This is the first of twelve envisaged volumes on “An Earthed Faith” that will together explore twelve core aspects of the Christian Faith from the perspective of contemporary ecotheology. The sub-title explains that this requires a retelling of the Christian story of who God is and what God may be doing in the context of the so-called “Anthropocene”, the epoch in which (some) humans have disrupted nothing less than the balance between biosphere, the atmosphere, the geosphere and the hydrosphere. “What on Earth is God doing?” one may well want to ask in a time like this.
The first volume focuses on a core question, namely the relationship between the Christian story and the universe story. Does the Christian story form part of the universe story or is it the other way around? Addressing this question is like taking a deep breath before one can begin to tell the story. That Breath acknowledges the role of God’s Spirit as being involved from the beginning.
In this video, you will meet the editors of the book: A critical engagement with theological education in Africa: A South African perspective. Hannes Knoetze and Alfred Brunsdon share the rationale behind the research and provide the viewer with a short overview of the content and what they think the significance of the book is.
Over the last few decades, various forms of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) have been introduced to facilitate the transition from social conflict to a new dispensation. While the proceedings of TRCs attract much interest, they are highly contested socio-political processes. Indeed, in situations of conflict, the need for as well as the terms of reconciliation between conflicting parties is highly contested. The first volume of the transnational research project, ReconTrans explores a fundamental question: do TRC processes in South Africa, Canada and Norway trade justice for peace in pursuit of reconciliation?
The book is the final result of the 5th Pan African Conference by the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians (The Circle) that took place in Botswana Gaborone in July 2019. The book centers on the growing global ecological crisis and how different stakeholders are impacted by it. For example, climate change has and will continue to have a major impact on African women who primarily depend on the land for their livelihoods. Contributions therefore re-imagine and re-interpret human relationships with Earth by interrogating how religious and cultural constructions that connect gender to Earth impact the lives of African women. Each contribution probes these constructions and re-imagines them for the empowerment of Earth, African continent, African women, and their communities.
Contributions are by scholars from religious studies, theology, environmental law and policy, tourism, Agricultural science, national resources, and economics who explore life-affirming and life-enhancing human relationships to Earth in the face of a growing global environmental crisis. It is divided into three parts namely: Creation, the Trinity, and Mother Africa; Caring for Mother Africa; Mother Africa, her daughters’ In/fertility, and gender relations. The significance of this book lies therein that it sheds light on the lived (and unseen) realities of individuals while contributing meaningfully to the scholarly community, policymakers, faith-based organizations, and the general public.
This scholarly book is the final result of a team-research project, done by ten Practical Theologians from three denominations in the Reformed tradition in South Africa.
We posed the following research problem and -question: What would be the relationship (if any) between preaching (and the liturgy of which it is a part) and the development of missional congregations? And secondly, what kind of preaching and preacher would best serve (even facilitate) such a process of missional congregational development in preaching and worship?
We did both empirical research on the living text as it is in Congregations as well as draw upon the rich literature research within our field – the so-called more normative text. We discerned 43 congregations in the three mainline Afrikaans speaking denominations in the Reformed tradition in South Africa. We opted for congregations where we as researchers observed and discerned a healthy example of a faithful missional congregation is developing.
This book is indeed a book written by scholars for scholars. And we hope that one of the remarks of one of the peer-reviewers may become true: “It is my opinion that this book will become one of the primary resources for both students and academics in their mission to re-enculturate missional congregations.”
To continue to be prosperous and thriving during these transformative periods requires cutting-edge intelligence and character.
The book offers you practical tools to develop such a cutting-edge character and intelligence.
Up to date, no comprehensive biblical theology in which the concept of life is traced throughout the different books and corpora of the Old and New Testament has been published. It is this lacuna that the current publication aims to fill. This volume traces the concept of life in the New Testament, while the prior volume does the same for the Old Testament. The primary aim of this publication is to give an indication of the different nuances of the concept of life in the various books and corpora of the New Testament by providing the reader with a book-by-book overview of the concept of life. In the OER the two editors give an overview of the book, its origin, and findings.
Up to date, no comprehensive biblical theology in which the concept of life is traced throughout the different books and corpora of the Old and New Testament has been published. It is this lacuna that the current publication aims to fill. This volume traces the concept of life in the Old Testament, while the subsequent volume does the same for the New Testament. The primary aim of this publication is to give an indication of the different nuances of the concept of life in the various books and corpora of the Old Testament by providing the reader with a book-by-book overview of the concept of life. In the OER the two editors give an overview of the book, its origin and findings.
This publication engages in the modern-day discourse about ‘flourishing life’ by proposing relevant theological perspectives on the concept of life and, in particular, its relevance for Christians living in this age and in an environment that poses major challenges to public morality and the common good. In conjunction with the emerging theological interest in the concept of life, this project is a modest attempt to take part in the advancement of an ethic of life for today, under the rubric of an ethic of flourishing personhood. The point of departure is the biblical concept of the gift of life and what this gift entails for understanding human life, personhood, and moral agency today.
The book is a contribution on ethics connected to banking, as viewed from a Christian ethical and pastoral perspective. A comprehensive paradigm for Christian banking is presented, as based on a thorough elaboration of philosophical, historical and biblical sources.
Readers of the monograph may benefit by learning about a new banking paradigm based on Christian moral norms. In addition to direct application to banking praxis, readers may take away knowledge that is applicable to any field of business, also when not in direct connection to banking activities.