Recent Posts

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Papers & presentations / Hope, Desperation, and Fatalism A study of attitudes to peace within the ...

« Last post by Kristian Steiner on June 28, 2018, 04:41 PM »

This paper presents a study based upon semi-structured interviews with 33 Israeli Messianic and Palestinian Evangelical leaders, conducted in 2015-2017. The authors examine how these leaders articulate their hope for peace in the Middle East, their understanding of  the Middle Eastern conflicts, and how their theology is formed in interaction with these conflicts.
All interviewees underline the complexity of the conflicts, and, unlike Palestinian Evan¬gelical leaders, most Messianic leaders emphasize their permanence. The Messianic are pessimists regarding the future, and half of them describe the conflicts in fatalist end-time apocalyptic terms. This colors their hope for peace; they expect an escalation of the Middle Eastern conflicts. A majority of the Palestinian Evangelicals describe the current situation on the West Bank as unbearable and therefore tend to emphasize the necessity for peace and justice. Lastly, most Messianic interviewees prefer a one-state solution, and half of them are unwilling to grant Palestinians citizenship in a Greater Israel. A majority of the Palestinian evangelical leaders seems to prefer a two-state solution. Some accept a one-state solution provided it secures human rights and justice. Lastly, none of the Evangelical Palestinians leaders residing in proper Israel prefer to live in a future Palestinian state.

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Papers & presentations / Re: Community and Maturity

« Last post by Andy Wood on June 27, 2018, 10:50 AM »

This is a great paper, Walter! Thanks for sharing.

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Papers & presentations / “Quadrilateraling” in the Vineyard

« Last post by Luke Geraty on June 27, 2018, 08:18 AM »

Abstract:

In this paper, I am going to explore the relationship of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral with our Vineyard DNA, building on Thomas Lyons’ previous SVS 2013 paper. After establishing this interface, I suggest a number of ways in which this valuable method of theological reflection can be cultivated and maintained within the context of of the lived-out and practical ministry of the local church, especially related to community discipleship.

The full paper is attached to this post.

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Papers & presentations / Notes from the Margin: doing theology at the edges of culture, society, church

« Last post by Matte Downey on June 26, 2018, 11:42 AM »

Abstract:

Those who live in the mainstream segment of society do theology differently than those who exist on the margins. In my own experience, living as a minority has changed how I think about God, how I read the Bible, and how I view the world. This paper includes three stories from the margins: Hannah Clark, a female historian and pastor living in a remote locale, Chad Lucas, a black Nova Scotian working in mainly white contexts, and Hagar, the Egyptian slave in the household of Abram. When we deliberately sidestep the majority voices, we find that our emphasis on a powerful, Almighty God is challenged. Instead, we find a God who hears the cry of the outsider and who sees the plight of the powerless. In other words, we see Jesus.

The full paper is attached to this post.

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Papers & presentations / Speak Truth to Power: God’s Kingdom Against Empire

« Last post by Nick Fox on June 26, 2018, 07:16 AM »

Abstract:

There is an element present in the early church of the members of “the Way” standing up to oppressive power structures with great boldness and fearlessness.  This is not new with the early church, but is an element, which I call “Speak Truth to Power,” that is present in Moses and the Hebrew prophets, embodied in John the Baptist and Jesus, and is fundamental to the call of Christians throughout history.  After tracing this element through both Testaments, this paper explores some modern day examples of this discipline as well, including Quakers, Bayard Rustin, and others.  It highlights the cost of speaking up and the way the church in the 21st century is called and equipped to do so.

The full paper is attached to this post.

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Papers & presentations / Eschatology and Ecology: Prolepsis and Participation

« Last post by Frank Emanuel on June 26, 2018, 07:02 AM »

Abstract:

Evangelical Christians sometimes raise concerns about addressing ecological injustice in a world that is passing away. Our eschatological vision has a definite impact on our capacity for engaging with contemporary issues. This is particularly true regarding those issues that are hard to connect to our mainly anthropocentric concerns. Even when evangelicals do engage in addressing social injustices our engagement is often with little attention to building a future that includes the world God created. This paper will use an inaugurated-enacted Kingdom theology as a corrective to overly futurist eschatologies that struggle to engender legitimate ecological concern. This Kingdom theology will also be used as proof against an overly realized eschatology that can become indifferent to an eschatological hope for our future. My proposal is an eschatological vision for deep ecological engagement as a form of participating with the Father’s ongoing redemptive work in the world (cosmos) that God so loves. 

The full paper is attached to this post.

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Papers & presentations / A ‘Parting of the Ways’? The Vineyard and Today's Conservative Evangelicalism.

« Last post by Steve Burnhope on June 26, 2018, 05:53 AM »

Abstract
During a period of time in the post-New Testament era, the boundary dates of which are debated by scholars but of limited significance for our purposes, there came about a gradual but ultimately clear ‘parting of the ways’ between the nascent Jesus-following movement that in due course came to be known as ‘Christianity’ and the contemporary Judaism in which it was inculcated and its cultural, theological and ethnic points of reference were first located.
It is interesting that the Apostle Paul never referred to this movement as ‘Christianity’ or to himself as ‘a Christian’; indeed, many scholars would argue that he never consciously left his native Judaism. ‘Christianity’, for Paul, was simply authentic Judaism, in full and faithful continuity with the nature, character and purposes of the God of Israel.
In the Early Church’s teaching and praxis, however, we see a developing recognition of the cultural, theological and ethnic implications of Jesus as the Messiah and the sending of the eschatological Spirit. This led to an emerging consensus that the context in which the movement was originally comfortable to be situated was no longer sufficiently compatible with it to continue to treat the two as fully consonant. 

This paper explores the idea that an analogous ‘parting of the ways’ may in due course come about with respect to the Vineyard movement and the conservative evangelicalism in which it was inculcated and its cultural and theological points of reference were first located, notwithstanding that it can be expected to continue to affirm a shared heritage and family resemblance. 

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Papers & presentations / Plenary Panel: Entangled in Babylon, Free in Christ ('Evangelicalism')

« Last post by Steve Burnhope on June 26, 2018, 05:47 AM »

The short paper from that first session is attached

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Papers & presentations / Is Mary Also Among the Prophets?

« Last post by Ryan Ramsey on June 26, 2018, 05:46 AM »

Abstract:

Though not explicitly identified as a prophet in the Bible, Mary has long been understood as one. By developing a description of prophethood and examining how Mary is characterized in the Lukan infancy narrative, this essay contends that Luke characterizes her as a prophet. The author first explores first century Greco-Roman and Jewish understandings of prophecy. He then situates Mary beside later theological conceptions of prophecy. This works toward a thorough description of prophecy beside which the biblical text can be read. Drawing especially on feminist interpretations of Mary, the author shows how the intertext parallels Mary alongside prophets from the Hebrew Bible as well as other prophetic characters within the Lukan infancy narrative. The paper concludes with practical considerations for how contemporary churches can recognize prophets.

The full paper is attached to this post.

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Papers & presentations / Live Move Be

« Last post by Andy McDonald on June 25, 2018, 09:00 PM »

This paper presents a perspective on theatrical dance as a unique contributor to the theology of place and identity. Following a brief review of two historical anecdotes relating to evangelicals and dance, explorations in the theology of place, movement and encounter are suggested as a means of developing a greater understanding of various aspects of the social, political and ecclesiastical identities of believers within their contexts. It is postulated that if the dancer's contribution is unique it is therefore essential to a complete theology concerning the humanities.