Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
1.1
0.8
Journals
Religions
Special Issues
Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective
share announcement

Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Health/Psychology/Social Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2023) | Viewed by 22221

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Johannes Eurich

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Diakoniewissenschaftliches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
Interests: practical theology; diaconal science
Prof. Dr. Ignatius Swart

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Religion and Theology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
Interests: theology and development; religion and development; religion and society; diaconal studies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Caring for one another is part of being human and has produced different types of helping in the respective cultures. One form of helping that is salient for Christianized Western cultures can be seen in organizations in which people can receive help in emergency situations independently of family ties in the name of loving one’s neighbor. These charities are named after the Greek word diaconia. Today’s Christian diaconal welfare organizations mostly emerged in the 19th century to combat the social consequences of industrialization in Europe. Christian missionaries in turn spread the concept of diaconia to other parts of the world in the wake of colonialism. Thus, manifold traditions of Diaconia and Christian Social Practice have evolved worldwide that today noticeably also include the many Christian formations that have grown independently from the mainline Christian traditions (e.g., African Initiated Churches, Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches).

Against this background, this Call for Papers invites contributions from across the aforementioned wide spectrum of formations and traditions to advance a global debate on diaconia and Christian social practice. In view of meeting this aim, the call takes account of the fact that “diaconia” may not be the salient concept used in many contexts and that the notion of “Christian social practice” more appropriately incorporates and defines the practices of Christian social care, social welfare and social development prevalent in those contexts.

This call acknowledges and relates to recent and new encyclopedic works similarly aimed at advancing a global debate on Diaconia and Christian Social Practice: International Handbook on Ecumenical Diaconia (2021); International Handbook on Creation Care and Eco-Diaconia (2022) (see full references below). However, in comparison to the concise introductory nature of the contributions to topical foci and themes in these two works the current call seeks to advance a global debate or perspective through more in-depth, full-fledged scholarly papers across a wide scope of thematic and topical possibilities. As such, while this invitation is directed to scholars from all parts of the world, the editors especially welcome contributions from the majority world. 

While other topics are also welcome but need to be approved by the editors, the following topics serve as a guideline for paper contributions:

  1. Entanglement and detachment of diaconia from colonialism
  2. Diaconia of the marginalized (with respect to self-empowerment and self-representation), including church-based initiatives to render social responsibility in local Christian social practice
  3. Diaconia, climate change, creation care and the sustainable development goals (SDG) agenda
  4. Expressions of diaconia in the independent Christian traditions and churches
  5. Conceptualisations and practices of the diaconal church
  6. Diaconia and the non-profit sector: questions of diaconal agency and identity in market-related and civil society contexts
  7. Diaconia in dialogue with religion and development (RaD)/Diaconia and religion and development as overlapping expressions of Christian social practice
  8. Diaconia and interreligious collaboration

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400-600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the guest editors ([email protected]; [email protected]) or to the Religions editorial office ([email protected]). Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editors for the purpose of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

Tentative completion schedule:

  • Abstract submission deadline: 20 September 2022
  • Notification of abstract acceptance: 20 October 2022
  • Full manuscript deadline: 20 April 2023

References

D. Beros, E. Bosela, L. Ezekiel, K. Kahongya, R. Liu, G. Moon, M. Strizzi, and D. Werner (eds.) (2022). International Handbook on Creation Care and Eco-Diaconia: Concepts and Perspectives of Churches from the Global South. Oxford: Regnum Books International.

G. Ampony, B. Hofmann, M. Büscher, F. Ngntedem, D. Solon & D. Werner (eds.) (2022), International Handbook on Ecumenical Diaconia: Contextual Theologies of Diaconia and Christian Social Services. Oxford: Regnum Books International.

Prof. Dr. Johannes Eurich
Prof. Dr. Ignatius Swart
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • diaconia
  • de-colonialism
  • interreligious collaboration
  • religion and development
  • diaconia of the marginalized
  • non-profit sector
  • diaconal church
  • independent churches
  • creation care
  • sustainable development goals

Published Papers (16 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 1229 KiB  
Article
Diaconia and Interreligious Cooperation in Switzerland
by Christoph Sigrist
Religions 2023, 14(8), 1046; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14081046 - 16 Aug 2023
Viewed by 725
Abstract
One of the most important areas of tension for diaconia in the Western European, German-speaking context is the demands of an interreligious and plural society. The social challenges to churches with their congregations and parishes, diaconal organizations, and the state with its social [...] Read more.
One of the most important areas of tension for diaconia in the Western European, German-speaking context is the demands of an interreligious and plural society. The social challenges to churches with their congregations and parishes, diaconal organizations, and the state with its social institutions are complex. This article deals with religious layers of social transformations that shape helping actions. It focuses on innovative projects in the field of spiritual care and diaconia that created new spaces of diaconal practice in the last ten years in the Canton of Zurich and Switzerland. Specifically, the process of accrediting the first imam at the University Hospital in Zurich, the employment of chaplains of Muslim and Jewish faith in the Swiss Army, and the training of Muslim chaplains in the Canton of Zurich are presented. On the one hand, the aim is to adequately define the relationship between diaconia and spiritual care in a pluralistic society. On the other hand, interreligious cooperation is analyzed as a process of intercultural communication and transcultural practice. From this, theses for prospective, innovative, and well-founded interreligious cooperation in diaconia can be gained, which can be further developed and discussed in other European and global contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 364 KiB  
Article
Diaconia and Development: The Study of Religious Social Practice as Lead Discipline in the Religion and Development Debate
by Philipp Öhlmann
Religions 2023, 14(8), 1032; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14081032 - 11 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1523
Abstract
In this article, I argue that the research field of religion and development and diaconal studies, the study of Christian social practice, share a common subject of inquiry: the social impact of religion. The field of religion and development investigates this mainly with [...] Read more.
In this article, I argue that the research field of religion and development and diaconal studies, the study of Christian social practice, share a common subject of inquiry: the social impact of religion. The field of religion and development investigates this mainly with a focus on the Global South and within the discursive framework of the concept of development, while diaconal studies has thus far taken a Christian perspective and a historic focus on the Global North. Recent paradigm shifts in the development discourse (post-development critique, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a global framework, critique of the secularist approach) put the field of religion and development under pressure to broaden its scope. Moreover, there is no clear lead discipline in the religion and development debate yet, raising questions about its disciplinary location in academic institutions and curricula. The field of diaconal studies is challenged by increasing religious pluralism and under pressure to consider perspectives from the Global South. Impulses from the recent advances in the conceptualisation of ecumenical diaconia as a new paradigm of Christian social service push the field to move beyond its historic focus on assistance and care. The aim of this article is to juxtapose these two fields of academic study and to bring them into mutual dialogue. The article reflects on both fields and their respective advantages and disadvantages and highlights areas of overlap. It goes on to propose a broadened discipline of diaconal studies, reshaped as the Study of Religious Social Practice, as a new academic field. The focus of this field would be the impact of religion on society in global perspective, across religious traditions and geographic contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective)
12 pages, 249 KiB  
Article
‘Housing’ as Christian Social Practice in African Cities: Centering the Urban Majority Theologically
by Stephan De Beer
Religions 2023, 14(8), 1009; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14081009 - 7 Aug 2023
Viewed by 645
Abstract
Decent, affordable housing and secure housing tenure remain elusive for Africa’s urban majority. The urban majority is expected to live in self-help housing, reflected in the fact that 62% of African urban dwellers live in urban informal settlements. The inability to access safe, [...] Read more.
Decent, affordable housing and secure housing tenure remain elusive for Africa’s urban majority. The urban majority is expected to live in self-help housing, reflected in the fact that 62% of African urban dwellers live in urban informal settlements. The inability to access safe, decent, and secure housing, and the reality that Africa’s urban majority is perpetually precarious, have a severe impact on Africa’s urban households and the well-being of individuals, families, and neighborhoods. This article articulates housing as a critical and urgent Christian social practice in African cities—an extension of the church’s pastoral and missional concern. It considers housing both as a product and a process: people need housing to live secure lives; yet, the process of housing is as critical as the outcome. It then proposes housing, as a Christian social practice, being engaged in (i) supporting precarious households; (ii) preventing homelessness; (iii) creating housing; (iv) supporting rights-based land and housing movements; and (v) centering housing pastorally–liturgically. The article grounds itself in Jean-Marc Ela’s insistence on God’s presence ‘in the hut of a mother whose granary is empty’ and in Letty Russell’s ‘household of freedom’. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective)
16 pages, 247 KiB  
Article
Transformative Diaconia in China: The Amity Foundation as a Case Study
by Theresa Carino
Religions 2023, 14(8), 964; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14080964 - 25 Jul 2023
Viewed by 961
Abstract
The last decade has seen keen interest among governments, businesses, academe, and the nonprofit sector in the role religions can play in the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030. In China, until the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020, there were [...] Read more.
The last decade has seen keen interest among governments, businesses, academe, and the nonprofit sector in the role religions can play in the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030. In China, until the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020, there were conferences and debates about this that increasingly involved the religious sector. This study looks at Christian social practice among faith-based organizations in China, especially its transformative potential, in contributing to sustainable development. It will highlight some of the best practices of the Amity Foundation, a Chinese FBO headquartered in Nanjing, to illustrate how, through a combination of service delivery and advocacy (Chinese style), FBOs in China can help shift official and religious perspectives and attitudes toward a more participatory and sustainable approach to development. Although the term “transformative diaconia” has not been explicitly used by Amity to describe its work, the values embedded in its practice and the impact it has made on stakeholders and policies can be considered transformative. The UN SDGs 2030, which have been strongly supported by Amity’s ecumenical partners and the Chinese government, provide an important frame of reference for Amity’s advocacy work as well as help to identify some of the content for diaconal capacity building for churches in China. Some of the opportunities and challenges confronting FBOs as they transition from service delivery to advocacy will be explored. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective)
11 pages, 319 KiB  
Article
Shame as an Ethical Category for an Integrative Diaconia in Brazil
by Rudolf von Sinner
Religions 2023, 14(7), 952; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14070952 - 24 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1207
Abstract
The growing political influence of evangélico Christians in traditionally Catholic Brazil has caught the attention of social and political scientists as well as theologians. Among others, the reasons for two-thirds of the mainly Pentecostal and Neo-Pentecostal electorate voting for Jair Messias Bolsonaro include [...] Read more.
The growing political influence of evangélico Christians in traditionally Catholic Brazil has caught the attention of social and political scientists as well as theologians. Among others, the reasons for two-thirds of the mainly Pentecostal and Neo-Pentecostal electorate voting for Jair Messias Bolsonaro include a moral agenda concerning human sexuality and the “traditional family,” namely the rejection of abortion under any circumstance and same-sex marriage. This conservative agenda is shared in other countries and churches and shows as “traditionalist” (Benjamin Teitelbaum), especially in Brazil, the USA under Trump, and Russia. At the same time, other, more social aspects of Christian diaconia in caring for the integrity of the body are left aside, although they are foreseen in those churches’ declarations of faith and ethical catechisms. The 2019–2022 government’s blatant failure to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, the appalling rise of hunger, and the destruction of the Amazon rainforest should give rise to what I call an “evangélico sense of shame” as a consequence of the incompatibility of many of the faith convictions of that part of the electorate with Bolsonaro’s stances and actions, retrieving shame as an ethical category. To this end, I analyze biblical notions and theological reflections on shame, as well as publications of evangélico churches with a focus on the largest of its churches in Brazil, the Assemblies of God. Thus, I intend to reclaim an integral diaconia for evangélico churches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective)
12 pages, 289 KiB  
Article
Community, Immunity, and Vulnerability: Paradoxes and Possibilities in Postpandemic Diaconal Practice
by Sturla J. Stålsett
Religions 2023, 14(7), 948; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14070948 - 24 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1160
Abstract
This article discusses an inherent paradox in contemporary conceptualisations of community as a challenge to diaconia. Logics of protection separate insiders from outsiders, producing a fundamental antagonism between those who belong to the community and those who threaten it. During pandemics, this logic [...] Read more.
This article discusses an inherent paradox in contemporary conceptualisations of community as a challenge to diaconia. Logics of protection separate insiders from outsiders, producing a fundamental antagonism between those who belong to the community and those who threaten it. During pandemics, this logic is exacerbated. When contagion threatens all, even the community needs to be protected from itself. Immunitarian defences are required for the safety of all community members. However, measures implemented to ensure immunity can also harm people’s mental and somatic health. This paradox presents ethical and practical challenges for inclusive justice, including diaconia. Concerning this dilemma, the article draws on Roberto Esposito’s reframing of community and immunitarian defence. Esposito argues that immunitarian mechanisms must promote tolerance of otherness through openness to its presence within. I suggest that this openness can be seen as a fundamental ontological vulnerability shared by all living creatures. Learning from recent contributions within vulnerability studies and feminist and trauma theologies, I employ Tony Addy’s concept of conviviality as a model for diaconal community building, seeking to elucidate the relevance of Esposito’s thinking to postpandemic diaconal practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective)
12 pages, 307 KiB  
Article
Diaconia as the Art of the Possible: Diaconal Engagement for Roma Migrants in Oslo, Norway
by Bjørn Hallstein Holte
Religions 2023, 14(7), 817; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14070817 - 21 Jun 2023
Viewed by 886
Abstract
Itinerant Roma migrants travelling from Eastern European countries have featured across the European Economic Area (EEA) since the European Union’s eastward expansions in 2004 and 2007. Being unskilled, many Roma migrants engage in casual work and street work such as playing music, selling [...] Read more.
Itinerant Roma migrants travelling from Eastern European countries have featured across the European Economic Area (EEA) since the European Union’s eastward expansions in 2004 and 2007. Being unskilled, many Roma migrants engage in casual work and street work such as playing music, selling magazines, collecting and recycling bottles and cans, and begging, making them conspicuously visible in countries with public welfare services and low poverty levels. Citizens of EEA countries can enter and stay legally in other countries in the EEA for up to three months, after which they must register as workers or jobseekers, and generally leave. It is well documented how the countries Roma citizens of EEA countries travel to have enacted migration control measures, often in the form of complex and fine-grained regulations, that exclude them from public welfare services. This is also true of the Nordic countries, such as Norway, where they coincide with universalistic welfare states aiming to cover everyone living in their territories with the same benefits and services. In the Nordic countries, as in other countries, service provision for Roma migrants is largely in the hands of non-governmental organisations, many of them diaconal organisations running emergency shelters, soup kitchens, and other humanitarian services to alleviate suffering for people at the margins of the welfare state. The diaconal organisations also engage in case work and advocacy work to ensure the realisation of the Roma migrants’ rights. Many of the organisations depend on public grants, making their relationship to the welfare state ambiguous. This article investigates Christian social practice in the form of diaconal engagement for Roma migrants in Oslo, Norway at the intersection of migration control, the universalistic welfare state, and the theological underpinnings of the organisations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective)
28 pages, 5854 KiB  
Article
Belonging to the City: Alliances between Community Art and Diaconia as a Means to Overcome Segregation in a Gentrifying Neighbourhood in Amsterdam
by Erica Meijers
Religions 2023, 14(6), 811; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14060811 - 20 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1220
Abstract
Between 2019 and 2021, volunteers of a local Protestant congregation in Amsterdam, professional artists, and (other) local residents organised the interactive exhibit A(t) home in the Staats. In this project, community art and diaconia joined forces using multidisciplinary methods to strengthen relations [...] Read more.
Between 2019 and 2021, volunteers of a local Protestant congregation in Amsterdam, professional artists, and (other) local residents organised the interactive exhibit A(t) home in the Staats. In this project, community art and diaconia joined forces using multidisciplinary methods to strengthen relations in the neighbourhood and to discern issues of belonging and lines of division in the changing neighbourhood. The project was situated at the intersection of an “up and coming” neighbourhood and a shrinking congregation. By analysing the exhibit, this article contributes to the development of creative, arts-based research methods in diaconal studies. Within this approach, art is never a mere illustration or a vehicle for reflection but rather a generator of knowledge. The central question is: how can alliances between community art and diaconia contribute to overcoming segregation in urban contexts? This question is informed by the process of gentrification and the search by city churches for ways to engage with urban changes. After the introduction and methodological reflections, the article describes the background and practice of the project, followed by the outcomes of the interactive exhibit. It concludes by answering the central question and mapping theoretical and practical challenges concerning alliances between art and diaconia in urban contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 242 KiB  
Article
Diaconia and Identity: Agency of the Marginalised
by John Stephanus Klaasen
Religions 2023, 14(6), 745; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14060745 - 5 Jun 2023
Viewed by 900
Abstract
The question under investigation relates to the agency of the marginalised as a model for taking responsibility for care and progress. This complex phenomenon of existence outside of the centre will be critically evaluated. Two notions of imago Dei—Wentzel’s image of God [...] Read more.
The question under investigation relates to the agency of the marginalised as a model for taking responsibility for care and progress. This complex phenomenon of existence outside of the centre will be critically evaluated. Two notions of imago Dei—Wentzel’s image of God and Kelsey’s images of Christ—indicate the debates around the positioning of the marginalised. These debates are becoming an emerging field of interest within the development and diaconia fields of research. A growing interest is in the escalation and unprecedented poverty that some parts of the world are experiencing. The division amongst and between nations is growing rapidly, never seen in modern history. The interest of this contribution lies specifically within the intersections of identity and agency. I seek to explore Christian anthropology within and concerning the rest of God’s creation. Questions such as the absolute doctrinal formulation of what it means to be created in the image and likeness of God, how the doctrine relates to contemporary challenges such as the destructiveness of the created order by human beings, the oppressive and exploitative political and economic systems; and the continuation of the doctrine with situations of poverty will be considered. Using a post-colonial approach to Christian anthropology, I will argue that the marginalised as part of the creation of God has the call and gifts to take responsibility, the right and the dignity for care and development. Such an approach redefines marginalisation as a space of liberation. The positioning of the marginalised in relation to the centre and the agency of the poor will be correlated with Radford Ruether’s dialectical approach to what it means to be the church. Radford Ruether’s approach forms the basis for Dietrich’s view of the positioning of the marginalized within the diaconal perspective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective)
13 pages, 257 KiB  
Article
The Diaconate of All Believers: Theology, Formation, Practice
by Craig L. Nessan
Religions 2023, 14(6), 741; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14060741 - 4 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2309
Abstract
This article proposes an innovative direction for Christian social practice by reclaiming and revitalizing the diaconate of all believers. While the ministry of the laity received attention in ecumenical circles in past decades, the diaconate of all believers now needs elaboration and reception. [...] Read more.
This article proposes an innovative direction for Christian social practice by reclaiming and revitalizing the diaconate of all believers. While the ministry of the laity received attention in ecumenical circles in past decades, the diaconate of all believers now needs elaboration and reception. A focus on the diaconate of all believers can provide a vital theological and practical paradigm for expanding Christian social practice. In this paradigm, diaconia engages the world through the involvements of Christian people in all their roles and relationships in life, including family, work, civic engagement, and church. Christian communities need to undertake focused education and intentional formation of the diaconate of all believers through their worship and educational practices. The liturgy provides substance for this formation process. Reclaiming the diaconate of all believers as a primary expression of the church’s diaconal practice means reorienting the ministry of deacons, pastors, and bishops in relation to the universal diaconate. The recovery of the diaconate of all believers has significance for a revised ecclesiology and theology of ministry that places ministry in daily life at the forefront of Christian social practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective)
18 pages, 535 KiB  
Article
Minding the Gaps in Managers’ Self-Realisation: The Values-Based Leadership Discourse of a Diaconal Organisation
by Stephen Sirris
Religions 2023, 14(6), 722; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14060722 - 30 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1301
Abstract
Work is an important source of meaning for managers in modern organisations. This article explores a leadership discourse in a diaconal organisation and aims at analysing managers’ notions of self-realisation. Based on a case study of a Norwegian diaconal hospital, the article answers [...] Read more.
Work is an important source of meaning for managers in modern organisations. This article explores a leadership discourse in a diaconal organisation and aims at analysing managers’ notions of self-realisation. Based on a case study of a Norwegian diaconal hospital, the article answers the following research question: What characterises managers’ self-realisation within the leadership discourse in a diaconal organisation? The findings foreground how managers emphasise individuation through pro-social values, draw on the hospital’s distinct leadership discourse when addressing dilemmas and connect values to core work. However, the managers are also marked by individualisation in that they adopt elements from a generic leadership discourse, where managerial work is a means to launch their own potential, express personal ideals and foster individual development. The article discusses how self-realisation in this diaconal organisation primarily emerges as individuation rather than individualisation, which is prominent in generic leadership discourses. These two categories of self-realisation intersect within the hospital’s predominant values-based leadership discourse. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 308 KiB  
Article
Proposing a Social Justice Approach to Diaconia for a South African Context
by Jacques Walter Beukes and Laurika Elouise Beukes
Religions 2023, 14(5), 668; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14050668 - 17 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1267
Abstract
South Africa, although a “young” democracy, has quickly become one of the most economically uneven nations due to its history of segregation and discrimination as contributing factors. South Africans have seen an increase in the number of protests over the past several years [...] Read more.
South Africa, although a “young” democracy, has quickly become one of the most economically uneven nations due to its history of segregation and discrimination as contributing factors. South Africans have seen an increase in the number of protests over the past several years because of the frustration that has been caused by unbearable living circumstances, a lack of service delivery, and empty promises made by the government. Poverty, unemployment, and social injustice are seen by the South African government as the most important obstacles that need to be overcome to construct a prosperous nation. Despite the government’s commitment to a “better life for all” since 1994, the post-apartheid South African government has predominantly prioritised civil and political rights in its efforts to address social injustices, while the socio-economic needs of the country’s impoverished and marginalised populations have remained largely unfulfilled. The degradation of human dignity that results from conditions such as poverty and unemployment is significant. A violation of one’s dignity can also occur when one is excluded from efforts to combat issues such as poverty and unemployment, which should be considered. Amidst all of this, the church is criticised for remaining silent and doing little to address the situation. This article proposes social justice as an ideal approach to diaconia and development. Therefore, it seeks to understand and include social justice principles as a means of empowering people to ensure effective development. The objective of long-term poverty reduction cannot be accomplished unless there is an emphasis placed on social justice. This article conducts an in-depth analysis of a variety of social justice theories to rationalise a social justice approach to diaconia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective)
14 pages, 290 KiB  
Article
“Justpeace-Diaconia” and the Challenges of Reconciliation in the Canadian Context
by Wendy Kroeker
Religions 2023, 14(5), 651; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14050651 - 14 May 2023
Viewed by 1112
Abstract
This article argues for the necessity of an approach to diaconal work that can best be defined as active and sustainable peacebuilding and reconciliation toward social transformation. It explores ways in which a diaconia specifically informed by justice and peace perspectives, called “justpeace-diaconia” [...] Read more.
This article argues for the necessity of an approach to diaconal work that can best be defined as active and sustainable peacebuilding and reconciliation toward social transformation. It explores ways in which a diaconia specifically informed by justice and peace perspectives, called “justpeace-diaconia” by the author, should serve as an entry point for engagement into the complex dynamics towards reconciliation in the Canadian context, deepened by its colonial legacy that still pervades the social fabric. These challenges and diversities—even complicities—of perspective are viewed through the lens of peace-diaconia to examine the implications for diaconal work in Canada and explore whether meaningful journeys for reconciling and building relationships are possible. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective)
22 pages, 884 KiB  
Article
Diaconal Church Initiatives and Social/Public Welfare in Postwar Japan: A Descriptive Overview
by Stéphan Van der Watt
Religions 2023, 14(5), 594; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14050594 - 1 May 2023
Viewed by 1358
Abstract
This article reflects on post-WWII developments and the current state of church-related diaconal initiatives in Japan. Pioneering Christians have made significant contributions to the development of social welfare since the Meiji Era (1868–1912). Despite still being a radical minority of around only 1 [...] Read more.
This article reflects on post-WWII developments and the current state of church-related diaconal initiatives in Japan. Pioneering Christians have made significant contributions to the development of social welfare since the Meiji Era (1868–1912). Despite still being a radical minority of around only 1 percent of Japan’s population, the nationwide network of Japanese Christian churches, educational institutions, and social welfare organizations makes Christianity’s presence felt on a much wider scale. With its focus on postwar efforts, this article gives a brief overview that ranges from education to social reform and medical care, all of which were traditionally incorporated under the notion of “Christian Social Welfare” (Kirisutokyō Shakai Fukushi). The research integrates Japanese and English sources in a methodical, rigorous literature study in response to the following main question: Why is there a complicated relationship in postwar Japan between church practices defined as diakonia and the work of Christian-based social welfare organizations? This article discovers how diakonia as a theological concept is re-orientating the core identity and mission of churches in Japan. A case study from the Reformed Church of Japan’s diaconal activities is presented to highlight the conclusion that a complex relationship remains between social welfare organizations and wider church practices enacted under the rubric of diakonia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective)
19 pages, 312 KiB  
Article
The International Discourse on Ecumenical Diaconia as a Chance to Strengthen the Specific Profile and Potential of Churches as Actors of Eco-Social Transformation—A German Perspective
by Dietrich Werner
Religions 2023, 14(4), 517; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14040517 - 10 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1663
Abstract
There has always been a conviction in the ecumenical movement that social service is part of the essence of what it means to be the church. The strengthening of social and political witness of churches through church-related agencies and networks in the context [...] Read more.
There has always been a conviction in the ecumenical movement that social service is part of the essence of what it means to be the church. The strengthening of social and political witness of churches through church-related agencies and networks in the context of the beginning development discourse from the 1960s until the 1990s, however, led to a scenario in which the secular language of development and political action received much attention. In 2014 at the Malawi consultation, the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Action of Churches Together (ACT Alliance) reviewed their working relationships and explored better collaboration between agencies and churches, stating that the specific nature of churches as entities with an added value and particular profile in the area of social and political service would be strengthened. From this consultation, a mandate was given by the WCC Central Committee to develop a study document on the understanding and core components of the concept of “ecumenical diaconia”, which then was made available to the 11th Assembly of the WCC in Karlsruhe, 2022. This article introduces the context, major content, and key convictions of this study document and related discussions in Karlsruhe. It answers the question: what is the significance of the global ecumenical fellowship of churches in focusing on a common language of diaconia and a more explicit church-related terminology to describe and strengthen the social services of churches and their engagement in diaconia and social witness? It is recognized that this article is predominantly written from a German context and perspective in its construction of the international discourse on ecumenical diaconia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective)
12 pages, 276 KiB  
Article
Nigerian Pentecostal Megachurches and Development: A Diaconal Analysis of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
by Babatunde Aderemi Adedibu
Religions 2023, 14(1), 70; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14010070 - 4 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2552
Abstract
The Nigerian social, public, political and religious landscapes have changed significantly over time with the emergence and proliferation of Pentecostal megachurches. The majority of these churches are structured and characterized with a peculiar missional focus, ritual, religious and ecclesiastical distinctiveness. Many of these [...] Read more.
The Nigerian social, public, political and religious landscapes have changed significantly over time with the emergence and proliferation of Pentecostal megachurches. The majority of these churches are structured and characterized with a peculiar missional focus, ritual, religious and ecclesiastical distinctiveness. Many of these Pentecostal megachurches have been criticized for their economic motivations, exploitation and commercialization of the Christian faith. However, Nigerian megachurches are ‘Progressive Pentecostals’ on the basis of their sustained commitment to diaconal services towards the development of their communities. Divergent views have emerged over time in relation to the nexus between religion and development. This study argues that religion is one of the motors of development in Africa; this challenges the Western secular framework of development. Hence, the study examines development from below, using the diaconal services of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), a Pentecostal megachurch that illustrates the importance of faith-based organizations’ roles in development. A descriptive research method is employed in the study with social capital theory and pneuma-diaconal mission theory to examine the concept of development from below. This study concludes that faith-based organizations such as the RCCG‘s social responsiveness contributes to the overall development of its various communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective)
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-16
Back to TopTop