E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies最新文献

{"title":"The Darwinian Theory of Evolution and Creation Account of Genesis: Contradiction or Complementary?","authors":"I. Boaheng","doi":"10.38159/erats.20241056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20241056","url":null,"abstract":"The question of the origin of humans has been fiercely contested for a long period. One perspective is the creation model, which asserts that the Universe and all its components emerged through the deliberate actions of God, driven by design and purpose. Conversely, the evolution model posits that the Universe’s formation occurred solely through mechanistic processes, devoid of any supernatural intervention. Narrowing the scope to humanity, the evolution model contends for the gradual evolution of the human species through a process of descent with modification from an ancestor shared with apes, while the creation model proposes the direct creation of humankind by God in his image. Certainly, the implications either model has on human dignity are very important for human existence. Whether God created humankind directly or through evolution from an ape-like ancestor has a bearing on human dignity. It raises, for example, the question as to whose image humanity bears: God’s or apes’? The way one answers this question will definitely affect his or her human-divine and human-human relationships. A literary research approach was used to gather data from books, articles, and dissertations. The data were critically examined to consider the arguments for either side of the debate. It was found out that both biblical and scientific data may allow for variations within a particular species (microevolution) but not the production of one species from another (macroevolution). The findings suggest that the creation model must be accepted with its attendant implications for human dignity.\u0000\u0000Keywords: Evolution, Creation, Human Dignity, Origin","PeriodicalId":504182,"journal":{"name":"E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies","volume":"119 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141115522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the Role of Parents in Ensuring Child Welfare: Integration of Basic Needs, Education, and Christian Family Values in Indonesia","authors":"N. Boiliu, Reni Triposa","doi":"10.38159/erats.20241058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20241058","url":null,"abstract":"The perception that having children is an honor and aspiration illustrates the importance of genealogical elements within the family. This concept is linked to the belief that children, especially sons, are a gift and blessing from God. The child’s name is considered significant, often theophoric, reflecting the parents’ hopes, beliefs, and faith in God. In daily life, children play a crucial role in continuing the lineage, engaging in family work, and assisting in strengthening family authority and local governance. Education is imparted within the family, with the mother taking on the role of providing moral instruction, and the father providing religious and practical life teachings. Young girls are taught about their roles as wives and household managers. This research, therefore, aimed to explore the role of parents in ensuring the well-being of children. Based on the research findings, respondents acknowledged the crucial role of parents in ensuring the basic needs of children, shaping family culture, managing roles and responsibilities, preventing conflicts, and educating children about important social and cultural values. Open communication and a holistic approach, including religious values, were recognized as essential elements in the development of a healthy family. Based on this research, the researcher recommends developing and implementing educational programs for parents focusing on their crucial role in meeting the basic needs of children, shaping family culture, addressing roles and responsibilities, preventing conflicts, and imparting important social and cultural values to their children, encourage collaboration between churches, educational institutions, and government agencies to provide educational support and resources to Christian families.\u0000\u0000Keywords: Role of Parents, Child Welfare, Basic Needs, Education, Christian Family Values","PeriodicalId":504182,"journal":{"name":"E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141117420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insights on Leadership Succession from the Bible: A Guide for Ghanaian Churches","authors":"Richard Osei Akoto","doi":"10.38159/erats.202410510","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.202410510","url":null,"abstract":"This study explored the critical theme of leadership succession within Ghanaian Churches, drawing insights from the rich narratives of the Bible. The purpose of the study was to provide a comprehensive guide for Ghanaian Churches to navigate the complexities of leadership transition effectively, ensuring continuity and sustainability. Methodology-wise, the research employed a qualitative approach, delving deep into biblical narratives and extracting principles and lessons relevant to leadership succession. Findings revealed that the Bible offers a wealth of wisdom on leadership succession, emphasizing the importance of preparation, mentorship, and divine guidance. It underscored the significance of character, vision alignment, and the involvement of the wider community in the process. Based on these findings, the study offered several recommendations tailored to the Ghanaian Church context. These include the establishment of structured mentorship programmes, the cultivation of leadership pipelines, and the implementation of transparent and inclusive succession processes. This research highlights the relevance of biblical principles in addressing contemporary challenges facing leadership succession in Ghanaian Churches; it integrates timeless wisdom with modern insights. It underscores the importance of proactive planning, spiritual discernment, and communal participation in ensuring smooth leadership transitions for the long-term health and growth of Ghanaian Churches. The study contributes to the scholarship on leadership development and organizational sustainability within religious institutions.\u0000\u0000Keywords: Traits, Leadership, Leadership crisis, Succession, Contemporary Churches, Lessons","PeriodicalId":504182,"journal":{"name":"E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies","volume":"26 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141117343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Priestly Christology: A Biblical-Theological Investigation of Christ’s Priesthood","authors":"Desmond Tutu Osei-Acheampong","doi":"10.38159/erats.20241055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20241055","url":null,"abstract":"The concept of Christ’s Priesthood has been the subject of comprehensive research work in recent times. Despite several attempts to investigate the doctrine of Christ’s Priesthood waves a theological enigma. Thus, the study delved into the concept of Christology as denoted in the Scripture. This scholarly analysis focused on the qualities, which are linked to atonement and mediation. Christian theology has various viewpoints, but the primary model connects the sacrifice of Christ to His role as intercessor. The ontological model was a theological framework that stresses Christ’s priesthood on His personality and activities. The sacramental priesthood model denotes a correlation between Christ’s sacrificial act and His intercession in a heavenly realm, with distinct aspects following a predetermined sequence. The functional priesthood model is based on classical Protestant theology which portrays that the sacrifice of Christ and mediation are intrinsically interconnected with His being. The study employed a biblical-theological approach that sought to address the prevailing debates concerning Christ’s Priesthood. Thus, the study injects relevant sources to formulate and build the Christological concept. The research paper opined a holistic understanding of the nature of Christ and His transformative power to redeem humanity through the unction of the Holy Spirit. It is crystal clear that Christ sacrificed Himself to atone for all humankind’s sins. More importantly, the paper contributes to the current exploration of Priestly Christology, thus fostering a deeper understanding of Christ’s Priesthood and its significance to contemporary biblical theological discussion. It also helps to lay bare the salvific value of ecclesiology. This paper is recommended for biblical-theological historical students to advance and improve their studies.\u0000\u0000Keywords: Priestly Christology, Biblical-Theological, Evaluation, Christ’s Priesthood","PeriodicalId":504182,"journal":{"name":"E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies","volume":"9 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141114587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developing African Christian Leaders for Global Transformation","authors":"Kimion Tagwirei","doi":"10.38159/erats.20241057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20241057","url":null,"abstract":"Christianity is growing massively in the Global South, while it is declining in the rest of the world. This has changed the trajectory of missionary work. Africans used to be recipients, but are now benefactors who promote the gospel and lead mega-churches beyond their motherlands. Correspondingly, African Christian leaders ought to develop their capacities. While some of them appreciate the importance of leadership development, as confirmed by publicized leadership seminars and conferences, few African churches have contextualized Christian leadership development frameworks.Most problematically, countless Christian leaders have been the subjects of disturbing controversies, and they age and die without having prepared people to succeed them. By failing to do so, they betray the mission of God and the Church. Although having a call is invaluable for ministry and leadership, continuous leadership development is highly necessary for effectiveness, as ministerial needs grow daily while the capacities of Church leaders are limited. Applying grounded research as theory and engaging with contemporary literature, this paper reviewed African Christian leadership, and drew on leadership development models from the Old and New Testaments, in view of Malphurs and Mancini’s (2004) leadership development framework. This paper identified the necessity of contextualizing leadership development, appraising incumbent leaders, and addressing their situational challenges and needs, and recommends consistent holistic capacity enhancement in correspondence with changing times, contexts, people and places.\u0000\u0000 Keywords: Christian Leadership, Mission, Leadership Development, Sustainability, Transformation","PeriodicalId":504182,"journal":{"name":"E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies","volume":"73 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141116760","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"My Enemy is My Messiah and Savior: A Theological Analysis of Interpersonal Dialogue Between Jesus and The Samaritan Woman in John 4:1-42","authors":"S. B. Hakh","doi":"10.38159/erats.20241059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20241059","url":null,"abstract":"Research on the conversation of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well has recently been carried out by many scholars. This article therefore discussed the interpersonal dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, which enabled the Samaritan woman to change her attitude and welcome Jesus as the Messiah and Savior. The purpose of this research was to conduct a theological analysis of the change in the attitude of the Samaritan woman’s hostility that was seen in her conversation with Jesus. Through the interpersonal dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, there was a change in attitude towards Jesus with the outcome that Jesus was welcomed and recognized as the Messiah and Savior of the world. The research method used in writing this article was qualitative where the data was collected from books and articles for analysis. The result of the research is that the friendly and empathetic interpersonal dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman changed her attitude toward Jesus. Jesus was no longer considered the enemy but the Messiah and Savior. This article seeks to challenge churches in Indonesia, especially churches in East Nusa Tenggara, to play a role in intensifying interpersonal dialogue as a form of dialogue to resolve ethnic problems that arise in society.\u0000\u0000Keywords: Jesus, Samaritan Woman, Interpersonal Dialogue, Enemy, Messiah","PeriodicalId":504182,"journal":{"name":"E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies","volume":"98 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141116339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Groaning of Creation (Romans 8:19-22) and the Ecological Devastation of the Niger Delta, Nigeria","authors":"Peter Chidolue Onwuka","doi":"10.38159/erats.20241044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20241044","url":null,"abstract":"This work studied Romans 8:19-22 with a focus on the frustration human actions bring to the non-material creation which makes it yearn to be liberated from them and tries to see its relationship to the ecological devastation in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Using the historical-critical method of exegesis and comparative and contextual methods it maintains that there is a relationship between the image of creation painted in Rom 8:19-22 and the ecological situation in the Niger Delta. It holds that since humans played a major role in rendering the non-material creation incapable of realising its natural goal, humans also have a role to play in its restoration. It further states that since humanity through the Christ event has been reconciled to God and looks forward to the realisation of the fullness of such reconciliation, reconciled humans should relate to the rest of creation in such a way that it will also experience the effect of this reconciliation as it awaits its fullness in future. The paper contributes to the discussion on environmental realised eschatology.\u0000\u0000Keywords: Creation, Groaning, Niger Delta, Environment, Pollution","PeriodicalId":504182,"journal":{"name":"E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies","volume":"83 S12B","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140709297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Influence of African Traditional Beliefs and Practices on Neo-Prophetic Christianity: An Analysis","authors":"Prince Osei Yeboah, Ernest Owusu, Emmanuel Obimpeh-Quayson","doi":"10.38159/erats.20241043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20241043","url":null,"abstract":"The rapid expansion of the neo-prophetic strand of Pentecostal and Charismatic churches in Africa has resulted in much public and academic scrutiny against the backdrop of perceived appropriation of elements of indigenous African faith. Even though African countries have retained secularism in place of a state religion, many African states, notably Ghana, have remained steadfastly committed to their traditional religions, sometimes even working in tandem with monotheistic Abrahamic religions like Islam and Christianity. Unquestionably, indigenous African religious beliefs have had a significant impact on African mental matrixes, which in turn has affected the practice of Christianity. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate how Ghanaian Christianity was impacted by traditional African beliefs and customs. In particular, a study of neo-prophetic churches at Manso Dome-Beposo within the Ashanti Region of Ghana was employed. The data for the study was gathered using interview guidelines and qualitative approaches. The data collected was thematically analyzed in line with the reviewed literature. The study found that most prophetic explorations involve the use of rituals, artefacts, and stylistic forms, which are similar to Abisa in the Akan spiritual cosmology. The study found out again that, there are several elements suggestive of African traditional religious influence on Christianity. For instance, it was observed that the notion of the existence of evil spirits in Akan cosmology has strongly influenced contemporary prophetism in Ghana. The study concluded that although the idea that Christianity has been affected by African traditional religion may not have empirical validity, there are plenty of visible indicators to back up this assertion. It has been recommended that with the evidence of possible syncretism, a clear distinction should be made between the culture and the religious activities of the people since at times the church wrongfully accuses members even when they are performing culturing duties. This will help the church authorities to inculturate Christian liturgy.\u0000\u0000Keywords: Inculturation, African Traditional Religion, Syncretism","PeriodicalId":504182,"journal":{"name":"E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies","volume":"124 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140740567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Engaging the Evil Forces in the Spirit Realm: A Theology of Spiritual Warfare in African Neo-Pentecostal Spirituality","authors":"M. S. Kgatle","doi":"10.38159/erats.20241041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20241041","url":null,"abstract":"Prayer is traditionally used as a way of communicating with God and giving petitions to Him. However, within African neo-Pentecostal spirituality, prayer is more than communication and petitions; it is a way of addressing the evil forces in the spiritual realm. This is informed by the link that African neo-Pentecostals make between life challenges and evil forces in the spirit realm. In other words, problems such as diseases, sicknesses, miscarriages, misfortune, curses, and others are seen as coming from the spirit realm and as being caused by evil spirits. Surprisingly, even problems of unemployment, visa application, poverty, and inequality are linked to the evil forces in the spirit realm by some African neo-Pentecostals. Previous studies have addressed this phenomenon within the context of African neo-Pentecostal spirituality. What is new in this article is the development of a theology of spiritual warfare within the African neo-Pentecostal spirituality. This article argued that not every situation emanates from the spirit realm. Some challenges have a human element of incompetencies, greed, corruption, and so forth. The study is a literature review on spiritual warfare. The study makes a new contribution to the Pentecostal theology of spiritual warfare by paying attention to other life challenges that are not linked to evil forces. This changes how Pentecostal scholars and theologians study the concept of spiritual warfare, there is a need for considering other causative factors in life situations. It is recommended here that a Pentecostal theology of spiritual warfare should holistically look at life rather than always perceiving all life challenges as emanating from the spirit realm.\u0000\u0000Keywords: Evil Forces, Spirit Realm, Pentecostal Theology, Spiritual Warfare, African Neo-Pentecostal Spirituality","PeriodicalId":504182,"journal":{"name":"E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies","volume":"28 13","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140739879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Conundrum of Makoti in the Light of Proverbs 31:10-31: Decolonising Mislaid ‘African Patriarchy’","authors":"M. Phalatsi-Shilubana","doi":"10.38159/erats.20241042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20241042","url":null,"abstract":"The ideal wife, according to Proverb 31, is far more indispensable in any given society and plays a far less walk-over role in her marriage. Conversely, the highly recognised African term makoti, which originates from abroad (Dutch culture), reduces a newlywed to slave status, at least when understood from its linguistic context. This is because, according to the literature that is currently available, the term makoti originates from either the “Dutch/Afrikaans” phrase Maak ons tee, which roughly translates to “make us tea.” Consequently, when considered in light of Proverb 31 woman, the term makoti, as used in most African cultures, becomes problematic. This paper aimed to refute colonialist notions of African makoti by first describing the African daughter-in-law or recently married woman in the context of Proverb 31. Methodologically, through the employment of the decolonial theory and literature review, it confirmed that the esteemed African term makoti originates in Dutch culture rather than the African patriarchal corpus. The primary finding of this study was that, contrary to the stereotype of makoti that has been fortified by colonial context, the real African daughter-in-law is more akin to a Proverb 31 woman. The study concluded that correcting falsehoods like these contributes to the restoration of African culture’s dignity and the veracity of African history, while also challenging the continued colonial narratives that marginalize African women. This study enhances and contributes towards the decolonial agenda by dispelling stereotypes that misplace makoti as an invention of African culture.\u0000\u0000Keywords: Colonisation, Decoloniality, Religion, Culture, Patriarchy, African Makoti","PeriodicalId":504182,"journal":{"name":"E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies","volume":"79 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140736350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}