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This article seeks to discuss the true biblical meaning of the Gospel message given the fact that in today’s Christianity we have various understandings of the Gospel message. Particularly, this issue is present in the debate about Paul and Jesus – whether Paul’s message about justification by faith or Jesus’ message about the kingdom of God is the Gospel. The thesis of this article is that the Gospel is a primarily christological and not soteriological message. That is, its center is Christ: his person and work, and not humanity and their sins or salvation from sins. There is a huge difference between these two versions of the Gospel message, and they shape church evangelism, life and ministry dramatically. Because of that, this article offers a critique and helpful revision of the understanding of the Gospel message so that rightfully understood it may produce better results and fruits in the life of the church.
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The study of the novel The Master and Margarita is focused on the interpretation and the making of a character that Bulgakov created based on the biblical figure. The analytical method used is a comparative one, and the study integrates a deep comparison of the narration techniques and interpretations of the figure in the light of mystic and occult culture. The comparison between the biblical archetype of the character of Pontius Pilate and the re-creation and interpretation of the character in the novel is not just a dry comparison, but it aims to climb over the culture it represents, Christian culture and ethics, regarding the concept of good and evil. As the narrator of the novel changes focus on different subjects, and since the central figure of the storytelling differs, it was more important for us to study the figure of Pontius Pilate than Yeshua (Christ). We have gone deep into his character by analyzing the remorse, the loneliness and the redemption that the character goes through. An important role in the study is that of the symbols interpreted in the novel’s context such as the symbol of the moon, so oft and powerfully used in the novel. Because the author remade a well known character, we think that the author was aware that the reader would have a culture of imagining it, so it was a great challenge for him to give the reader another Pilate. Bulgakov is very talented in the way he describes Pilate so that the reader considering pre-knowledge about the biblical archetype makes an unconscious comparison.
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Among contemporary theologians, Miroslav Volf has written extensively on, and probably made the most significant contribution to, the topic of reconciliation. 1 The reason why Volf deserves special consideration is twofold. First, he has developed his theology of reconciliation in a context fraught with disturbing wars, and out of a deep concern for the social and political realities of the day; as such his writings are marked by a profound preoccupation with concrete questions and implications of the Christian faith for the contemporary world. Second, Volf has paid close attention to the biblical text and interacted with it throughout his work; thus, he addresses not only the question of the social meaning of reconciliation from various angles, but he also offers strong, biblical grounds for his theology. Dr. Miroslav Volf is the Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School, and Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. He is an influential Christian theologian, widely known for his works in systematic theology, moral ethics, reconciliation and peacemaking, and for his very active role in promoting a theology of forgiveness, non-violence and unity. Dr. Miroslav Volf was born in Osijek, Croatia and was educated at Evandeoski Teoloski Fakultet, Osijek (BA, summa cum laude); Fuller Theological Seminary (MA, summa cum laude); and University of Tübingen (Dr. theol., summa cum laude, and Dr. theol. habil., both under the supervision of Prof. Jürgen Moltmann).
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Our participation in God’s mission to the world is a mandate for all followers of Jesus Christ - however, our understanding of thewhat, why, and how of God’s mission is often viewed through the lens of immediate historical precedent and personal experience. As mission is intrinsically related to how we understand God, who we are as God’s people, and how we think about God’s purposes in our particular contexts, it is therefore important to reflect upon its Biblical, theological, and historical foundations. In light of this, the article will explore the qualitative nature of God’s mission and suggest some ways in which to think about our participation in God’s mission in a Southeastern European context.
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Diplomacy represents an activity which is connected to the foreign politics and international relations. It is a means for achieving foreign political goals. The Christian churches represent communities whose purpose is to worship God and proclaim the Gospel to the world around them. What is the interrelation between diplomacy and the Church? What is the destiny of the Christianity in Europe which is rapidly becoming secularized? What is the role of diplomacy in that process? Should the contemporary Christian churches make compromises, as it is one of the functions of diplomacy, and to what extent?
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Among contemporary theologians, Miroslav Volf has written extensively on, and probably made the most significant contribution to, the topic of reconciliation. 1 The reason why Volf deserves special consideration is twofold. First, he has developed his theology of reconciliation in a context fraught with disturbing wars, and out of a deep concern for the social and political realities of the day; as such his writings are marked by a profound preoccupation with concrete questions and implications of the Christian faith for the contemporary world. Second, Volf has paid close attention to the biblical text and interacted with it throughout his work; thus, he addresses not only the question of the social meaning of reconciliation from various angles, but he also offers strong, biblical grounds for his theology. Dr. Miroslav Volf is the Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School, and Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. He is an influential Christian theologian, widely known for his works in systematic theology, moral ethics, reconciliation and peacemaking, and for his very active role in promoting a theology of forgiveness, non-violence and unity. Dr. Miroslav Volf was born in Osijek, Croatia and was educated at Evandeoski Teoloski Fakultet, Osijek (BA, summa cum laude); Fuller Theological Seminary (MA, summa cum laude); and University of Tübingen (Dr. theol., summa cum laude, and Dr. theol. habil., both under the supervision of Prof. Jürgen Moltmann).
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Our participation in God’s mission to the world is a mandate for all followers of Jesus Christ - however, our understanding of thewhat, why, and how of God’s mission is often viewed through the lens of immediate historical precedent and personal experience. As mission is intrinsically related to how we understand God, who we are as God’s people, and how we think about God’s purposes in our particular contexts, it is therefore important to reflect upon its Biblical, theological, and historical foundations. In light of this, the article will explore the qualitative nature of God’s mission and suggest some ways in which to think about our participation in God’s mission in a Southeastern European context.
More...
This article seeks to discuss the true biblical meaning of the Gospel message given the fact that in today’s Christianity we have various understandings of the Gospel message. Particularly, this issue is present in the debate about Paul and Jesus – whether Paul’s message about justification by faith or Jesus’ message about the kingdom of God is the Gospel. The thesis of this article is that the Gospel is a primarily christological and not soteriological message. That is, its center is Christ: his person and work, and not humanity and their sins or salvation from sins. There is a huge difference between these two versions of the Gospel message, and they shape church evangelism, life and ministry dramatically. Because of that, this article offers a critique and helpful revision of the understanding of the Gospel message so that rightfully understood it may produce better results and fruits in the life of the church.
More...
The study of the novel The Master and Margarita is focused on the interpretation and the making of a character that Bulgakov created based on the biblical figure. The analytical method used is a comparative one, and the study integrates a deep comparison of the narration techniques and interpretations of the figure in the light of mystic and occult culture. The comparison between the biblical archetype of the character of Pontius Pilate and the re-creation and interpretation of the character in the novel is not just a dry comparison, but it aims to climb over the culture it represents, Christian culture and ethics, regarding the concept of good and evil. As the narrator of the novel changes focus on different subjects, and since the central figure of the storytelling differs, it was more important for us to study the figure of Pontius Pilate than Yeshua (Christ). We have gone deep into his character by analyzing the remorse, the loneliness and the redemption that the character goes through. An important role in the study is that of the symbols interpreted in the novel’s context such as the symbol of the moon, so oft and powerfully used in the novel. Because the author remade a well known character, we think that the author was aware that the reader would have a culture of imagining it, so it was a great challenge for him to give the reader another Pilate. Bulgakov is very talented in the way he describes Pilate so that the reader considering pre-knowledge about the biblical archetype makes an unconscious comparison.
More...
This article explores the legitimacy of evident tension between the evangelistic and family commissions of evangelical Christians. Legitimacy is sought within the context of wider tensions revealed on the social level of Christianized civilizations, represented here by the Croatian example, as well as within the context of the New Testament writings which greatly influenced it. Theological interpretation of these tensions is offered within the eschatological model of the inaugurated kingdom and is suggested as a frame of reference for their evaluation and understanding. The main argument of the article seeks to show that both successes and failures of evangelical Christians in the area of the integration of family life and evangelistic enterprise equally bare testimony to the truth of the gospel and follow the eschatological dynamics of the New Testament as well as the progress of the history of salvation.
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God intended for the people he created in his image and likeness to live in families where they can generate and confirm his “image and likeness”. That is why the Christian family is such an important link in society. The value of the church community is best confirmed (or denied) by the implementation of said community by Christian families. In this modern society of alienated individuals, the Christian family has an even more distinguished role.
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As Creator, God designed the family and determined the standards and rules for living and functioning in the family. As a basic unit of society, the family is to reflect God’s glory. God’s plan for marriage and the family has not changed, only the human approach to this institution has changed. Therefore, it is vital to re-emphasize how important it is that the family functions according to biblical standards. This article deals with raising children in an evangelical environment which assumes God’s presence, the reading and keeping of God’s Word, love between the parents, prayer, and worship of God. Clear goals for raising children are presented. This work offers valuable and lived examples of biblical discipline. It discusses the topic of discipline from childhood to the teen ages, trust, responsibility, communication and relationship with God. Finally, the article points out the importance of times of family worship.
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Evangelical Christians in Croatia and elsewhere in the world attempt to apply the principles of the Holy Scriptures in their daily lives, and their marriages and family lives are probably the most significant and most evident indicators of the success of that application. The first part of this article deals with the basics of biblical teaching on marriage and the family. In the second part, the stance of evangelical Christians is outlined on topics such as sexual immorality, especially regarding sexual intercourse before marriage and outside of marriage, as well as their attitude on homosexuality. In the last part of the article, the author offers biblical/theological guidelines for raising children and strengthening the family that include the establishment of living on the foundation of God’s Word, the establishment of biblical authority in the marriage and family, as well as the establishment of family priorities.
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The complexity of issues involved in the history of women demands and deserves a wider and more detailed treatment than it has received till now. The aim of this article, which will limit itself to the religio-historical context, is to outline and highlight two extreme “positions” of women within the bipolar male-female world. The position of woman, her role and attitudes held about her, are predominantly determined by the Judeo-Christian tradition. This stance is, in turn, largely defined by the biblical account of the woman’s succumbing to the “snake” in Genesis 3. Since then, the woman has been marked as “weak” because it was she who succumbed to the “snake” and thus robbed humanity of a blissful existence in the Garden of Eden. In this way, the woman opened the door to the enemy of human souls as well as to the fallen fate of humankind. Nevertheless, the historical consequences of this biblical account on the position of women in society and family are not one-dimensional. On one hand, it brought about misogyny (hatred towards women), and on the other, an ongoing worship of the woman as the originator of human life exists in the form of the cult of fertility which is one of the most widespread religious expressions. As a syncretistic deviation, it also appears in the Old Testament text. In some Christian traditions, this cult appears as the counterpart to misogyny.
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Mary’s Magnificat is a lyric miniature with an emphatically rich semantic scope consisting of numerous levels identified by the author as: 1) the hymnal and poetic level, 2) the actors and action level, 3) the religious and ecclesiological level, 4) the revolutionary and subversive level, 5) the feminist and gender level, and 6) the maternal and familial level. A co-existence and openness in the polysemic structure of the Magnificat is outlined in this article which highlights messages for contemporary readers, especially for families. From Mary’s experience, which is spoken out in the Magnificat, as well as from the life of the holy family, one can separate special values: rapture through parenting, honor in the parent-child relationship, and awareness of the mission given to the child by God.
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This article deals with the spiritual responsibilities and biblical principles of God’s workers regarding the good management of their households as a pre-condition for doing God’s ministry. The author points out the negative examples of God’s people whose philosophy of raising children is something to avoid. However, the reader will also be exposed to positive examples of biblical upbringing that should be followed and applied. Biblical pedagogy is unavoidable. God’s spiritual/training scale is set high for all those who want to engage in his work. Therefore, the task of this article is to highlight God’s standard and suggest solutions to God’s workers, regardless of who they are, in order to avoid family failure and the fall “… into disgrace and into the devil’s trap” (1 Tim 3:7).
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In this article, the author primarily focuses on an integrative approach to practical theology. This approach combines the hermeneutical, empirical, and strategic (critical) perspective in practical theology. The author sums up this approach in three categories: understanding, explanation, and change. Furthermore, the author highlights that an integrative approach requires an interrelationship between different branches of theology. This enables practical theology to enter into sincere dialogue with the social sciences. In the second part of this work, the author illustrates an integrative approach with the example of the social construction of conversion using a narrative method to investigate conversion testimonies of former drug addicts. The author concludes that the integrative approach, in the context of practical theology, provides a significant contribution to the actual theological reflection of the church and society.
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