This essay develops a literary-historical and theoretical framework within which to consider the anonymous Middle English penitential lyric “An Old Man’s Prayer,” from British Library MS Harley 2253. Beginning with a review of the methodological problems involved in contextualizing medieval lyrics, I proceed to situate the religious lyrics in relation to the rise of affective devotion to the humanity of Christ in the later Middle Ages. By arguing for the capacity of the genre for aesthetic and conceptual complexity, I seek to establish lyrics as a form of ‘vernacular theology,’ a recently developed critical category in medieval studies from which lyrics have so far been excluded. “An Old Man’s Prayer,” examined in relation to other selected Harley lyrics, serves as the primary textual test case for a hermeneutic which reads for “Incarnational poetics,” that is, the ways in which the claims of orthodox Christology shape and structure the form and thematics of medieval poetry. Emphasizing the centrality of Incarnational doctrine, I contend against the reduction of the essence of medieval Christian worldview to contemptus mundi. More specifically, I seek to demonstrate the reconciliation effected by the Incarnation between this-worldly and spiritual desire, between the material and transcendent realms, as represented in “An Old Man’s Prayer” by the speaker’s implicit affective identification with Christ’s passion. Invoking the discourse of desire, I engage the psychoanalytic approach to literary studies, which I find ultimately insufficient for achieving a satisfactory interpretive “fusion of horizons” between medieval texts and current criticism. Thus, I turn to the contemporary theological perspective of John Milbank, whose ‘Radical Orthodoxy’ provides a theoretical basis for an Incarnational hermeneutic. / text

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Despite a resurgence of religion in the provision of public welfare and care, geography has only recently begun to make sense of this public phenomenon (Kong, 2011). In keeping with recent calls to allow religion to ‘speak back’ to geography (Yorgason & Della Dora, 2009), this thesis presents a re-reading of one particular arena of Christian faith-praxi in socio-economically deprived neighbourhoods across the UK. Much of the literature on faith-based organisations has so far focused on service-provision and political advocacy roles adopted by faith-motivated groups, and there has been little, to no, acknowledgment of re-emeregent forms of ‘incarnational’ mission. Incarnational approaches differ from mainstream service-provision in the sense that faith-inspired individuals and organisations come to permanently ‘live amongst’ marginalised people and places, rather than physically serve from a distance. This thesis seeks to address this lacuna in the literature by critically assessing the faith-inspired praxis of ‘living amongst’, and developing a socio-temporal and ethical account of ‘incarnational geographies’. Drawing upon ethnographic research with one Christian incarnational FBO, this thesis investigates the historical development of the FBO and the experience and practices of staff and volunteers who relocate to live in one particular socio-economically deprived neighbourhood of Greater Manchester. In contrast to essentialist academic accounts of faith-praxis that might present ‘living amongst’ as either a form of self-betterment (see Allahyari, 2000) or proselytisation (see Woods, 2011), this thesis argues that ‘incarnational geographies’ need to be re-read as complex, emergent and performative landscapes that often involve a reconfiguration of purpose and praxis through proximate participation.

Thesis advisor: ORFILIO E. VALIENTE / Uganda’s fragmented ethnic reality comprises the reconstruction of ethnic identities into rival categories of difference and otherness. From a historical perspective, under the ‘divide and rule’ British colonial policy, colonial anthropology, political, and economic systems polarized and mobilized native nations into oppositional and competing configurations of embodied otherness. The resultant antagonistic social ethos, ingrained in the consciousness of persons and groups, foments a legacy of sociopolitical oppression and economic alienation and instigates religious and spiritual fragmentation within the body of Christ. From a Christian perspective, this project proposes an incarnational mission of mercy centered on the event of encounter as a hermeneutical and praxis-based criterion toward social reconciliation. It offers a way of interpreting conflicted reality by transforming ethnic attitudes, social structures, practices, and new habits of relation among persons of different ethnic groups and institutions. Based on Christian values, human agency, and God’s grace, it envisions transformed human relations and the establishment of a renewed social fabric. Christian faith, hope, and love lived out in a concrete praxis of mercy inspire this proposed new way of being, relation, and practice so that Uganda may become a reconciling society that anticipates an eschatological communion in God’s Kingdom. / Thesis (STD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

This thesis is initiated by the need for public dialogue between the church and the other. As a faith-praxis, public dialogue between the church and the other is a response to “binary opposition” or “dichotomy,” that is, the separation of faith and praxis, knowing and doing, private sphere and public sphere, Christian and non-Christian, text and context, educator and learner. As explored in Chapter 2, religion is presently characterized by privatization and does not provide an answer to the culture of separation in today’s society. Consequently, the ghettoized church behind the wall is confronted by a dual crisis—an internal crisis of identity and an external crisis of relevance. Therefore, to shape a dialogic relationship through public dialogue is an essential task of the public church, the so-called “go-to-all” church. To execute “public dialogue” as the commitment to “go-to-all” three actions are necessary: (1) going outside the wall of the church, (2) entering into dialogue with the “all,” and (3) making disciples, baptizing, and teaching the all. How will the church dialogue with the other? In view of these three actions, this thesis researches three main elements of public dialogue—(1) preparing a place/field for public dialogue, (2) formulating a new communicative pattern for public dialogue, and (3) exploring a medium for public dialogue. In order to achieve these elements of public dialogue, the patterns of public dialogue toward faith-praxis that the Korean church has shown historically in the public sphere were explored in Chapter 3. This thesis concerns an art-cultural pattern of public dialogue, particularly madanggŭk. Madanggŭk is a compound noun: madang (open place) + gŭk (theatre). Madanggŭk contains the three elements for public dialogue—(1) “field or place” for public dialogue; (2) a mode of theatre as a medium for public dialogue; and (3) the “communicability” peculiar to the madanggŭk. Through the practices of cultural public dialogue in the Korean theological domain and the minjung cultural movement centering on madanggŭk studied in Chapter 4, it is revealed that madanggŭk showed the four characteristics of mutual communication which are essential in formulating an alternative pattern of public dialogue: (1) rediscovery of the audience, (2) re-creation of traditional culture founded on festivity and a communal spirit, (3) their own stories and reality-reading, and (4) activity outside the theatrical world in order to meet the audience. However, madanggŭk also had the limitation of a binary opposition of social-directivity and artistic-directivity, tending toward social drama. Therefore, an alternative form of public dialogue to overcome this binary opposition was required. As an alternative with the purpose of shifting from monologism to dialogism, this thesis suggests “Trinity Madang Public Dialogue,” i.e. three models of madang public dialogue—Incarnational Public Dialogue, Critical Public Dialogue, and Festival Public Dialogue. The first model, Incarnational Public Dialogue, explores how to accept the other and the difference under the principles of otherness, unfinalizability and polyphony, proposing the culture of participative dialogue. The second model, Critical Public Dialogue, explores practical strategies for recognizing and criticizing the distorted communication and relationship of monologism, and for developing the audience’s competencies of understanding and criticism without merging into an authorial single voice, proposing the culture of criticism and transformation. The third model, Festival Public Dialogue, is suggested as a time-space for fulfilling both incarnational and critical principles and for the harmony of a rational and a sensuous nature, proposing the culture of laughter, play and the imagination. The principles of the three models should be fully realized in the Christian community before performing dialogic madang-theatre. When the Christian community preparing for this type of public dialogue is transformed into a “dialogic” community, it will promote madang public dialogue with the audience. The core of madang public dialogue lies in the formation of a dialogic relationship and a dialogic community, rather than in the performance itself. Therefore, in Chapter 6, The “Six Stages of Dialogic Praxis” through which the madang Christian community can be recreated effectively to form a dialogic community is projected. And, an “Incarnational-Dialogic Paradigm” is suggested as an alternative to a schooling-instructional paradigm of Christian education. / Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

This thesis studies current preaching praxis in Australia through a practical theology perspective. It is argued that Evangelical churches in Australia operate predominantly with a narrow applicational hermeneutical model in regard to preaching and hence communicate the gospel ineffectually to ordinary Australians. A need for contextualised and dialogical preaching is presented. Using Zerfass's model a situational analysis of the Australian context and the effects of modernism and postmodernism are explored. Theological tradition in regard to preaching is then analyzed with a focus on incarnational, Trinitarian and covenantal theology, scripture as public text and dialogue as scriptural pattern. Preaching is then analyzed using the communication theories of Gadamer, Searle, Ricoeur, and Habermas. The need for contextualised preaching is critiqued in light of the concerns of Barth regarding preaching and the concerns of Strom in regards to the nature of church in Australia. A new evangelical practical theological/ preaching model is then offered. Zerfass's model emphasises dialectic tension as the basis for moving from praxis to praxis. While movement from praxis to praxis does occur via dialectic tension there are also elements of change that are based on processes of continuity and evolution. A model that reflects this dynamic is forwarded. Finally an ideal praxis for dialogical preaching is presented with possibilities for further research. Throughout the thesis five interviews are used to illustrate the research, concepts and recommendations presented. / Practical Theology / D.Th.

This thesis studies current preaching praxis in Australia through a practical theology perspective. It is argued that Evangelical churches in Australia operate predominantly with a narrow applicational hermeneutical model in regard to preaching and hence communicate the gospel ineffectually to ordinary Australians. A need for contextualised and dialogical preaching is presented. Using Zerfass's model a situational analysis of the Australian context and the effects of modernism and postmodernism are explored. Theological tradition in regard to preaching is then analyzed with a focus on incarnational, Trinitarian and covenantal theology, scripture as public text and dialogue as scriptural pattern. Preaching is then analyzed using the communication theories of Gadamer, Searle, Ricoeur, and Habermas. The need for contextualised preaching is critiqued in light of the concerns of Barth regarding preaching and the concerns of Strom in regards to the nature of church in Australia. A new evangelical practical theological/ preaching model is then offered. Zerfass's model emphasises dialectic tension as the basis for moving from praxis to praxis. While movement from praxis to praxis does occur via dialectic tension there are also elements of change that are based on processes of continuity and evolution. A model that reflects this dynamic is forwarded. Finally an ideal praxis for dialogical preaching is presented with possibilities for further research. Throughout the thesis five interviews are used to illustrate the research, concepts and recommendations presented. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D.Th.

L’Eglise est en continuelle émergence. Parce qu’elle a vocation à naître à nouveau dans chaque nouveau contexte, là où elle se retrouve en situation de postchrétienté, l’Eglise doit relever à frais nouveaux le double défi de la fidélité à l’Evangile et de la pertinence culturelle. Dans un premier temps, cette thèse explore les nouvelles formes d’Eglises qui cherchent à relever ce défi et qui voient le jour depuis quelques années et ont été identifiées sous l’appellation d’Eglises émergentes. Se développant dans les pays occidentaux, au sein ou en marge de tout le spectre des champs confessionnels, ces communautés s’essayent à pratiquer la voie de Jésus au sein des cultures postmodernes. Elles cherchent donc à être fidèles à leurs lieux et à leur temps. Centrées sur la mission, sur le développement communautaire ou sur l’innovation liturgique, ces Eglises proposent des approches variées mais ont néanmoins des lignes de force communes. Elles ouvrent la voie à une réflexion plus large sur certains enjeux ecclésiologiques contemporains, qui constitue la deuxième partie de cette étude. Faisant notamment dialoguer les auteurs du mouvement des Eglises émergentes avec le théologien missionnaire anglais Lesslie Newbigin, se dessine une Eglise missionnelle, incarnationnelle et expérientielle. / The Church is constantly emerging. With a calling to be reborn in each new context, the Church in post-Christendom must rise to the dual challenge of remaining faithful to the Gospel while being fresh and culturally relevant. In the first section, this thesis examines new types of Churches, identified as “Emerging Churches” which, in recent years, have been trying to meet this challenge. These communities, developing in western countries either within or on the fringes of the entire denominational spectrum, are trying to practice the way of Jesus within postmodern cultures. They are, thus, seeking to be faithful to their place and time. These Churches, by focusing on mission, community development or innovative worship, offer various approaches while nevertheless sharing a common driving force. They pave the way for a more open consideration of certain contemporary ecclesiological issues which make up the second part of this study. Bringing together the writings and ideas of the authors and leaders of the Emerging Church movement with those of British missionary theologian Lesslie Newbigin creates a vision of a missional, incarnational and experiential Church.

Traditionally, it has been argued that the Gospel of John was never a mission book (Missionsschrift) but rather a “Gemeindeschrift” written to confirm or deepen the faith of the early Christians of the Johannine community. In this study however, it is argued that although John’s Gospel may be encouraging to believers, the author rhetorically intended to persuade his readers to embody the missional motif, which started with the mission of Jesus. The narrative of Jesus and the Samaritan woman in John 4:1-42, is investigated as an example of how Jesus for the sake of His mission crossed all barriers of His time to reach out to the Samaritans and therefore issued a pattern, which is to be followed by His followers. It is also argued that when the mission of Jesus and the narrative of the Samaritan woman are integrated, an ethical missional paradigm is constructed in which the believers as members of God’s family are called to embody the “missional ethics” of Jesus. Finally, it is argued that the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman could be interpreted as a narrative of social and spiritual reunion with moral principles that challenges the contemporary church to embark on missional journeys of restoration as Jesus did with the Samaritans. / Dissertation (MA Theol)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / New Testament Studies / Unrestricted

This thesis explores the missional ecclesiology of the Emerging Church Movement and its relationship to Evangelicalism. The rise of post-Christendom, post-modernism and the increasing marginalisation of the church in Western Culture has created a situation where it needs to ask the basic missiological questions of its own identity and structures. In contrast to many within traditional Evangelicalism, the Emerging Church Movement views these changes as a positive development and, in a social context much more akin to that of the early church, an opportunity to rediscover the essential nature of its calling as Church. It is in a narrative reading of Scripture and understanding of Jesus' proclamation of the kingdom of God that the ECM believes the answers are to be found. As a result, the ECM finds itself working through a gradual process of dismantling and reconstructing the faith of their Evangelical heritage as they reflect on the meaning of the gospel as they see it expressed in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and His interpretation of the Old Testament narrative. For the ECM, the gospel is much bigger than merely personal salvation and is best understood as God's great and gracious mission in the world of making new all that has been corrupted by sin and evil. Missional churches realise that they have been invited to participate with God in his redemptive mission and formulate their identity, structures and values accordingly. The ECM engages in intentional , subversive ministry from its new place at the margins of society flowing from the realisation that mission is not an activity to be carried out by members of the church in certain contexts, but rather the essential character and calling of the church community wherever it may exist. / Dissertation (MA(Theol))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Practical Theology / unrestricted