The African Church and COVID-19: Human Security, the Church, and Society in Kenya is a bold and incisive look at the African Church in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the book, contributors explore how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragilities of African society as well as the weaknesses in the Church’s role in helping and serving African communities. The African Church and COVID-19 analyzes the question of how the Church in Kenya should move forward in a post-COVID-19 era to address the vulnerabilities of socio-economic and political structures in Africa.
No more heartrending yet hopeful case study in Christian ethics exists than in the story of South African apartheid and its recent decisive transformation. John de Gruchy's authoritative and newly updated account of Christian complicity with and then resistance to one of the world's most notoriously repressive regimes holds indispensable lessons and "dangerous memories" for all concerned about evil, justice, and racial reconciliation.
This book provides an interdisciplinary exploration of the challenges faced by pastoral ministry in South African Pentecostalism as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as some interventions being made to manage these challenges. Contributors present descriptive approaches to churches’ reactions to lockdown measures, and especially the adaptations generated within Pentecostalism in South Africa. Through a variety of approaches—including pastoral care, virtual ecclesiology, social media, and missiology—contributors offer intervention techniques which can help readers to understand the unique role of Christian ministry during the pandemic, in South Africa and beyond.
The Africa Bible Commentary is a unique publishing event—the first one-volume Bible commentary produced in Africa by African theologians to meet the needs of African pastors, students, and lay leaders. Interpreting and applying the Bible in the light of African culture and realities, it furnishes powerful and relevant insights into the biblical text that transcend Africa in their significance. The Africa Bible Commentary gives a section-by-section interpretation that provides a contextual, readable, affordable, and immensely useful guide to the entire Bible. Readers around the world will benefit from and appreciate the commentary’s fresh insights and direct style that engage both heart and mind. Key features: · Produced by African biblical scholars, in Africa, for Africa—and for the world · Section-by-section interpretive commentary and application · More than 70 special articles dealing with topics of key importance in to ministry in Africa today, but that have global implications · 70 African contributors from both English- and French-speaking countries · Transcends the African context with insights into the biblical text and the Christian faith for readers worldwide
This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. This volume, the first of a two-volume work by Leonhard Goppelt, represents the most mature and comprehensive thought of this German New Testament scholar. Among German-speaking scholars it is distinguished as rivaling, if not replacing, the monumental work on New Testament theology by Rudolf Bultmann. A study of the life and ministry of Jesus, this volume makes a thoroughgoing application of the most reliable tools and insights of contemporary New Testament scholarship. Goppelt makes a critical examination of the sources for knowledge of the historical Jesus and maintains an ongoing conversation with the views of other interpreters. Although he sees his study as a "qualified conversation between exegetical and systematic theology," his goal is always to come to terms with the intent of the New Testament authors without losing sight of Jesus' meaning for today. The major themes developed are the coming of the Kingdom of God, repentance and the ethical directives of Jesus, repentance as the gift of God's Kingdom, Jesus' ministry of healing and eschatological renewal, Jesus' self- understanding, and the cross and resurrection. An appendix provides a history and shows the range of problems in New Testament theology. Here Goppelt also examines and evaluates the historical-critical, historical-positive, and Heilsgeschichtliche approaches. Each chapter includes a detailed bibliography in English and German.
Themes of identity, tradition, and belonging blend together in this collection of five plays celebrating South Africa's vibrancy and diversity. Delving into African mythology to uncover a rich tapestry of history, spirit, and ancestry, Staging Black, Queer South Africa: Plays for the Gods! offers profound insights into the contemporary Black queer experience, shedding light on the complex interplay between identity and tradition in modern South Africa. Drawing on long-held parables, such as Camus' Absurd Hero, this collection bridges the gap between Ritual Theatre and Theatre of the Absurd to fully evoke the paradox of being Black and queer in South Africa, with the collection coining the 'Absurd Ritual' genre. Touching on ideas of Ubungoma, IsiZulu Shamanism, and the legacy of queer individuals in African communities, the plays challenge long-held assumptions on whether queerness 'belongs' in traditional beliefs. Along with a contextualizing introduction by Dr. Princess Sibanda, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, and a personal preface by the playwright, Staging Black, Queer South Africa is a refreshing and often shocking look at the intersection of Blackness, queerness, and spirituality, and how this intersection is far from being a paradox.
The higher education landscape has arguably become one of the most arduous to traverse. More so in the African context, where a host of variables continiously challenge educators to reflect critically on their philosophies and practices as they engage an ever-changing audience. In this book, a critical engagement with theological education in Africa is offered. As the book originates from South Africa, it is presented as a South African perspective, although contributors are situated accross the African continent and abroad. The common denominator is that all contributers are, in some way or another, invested in theological education in Africa. The main contribution of this collaborative work is to be sought in the insights it offers on four main areas of theological education: A historical and current orientation on theological edcuation in Africa, some paradigm shifts in theological education in Africa, ministerial formation needs versus theological education challenges, and a critical reflection on elective models and methods. The book presents the original and innovative research of scholars for fellow scholars involved in theological higher education as it is grounded in the respective fields of interest of each contributor. It contributes to a better understanding of the complex African theological higher education landscape that is also mindful of post-COVID-19 realities. Methodologically the work draws on a combination of methods, including literature studies, empirical work, and in some cases sectional offerings from doctoral studies, as indicated in the various chapters.
A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.
Theology is, for many, far more than a profession. It is an identity, a passion, a way of life. While books on the topics of theology--theology as a discipline--are countless, books on the identity of the theologian are all too rare. How does someone reflect on the life and work of the theologian as a person? Hearing the wisdom of others who also walk the path is an excellent start. In this helpful volume, Van der Westhuizen has assembled an outstanding and diverse array of theologians who each offer their wisdom and reflection on what it means to be a theologian through a brief letter written to someone considering becoming a theologian. Each letter is as unique as its author, and together they form a rich symphony on the art and craft of being a theologian. Everyone engaged in the work of theology, whether first-year student or professor emeritus/a, will benefit from reading the fruits of centuries of collective work. With contributions by Hannah Reichel, Jrgen Moltmann, Miroslav Volf, Michael Welker, Richard Kearney, Piet Naud, Stanley Hauerwas, Nicholas Wolterstorff, Katherine Sonderegger, Jan-Olav Henriksen, Paul Nimmo, Kevin Vanhoozer, Bram van de Beek, Daniel Migliore, Wolfgang Hber, Ellen Charry, Emmanuel Katongole, Mitzi Smith, Tracy West, Adam Neder, Rachel Muers, Denise Ackermann, Catherine Keller, John deGruchy, Michael Mawson, Douglas Ottati, Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, Gijsbert van den Brink, Alister McGrath, Veli-Matti Krkkinen, Johan Cilliers, and Cynthia Rigsby.
World War I changed Karl Barth's theology forever. In this book William Klempa presents for the first time in English thirteen sermons that offer Barth's unique view and commentary on the Great War. Barth saw the war as "a unique time of God," believing it to represent God's judgment on militarism. The sermons reveal a deep strain of theological wrestling with the war's meaning, as Barth comes to see the conflict as the logical outcome of all human attempts to create God in our own image. As it demonstrates a decisive shift in Barth's early theology, this volume is essential for anyone who wishes to understand the twentieth century's greatest theologian.
