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Article Archive for May 2015

Reflection
May 3, 2015 – 6:10 pm | Comments Off on Reflection
Reflection

by Bill Simpson

Here are thoughts on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, AL, a day that shocked the nation and galvanized a process that transformed America.

Catalyst for Change
May 3, 2015 – 6:09 pm | Comments Off on Catalyst for Change
Catalyst for Change

by Rhonda K. Kruse

Strong congregational leadership is needed to encourage the church to remind people that church is not just a place to go, but a way to live our lives; that Jesus calls the church to focus on discipleship not membership, on service not growth, on mission and ministry, not buildings and structure.

Toleration and Tolerance in the Middle Ages—Medieval Perspectives for Our Future
May 3, 2015 – 6:08 pm | Comments Off on Toleration and Tolerance in the Middle Ages—Medieval Perspectives for Our Future
Toleration and Tolerance in the Middle Ages—Medieval Perspectives for Our Future

by Albrecht Classen

Many people regard the Middle Ages as a time when the people endured great stress, a time unique in history. The author disagrees with those sentiments and feels that what occurred in the Middle Ages was different from our contemporary stresses but neither worse nor better. This is an eye-opening read.

Smoked Ham
May 3, 2015 – 6:07 pm | Comments Off on Smoked Ham
Smoked Ham

by Donna Schaper

The role of the swine in Mark 5 that cured the legion-filled demoniac is rarely discussed. The author asks if we really need a displacement to heal? Does the devil have to be put in an animal considered unclean in religious and hygienic terms–for change to come? These are among the questions designed to encourage pastors to seek new insights on ancient tales.

The Spirit and Proclamation: A Pneumatological Theology of Preaching. Part I
May 3, 2015 – 6:06 pm | Comments Off on The Spirit and Proclamation: A Pneumatological Theology of Preaching. Part I
The Spirit and Proclamation: A Pneumatological Theology of Preaching. Part I

by Amos Yong

This article is divided into three consecutive parts: The intuition behind this essay is that the dynamic character of Christian preaching should be explicated theologically in terms of its orality and ontologically in terms of its audibility. We will explore the orality of preaching and do so in conversation with the oral culture of Pentecostalism.

Orality and the Sound of the Spirit: Intoning an Acoustemological Pneumatology. Part II
May 3, 2015 – 6:05 pm | Comments Off on Orality and the Sound of the Spirit: Intoning an Acoustemological Pneumatology. Part II
Orality and the Sound of the Spirit: Intoning an Acoustemological Pneumatology. Part II

by Amos Yong

In order to probe deeper into the implications of orality for a theology of preaching, the author expands the field of analysis to include both the nature of speaking vis-à-vis vocalization and the nature of hearing in relationship to sound.

Proclamation in/of the Spirit: Toward a Pneumatological Theology of Preaching. Part III
May 3, 2015 – 6:04 pm | Comments Off on Proclamation in/of the Spirit: Toward a Pneumatological Theology of Preaching. Part III
Proclamation in/of the Spirit: Toward a Pneumatological Theology of Preaching. Part III

by Amos Yong

A pneumatological theology of preaching connects the past to the present through the biblical witness. Chronologically, we might say that we have three sets of events: those behind the biblical text; those constituting the scriptural witness; and those in front of the text, receptors of its legacy and message.

Book Review: Embodying Grace: Proclaiming Justification in the Real World by Andrea Bieler and Hans-Martin Gutman
May 3, 2015 – 6:03 pm | Comments Off on Book Review: Embodying Grace: Proclaiming Justification in the Real World by Andrea Bieler and Hans-Martin Gutman
Book Review: Embodying Grace: Proclaiming Justification in the Real World by Andrea Bieler and Hans-Martin Gutman

Reviewed by Neal Presa

As a volume written from and for Global North contexts, Bieler and Gutmann call preachers to synchronic the “how” (form) and the “what” (content) of preaching to the “life-worlds” of parishioners, specifically, and the human family, more broadly.

Bible and Secular Quotes Concerning Transformation
May 3, 2015 – 6:02 pm | Comments Off on Bible and Secular Quotes Concerning Transformation
Bible and Secular Quotes Concerning Transformation

by Darla Turlington

Sometimes a Biblical or other quote may come in handy to help a preacher strengthen a point within a sermon or the point of the sermon itself. Our compiler has delivered an interesting potpourri of temptation-apt quotes for our readers.

Letter from the Editor-in-Chief
May 3, 2015 – 6:01 pm | Comments Off on Letter from the Editor-in-Chief
Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

by Jin Hee Han

Easter confirms the promise of transformation (metamorphosis). Nature has been transformed, and hope is renewed. Our preachers and theologians in this issue call upon us to dare to hope and pursue the path of transformation with a note that our posture is more of a receiver than of a maker of the change.