Thesis advisor: James Keenan / Thesis advisor: Shawn Copeland / Despite its stated opposition to racism, the Catholic church in the United States remains both complicit in and shaped by the United States' persistent white supremacy. Largely due to the habituating effect of racial segregation, many of the church's practices have been turned into habits of white supremacy. For this reason, I contend, white supremacy operates in the church as a corporate vice, impeding the church's ability to achieve its identity as the body of Christ. This dissertation uncovers the Catholic parish as well as the sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist as habits of white supremacy in order to propose a new approach to the problem of racial inequality and injustice, corporate re-habituation. The church must re-make itself while re-making the spaces it inhabits. As long as the Catholic church continues to reside in racially segregated space, it will continue to carry the vice of white supremacy in its body. In addition to re- drawing parochial borders in defiance of regnant patterns of racial segregation, the church must also work to dismantle both the hypersegregated black ghetto and the hyperprivileged white enclave. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.

This thesis explores Wisdom Christology, the association of Jesus Christ and the mysterious and neglected biblical figure of Woman Wisdom. Because the descriptions of her bear a striking resemblance to the portrayal of Jesus Christ, I argue that they can be seen as two names for the same figure: Christ-Wisdom. This link between Jesus Christ and Woman Wisdom has some interesting repercussions in Christology. Firstly, it emphasizes the mysteriousness of Jesus Christ, preventing the illusion that Jesus Christ can be fully understood. In fact, the incarnation is a deepening of the mystery of God, meaning that theological language must rely on paradox and metaphor to describe the indescribable. I argue that the name Jesus Christ is inclusive, wide enough to hold many names, including that of Woman Wisdom, which he sanctifies so they become appropriate names for the divine. Secondly, the association of Jesus Christ with Woman Wisdom affects the gender of Jesus Christ. Throughout Christian history, there has been a gender fluidity in depictions of Jesus Christ, something legitimated by his full divinity. This does not mean his historical life as a male human being can be ignored, but although he was of the male sex, he arguably did not strictly adhere to socio-cultural gender expectations. Likewise, in Woman Wisdom, Jesus Christ provides an alternative, atypical way of being female. This relativizes the gender of Christ-Wisdom, pointing beyond it to the radical solidarity of the divine with all humanity in the incarnation. Thirdly, to view Christ as Wisdom changes the way gender is understood within the Church, the Body of Christ. If the Church is the representative of Christ-Wisdom, it is therefore a multi-gendered body in which Jesus Christ takes on male and female embodiment. In contrast to gendered ethical models, the Church thus has one ethical example in Christ-Wisdom, which all follow. Because of the various gifts of the Spirit, diversity remains, but is transformed so that differences, including gender, do not limit or determine the roles of believers in the Church, but remain part of the richness of the one Body under its one Head, Christ-Wisdom.

This thesis explores Wisdom Christology, the association of Jesus Christ and the mysterious and neglected biblical figure of Woman Wisdom. Because the descriptions of her bear a striking resemblance to the portrayal of Jesus Christ, I argue that they can be seen as two names for the same figure: Christ-Wisdom. This link between Jesus Christ and Woman Wisdom has some interesting repercussions in Christology. Firstly, it emphasizes the mysteriousness of Jesus Christ, preventing the illusion that Jesus Christ can be fully understood. In fact, the incarnation is a deepening of the mystery of God, meaning that theological language must rely on paradox and metaphor to describe the indescribable. I argue that the name Jesus Christ is inclusive, wide enough to hold many names, including that of Woman Wisdom, which he sanctifies so they become appropriate names for the divine. Secondly, the association of Jesus Christ with Woman Wisdom affects the gender of Jesus Christ. Throughout Christian history, there has been a gender fluidity in depictions of Jesus Christ, something legitimated by his full divinity. This does not mean his historical life as a male human being can be ignored, but although he was of the male sex, he arguably did not strictly adhere to socio-cultural gender expectations. Likewise, in Woman Wisdom, Jesus Christ provides an alternative, atypical way of being female. This relativizes the gender of Christ-Wisdom, pointing beyond it to the radical solidarity of the divine with all humanity in the incarnation. Thirdly, to view Christ as Wisdom changes the way gender is understood within the Church, the Body of Christ. If the Church is the representative of Christ-Wisdom, it is therefore a multi-gendered body in which Jesus Christ takes on male and female embodiment. In contrast to gendered ethical models, the Church thus has one ethical example in Christ-Wisdom, which all follow. Because of the various gifts of the Spirit, diversity remains, but is transformed so that differences, including gender, do not limit or determine the roles of believers in the Church, but remain part of the richness of the one Body under its one Head, Christ-Wisdom.

No description available.

In the last ten years the Church of England has tried, by means of two reports leading to what I term the ‘Hind settlement’, to re-configure its provision of theological education. The tensions generated by the attempt to hold together different discourses and to impose regional re-organisation in the context of complex developments both in higher education and in patterns of lay and ordained ministry form the basis of my critique of Hind. I argue that Hind’s recourse to the image of the ‘body of Christ’ in the service of an instrumentalist model of ministry exposes inadequacies of a theological anthropological, Christological and ecclesiological nature. I identify a medieval text, Piers Plowman, as a conversation partner which offers a different way of negotiating an analogously difficult set of issues around learning, discipleship and power. My hermeneutical approach to the poem sees its primary impetus as arising from the constant interplay between the experiences of daily life and the attempt to work out a personal and social understanding of salvation. By comparing the ways in which Hind and Langland explore learning as measurable progress, and lay and clerical models of learning, I propose that Piers Plowman offers some valuable resources to the next stage of the Hind process. Not only does the poem foreground the chaotic co-existence of multiple voices in a marketplace of competing definitions of learning, and acknowledge the recalcitrance of communities when presented with opportunities to change, but it also, in the figure of Piers, hints at the possibility of going beyond the lay/clerical impasse. The poem’s recognition of sin and the need for repentance, in contrast to Hind language of management and effectiveness, and its requirement of the reader to participate in the making of new meaning, present an ongoing challenge to a culture of ‘learning outcomes’.

The final chapter of Luke 24 exhibits a peculiar interest in the body of Jesus, which has historically led to theologians interpreting the passage as mainly concerned with christological matters. The phrase “body of Christ” can be understood in regard to the Eucharist meal, but also as employed by Paul to speak of the community of believers. Could the focus on the body in Luke 24, and its climactic recognition scene with Jesus breaking the bread, invoke symbolism related to the corporate community? If so, it could serve as an elegant narratological transition onto Acts. This paper presents a narrative–rhetorical analysis of Luke24:1–53 and a semantic–rhetorical analysis of Did 9:3–4, investigating the use of the symbolism and the ideas associated with the bread of the Eucharist as the body of Jesus. Both analyses are concerned with the historically situated author–reader and utilizes Relevance theory from the field of linguistics to help determine whether the suggested symbolism maybe at play in Luke 24. The study concludes that the bread of the Eucharist carries symbolism that communicates how God’s Wisdom is shared among, and existing within, the community of believers, and that this understanding underlies the entire narrative of Luke 24—adding an ecclesiological layer to the passage.

The main goal of this study is to demonstrate the role of the Holy Spirit in building up Church unity, based on the exegesis of I Corinthians. The current theme is urgent; however, little attention has been paid to it in research literature. We have noted that it is not human wisdom but the Holy Spirit who is the key to our faith, salvation, and understanding of divine mysteries. The Holy Spirit along with Christ brings forward the building of the Church and guides it. One Spirit is the foundation for Church unity. The Holy Spirit administers spiritual gifts according to His will and establishes their orderly operation. Seeking the guidance of the Spirit, trusting and obeying Him brings unity, whereas following different authorities, mistrusting and disobeying Him results in disunity. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M. Th. (New Testament)

Text in Afrikaans / In this study certain dt3ficiencies in connection with administrating church membership are being identified by using statistical information from "Kerkspieel Ill". The cause for these deficiencies can not simply be found in only one or even two factors. It constitutes in several factors some of which are easier to evaluate than others. The fact that it is not easy to measure a cause, does not mean that it should be avoided. Therefore, the practice concerning church membership is being examined in an exploring manner as it is an indispensable organisational matter. It is being approached from two dimensions: first the ecclesiology of the church is studied from a systematic-theological and practical-theological viewpoint with the purpose to determine whether that which the Dutch Reformed Church confesses as church clogma is indeed theologically acceptable. Then, with the ecclesiology as background, the structural phenomenon af church membership is investigated to see in what way the current practice in connection with church membership is conducive or perhaps destructive to the practice of the ecclesiology of the church. After identifying certain descrepancies between the church law and regulations and the E!Cclesiological confession on the one hand, and the church law and regulations and the current practice of membership on the other hand, a new practice for membership is designed. The aim of this new practice is to unite the church's ecclesiological confession and its practice on membership in a closer relationship to each other with the goal to lead members of the church to a fuller understanding of the meaning of their membership. This better understanding will serve as motivation for a more dedicated service to God in honor of his Name. The expectation is that other. renewing projects such as liturgical renewal, will be more effective if it is condu·cted in an atmosphere where members have a better understanding of their membership. / In hierdie studie word vanuit statistiese gegewens soos veral in Kerkspieel Ill opgeteken, sekere lee1mtes wat verband hou met lidmaatskap in die kerk ge'identifiseer. Die oorsake vir die leemtes is sekerlik nie simplisties in slegs een of selfs twee faktore te vind nie. Dit hou verband met 'n verskeidenheid van faktore waarvan sommige makliker meetbaar is as ander. Die feit dat 'n saak nie maklik meetbaar is nie, beteken nie dat dit vermy moet word nie. Daarom word hier verkennend gekyk na die hantering van kerklike lidmaatskap as onontbeerlike organisatoriese aangeleentheid. Dit word van twee kante benader: eerstens word gekyk na die kerk se ekklesiologie vanuit 'n sistematies- en prakties-teologiese perspektief met die doel om vas te stel of dit wat in die Ned Geref Kerk oor die kerk geleer word teologies versoenbaar is. Teen hierdie ekklesiologiese agtergrond word die strukturele verskynsel van lidmaatskap bekyk om uiteindelik na te gaan in watter mate die huidige praxis in VE!rband met lidmaatskap bevorderlik of dalk afbrekend inwerl< op die praxis van die ekklesiologie. Nadat bepaalde diskrepansies tussen die kerkordelike bepalinge en die ekklesiologiese belydenis aan die een kant asook tussen die kerkordelike bepalinge en die huidige praxis van lidmaatskap aan die anderkant aangetoon is, word 'n nuwe praxis vir kerklike lidmaatskap aan die hand gedoen. Die bedoeling is om die kerk se ekklesiologiese belydenis en die betekenis van kerklike lidmaatskap nader aan mekaar te bring sodat die lidmate van die kerk daartoe gelei kan wor:d om al beter te verstaan waarom dit in lidmaatskap eintlik gaan en deur hierdie beter begrip daartoe gemotiveer te word om met groter toewyding die Here tot sy eer te dien. Die verwagting is dat ander kerkvernuwende projekte soos oa die vernuwing van die erediens meer effektief sal wees indien dit geskied waar lidmate ' / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / D.Th. (Practical Theology)

In the last two decades, Seventh-day Adventist scholars have been attempting to articulate a balanced and distinct ecclesiology, aimed at helping the denomination to retain its global unity, maintain its relevance and enable a more fruitful and meaningful interaction with others. No comprehensive account of the church has been developed yet, however. This thesis is intended to facilitate a more rounded and systematically articulated concept of church from an Adventist perspective. Part I presents a thumbnail history of the denomination and considers the advantages and limitations of its standard claim to be the 'remnant', awaiting a pre-millennial parousia. Part II engages with the ideas of some of the ablest communio ecclesiologists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and considers their ecclesiological system, built around the concept of koinonia, while Part III examines ways in which their theoretical framework can assist the Adventist community to deal with practical ecclesial issues. Four major proposals are made for deepening Adventist understanding of the nature of church. Whereas the formal structure of communio framework can help Adventists move beyond one-sided, single-metaphor communal self-descriptions, the idea of the church as essentially a koinonia of believers in God can supplement their predominantly functionalist portrayal of the church as herald or messenger. Thirdly, the Adventist notion of truth can be enriched by viewing the community of believers not only as a messenger, but also as an organic part of divine revelation. This makes ecclesiology central to the theological enterprise, intrinsic to the grounding of theological claims and the interpretation of biblical texts. Finally, the development of a richer interpretation of the Spirit's activity in the church is seen as one of the key prerequisites for a fuller, more nuanced account of the church's participation in the life of the triune God. The highlighting of these four aspects, hitherto neglected or underdeveloped in Adventism, and the presentation of tentative solutions to its ongoing ecclesiological problems, form the principal contribution of this monograph.

The main goal of this study is to demonstrate the role of the Holy Spirit in building up Church unity, based on the exegesis of I Corinthians. The current theme is urgent; however, little attention has been paid to it in research literature. We have noted that it is not human wisdom but the Holy Spirit who is the key to our faith, salvation, and understanding of divine mysteries. The Holy Spirit along with Christ brings forward the building of the Church and guides it. One Spirit is the foundation for Church unity. The Holy Spirit administers spiritual gifts according to His will and establishes their orderly operation. Seeking the guidance of the Spirit, trusting and obeying Him brings unity, whereas following different authorities, mistrusting and disobeying Him results in disunity. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M. Th. (New Testament)