Christian Community Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Il percorso di analisi che ha condotto alla stesura del presente lavoro si muove a partire da una chiave biblica di orientamento e ha come obiettivo l’individuazione di alcuni tratti della sinodalità di una comunità parrocchiale nella individuazione di nuove ministerialità attraverso un’analisi qualitativa dell’esperienza e delle prassi di diverse parrocchie distribuite in varie regioni del nostro paese.

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- Ministers, Christian Community, Catholic Church, Acts of the Apostles

The prayer of a Christian is the subject of his daily care in the process of spiritual development. We can say that without it and its dynamic development it is not possible for the spiritual progress of the Christian and the Church in which he or she lives. It is also a very extensive subject of research and scientific work in the field of theology and especially the theology of spirituality. Hence, it must be treated in a multi-faceted and multi-directional way. Among all the different categories of prayer, community prayer and common prayer are very important. This distinction is necessary because it reveals to us the truth that every prayer has a communal character, but it is not always common. However, prayer celebrated together is the source of Christian life and the Church, and it is the clearest and most readable testimony of faith.

- by Collectanea Theologica
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- Theology, Liturgy, Spirituality, Prayer
- by Paul Bradley
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- Christianity, Christian Education, Missiology, Community Engagement & Participation

Opera in collaborazione con alcuni dei migliori esegeti italiani, il cui scopo è quello di introdurre lo studente di Teologia o di Storia del cristianesimo allo studio dell'epistolario del Nuovo Testamento. Sono escluse le lettere... more

- by Alessandro Sacchi
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- Christianity, Church History, Pauline Theology, Christian Community

Al sancionar la conducta homosexual, algunos cristianos muestran desprecio y/o miedo hacia personas con inclinaciones homosexuales. A través de una investigación bibliográfica, el presente trabajo proyecta una visión de la iglesia que responde a la experiencia de varones cristianos que experimentan la atracción hacia el mismo sexo. Como consecuencia de la caída, la atracción al mismo sexo origina fragmentación en la vida del varón. La ética cristiana guía al varón a desidentificarse de los deseos desordenados y centrar su identidad en Cristo. Por ser la comunidad cristocéntrica sitio de amor, dignidad, y fuerza contracultural, la iglesia constituye un ámbito propicio para orientar al varón hacia la reconciliación integral.

Here is a modest reflection on the Church in the thought of Joseph Ratzinger (1927–). My aim is to examine Ratzinger’s claim that a proper understanding of the Church is obtained from the standpoint of her liturgy. While Ratzinger presents a eucharistic ecclesiology, not only must one pay attention to complement a sociological interpretation of the Church with Revelation as a dogmatic truth, but also to identify and distinguish among the various levels that are at play in speaking of a eucharistic ecclesiology. What is examined here is the relation of the Eucharist to the Church in the light of Christ, the sacraments and the Christian life. The primary level, then, is Christological. This means that in Christ, particularly shedding his life on the cross, the Church has its foundation and life in the world. The second level is a sacramental one, where the believing Christian community gathers around one altar to celebrate the breaking of the bread and to live in communion with each other. The third level is the existential one where belonging to the Church implies bearing witness, leading a Christian life, and being of service to others in the community and in the world. Our aim here is to elucidate the importance and complementarity of each dimension of Ratzinger’s eucharistic ecclesiology after having presented his understanding that ecclesial communion has its centre in the Eucharist.

- by John Anthony Berry
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- John Zizioulas, Augustine, Eucharist, Augustine of Hippo

La dimension de « structure » (organisation, articulation des fonctions, répartition dans l’espace, gestion des moyens et du temps, etc.) occupe une large part dans les préoccupations des institutions chrétiennes traditionnelles. L’Église catholique est particulièrement touchée par ce phénomène, et toujours plus à mesure que sa position est remise en question ou simplement modifiée dans les différentes sociétés autour de la planète, au premier chef en Occident. Ces questions majeures sur l’identité et l’agir des communautés chrétiennes à toute échelle ne peuvent que rencontrer l’intérêt des chercheurs de toutes les sciences humaines étudiant le christianisme contemporain, et plus largement les sociétés dans lequel il se déploie. Nous analysons ici huit monographies, trois ouvrages collectifs et quatre numéros thématiques de revues publiés récemment. Après avoir présenté les études sur le niveau paroissial ou local, nous élargissons par des ouvrages sur l’Église catholique dans son ensemble. Nous avons ajouté trois réflexions susceptibles d’enrichir les recherches.

- by Arnaud Join-Lambert
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- Religion, Theology, Practical theology, Ecclesiology

Exploring a third way of Christianity beyond the current artificial, distorting, and destructive distinctions of conservative and liberal, discarding unscriptural strategies of Christian unity based on certainty, security, and control, in favor of a transcendent yet practical approach to Christian community based on faith, hope, and love.
[Note: This is a published work, I am seeking comments in preparation for my next book.]

- by The Rev. Ken Howard and +1
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- Christianity, Early Christianity, Radical Orthodoxy (Theology), Pauline Theology

The purpose of this paper is to explore the corporate dimension of the NT presentation of the Spirit as a corrective to individualistic interpretations of the Spirit in the NT. The body of the paper consists of seven sections, covering the reception of the Spirit, being filled with the Spirit, the spiritual gifts, the presence and power of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, the Spirit’s role in bringing Scriptural truth, and the Spirit in Christ and the Church. In each section, the individualistic theology of the Spirit is shown to be inadequate. The paper concludes with a call to modern interpreters to pursue a more corporate theology of the Spirit.

- by Anthony Daw
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- New Testament, Ecclesiology, Corporate Anthropology, Biblical Interpretation

....for increasing your experience of God.

- by Daniel M Keeran MSW
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- Philosophy, Education, Social Sciences, Liturgy

The unfamiliar balance between "good news" and "bad news" 1 is where one discovers the intention of the Gospel of Mark. Obvious Markan motifs include the edgy realism of the portrayal of Jesus and of those who should be nearest to him. Any person hoping to discover history, in a twenty-first century distinction of word and meaning, in the Markan narrative, would be rather mystified. If we are resolute in recognising the Gospel of Mark as a "Life of Jesus" 2 , as we in the twenty-first century recognise the life-story of any celebrated person, then there will be insuperable complications. 3 Once we are willing to receive the Gospel of Mark as a chiefly theological text, exploiting words and events from the life of Jesus for its own distinct perseverance, then the complications evaporate. 4

- by Neil Taylor
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- Failure Analysis, Gospel of Mark, Discipleship, Christian Community

This paper grew out of a discussion I had with a classmate from high school. Our first several exchanges focused on updating each other on what had happened in the decades since our graduation. Once we discovered that both of us had become Christ-followers, the discussion turned to sharing our respective points of view on a variety of subjects – prayer, spiritual life, the Bible – and eventually to the issue of sexual orientation. My former classmate was surprised to hear that I had a very high view of the inspiration of Scripture, yet favored the full inclusion of gay and lesbian people in the life of the Church. He asked if I would mind explaining my thinking on this subject in a plain and straightforward way. This article is my response to that request.

- by The Rev. Ken Howard
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- Hebrew Bible, Gay And Lesbian Studies, Biblical Studies, Biblical Theology

Les rapports entre les religions et l’argent sont loin de se limiter aux discours que développent souvent les premières en matière de régulation éthique des activités lucratives et d’usage des richesses. Toute vie religieuse implique – à des échelles diverses, mais inévitablement – une dimension économique. Il faut des biens matériels pour les gestes du culte, l’offrande de sacrifices, la fabrication d’objets ou d’images, la construction et l’entretien de sanctuaires, la rétribution d’un clergé ou encore l’organisation de la solidarité communautaire. Quelles sont donc les pratiques des religions en matière d’économie ? Comment les communautés religieuses s’y prennent-elles pour créer, rassembler, gérer, utiliser et distribuer des richesses ? En quoi consiste l’impact concret de la vie religieuse sur la vie économique ? Comment les usages « religieux » de l’argent sont-ils justifiés ou critiqués à l’intérieur des différentes traditions ?
C’est à de telles questions que ce colloque répondra, en étudiant les religions qui ont marqué le monde méditerranéen depuis la plus haute Antiquité jusqu’à la fin du Moyen Âge : les divers polythéismes, le judaïsme, le christianisme, l’islam. La prise en compte d’une aire géographique cohérente permettra d’établir des comparaisons probantes entre des époques différentes et des confessions variées.

- by Julie Masquelier-Loorius and +14
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- Religion, Ancient Egyptian Religion, Egyptology, Islamic Economics

Monasticism first appeared in Christian tradition in the late third and early fourth centuries as a way to practice true religion. Soon after, it also became a way of eschewing the Church’s embrace of political power and the divided loyalties which accompanied that union. Contemporary expressions of monasticism in the Protestant tradition (often identified as new monasticism) have interpreted the mono (singularity) not as celibacy or living in a cloistered community, but as abandoning cultural promiscuity in order to live out a monogamous spirituality. Though each monastic community has its own distinct characteristics and context, one can identify two common markers which unite both contemporary expressions of monasticism and historical monastic communities: (1) monotheism or a singular devotion to God which is separate from political, societal, and economic ambitions, and (2) monogamy or a commitment to a particular community, neighborhood, and mission. This article explores ancie...

- by Martha (Matte) Elias Downey
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- Christian Spirituality, Monasticism, Religions, Christian Community

This article offers a brief preliminary account of the study of the decoration of the 5th–7th century CE enigmatic complex uncovered at Caesarea Maritima during excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority. It introduces the decorative programme of eight of the complex’s spaces, while pointing to the difficulties and considerations taken in studying their remains and reconstructing their ornamentation. The study shows that (a) the interior and exterior decoration followed a master plan; (b) the decoration within the complex was carefully chosen to provide each of the various parts with the patterns and materials most appropriate for its space and function, and (c) the repertory of motives, materials, and inscriptions, the lack of facilities for private dwelling spaces such as kitchen and sleeping rooms, and the dimensions of the Baths all indicate that the complex was a communal property rather than a private one.

- by Rivka Gersht and +1
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- Recycling, Late Antiquity, Roman Baths (Archaeology), Christian Community

The growth of the church in the Continent of Africa is at an exciting stage. The current estimate is that by 2050 “forty percent of the world’s Christian population will live in Sub-Saharan Africa.” The theological and missiological contribution within the Continent and beyond has increased. Nevertheless, this exciting growth is not without its challenges. Ethnic conflicts, terrorism, natural disasters, corruption, poverty, the prosperity gospel, etc., have posed severe problems for the body of Christ on the Continent. In this paper, I will raise the issue of the prosperity gospel in Africa and discuss why it is a problem and why it is making inroads within the Continent. This discussion will then be followed by an explication of Hebrews 13:1–6 to address greed or “love of money” and provide three essential antidotes for the problem of the prosperity gospel in the African Christian community. The discussion of the passages will be situated in the author’s discussion of possessions in exhorting the pilgrim people of God to persevere in the faith in the face of temptation, spiritual apathy and persecution.

- by Abeneazer G Urga
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- Poverty, Trust, Love, Hospitality

Monasticism first appeared in Christian tradition in the late third and early fourth centuries as a way to practice true religion. Soon after, it also became a way of eschewing the Church's embrace of political power and the divided loyalties which accompanied that union. Contemporary expressions of monasticism in the Protestant tradition (often identified as new monasticism) have interpreted the mono (singularity) not as celibacy or living in a cloistered community, but as abandoning cultural promiscuity in order to live out a monogamous spirituality. Though each monastic community has its own distinct characteristics and context, one can identify two common markers which unite both contemporary expressions of monasticism and historical monastic communities: (1) monotheism or a singular devotion to God which is separate from political, societal, and economic ambitions, and (2) monogamy or a commitment to a particular community, neighborhood, and mission. This article explores ancient and contemporary expressions of monasticism by examining their guiding documents and looking for evidence of monotheism and monogamous spirituality. By giving fresh articulation to the mono in monasticism, we are better able to identify the heart of the undivided (monastic) life and discern its presence in reimagined forms.

Introduction : Les paroisses catholiques sont en général des lieux fraternels. S'il y a une question à poser aux paroisses en ce qui concerne la fraternité, ce n'est sans doute pas pour en faire plus. Mais peut-être pour voir comment orienter cette fraternité, que pouvons nous faire avec elle. Car on entend aussi des gens qui disent que les communautés chrétiennes sont intimidantes (cf. récit de catéchumènes). Alors, la question pour l'Église pourrait se formuler de la manière suivante : comment faire que la fraternité qui nous est donnée joue non pas pour nous isoler, mais au contraire, qu'elle soit largement disposée à toutes sortes d'oiseaux qui pourront venir se poser sur ses branches ?

- by Etienne Grieu
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- Missiology and Mission Theology, Ecclesiology, Christian Community, Diaconia

En: Catalina Romero (coordinadora) (2008) Religión y Espacio Público, PUCP - CISEPA. pp. 165-182

- by Luis Felipe Mujica Bermúdez
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- Anthropology, Violence, Christian Community, Public Participation

Les corps individuels racontent l'histoire des institutions du sens 1 .

- by Rebecca Lindsay
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- Christian Spirituality, Christian Community

Asking ourselves questions found in the Bible can transform our spiritual life. BRIAN J. WRIGHT / POSTED NOVEMBER 12, 2019 ave you ever been around a child who did not stop asking questions? Do you recall doing the same thing when you... more

- by Brian J. Wright
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- Christianity, New Testament, Community Development, Spirituality