Stephan J. Joubert (South African academic and visionary): His response to questions related to his academic views

This article reflects a conversation between Jan G. van der Watt and Stephan Joubert. The article serves as the introduction to the Special Collection: ‘From timely exegesis to contemporary ecclesiology: Relevant hermeneutics and provocative embodiment of faith in a Corona-defined world – Festschrift for Stephan Joubert, sub-edited by Willem Oliver (University of South Africa)’. Following a brief bio-statement as introduction, the following issues are discussed: the collection for the Jerusalem church; relevance of theology for society; social-scientific exegesis; the ancient concept of grace; Bible translation in South Africa; public theology on the electronic platform; biblical examples of leadership and electronic media in religious activities and education.Contribution: This Festschrift represents current trends in biblical scholarship and ecclesial leadership. It contributes to the public discourse in church and society, especially the role of the electronic media in current Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Gereja Tanpa Mimbar

Patriarchy culture has strongly influenced the Christianity on marginalizing women, especially limiting women's leadership in the church. Biblical theorems and the church fathers' views that subordinate women are also used as reasons to perpetuate male power in the church. Women are not only blamed for being considered the origin of sin, but also seen as weak, inferior, lustful, more emotional, and less rational than men. Although the Bible also records that there were women who became apostles and leaders, but this fact did not necessarily undermine the patriarchy culture in the church. Based on that, the author criticizes the patriarchy culture in the church and reconstructs a model of church leadership that sides with women. In this article, the author proposes a church without a pulpit as a feminist ecclesial leadership model with several concepts, namely (1) the church is women and women are the church; (2) the church as a common space; (3) the church as a space for friendship; and (4) the church as a space for sharing. Keywords: leadership, women, feminist, ecclesiology. Abstrak: Budaya patriarki secara kuat memengaruhi Kekristenan untuk memarginalkan perempuan terkhusus membatasi kepemimpinan perempuan di dalam gereja. Dalil-dalil Alkitab dan pandangan Bapa-bapa gereja yang mensubordinasikan perempuan juga turut digunakan sebagai alat untuk melanggengkan kekuasaan laki-laki di dalam gereja. Perempuan tidak hanya disalahkan karena dianggap sebagai asal dosa namun juga dipandang lebih lemah, lebih rendah, makhluk hawa nafsu, lebih emosional, dan kurang rasional dibandingkan dengan laki-laki. Walaupun Alkitab juga mencatat ada perempuan yang menjadi rasul dan pemimpin, namun fakta ini tidak dapat meruntuhkan budaya patriarki di dalam gereja. Berdasarkan itu, penulis mengkritisi budaya patriarki di dalam gereja dan merekonstuksi model kepemimpinan gereja yang berpihak kepada perempuan. Dalam artikel ini, penulis menggagas gereja tanpa mimbar sebagai model kepemimpinan eklesial feminis dengan beberapa konsep, yaitu (1) gereja adalah perempuan dan perempuan adalah gereja; (2) gereja sebagai ruang bersama; (3) gereja sebagai ruang persahabatan, dan (4) gereja sebagai ruang berbagi. Kata kunci: kepemimpinan, perempuan, feminis, eklesiologi.

The Purpose, Principles, and Goals of Egalitarian Biblical Interpretation

The egalitarian interpretation of Scripture is based on the view that Scripture does not limit women’s roles and contributions in any arena, including the Church. Although egalitarians recognize that Scripture represents patriarchal interests, their interpretations highlight the positive depictions of women in the Bible. They claim that many women figures disrupt traditional interpretations of gender. This position contrasts to complementarian biblical interpretations that use the Bible to restrict women from ecclesial leadership, without attention to textual and historical contexts that mitigate universal application. Christian egalitarians also contribute to feminism’s concern about women’s global equality via social media campaigns, organizations, blogs, and scholarship. The essay discusses relevant examples to show that all of them focus on women’s experiences in church, biblical teaching, and Christian feminist identity.

Ecclesia Anglicana Conference of September 2020

As the first wave of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) was being experienced in Kenya since 13 March 2020, when a 27-year-old Kenyan woman became the first person to be diagnosed with it, some Anglicans in Kenya were contrariwise overcoming the shock, that went with it, as they undertook noble intellectual activities. As numbers went on soaring, and as some celebrated artists, scholars, clerics, and other cadres of society became early casualties of Covid-19, an Ecclesia Anglicana was boldly entering the ecclesiastical market-place with new rhythms hitherto unknown in Kenya’s historiography. In other words, a theo-ecclesial creativity was cooking in an African pot, and cooking well from the nethermost depths of the Ocean floor, rather than from the top stratums. While the revolutionary trigger was set on 6 August 2017, it had to await the worst pandemic since the Spanish Flu of 1918-1919 before it picked up its momentum. Put it differently, the momentum picked up astoundingly during Kenya’s Covid-19 lockdown, as two major conferences were successfully held during this chilling moment. The first major webinars’ conference was held on 26 August 2020; while the second one was held on 16 September 2020. Characteristically, the two conferences made a bold attempt at understanding the Anglican ecclesiology by cooking it from the local resources and spiced it up through the modern science and technology. Was it a protest against theo-intellectual lockdown cutting across the continent, a phenomenon where a casual observation shows that social and ecclesial leadership has largely attracted the less intellectually-inclined sons and daughters of the land? Methodologically, this article seeks to explore, and indeed make a survey of Ecclesia Anglicana and attempt to understand it beyond the founders’ perspectives, after interviews with some of them, and make an informed analysis. Second, this article will attempt to show how Ecclesia Anglicana is ushering in a new rhythm, as it beats the drums of science and technology, modern communication and social media platforms, and hopefully change the status quo for the better. It appears that nothing will slow down this rapid tempo; for if the pandemic has not, what else can do so? Third, the article will focus more on the 16 September 2020 webinar conference which, in my view, was the most climactic moment for Ecclesia Anglicana since 2017 when the idea was mooted and subsequently released to the public square for broader consumption. Will Ecclesia Anglicana help in building a more informed and/or an intellectually engaging Kenyan Anglican society?

Doctrine and Life: The Theological Legacy of Stephen Sykes

Throughout Stephen Sykes’ theological career a number of key themes continually re-emerged with respect to the Church, Christ, the ministry, the Christian life and the doctrinal tradition. This article offers a survey of and a commentary on these themes. It does this by employing a simple framework focusing on issues concerning Christian identity and relevance. Identity issues are considered from a personal, theological and ecclesial perspective. Relevance issues briefly cover Sykes’ concerns for the ministry of men and women and the question of power and leadership. Stephen Sykes’ theological and ecclesial leadership provide a remarkable resource and lasting legacy for the Church.

Coming of Age in the Reformation

What was it like for children and youth to grow up in the Protestant Church in 16th century Europe? This historical study explores this question through its focus on specific practices within Christian education and ecclesial rites of initiation, namely baptism, confirmation, and the use of catechisms in the spiritual formation of young people. The research is situated at the intersection of historical theology, spiritual formation, and the life stages of childhood and adolescence, placing particular focus on the theology and writings of Martin Luther as a representative of Reformation-era ecclesial leadership. I argue that Luther recognised a distinct life stage of adolescence between childhood and adulthood, revealed both in his theology of childhood and in educational practices for children and youth, then conclude with considerations for contemporary ministry praxis.