Volume 21
March 2016
Falconer, Review of Frost
Michael Frost is a leading missiologist with an international voice in the missional church movement, and frequently speaks at conferences throughout the world. Frost co-founded the Forge Mission Training Network together with his friend, Alan Hirsch, with whom he has coauthored several books. He is also the Vice Principal of Morling College and the founding director of the Tinsley Institute, a mission study centre located at Morling College in Sydney, Australia. Many of his books explore missiology in the postmodern age, and are required reading for colleges and seminaries in many parts of the world. Some of these books include, ReJesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church (2008, co-authored with Alan Hirsch), The Road to Missional, Journey to the Center of the Church (2011), and most recently, Surprise the World: The Five Habits of Highly Missional People (2015) .
Lioy, The Letter of James
This journal article undertakes a candid assessment of the continuing theological value of the letter from James. The incentive for doing so arises from the claim made by some within the Lutheran tradition that James and Paul either contradict or are at cross-purposes to one another. An additional motivation is connected with the assertion put forward by other Lutheran acolytes that in order to preserve the integrity of the gospel, James must be read through a Pauline lens. The major findings of this essay are threefold: (1) a careful and thoughtful reading of James challenges the notion that it either contradicts or undermines Paul’s teaching about justification by faith; (2) there remains value in taking the letter of James seriously in its own right and objectively evaluating its theological importance in that regard; and, (3) the epistle’s message of salvation is consistent with that found throughout the rest of the New Testament, including what Jesus taught (as recorded in the Gospels) and Paul wrote (as found in his letters).
Ndhlovu, The Theology of Truth and Social Justice
This year marks 30 years since the final draft of the Kairos Document. The Kairos Document was drafted during a very tense political environment. The issues expressed in the document are still relevant in the current African context. There are many countries that are governed by what are perceived to be corrupt governments, and some are classified as failed states. The Kairos Document focuses on the attitudes of the churches under these hardships. Although it places the value of all human life on an equal platform and calls for the governments to govern in fairness and morality within God’s moral law, its position on civil disobedience could be seen to lack adequate biblical foundation. In addition, its biased view on reconciliation does not achieve what it desires; a true and unified reconciliation.
Boddy and Lioy, The Holy Spirit
Traditionally the intercession of the Holy Spirit has been interpreted and understood to be the act of prayer, but an indepth exegetical and theological analysis of the text revealed that this intercession goes beyond the boundaries of prayer to include an active intervention and mediation in the life of the believer to bring about reconciliation of those areas and issues that are contrary to God’s will and purpose. It includes giving believers the appropriate supernatural help needed to accomplish God’s will and purpose in their lives. It includes using all circumstances and situations as tools to conform believers to the image of Christ. It involves the Holy Spirit’s aggressive fight against the sin and weaknesses that plague and incapacitate believers in their walk of faith. Thus, the Holy Spirit’s help in the form of intercession may intervene in various ways to empower and supernaturally strengthen believers to accomplish the purpose and plan of God for them.
