Studies in Theology

While the prosperity gospel is thought to be widespread in Africa, there has been little scholarship exploring the variations in prosperity theologies across the continent or the impact of such theologies at a grassroots level. In this study, Dr. Tamie Davis uses ethnographic methods, including participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups, to synthesize the prosperity (mafanikio) theology embraced by female graduates of the Tanzania Fellowship of Evangelical Students (TAFES). Taking an appreciative approach, Davis examines mafanikio theology's hermeneutical framework and historical and cultural influences, highlighting its commonalities and discontinuities with other prosperity theologies, and bringing it into conversation with global models of holism. In doing so, she demonstrates that this indigenous Tanzanian theology offers a holistic alternative to profligate versions of the prosperity gospel by emphasizing both human flourishing and devotion to Christ. Mafanikio theology thus integrates prosperity into a holistic life of discipleship, emphasizing biblical grounding, and encouraging hard work and perseverance.

If all beauty, truth, and goodness come from God through the Spirit, then how should we understand God's presence within other religions and human-made cultures that display these qualities? Christian theology needs to better understand how different religions, together with their cultural practices, can function as a channel through which the one, true God can reveal himself. In this erudite and thought-provoking work, Dr. Jalal S. L. delves into the revelatory presence of the invisible God, which manifests itself in diverse ways across cultures, traditions, and religions. Exploring biblical passages affirming the work and presence of the Spirit outside the church, this study provides a theologically informed perspective on religious experiences in the Indian context. Through examining how the omnipresent work of the Spirit may lead religious adherents to a deeper, contextual appreciation of God's character, the potential for diverse faiths to reveal the divine presence is uncovered. Scholars and theologians alike will find illuminating insights for recognizing and fostering the unrestricted work of the Spirit's inside and outside the church.

As humans, we all express our grief differently. Acknowledging this truth, Dr. James Harrichand examines Old Testament accounts of grief and mourning alongside the experiences of marginalized Guyanese and Vietnamese immigrant communities in Canada. He explores both biblical and pastoral theology through an anthropological lens, bridging the horizons of Scripture and culture in a hermeneutically and pastorally sensitive manner. Dr. Harrichand's focus on prosaic prayers in the Old Testament fills a significant gap in the scholarship, but this book is also significant for its immense practicality, sensitizing readers to grief's varied expressions and equipping culturally intelligent pastoral caregivers. He presents five compassionate intercultural care practices for coping with grief, grounding each in the living hope of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, the one who bore our griefs and carries our sorrows.

There is an acute lack of a theology of worship in Baptist Russian-speaking contexts, with the ramifications of the Tsarist, and later Soviet, persecution limiting its development even to this day. While there is now opportunity to do so, developing a theology of worship in the local context is imperative. Filling this gap, Dr. Leonid Mikhovich considers the historical, religious, and political contexts that have influenced Russian-speaking worship. Drawing examples from the Baptist movement in Belarus, Dr. Mikhovich analyzes its various influences and explores conflict arising between local and foreign traditions within the process of adopting some Western structures for the Eastern situation. The results prompt reflection on the different expressions of worship and the underlying convictions present in respective cultural contexts, while also offering counsel for dealing with tensions between liturgical practices and authoritative voices in the Baptist tradition. As the first of its kind, worship and church history scholars will find this comprehensive study into traditional Russian-speaking worship invaluable for understanding its historical, theological, and cultural perspectives, and essential for mapping its future.