Quote from Practical Theologian Dennis McCann, in a broader quote from Emmanuel Y. Lartey "McCann argues that there are 'two demons' that plague the efforts of Christian activists, namely, on the one hand, 'excessive spiritualization' and, on the other, 'politicization.' Each of these is an evasion of the demands of Christian social witness triggered by …
Month: March 2015
Culture and Theological Ducks, Part #2
Part #1 looked at perspective regarding culture. Instead of rehashing... please READ IT. Now let's apply this to Theology. Theology is a system of symbols and concepts shared (typically) by a group. So while theology may not constitute a culture, it certainly constitutes a major aspect of a culture (or sub-culture). Like culture, theology is …
5 Trends in Global Missions | Seedbed
A simple article on five major trends: (1) Global (Non-Western) missions, (2) focus on least-reached people, (3) greater urban focus, (4) increased role of diaspora, and (5) newer definitions for missionaries. You can read this article below. 5 Trends in Global Missions | Seedbed. Or you can read a longer, similar, article. 5 Trends in …
Culture and Theological Ducks. Part #1
Imagine that you are walking along the bank of a river. You look into the river... but you have difficulty seeing much beyond the surface. Sure, you can see the surface of the river. You can see the ripples on the surface. But below that is rather obscured. Reflections of light off of the surface …
Cultural Labeling and “Motive Glasses”
A fascinating study done by David Rosenhan of Stanford University illustrates the impact of psychiatric labeling. Rosenhan and several colleagues had themselves committed to mental hospitals with a diagnosis of "schizophrenia." After being admitted, each of these pseudo-patients dropped all pretense of mental illness. Yet, even though they acted completely normal, none of the researchers …
Power Without Accountability, Part 3.
My suggestion in the previous two posts is that the church has brought in the Power structures of history and surrounding social structures. Yet the church is meant to be unique in many ways. Among those, we are supposed to turn power upside down. We have trouble with this. I have a(n) FB friend who …
Power Without Accountability, Part 2
We see all of the problems with power in an ecclesiastical (church) setting so a good question would not only be "Why do we have problems with power in the church?" but also "Why do we actively perpetuate power that leads to problems in the church?" Acknowledging lack of extensive expertise in this? I think …
Power Without Accountability. Part 1.
"Abuse of Power". Seems almost like a redundant expression, doesn't it? In Christian Circles, another abuse pops up in the news nearly daily. Such abuse may demonstrate itself in different ways: Sexual and Physical abuse. Of course, the Catholic Church has taken a hit on this one. Once reports started hitting the media, that denomination …