer to it. It has to do with the continuing revolution that the justification of the sinnerby grace alone and the resurrec­ tion of Jesus Christ bring into this world. The victory of a revolutionary power may be good for the people who gain power over their political destiny, but it is not the end. New forms of corruption, exploitation, and injustice arise and must be fought afresh. New opponents must be found to challenge the victors. In the long run all justice is relative and must be continu­ ously sought. God's revolutionary transformation never ends. Forgiveness and reconciliation are its tools. They too change people and societies, in ways that will be fulfilled only in the final judgment day. Marxism is humanism to the highest degree. As we have seen, it is a collective humanism of the human species in solidar­ ity, not of individuals pursuing their various goals, as most secular humanism is. It projected a vision of human society without exploitation, inequality, or the selfish spirit of private property and ambition. It galvanized the protest of the masses of the dispossessed and the poor to fight for their liberation and for a new humanity. In its Communist form the vision failed. It became inhuman in its humanity because it did not understand how human sin persists, even when the masses have won con­ trol. It did not learn the Christian graces of compromise, recon­ ciliation, forgiveness, and the limitation of power by a God who is justiceand love. Now it is gone. But it has left us Christians with a massive challenge. What is the form of a just, equal, and caring society that could take the place of Marxism? What is the vision of common humanity that can transcend the savage tribal wars that now divide us? No such vision is out there today. The global forces of business, technology, and finance certainlydo not provide it. The demons again hover at our doorstep. As post-Marxist Christians, we have a tremendous responsibility.

Enriching the Understanding and Experience of Baptism in Kenya

Abstract: ENRICHING THE UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCE OF BAPTISM IN KENYA by Samson Nyang’au Mwebi Adviser: Nancy J. Vyhmeister ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCHOF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH

The church of England’s use of liturgical texts from the perspective of ritual performance and flow

Abstract: The Church of England makes extensive use of liturgical texts. These texts were never intended simply to sit on the page, but to be used or performed. This thesis examines the Church of England's use of its liturgical texts by applying criteria from the disciplines of both sociology and theology. Chapter One identifies the various ways in which this study could be approached. The methods of literary criticism, historical analysis and empirical study are all investigated. These are, however, of limited value for exploring what makes 'good' worship. I therefore follow an interdisciplinary study. Chapter Two looks at the nature of ritual performance from the perspective of sociology. I explore the areas of ritual, flow, symbol and performance by making reference to the works of Rappaport, Victor Turner, Csikszentmihalyi, Flanagan, Schechner and others. Chapter Three moves to an examination of the theology of ritual performance. Various authors from Protestant and Roman Catholic traditions are cited in an examination of the theological implications of the use of symbols and symbolic language. Fellowship (Koinonia) is linked with Turner's notion of communitas, and the link between music and word is examined. Chapter Four applies the insights from chapters two and three to examine some of the texts in use in the Church of England. The use of the Peace, and the development of the Eucharistic Prayers are investigated, and the use of symbol is explored with particular reference to the service of Baptism. Chapter Five looks at the possibilities for new directions in worship in the Church of England with particular reference to the Commentary in the Service of the Word. Sociological insights must be applied to the study of liturgy in order for the new texts being produced to meet people’s needs in bringing them through worship to an encounter with God.

All Things Bright and Beautiful : the Rise of the Anglican Charismatic Church

Abstract: Since the mid 1960s the charismatic renewal movement has swept through the established Christian denominations and given inspiration for the creation of independent churches in Europe and North America. With the emphasis on 'baptism in the Spirit' and the charismata (glossolalia, prophecy etc) the movement has proved to be practically the only vibrant growth area of Christianity in many Western countries. This paper accounts for the popularity of charismatic Anglican churches in England in the 1990s with reference to field study findings. It argues that their attraction is not merely about spiritual regeneration, but about the appeal in the 'religious marketplace' of a dynamic belief system without the need to be deeply enveloped and committed to the church belonged to.

Bad Bishops: A Key to Anglican Ecclesiology

Abstract: Lambeth has focused our attention on many things. One of them is on bishops themselves, whose images we have seen reproduced in magazines, whose words we have seen quoted in newspapers, and whose arguments, statements, resolutions and objections we have seen injected into the ongoing debate of our own Church's public life. In the process of this revived public exposure, theologically heightened by the discussion with the Lutherans over the episcopacy, the character of bishops, broadly understood, has come in for renewed examination and more often renewed disdain. Why allow our church's public life to be led by the nose at the hands of incompetent and often wayward leaders invested with impossibly fulfilled potencies? In particular, the struggle within the American Church over the doctrine and discipline touching upon sexuality has focused special attention on the integrity and meaning of "episcopal oversight" and authority which, in a certain respect, has contributed to the already fallen status of bishops in the public's eye. A recent diocesan clergy conference in this country, for instance, found it necessary openly to express its desire to refrain from malicious talk, particularly as it referred to its bishop. This commitment, of course, flies in the face of a long tradition of contemptuous speech aimed at bishops, who make up a large section of any index on folkloric ridicule. Clergy especially are familiar with gently complaining stories like that of the Anglican and the Presbyterian arguing over whether the episcopacy is established in the Bible. The Anglican finally says, "I can prove from the very words of Scripture that Saint Paul himself was under the authority of a bishop." "How so?" wonders the astonished Presbyterian. "Observe 2 Corinthians 12:7," the Anglican replies, "where Saint Paul writes, `to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh.' If that's not a proof that Paul had a bishop, I don't know what is!" It is worth noting, however, that even in superficial tales like this, there is a positive character seen in the bishop's burdensome person, one that is informed by its link with a Scriptural insight about grace, and about God's providentially gracious use of bishops in their painful mode. And this positive character, vestigial to the weary disdain felt towards the episcopacy is perhaps a clue to something more profound governing our Anglican ecclesiology. In what follows, in any case, I will attempt to use the figure of the "bad bishop" as a key to understanding-at least partially--the "essence" of the episcopacy within our Church. The purpose of this attempt is not to give credence to the assumption that there are not plenty of "good" bishops around. Without a doubt, there are. Furthermore, the character of the "good bishop" is also critical, and primarily so, to the "essence" of the episcopacy. And we should labor for good bishops, without ever becoming comfortable with the bad. But bad bishops can, nonetheless, help us get clearer about all this. That we should talk about "essence" at all, with respect to bishops in our Church, is inevitable. Our Quadrilateral, for instance, lists the "historic episcopate, locally adapted" as an "inherent part of the sacred deposit" of the "Christian Faith and Order committed by Christ and the Apostles to the Church unto the end of the world," and "essential" to the restored unity of the Church. This is part of our basic claim concerning bishops. And the late nineteenth-century Quadrilateral's affirmation of this essence has, in fact, given rise to what is-- however little appreciated-a revolution in ecumenical discussion. The 1982 so-called Lima Statement of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches, on Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry, was extraordinarily significant in this regard, although its affirmations have had little practical impact on common Christian self understanding. Among the agreed-upon assertions was the fact that, "among the gifts [of the Spirit for the Church] is the ministry of the episcope"--that is, "oversight"--"which is necessary [emphasis added] for expressing and guarding the unity of the body; every church has need of this ministry of unity, in some particular form, in order that it can be the Church of God, the single Body of Christ, a sign of the whole's unity in the Kingdom" (Ministry, c. …

Early Christians Speak: Faith and Life in the First Three Centuries

Abstract: Early Christians Speak: Faith and Life in the First Three Centuries By Everett Ferguson Third edition Abilene: Abilene Christian University Press, 1999 ix + 266 pp $1795 (paper) An assignment that I would not accept with alacrity would be to write an introduction to early Christianity for a popular audience: such an endeavor seems like tiptoeing, or dashing madly through, a methodological and confessional minefield Therefore I admire Everett Ferguson's effort in Early Christians Speak, even if I don't agree fully with his suppositions and methods The first vexing question is where to draw the line, or lines The end of the third century marks a reasonable boundary since the early fourth century, with the demise of the Great Persecution and Constantine's accession, saw a profound change in the fortunes and circumstances of the Church The author states that the focus of his volume will be the second century, with "a stress on historical continuity" (p viii) between the first century and the third With this focus Ferguson provides an anthology cum introduction, offering nineteen chapters of about twelve pages each on a variety of topics, ranging from baptism (III-V), to worship (VI-XI), Church organization (XIV), discipline (XV), and ways of living in the world (XVI-XVIII) After an introduction, each chapter begins with citations by chapter and verse of some New Testament texts (Ferguson does not provide the texts themselves, assuming-bravely-that the reader knows them or will look them up) He then gives four to five pages of "Sources," translations of texts primarily from the second and third centuries, then five pages or so of "Discussion," Ferguson's commentary, followed by a "Bibliography" and "Notes" The "Sources" are helpfully numbered (eg, 112, 1118) for easy cross-referencing The book thus provides a good one-volume edition of selections and commentary at a reasonable price The Devil is not so much in these details, but in how one gets to them, and that is where one's methodological and confessional biases (let's be honest) come in Early Christians Speak appears to be written for "New Testament Christians" (p viii), those who look back to the first century as normative or those who know the early Church only through the first century of the Church's existence Thus Ferguson is providing a valuable service to those Christians who are unaware of the Church's continuing traditions after the apostolic age The author asserts, however, that a stress on "historical continuity" means that first-century Christian practices must be found in the second and that what existed later must be "derivative in some way from the New Testament situation" (p ix) Under this rubric a bishop like Saint Ignatius of Antioch, with his "monarchical episcopate," becomes problematic: Ignatius, whose symbolism and language are "hyperbolic," "appears to make exalted claims for the episcopal office" which "should not be pressed too far" (p 170) The book demonstrates other conservative Protestant positions: 1 Clement 42 does not evince apostolic succession (p 168); "otherworldly" ascetic piety, in the author's opinion, is "largely drawn from the philosophical traditions and not from Christian eschatology" (p 207), a view that would have appeared very strange to fourth-century monks with their quite pronounced biblical eschatology; there are three chapters on baptism and none on Saint Mary …

Accueillir l'étranger : immigration, integration and the French Catholic Church

Abstract: In 1990, Mgr Jacques Delaporte, Archbishop of Cambrai, the then president of the Commission episcopale francaise ‘Justice et Paix’ and formerly head of the Commission episcopale des migrations , called on behalf of the Church for the full integration of immigrants into French society on the grounds that ‘l'integration est sans doute, en effet, la solution la plus conforme au respect des Droits de l'homme auquel un chretien ne peut pas deroger’. This direct link between integration and human rights is significant in terms of the Church's response to the immigration question in France. For if, as has been argued, the publication of the 1789 Declaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen marks France out in the eyes of the world as the birthplace of human rights, then the Catholic Church was a late convert to the cause. Indeed, while Republican texts and constitutions have continually upheld and restated the principle of human rights since 1789, the Church only finally officially adopted a human rights stance after the Second World War with its approval of the December 1948 universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Church's evolution since that time is such that a human rights policy is now publicly voiced at all levels of the institution from ordinary priests to the Pope himself: for example, during his visit to Reims in September 1996 to celebrate the baptism of Clovis, King of the Franks, in 496 AD, John Paul II defined the Republican values of liberte, egalite, fraternite as ‘valeurs chretiennes’; and, during the Journees mondiales de la jeunesse catholique held in France in August 1997, the Pope saluted France as ‘le pays des droits de l'homme’, declaring that ‘la ou les hommes sont condamnes a vivre dans la misere, les droits de l'homme sont violes: s'unir pour les faire respecter est un devoir sacre’. In immediate post-war France, however, there were few services provided by the State, the Church or any other body which were dedicated to the reception and integration of immigrants. The government's Office national d'immigration had been created in 1945 in order to manage the post-war influx of European immigrant workers on which France had set her sights, but which failed to materialise, with immigration instead dominated at this time by workers from Algeria.

Sharing the House of God: Learning to Read Scripture with Anabaptists

Abstract: As any long-time participant in ecumenical engagements between diverse Christian traditions knows, it is one thing to locate one's disagreements with another Christian tradition in the context of theological argumentation, and it is quite another thing to locate oneself in relation to flesh-and-blood embodiments of another tradition. Once one discerns the presence of the transformative power of God in other Christian traditions, then one is forced to realign one's conceptual map in humble recognition that one has not yet discerned the "fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13) much less accepted all that could be shared if one were fully open to the Spirit's direction. My intermittent encounters as a child and adult with proponents and practitioners of Anabaptist theology and ethics over the past thirty-five years have repeatedly caused me to re-draw my conceptual map of the oikon tou theou ("house of God") as I have come to know a diverse company of Christians from Radical Reformation traditions through common worship, study, argument and friendship. As a theological ethicist in the United Methodist tradition, I like to tease my Mennonite friends about the risk they run in "consorting with people who war," as some eighteenth-century Mennonites in Eastern Pennsylvania referred to "the people called Methodist." I am no good judge of whether my engagements with the heirs of Menno Simons, Michael Sattler and Pilgram Marpeck have thus far done more harm than good. I am quite sure, however, many Mennonites have been--and continue to be--a "means of grace" for me even in the midst of what I take to be some rather significant disagreements about whether it is even necessary to talk about "means of grace" for the formation of Christian disciples. In fact, I not only literally learned to read with Mennonite children, but I have had the opportunity to share "the house" of the church with a variety of Anabaptist friends. Through our association I hope I have learned to be a better reader of scripture, although I cannot make that judgment apart from assessing my ongoing commitment to, and struggles with, the "people called Methodist." Much of what I have learned in this regard can be located in relation to my interest in John Howard Yoder's theological contributions. When I collected and edited Yoder's The Royal Priesthood: Essays Ecclesiological and Ecumenical (1994), I consciously tried to represent Yoder's work to mainline Protestant and Catholic readers. Several years ago, my friend Gerald Schlabach astutely observed that, as a theologian working out of a mainline Protestant tradition, I probably had to put this book together to begin locating my own differences with Yoder in these matters. He was fight. I was unable to begin to identify the significance of my differences with Yoder until I worked on that project. I knew that Yoder and I had strong differences in our understanding of the sacraments. I am much more at home with a theology of "the real presence" of Christ in the eucharist. I also think of baptism as first and foremost God's act in the church, a profound gift of grace to those who are baptized. I am fully aware that this view places me in striking disagreement with many Mennonites, as well as most Christians in Radical Reformation traditions. Mennonites have often expressed surprise that I could be so committed to the recovery of "giving and receiving counsel" and so unrepentant about infant baptism. (1) I understand their incredulity, since Methodists in American culture have been known more for our laxity than for our discipline in such matters. But I argue that baptism makes sense within the context of a "lifelong catechumenate" for all Christians. We grow into our baptism in much the same way that a novice grows into the monk's cowl that he receives upon entering a monastic order. (2) I believe--as Yoder did not believe-that as children of God we are formed for a life of faith through means of grace such as baptism and eucharist. …

Geloofsvolharding en moreel-etiese agteruitgang in die lig van die kenmotief in 2 Petrus 1:8-11

Abstract: Spiritual perseverance within the situation of moral-ethical degeneration as seen in the light of the motif of knowing in 2 Peter 1:8-11 The purpose of this article is to reflect on the significance of the motif of knowing in 2 Peter 1:8-11 for the current South African context. The motif of knowing in 2 Peter 1:8-11 gives special insight into the manner in which Christians in South Africa can be motivated to live according to God’s will. Believers must realize that a life style according to God’s will will have a positive effect on their knowledge of Jesus Christ, steadfastness in their belief and the certainty of their pretemporal election. On the other hand, somebody who lives according to his sinful desires disregards the meaning of his baptism. In this article an attempt is also made to show that Peter linked a life lived according to God’s will to enter into the eternal kingdom.

Ecumenism, Christian Origins and the Practice of Communion: Ecumenism and the practice of communion

Abstract: The starting point for this study was the recognition that the term koinonia has been used almost universally in current ecumenical discussion: in bilateral discussions like those of the Anglican–Roman Catholic International Commission and the Roman Catholic–Orthodox dialogue, and in multilateral discussions like those of the World Council of Churches' Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry process, and the Fifth World Conference on Faith and Order, whose report was entitled On the Way to Fuller Koinonia . Within the Roman Catholic Church there has since Vatican 2 (1962–5) been a striking convergence around the self-understanding of the Church as communion . There has also been a new recognition of the communion that already exists, though in various ways impaired, between the Roman Catholic Church and other ecclesial bodies. This willingness to recognise the ecclesial life of churches not in communion with the Bishop of Rome has brought Roman Catholicism much more fully into the ecumenical movement. If the churches have been discovering each other afresh in koinonia , this has by no means been simply a process of convergence. It has also been a process in which boundaries, such as those marked by the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopacy, and episcopacy itself, are being drawn more sharply. In this sense, the facing of new issues and new social situations is causing churches to review, and in some cases to define more sharply, the limits to communion. There are real tensions here, which are far from being resolved.