By: Michael Badriaki on February 16, 2014
A friend asked me to discuss the understanding of suffering from an African theological perspective and I was glad because it was a chance to think locally. I reflected back on my African context and was reminded that one ought to pay a significant amount of attention to any African historical context in order to…
By: rhbaker275 on February 15, 2014
We might think that Christianity, though scripture and tradition, has always been understood in terms of context. This, however, it seems is not the case. D.W. Bebbington, in his work on the history of evangelicalism,[1] provides the reader with a thread or theme that attaches the history of evangelicalism to culture. The rise and fall…
By: Bill Dobrenen on February 15, 2014
While in a department meeting at my college this week, an opportunity raised its head for me to speak from this week’s reading, and I was excited to share. So I read: Public theology, as I understand it, is not primarily and directly evangelical theology which addresses the Gospel to the world in the hope…
By: Telile Fikru Badecha on February 15, 2014
Our readings for this week, especially the articles under the category of Practical and Contextual theology resonate with me a lot. I was reminded of my personal faith journey; the ways the Christian culture I was raised in informed my perspectives about my own identity, my place in my community and the world around me.…
By: Mitch Arbelaez on February 14, 2014
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. To incarnate (become flesh,) to flesh out Jesus into our world truly is the missionary, no, it is every believer’s calling. It is through…
By: John Woodward on February 14, 2014
I grew up in family that didn’t talk politics and to this day I still feel discomfort when conversations turn political. For years I silently witnessed the Church’s attempt at political involvement with much sadness and confusion, not quite sure how to respond but knowing that something was missing. After all its efforts, the Church…
By: Liz Linssen on February 14, 2014
Theology and culture – two seemingly incompatible fields at first glance, yet two voices that have much to learn from each other. In this whole examination of the relationship between theology and culture, it can almost appear as if we’re trying to mix oil and water, yet these two disciplines need to interact and find…
By: Julie Dodge on February 14, 2014
There’s a new pope in town and he’s making a splash. Time magazine named him Person of the Year for 2013. So did The Advocate, a magazine focused on lesbian and gay issues. What’s the big deal about Pope Francis II? Perhaps it is the fact that he ditched the red shoes, the papal mansion,…
By: Carol McLaughlin on February 14, 2014
Public theology, civil theology and private theology resemble intersections that connect with one another. But rather than a convergence of streets into a shared one way space, such as Trafalgar Square in London or traffic roundabouts designed to ease traffic flow in urban spaces, these resemble networks with hubs linking one to the other. It…
By: Richard Volzke on February 14, 2014
Apologetics and Theology This week’s readings reminded me of the apologetics courses that I took at Wesley Biblical Seminary. The section from Speaking of God in Public, by Graham, Walton, and Ward, reminded me of a book that I have previously read by Groothuis, called Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith. Both of…
By: Ashley Goad on February 13, 2014
I grew up in North Carolina in a traditional Southern culture. Shrimp and grits, homemade biscuits, sweet tea, ladies in pearls and men in seersucker suits were everyday, normal ways of life. Religion and politics were “no-no’s” at dinner parties, and everyone always dressed in their Sunday best to go to Meeting for worship. And…
By: Deve Persad on February 13, 2014
When the apostle Paul stood among the statues and idols in the city of Athens, he took some time to understand not only his physical surroundings but, more importantly the people within that particular surrounding. He had a message that he needed to transmit, but he first needed to get some clarity about the frequency…
By: Raphael Samuel on February 8, 2014
My first knowledge of the “term evangelical” came during early days of my conversion, as I began mingling in Christian circles. Evangelical was actually the name of a Christian denomination. As a young believer the differences between the, denomination of which I was a member and the evangelical denomination, were made expressively clear. It…
By: John Woodward on February 8, 2014
“We are New Testament Christians. We have no creed but Christ. Where the Bible speaks, we speak. Where the Bible is silent, we are silent.” And so went the basic beliefs of the church I attended during my college years and for many years after. Each foundational statement sounded really good. But, something was amiss.…
By: Carol McLaughlin on February 8, 2014
As I reached the later stages of D.W. Bebbington’s insightful look into Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s I felt as if I was glimpsing into the past to see and understand the present. I related to the history and development of Evangelicalism through my experience growing up in…
By: Richard Volzke on February 7, 2014
Evangelicalism David Bebbington’s book, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain, traces the history of the evangelical movement in Britain from the 1700’s through the 1980’s. I appreciate how the author describes the different nuances of evangelicalism that have been found throughout the history of English culture from the time of John Wesley through the 20th century. Bebbington…
By: Mitch Arbelaez on February 7, 2014
The religious history of England has always been of great interest to me on two accounts. First, I am an ordained Anglican Priest having my ordination papers commissioned in Canterbury, under the Anglican Bishop. Second, as an International Missions Mobilizer I teach workshops wherein we discuss three groups of nations—Unreached nations, Emerging Christian nations, and…
By: Stefania Tarasut on February 7, 2014
Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s By: D. W. Bebbington “We’ve always done it this way… why do you have to challenge it?” This has been the most popular question in my life. For the longest time I didn’t know how to answer, so I would smile and walk away. Reading though Evangelicalism…
By: Liz Linssen on February 7, 2014
Prior to reading Bebbington, I considered myself an Evangelical. Now following his reading, I better understand why. Having not been brought up in a religious home, I became born-again almost by ‘accident’ in my late teens, and was subsequently guided to a local Baptist Church. There I was given a Bible, which I was told…
By: Miriam Mendez on February 7, 2014
There are some words that can conjure up an assortment of feelings, moods and attitudes. Those feelings can be both positive and negative. Evangelical is one of those words. When you hear the word “evangelical” what or who comes to mind? I randomly asked some people to answer this question with one word or phrase,…
