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[The overarching theme of SVS 2018 is “Theology and Place.” The conference will focus on dialogue around the many diverse ways that the contexts in which we live and minister – geographical, social, and political – shape and inform our theological ideas and practices.]

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SVS News / An Invitation to SVS 2018

« Last post by Caleb Maskell on April 10, 2018, 09:54 PM »

Registration is now open for the ninth annual Society of Vineyard Scholars conference. Check out this video invitation from Caleb Maskell.

The overarching theme of SVS 2018 is “Theology and Place.” The conference will focus on dialogue around the many diverse ways that the contexts in which we live and minister – geographical, social, and political – shape and inform our theological ideas and practices.

The conference will be held on June 19-21, 2018 on the campus of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY.

Register for SVS 2018 today!

 

Check out the SVS 2018 conference page for all further details

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SVS News / Re: SVS 2018: June 19-21 at Asbury Theological Seminary

« Last post by Geoffrey Wanjala Munialo on March 28, 2018, 12:56 PM »

I look forward to a great time of learning and fellowship.

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Papers & presentations / The Church and the Mentally Ill: Deep Responsibilities, Rich Opportunities

« Last post by Vicky Sigworth on January 29, 2018, 04:53 PM »

Abstract:

Persons with mental illness are weaker parts of the Body of Christ, and thus are indispensable to the Church (1 Cor. 12:22).  They are rightfully to be treated with special honor. Along with this responsibility the Church also has a rich opportunity, as the Body of Christ is uniquely positioned to provide healing for underlying causes of mental illness. A 1992 World Health Organization study showed that a person living in a developing country such as India or Nigeria was much more likely to have a good outcome from schizophrenia than a person in the United States. From this and other studies some have concluded that the social supports in a developing country can bring about wholeness in cases where a modern medical system fails.  We argue that the Church’s invitation to those suffering from mental illness, to welcome them into the fellowship of the Body of Christ, is a precious opportunity for bringing the Kingdom to a dark corner of our society, while also enriching the Church.

The full paper is attached to this post.

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Papers & presentations / Nationalist Structures and the Kingdom of God

« Last post by Tori Rowe on January 29, 2018, 04:52 PM »

Abstract:

Modern formulations of nationality and nationalism are inextricable from religious identity, because it was formed out of Christian cultural structures. However, nationalism as it is
experienced in 2017 is surely not the same as the proto-nationalism of pre-modernity, and neither is the Church’s formation. Both require temporal and positional location, which is provided through the theoretical lens of institutions and systems. Using this framework, built chiefly through the work of Benedict Anderson, Mary Douglas, and Benjamin Moffit, I will explain the rise of nationalism, its maturation, and locate populism as the dominant form that it takes in our present era. From this place, I will identify a structural malformation that has occurred in the Church as a result of increasing, global populism and its endless crises, which is the first step in taking a corrective course of action. This comprehensive argument requires something of a 30,000-foot perspective over the subjects at hand. However, this overview is necessary to expose the systems and categories of thought that are improperly bridging nationalism and Christian institutions and through which the Church’s witness to the Kingdom of God is being damned.

The full paper is attached to this post.

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Papers & presentations / Artist’s Reflection: "And the Darkness Has Not Overcome Us"

« Last post by Shin Maeng on January 29, 2018, 04:50 PM »

Abstract:

This piece is called "And The Darkness Has Not Overcome Us". It is based on John 1:5. As I painted this piece. I wanted to point to the darkness that it is a very present reality. As well as the glowing regal-ness of the figure. She is black, tall, strong, wise and clothed by Christ. The darkness is all around but she will prevail. Just as Christ has prevailed over sin and death.

The full paper is attached to this post.

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Papers & presentations / Towards a Sacramental View of Glossolalia

« Last post by Randal Ackland on January 29, 2018, 04:48 PM »

Abstract:

An unreflective sacramentalism seems to erupt from the lived-spirituality of God’s people.1 No better example of that is how glossolalia functioned for the early Pentecostals. This paper will briefly outline the contemporary scholarship on sacramental glossolalia. It will highlight examples of rudimentary sacramental glossolalia from the early Pentecostal periodicals and it will propose questions for further theological discussion.

The full paper is attached to this post.

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Papers & presentations / Kingdom Decentralization and Inclusion

« Last post by Nick Fox on January 29, 2018, 04:47 PM »

Abstract:

The phrase “kingdom of God” has meant many different things to many different people. An honest evaluation of the kingdom of God requires a return to the way Jesus meant it in the first century, apart from the myriad layers that have piled upon it over the centuries, and a look at the key differences between the kingdom Jesus announced versus the power structures of his day. The key differences in Jesus’ kingdom against the backdrop of first century Judaism were decentralization and inclusion. These are fleshed out thoroughly in the two-volume work of Luke-Acts. These central values of the kingdom provide a challenge to the contemporary church as it seeks to be kingdom centered in the way Jesus was.

The full paper is attached to this post.

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Papers & presentations / Learning to be Free: In Search of a Vineyard Theology of Conversion

« Last post by Michelle Wilson on January 29, 2018, 04:44 PM »

Abstract:

Having taught a number of workshops on sharing faith through praying for others in Vineyard churches, I find that many people are eager to pray for non-Christian friends but struggle with articulating an invitation to follow Jesus. This paper suggests the difficultly lies in an inadequate theology of conversion.

The classic Vineyard approach to power evangelism is based on a narrative theology of the Kingdom that lends itself naturally to Christus Victor models of the atonement. But, ties to broader evangelicalism have often kept propositional assent to penal substitution at the center of how we understand conversion. Looking at the Kingdom narrative through the lens of Paulo Friere’s critical pedagogy and Jose Comblin’s liberation pneumatology to see conversion as a freedom-learning event, this paper develops a proposed set of criteria for an atonement model consistent with Vineyard theology. It then evaluates penal substitution, Christus Victor (“fishhook”), and recapitulation models based on these criteria and argues that a version of the Christus Victor model that incorporates recapitulation (after the fashion of Irenaeus) is most consistent with a Vineyard theological perspective. Ideas for how this might affect evangelism in the Vineyard are briefly considered.

The full paper is attached to this post.

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Papers & presentations / Christians, Muslims, and the Reign of God: An Experiment in Interfaith Dialogue

« Last post by Michelle Wilson on January 29, 2018, 04:42 PM »

Abstract:

Evangelical pastors often feel conflicted about interfaith dialogue due to perceived conflict between sharing the gospel and loving one’s neighbor. This paper will argue that The New Testament narrative of the Reign of God, interpreted from the perspective of critical pedagogy, provides a theologically grounded model for evangelical engagement in interfaith dialogue and cooperation. It also suggests a model for what such dialogue might look like in the context of one Vineyard church’s journey of relationship with a neighboring Islamic Center.

The full paper is attached to this post.

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Papers & presentations / A Kingdom-Oriented Response to Immigration and Refugees

« Last post by Mia Fioritto Rubin on January 29, 2018, 04:39 PM »

Abstract:

The VUSA 2009 Position Paper on Undocumented Immigrants begins with the question:

How should our pastors balance submitting to the government authorities (Romans 13:1) while showing hospitality to foreigners (Leviticus 18:33-34) and seeking justice for the poor, needy and alien (Ezekiel 22:29)?

Awareness of the need to balance submission to authority with hospitality and justice is an excellent starting point as we discern how we should speak and think about immigrants and the process of immigration, and also how we ought to interact with immigrants in our lives outside o the church. However, it stops short of addressing the full issue as it is lived within the church. The author, in acknowledging this shortcoming, uses language which reveals what I believe to be the most pressing issue pertaining to discipleship of undocumented immigrants within our churches. The author states:

We recognize that perspectives within our movement widely vary about how to handle this issue from a public policy perspective. We also recognize that these principles do not address the moral questions regarding undocumented immigration. Some in The Vineyard would regard as immoral the choice to live in the U.S. without documentation. Others would have more sympathy for undocumented immigrants, pointing to the intolerable conditions they are fleeing at great personal risk and to the scant hope of obtaining work visas within a reasonable time frame. It is beyond the scope of this paper to suggest any legislative policy or provide arguments for or against the morality of the situation. (emphasis mine)

Commitment to holiness and obedience is presented at odds with sympathy and mercy. God, on the other hand, does not separate his expectation of holiness from the radical grace he offers. He offers radical grace on the cross because we have fallen short of his expectations, but he continues to call us into a life that meets those expectation.

In my experience, most churches and most individuals swing one way or another. We are holiness people or we are mercy people. It is very difficult for us to enact both sides but that is exactly what God does and what he expects us to do in our own lives and in our discipleship relationships with others. When we encounter someone who has entered the country or remained in our country in a manner that is contrary to our laws, we must not shy away from calling that what it is—it is a moment in which that person broke the law and became our neighbor. We must welcome them with Christ-like love, seeking justice and wholeness in their lives, and also, if the Holy Spirit convicts us that they broke the law in a sinful manner, we must call them out of that sin.

The principles laid out in the position paper do balance mercy with holiness, but it is difficult to apply these principles to a situation we do not understand and that can vary so greatly from person to person. For that reason, we ought to seek to understand the law, current events, and the story of the person in front of us before we decide what attitude or action to take. As we do this, we must remember that the Holy Spirit empowers us with wisdom and understanding beyond our human capacity and will guide us through the confusion and the fear we will feel.

The full paper is attached to this post.