The implementation of Jesus' transformative leadership in leaders and activists of the Protestant Christian church in Bali, Indonesia

Jesus Christ is a role model for leaders, with His leadership still relevant until now. Jesus brought transformation to His community, and this transformative leadership model is needed to renew church ministry and evangelism. This article aims to find out the level of implementation of Jesus' transformative leadership among church leaders and activists of the Protestant Christian Church in Bali (GKPB) at Denpasar. This “traditional” church needs transformation to improve its quality and range of services outside Bali Island. The research used a quantitative method by measuring the Four Dimensions (D) in the concept of transformative leadership of Jesus according to the Gospel of Matthew. Results show that first, the implementation of Jesus' transformative leadership among GKPB Denpasar leaders and activists was found to be in "moderate" level due to the leadership model that was still committed to the system of institutional centralization and local autonomy based on tradition, which became an obstacle to develop mission work outside Bali. Second, the implementation of Jesus' transformative leadership among GKPB Denpasar leaders and activists was more dominantly influenced by the understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven (D2), meaning that leaders of GKPB Bali had practiced the Jesus transformative leadership model. However, the adequate salary and facilities provided by the synod created anthropocentric comfort, which diluted the spirit of the mission. Third, the background of "long-serving" (L5) dominantly influenced GKPB Denpasar leaders and activists to adjust Jesus’s transformative leadership model, but this was not yet able to fully optimize the practice. Therefore, GPKB Denpasar leaders and activists need to shift from the traditional paradigm to the transformative one to carry out personal and institutional transformations to improve their quality, range of services and answer future challenges.

The Problem of “Higher Individuals” in the Works of F.M. Dostoevsky

This article deals with the controversial issue of F.M. Dostoevsky’s concept of “Higher Individuals.” The latter are people who rise above other people and have a special influence on society and on history. The authors argue that this concept is most clearly expressed in “The Diary of a Writer” (1876) as well as in the story “The Sentence”, along with Dostoevsky’s commentaries on this story. By means of a detailed analysis of Raskolnikov’s “theory” within the novel “Crime and Punishment”, it is demonstrated that only a superficial version of the concept of “higher individuals” is refuted in the heroes’ argumentations; at the same time, the novel’s characters – Marmeladov, his wife Katerina Ivanovna, and Raskolnikov – can be viewed as examples of different degrees in the personal accomplishment of this “higher personality” state. In conclusion, it is observed how a person must go through three stages of development in order to become a “higher character”: firstly, the experience of an existential crisis and the understanding of the lack of meaning in one’s life; secondly, the “rebellion” against the Creator of the world and its laws along with the rejection of the traditional church faith, whose rejection leads this person on the edge of suicide; thirdly, the acquisition of a new faith, first of all, a faith in one’s immortality, which happens in an unusual, unorthodox form, as is well demonstrated by the character of Svidrigailov in Dostoevsky’s novel. According to Dostoevsky’s doctrine, the meaning ofimmortality lies in the continuation of a person’s existence in a new form in the earthly world or in a “parallel” world similar to the earthly one, and not in the ideal Kingdom of Heaven, as the church claims. Finally, the authors maintain that the process of a character’s transformation into a “higher individual” was consistently and fully described by Dostoevsky in the stories of Raskolnikov and Ivan Karamazov.

A few words to church builders: Threshold

<p>Throughout history churches have been concerned with the sharing of the gospel to those who do not know of the salvation received through Jesus Christ. Through history many churches have innovated liturgical operation using relevant language to reach as many souls as possible. In this thesis the proposed design of a Pentecostal Church departs from traditional Church architectural forms to externalise the building as to reflect the church’s theological standpoint and focus: to be secular attentive. Traditional Christian Churches are designed to fully enclose the gathering of worshipers. This idea is challenged through this thesis by the theological standpoint of the Arise church, the principal client of the design work of this thesis. Form, envelope, materiality and programme will resolve an architecture specific to arise church. This discussion is between the secular and sacred, focused through the design of permeable threshold, seeking to enable a dialogue from the church to the secular and the secular to the church.</p>

A few words to church builders: Threshold

<p>Throughout history churches have been concerned with the sharing of the gospel to those who do not know of the salvation received through Jesus Christ. Through history many churches have innovated liturgical operation using relevant language to reach as many souls as possible. In this thesis the proposed design of a Pentecostal Church departs from traditional Church architectural forms to externalise the building as to reflect the church’s theological standpoint and focus: to be secular attentive. Traditional Christian Churches are designed to fully enclose the gathering of worshipers. This idea is challenged through this thesis by the theological standpoint of the Arise church, the principal client of the design work of this thesis. Form, envelope, materiality and programme will resolve an architecture specific to arise church. This discussion is between the secular and sacred, focused through the design of permeable threshold, seeking to enable a dialogue from the church to the secular and the secular to the church.</p>

Documentary Hypothesis of the Origin of the Pentateuch in the Works of Erhard Blum

В статье рассматриваются труды современного немецкого библеиста Эрхарда Блюма, посвящённые анализу истории и современного состояния документальной гипотезы происхождения Пятикнижия, которая до сих пор является доминирующей в современной западной библеистике. В начале статьи рассказана краткая история этой гипотезы, затем излагается её современное состояние, как его описывает Э. Блюм с выделением трёх основных направлений развития, и приводится его критическая оценка её проблем и перспектив. Далее рассматриваются рассуждения Блюма о проблемах лингвистической датировки библейского текста, очень важной для разных аспектов современной библеистики и в том числе документальной гипотезы. В качестве примера описывается лингвистический анализ отрывка Быт. 24 (о женитьбе Исаака), сделанная израильским библеистом А. Рофэ, и даётся его критический разбор. В конце статьи приводятся выводы автора о современной критической оценке документальной гипотезы на основе анализа трудов Э. Блюма. Автор считает, что история данной гипотезы и её современное состояние наглядно показывают её спорность и хаотичность выводов. Вместе с тем альтернативные (по отношению к традиционной церковной позиции) точки зрения на происхождение Пятикнижия не обязательно должны противоречить церковному вероучению и могут быть полезны для обнаружения и решения некоторых проблем библейского текста. В частности, может быть перспективной гипотеза Девятикнижия. Эрхарда Блюма можно назвать типичным представителем современной библейской критики, с одной стороны использующим документальную гипотезу для своих исследований, а с другой - способным её критически оценить. Ввиду того, что профессор Э. Блюм является ныне действующим исследователем, его научное творчество до сих пор, насколько известно автору, не было объектом научных исследований. Таким образом, данная статья может считаться первой в этой области, и автор вынужден был опираться только на труды самого немецкого библеиста. The article examines the works of the modern German biblical scholar Erhard Blum, devoted to the analysis of the history and contemporary state of the documentary hypothesis of the origin of the Pentateuch, which is still dominant in modern Western biblical studies. An introduction to the article contains a brief history of the documentary hypothesis. Further in the text, the contemporary state of the hypothesis is represented by the description of Blum, with three main directions of its development, which he distinguishes, and his critical assessment of its problems and prospects. The author considers Blum's reasoning about the problems of linguistic dating, which is important for various aspects of modern biblical studies, including the documentary hypothesis. As an example, the linguistic dating of Genesis 24 (the marriage of Isaac), made by the Israeli biblical scholar Alexander Rofe, is described, and its critical analysis is given. The author reasons about the modern critical assessment of the documentary hypothesis based on the analysis of Blum’s works, and applies his own interpretations. The author presumes that the history of the documentary hypothesis and its current state clearly demonstrates controversy. Meanwhile, opinions on the origin of the Pentateuch, alternative to the traditional church views, should not necessarily contradict the church doctrine and may be useful for identifying and solving some problems of the biblical text. Due to the fact that Blum is a contemporary biblical scholar, his person, as far as the author knows, has not been an object of academic research yet, and the present article can be considered the first in this area, and the author, therefore, is forced to rely solely on Blum’s works.

Do Mark 7:1–23 and Matthew 15:1–20 condone the unusual practices of New Prophetic Pentecostal Churches?

The leaders of certain New Prophetic Pentecostal Churches (NPPCs) perform rituals that are very unusual when compared with traditional church rituals and practices. These practices include eating grass, rats or snakes, drinking petrol and spraying Doom on people so that they would be healed and be closer to God. The trend to perform these unusual rituals has spread throughout South Africa. Leaders from NPPCs often quote Mark 7:14–19 and Matthew 15:10–11, 16–18 to justify their actions. In this study, these parallel texts will be considered in their literary and socio-cultural contexts to determine whether or not they can be taken to condone the activities of these church leaders.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The study will find that Mark 7:14–19 and Matthew 15:10–11, 16–18 either condone or do not condone the unusual activities of NPPCs and their leaders. Either way, the findings will be relevant for New Testament studies, practical theology, religion studies and systematic theology.

Work with Youth in the Russian Orthodox Church in the Contemporary Period

Modern Russia is undergoing changes, including religion. In the Soviet Union, in contrast to the Western world, there was not only an active and rapid social secularization, but also a violent atheization of the population. As for the youth, due to the notorious atheism, there was a lack of youth’s religiosity. After the collapse of the USSR, it became necessary to implement effective measures so that Orthodoxy could adequately respond to the “challenge of the time”. Under these conditions, the organization of work with youth in the ROC began to revive. The major research objective was to study the Russian Orthodox Church’s main forms of work with youth in the post-Soviet period. Our research was conducted in the Ural region, one of the largest regions of the Russian Federation. The research methodology used a qualitative approach (in-depth interviews). Our research, based on informants’ opinions, has identified three forms of groups who work with the Russian youth through the Russian Orthodox Church. They are: traditional church forms (organizing groups for the study of the Holy Scriptures, doctrinal (catechism) classes, missionary activities, etc.), traditional secular forms (children’s and youth’s camps, young family clubs, sports and military-patriotic clubs, addiction prevention and social projects, etc.) and innovative forms (Internet projects, Internet communities, Orthodox forums, Orthodox cafes, bars, etc.). Our study has revealed that religious phenomena and manifestations of religiosity are observed in totally different areas, such as cultural, economic, educational, leisure, etc. The study has elucidated that the work of the Russian Orthodox Church fits into the framework of this paradigm, thus confirming T. Luckmann’s theory.

Gregory Nanzianzen’s Oration II

Leadership styles in southeast Europe tend to lie at the poles along a line stretched between passivity and authoritarianism. This is a universal problem in the global church, not one unique to southeast Europe. However, the fact remains that the mainstream leadership models in this part of the world need to be appraised and healthier models need to be developed. Unfortunately, the leadership models being imported from the West take as their cue business management, often times focusing on efficiency, productivity, and growth rather than focusing on Kingdom expansion and serving the Bride of Christ. However, a model does exist for servant leadership, a model that emerged from the Eastern Church 17 centuries ago. In this paper, I will examine Gregory Nazianzen’s Oration II which presents a spiritual model of leadership for the 21st century. While written many centuries ago, this text is still able to speak to the modern mind and remains relevant for several reasons. First, this is the first extant extra-Biblical account of an individual’s struggle with calling and obedience to Christian ministry. Second, Gregory’s model is saturated with Scripture, providing a sound though unique perspective from his brilliant and highly trained mind. Finally, as one of Gregory’s primary concerns is remaining faithful during a corrupt public form of Christianity, the context is appropriate to the traditional church contexts of southeast Europe. Following a brief historical background, this paper will look at three elements of Christian ministry and how Gregory addresses their spiritual components. First, the roles of a minister, under the titles of priest, king, and prophet. Second, the challenges that beset ministers who seek to serve. And third, the personal struggles that an individual must face and overcome to be obedient in this calling.

Sonic Metaphors: Music, Sound, and Ecofeminist Theology

This article explores the relationship between music and ecofeminist theology and investigates how music and sound can advance the development of ecofeminist thought. On a physical level, the act of breathing connects humankind with the earth’s atmosphere and the element of air produces music and sound. On a theological level, traditional church teachings about the power and danger of music have reflected similar warnings about women and nature. Ecofeminist theologian Sally McFague made a persuasive case for metaphorical theology that supported the arts being included in theological development. Religious Studies scholar Heidi Epstein engaged McFague’s metaphorical theology to develop a feminist theology of music and featured female composers including Hildegard of Bingen. I propose that metaphorical theology and music can also connect through the development of sonic metaphors. Sonic metaphors are created with pitch, rhythm, and sound. While most metaphors rely on the eyes to process written text and visual art, sonic metaphors are processed through the ears and offer different pathways for cognition. Sonic metaphors have been underutilized in theology and they offer potential for exploring theological concepts that can be challenging to comprehend through textual or visual means. These metaphors are particularly applicable for developing ecofeminist theology because sound and music can connect our bodies with nature in illuminating ways. I include examples from my own musical background, and I offer suggestions for non-musicians and ecofeminist theologians who want to incorporate sonic metaphors into their own creative theological reflection.

Geheiligt werde dein Name

The way the Churches deal with their services reveals more about themselves than they would like. A look behind the scenes of liturgical reality reveals many unspoken attitudes and tacitly followed habits. The traditional church members have long since voted with their feet. They seek their religious fulfilment elsewhere, while church governance finds itself forced to manage the break with tradition. What exactly has happened here? Reinhard Thöle takes a disenchanting look, across denominational boundaries, at today's worship practice, which seems to have lost the sacred between banal popularisation and institutional self-assertion.