The prevailing interpretation of Augustine’s theory of divine illumination suggests that illumination provides the human mind with the content of our a priori concepts. While there is strong textual evidence to support this view, I contend it offers an incomplete picture of the work illumination does in Augustine’s epistemology. Based on an analysis of Augustine’s solution to the paradox of language acquisition in De magistro, I argue illumination also supplies the mind with the content of all our empirical concepts. In (...) this text, Augustine calls our attention to the problem that learning the meaning of words by even the simplest of means—through direct acquaintance (i.e., by having an object pointed out to us and labeled with a name)—turns out to require a relatively sophisticated grasp of the word’s usage in the first place, one that depends on illumination to provide the content of all our universal concepts. (shrink)

This article investigates a tension among Aquinas’s basic claims about what constitutes the proper object of the human intellect. Aquinas asserts that the mindhas only one proper object, yet he repeatedly endorses two different candidates for this role: the being of a thing (ens) and a thing’s essence (essentia). One might assume the tension disappears if ens signifies the essence of a thing. Alternatively, the tension seems to dissolve if each operation of the intellect (apprehension and judgment) takes its own (...) object (essence and ens respectively). Although each approach effectively hides the tension from immediate sight, neither genuinely resolves it. This is because neither sufficiently accounts for the features of simplicity and priority Aquinas claims our “first conception of being” must have. Alternatively, I suggest how we might mitigate this tension by treating the intellect itself as having its own proper object (ens) and apprehension as having another (essence). (shrink)

This revised edition surveys current thought on evangelism and encourages development of individual evangelism programs.

In his The Foundations of Psychoanalysis (1984) Grunbaum compliments Freud on the development of the Tally Argument as an answer to a number of serious methodological criticisms, "The epistemological considerations that prompted Freud to enunciate (this argument) make him a sophisticated methodologist" (p. 128). In contrast to this position I argue that the Tally Argument and the considerations for it are hardly sophisticated: They would equally well go to demonstrate the methodological sophistication of modern-day evangelists. Furthermore, I argue that the (...) Tally Argument does not play the crucial role that Grunbaum assigns to it. It is one of many arguments Freud used to counter criticism, but not one to which Freud gave pride of place. (shrink)

Everyone knows that a person is not able to accurately convey what he has heard, even if it took very little time. The problem of transferring the contents is also important for theological circles. Given that the Gospel of Mark was written about forty years after the earthly death of Christ, Professor D. Weis points out: "But the length of the time, which lasted forty years, is sufficiently large to give rise to quite justified doubts as to whether one can (...) rely on memories of first of all, the reappearance of the words of the Lord and whether the ruinous cause of foolishness or distorted fantasy and hypnotism was at that time before the evangelists began to save this wealth from further destruction and destruction. All this prompts us to come the thought that for many of us the unknown aspects of Jesus Christ were unknown to us, as there was no one close to them who could understand them. Many of his words were probably lost because they did not find a rebuke in the hearts of these people. What was happening to us, due to the narrow "horizons" of the latter. Most likely, many words spoken by Jesus initially had a deeper and more important meaning than what we read today. (shrink)

The possible existence of extraterrestrials has provoked more than five centuries of theological speculation on how these beings, if they exist, relate to God. A certain stream of thought present in these debates argues that the eventual discovery of aliens would obligate human Christians to evangelize them for the salvation of their souls. Current research into humanity's prehistory suggests that, if this ever actually happens, it will have been partially facilitated by humanity's remarkable capacity for interspecies empathy—an ability that seems (...) to be genetic in nature and which stems from our species' ancient experience with dogs. In light of the above, recommendations are made concerning future potential exomissionary screening criteria and a concluding section touches on the role of animals in God's work. (shrink)

En ce premier article sur le fondement biblique de la tâche évangélisatrice des évêques l'A. analyse les textes bibliques mis en oeuvres par Vatican II, là où le concile, se basant sur la succession apostolique, présente les évêques comme témoins du Christ et hérauts de l'évangile. Le concile se réfère aux paroles mêmes que, selon le témoignage des quatre évangélistes, le Christ ressuscité adresse à ses disciples et/ou apôtres, leur conférant de proclamer l'évangile à toutes les nations, et jusqu'aux extrémités (...) de la terre. (shrink)

La presente antología es fruto de la colaboración entre profesores de las Universidades de Paraíba (Brasil) y Jaén (España) y sólo pretende presentar un conjunto de textos extraídos de obras de autores de origen judeoconverso, o vinculados con la antigua Universidad de Baeza (siglos XVI y XVII). En estos fragmentos quedan de manifiesto planteamientos comunes sobre la observación de la naturaleza y el conocimiento, pautas y orientaciones de carácter pedagógico, criterios para la organización del cuerpo social, visión de la espiritualidad, (...) inquietudes por la formación de la mujer, o el problema de la evangelización y adoctrinamiento de los amerindios. (shrink)

In this paper, informed by Vatican 2 and one of its premier modern day scholars, Gerald O'Collins, we will argue (1), that while the Christian evangelist should proclaim that Jesus is the only way to God, she should nonetheless be open to the possibility that Christ is saving those in non-Christian traditions as non-explicit or anonymous Christians, and, (2), that other serious religious traditions can be interpreted as doctrinally consistent with (or something nearby) the Nicene Christian tradition. In conclusion, (...) these theses will lead us to argue that in the Christian's approach to evangelism, her first step in persuading her non-Christian counterpart should be to emphasize the commonality that exists between the Christian tradition and the relevant non-Christian tradition. The evangelist then, should not see her main task as developing arguments against her interlocuter's religious tradition (though, this has its place), but rather her focus should be on proclaiming an additional truth that her interlocuter can accept alongside many of her already held religious commitments. (shrink)

Why do religious people attempt to persuade others of their beliefs? What are the current objections to the religious practice of proselytizing? Is proselytizing an ethically defensible practice? Are there kinds of proselytizing activities that are ethically questionable? Elmer John Thiessen responds to questions like these in an effort to provide a philosophical defense of proselytization, or religious persuasion, as an ethical practice. Thiessen examines and refutes current cultural and academic objections to religious proselytizing and offers a thorough ethics of (...) evangelism. (shrink)

The article looks at the way in which Latinas in the United States conceived evangelism. It explores the writings of mujerista theologian Ada María Isasi-Díaz in her construction of a praxis oriented model for evangelism based on a strategy of daily-life survival. The concept of interpersonal relationships based on divine transcendence guides the discussion to embrace the arts, especially salsa music as offered to the Afro-Caribbean deities, as a source of sharing good news in a new tune. Thus the article (...) tries to interlace theoria, praxis, and poiesis. (shrink)

The Luis Palau Mission to Auckland in 1987 attracted major criticism from four Anglican bishops. This centred on the question of the ability of a foreign evangelist to address the Gospel with prophetic relevance to the social situation in New Zealand. The actual response to the mission indicated that the problem of an America-oriented, male, foreign evangelist was not insuperable. The debate illustrated the age-old tension between the established Christianity of the system and the critique of the itinerant (...) evangelist. But the debate missed the important issues of the inclusion of Roman Catholic participation; the possibility of dissociating mass evangelism from North American evangelicalism; the Arminian insistence on human decision; how to preach an immanentist theology in an evangelistic style; the extent to which a guest evangelist can be a prophet in a host country; and the actual function of such crusades in encouraging the faithful rather than converting the unfaithful. (shrink)

Led by women, faith-based pregnancy centers constitute the largest segment of the movement to oppose abortion in the United States. These centers provide services for women but face criticism for offering assistance motivated and shaped by conservative religious views. In this article, I explore how evangelical staff at two faith-based centers in the western United States conceptualize their work as religious practice and reimagine “doing” evangelism. I draw upon observational, interview, and textual data to show how gender shapes the definition, (...) expression, and affective nature of evangelism. In “feminizing evangelism,” the centers challenge established evangelical practice to “share the gospel,” which necessitates spiritual regulation, a distinct form of emotional labor. In highlighting the emotional complexity of gendering religious practices, this article contributes to scholarly conversations at the intersection of gender, religion, and emotion. (shrink)

From the 1950s until the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe in 1989, there were an untold number of Bible Smuggling organizations. Millions of dollars were raised every month during this period, and there were countless Christian spies who made contact with persecuted Christians and brought them contraband bibles. This paper is an analysis of East European evangelical missions before and after the great transformation of 1989. A few of these missions were able to adjust to the post-Cold War era (...) and have effective ministries in Eastern Europe today. The sources used in this treatment are texts dealing with premillennial eschatology, popular evangelical writings, and interviews with mission leaders, and personal observations based upon author's experience as a former bible courier and leader of one of the largest East European missions. A major source for this paper has been the flagship American evangelical magazine, Christianity Today. (shrink)

In the nineteenth century, Christian evangelists in India played a major role in influencing the majority Hindu population; although most of their listeners did not know the God they preached about, the listeners knew what values the evangelists stood for. The reverse is true today. Modern Christian preaching tends to emphasise a spiritual commercialism. The respect of the nation and the right to be heard need to be regained.

This book seeks to show how religion is controlled by political ideologies, and how evangelism is moulded and manipulated by the demands of the dominant political order of the day. Out of his experience as a Christian in India, the author challenges churches and congregations to participate in political action as an expression of their commitment to evangelism and to a better society.

Houston Stewart Chamberlain, the „Evangelist of Racism“, had a major influence on German Emperor Wilhelm II, especially in forming his nationalistic and anti-Semitic views. The monarch and the author developed a mutual understanding and appreciation that lasted over 25 years. This article illuminates the circumstances of their initial acquaintance through the edition and analysis of two documents which were two hitherto unpublished documents: Chamberlain's diary for the dates 28.–31. 10. 1901 and a letter to his aunt Anne Guthrie of (...) 11. 11. 1901. Both documents are compared to other known reports of this meeting. Chamberlain accepted Wilhelm's invitation to Germany where they met in Liebenberg in 1901 in a circle of select members of the German aristocracy. Their first contact is reconstructed here showing the extent to which Wilhelm's thoughts coincided with those of Chamberlain. The author concludes that the meeting with Chamberlain in 1901 was most decisive in the development of Wilhelm's own thinking and had serious consequences for the later course of historical events. In addition, this first meeting is particularly interesting because of the participation of Adolf Harnack who was at that time very close to the Emperor and also corresponded with Chamberlain. The differences in character and views between Chamberlain, Wilhelm and Harnack also surfaced during this memorable meeting. (shrink)

Defining the concept of “proselytism” from a Biblical viewpoint, the author attempts to distinguish between witnessing through life-style evangelism and the introduction of the word of God, and overt attempts to draw others away from their historic beliefs, sometimes through questionable methodologies and/or unethical inducements. He points out that when renewal and revival within a body of believers bring about a spontaneous desire to follow Biblical principles, and a different approach toward worship, individuals should have the freedom to make that (...) choice. (shrink)

Failed expectations about “bringing in the Kingdom” may lie at the root of the decline in the missionary force of mainline denominations. Is a missiological motivation based on “evangelising the world to bring back the King” giving rise to similar unrealistic expectations? Optimistic statistics on aspects of church growth are vulnerable to question. Reports of the numbers of missionaries forget the aspect of proportionality to size of population, reports of church growth include the effect of babies born to Christians of (...) all denominational groups, and increases in the numbers of missionaries include short-termers. The growth of the new category of Great Commission Christians and the reduction in number of unreached people groups are based on faulty descriptive bases. If the world remains unevangelised by 2001, these attempts to motivate Christians to evangelism on the basis of current optimistic statistical improvements will undermine a proper basis for motivating people for evangelism which is based on faith and not on sight. (shrink)

The rapid growth of Korean churches and the conflict-ridden Korean society may serve to illustrate how evangelists should face critical socio-political issues. The Korean experience seems to indicate that evangelists are most effective when they concentrate their entire efforts on preaching “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” alone. Believers in general, however, should be keenly interested in such issues as human rights and social justice, not only for their own sake but also for the sake of effective future evangelism. The Church's (...) involvement in these issues gives a favourable impression of Christianity, which in turn facilitates evangelism. (shrink)

This contribution aims at deconstructing a Christian master narrative that interprets Josephus as crucial support for the New Testament message that the Temple had to become a ruin, in line with the will of God. It argues for an alternative interpretation, namely that both Jesus of Nazareth and Josephus considered the Temple to be still relevant, albeit in different ways. For Jesus the Temple was the self-evident cultic centre of Judaism and a special place to experience his relationship with God. (...) None of Jesus’ statements about the Temple in their original context necessarily implies that Jesus assumed that the institution of the Temple would stop functioning in the near future or at the end of time. Josephus’s perspective on the Temple changes in his works. The elaborate description of Jerusalem and the Temple in War 5 reads as a written monument of the past, but several passages in Josephus’s Antiquities and Against Apion imply that the Temple was still important after 70 CE. Josephus may have reckoned with the possibility that the Temple was going to be rebuilt if the Romans allowed for it.This contribution is dedicated to Pieter G.R. de Villiers, a modest but sophisticated scholar and a good friend. (shrink)

IN THIS PAPER I provide a critical commentary of Elmer Thiessen's The Ethics of Evangelism. Following an overview of the book's project and strategies, I discuss two stages of the project in detail. The first is Thiessen's analysis of ‘religious proselytism’; the second is Thiessen's arguments that evangelizing can be a good thing to do in itself. Finally, I summarize what I think are the chief merits of the book and suggest for whom it will be of particular interest.

A thorough theological and exegetical study of the New Testament view of baptism. Patristic, medieval, and Reformation views fall beyond the scope of this work, yet in chapter 16 the author considers and criticizes contemporary defenses of infant baptism. Chapter 15 is a useful summary of White's position. White's treatment is judicious and not overly polemical; his scholarship is extensive and up-to-date, but restricted to works appearing in English.--L. S. F.

Carl F. H. Henry has widely been acknowledged for his contributions to evangelical social concern. What has not been fully appreciated though is theological foundations that undergirded Henry’s priority model as it relates to the relationship between the church social and evangelistic mandates. For Henry, the key to both was the doctrine of revelation, and this foundation enabled Henry to uniquely argue for both integration and prioritization. As such, Henry presents a challenge to many contemporary models of evangelism and social (...) concern that set the two on an even plane by locating them within a kingdom rubric. Despite accusations that his theological method fosters information over transformation, Henry hold forth a revelation centered approach with Augustinian roots capable of guiding the contemporary church on the elusive issue of finding a biblical approach to its mission. (shrink)

Drawing on the theory of engagement, the present study aims to examine the outcomes of the co-creation experience in a realistic co-creation setting, a hotpot restaurant. To this end, the current research links the relationship marketing literature to hospitality and tourism research and formulates a novel framework by incorporating tourists’ co-creation experience, brand evangelism, brand trust, and brand passion in an integrated conceptual model. Using a quantitative research design, a total of 453 international tourists were surveyed in China. The findings (...) revealed that co-creation experience dimensions positively impact brand evangelism, trust, and passion. Additionally, we found that brand trust and brand passion positively affect brand evangelism. We also confirmed the mediating effect of brand trust and brand passion in bridging the co-creation experience and brand evangelism. This study offers valuable insights for restaurant brand managers regarding attracting and engaging foreign travelers with their service businesses. (shrink)

The presbytery pavement of Novara Cathedral in Piedmont, which dates from the early twelfth century, includes the symbols of the four Evangelists on either side of where the altar once stood. The fourteenth-century ordinal for the cathedral indicates that these symbols were used as markers for participants in the prebaptismal ceremony known as the aurium apertio, in particular during the reading of the initial passages of the Gospels . This rare mention of the liturgical use of images in a figurative (...) floor mosaic challenges our preconceptions of what it might have meant to stand on an image and poses the question whether the pavement could have been designed with such a use in mind. However, several factors complicate the matter. Most important is the substantial gap in time between the laying of the floor and the writing of the manuscript, which means that the liturgical custom might equally have responded to the design of the floor. Secondly, there is the position of Novara as a suffragan diocese within the archdiocese of Milan, when the traditio evangeliorum was not part of the Milanese rite. Thirdly, there is the location of the symbols on the presbytery pavement, where they may not have been visible to the laity, although a central aspect of the rite is the explanation of the Evangelist symbols to the baptismal candidates. Taking these points into consideration, this article attempts to elucidate the relationship between pavement and ceremony. It traces the place of the traditio evangeliorum within the history of prebaptismal liturgy and considers the significance of the rite for those who took part in it, before examining the audience and function of both the readings of the Gospel initia and the mosaic symbols themselves. (shrink)