KENARCHY JOURNAL VOLUME 8
Editorial
Roger Haydon Mitchell
Volume 8.1
A Community Worth Fighting For: Waging Peace with Healthy Conflict
Latasha Hazlett
Latasha Hazlett has recently completed a Master of Arts in Theology and Culture on the Peace Studies Track at St. Stephen’s University. She and her husband Ryan are raising their two young daughters in the little city of Pitt Meadows, near the mountains outside of Vancouver, BC. As a teacher, Latasha is passionate about helping students build caring communities. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Bachelor of Education from The King’s University.
Abstract
“I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” These words from Jesus, the “Prince of Peace,” are challenging and call us to think again about what it means to be a peacemaker. How can we reconcile the idea that Jesus came to bring a sword, with the message he shares during his arrest, telling his followers to put away the sword? This paper will explore ways that we can engage in healthy conflict as we wage peace in our communities and seek to embody shalom in ourselves and our families.
Read / Download full article: Volume 8.1
DOI reference: https://doi.org/10.62950/vsrto81
Volume 8.2
God’s Perfect Love: Why an essentially relational God can create ex nihilo
Lina Langby
Lina Langby is a Doctor of Philosophy of Religion from Uppsala University, Sweden. Her research concerns conceptions of God, eco-theology, and feminist philosophy with emphasis on the consequences of different sorts of God-talk. Langby is the author of God and the World (SUNY Press, forthcoming), and several articles and anthology chapters on pantheism, panentheism, and pneumatology
Abstract
My aim in this article is to present a middle path between open theism and process theism, by arguing that an essentially loving God must be understood to have only perfect love-power and that this power is coherent with the affirmation of the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo. I philosophically explore the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo and argue that an essentially, perfectly, and eternally loving God always relates and loves Creation even if God created ex nihilo.
Creation from nothing need not be understood as entailing oppressive power. It does not entail contrastive and coercive power. Instead, I suggest that a God of essential love-power always works for the flourishing of God’s Other – the Creation – a Creation that has always been part of God’s loving and eternal plan. Contrary to what many process theologians have claimed, I maintain that belief in an essentially loving God of kenotic love-power is coherent with belief in creatio ex nihilo.
In the first step, I outline the philosophical meanings of relationality and love and analyze their relation to God. In the second step, I examine how notions of divine power and relationality are related. I then connect them and argue that they cannot be understood separately, and conclude that an essentially loving God can create ex nihilo.
Read / Download full article: Volume 8.2
DOI reference: https://doi.org/10.62950/vsrto82
Volume 8.3
Letting Go to Letting Love: Christian and Hindu Religious Paths of Nonattachment as Ways of Practicing Peace and Justice
Lydia El-Sayegh
Lydia El-Sayegh is a biomedical engineer and an advocate against war, genocide, and militarism. She is Palestinian with a multi-denominational Christian faith that inspires her activism, writing, and daily life. She is studying a Master of Arts in Peace and Justice at St. Stephen’s University.
Abstract
Religious paths of non-attachment are notoriously challenging and promisingly rewarding. In the context of the pursuit of peace and justice, these paths can be particularly challenging and contradictory while influencing profound societal change. The ancient arts of “letting go” through the non-attachment of Christian agape and Hindu anasakti have been taken up, wielded, and innovated by many giants of nonviolent liberation movements of recent decades. This paper explores non-attachment, particularly in the forms of agape and anasakti yoga, as ways of being an activist in pursuit of peace and justice. It argues that by letting go of power, control, and desire for particular outcomes, one has a greater chance of fostering sustainable, mutually healing peace and justice. This paper goes on to encourage further examination of diverse experiences of nonattachment and peace and justice efforts, critical voices, and limitations.
Read / Download full article: Volume 8.3
DOI reference: https://doi.org/10.62950/vsrto83
Volume 8.4
Divine Power and Action: a theological engagement with the work of Joseph Nye
Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson holds a BA(Hons) in Christian Theology and Politics from Liverpool Hope University, a Master of Letters in Systematic and Historical Theology from the University of St Andrews and a PhD in Divinity also from the University of St Andrews. He currently teaches Systematic Theology for Westminster Theological Centre (WTC) and Systematic and Philosophical Theology for London School of Theology (LST). His current research focuses on the relationship between Dogmatic Theology and Practical Theology.
Abstract
This paper will engage political theorist Joseph Nye and his work on Hard and Soft Power, and it will apply these terms to theological debates surrounding God’s sovereignty and action. It will briefly engage the broad theological camps of determinism (primarily through the lens of Reformed theology), open theism and foreknowledge (primarily via Thomism). Ultimately, it will argue that using the terms hard and soft power provides some nuance to the debate around God’s sovereignty and provides language for articulating a theology which is not wedded to any of the aforementioned schools of thought.
Read / Download full article: Volume 8.4
DOI reference: https://doi.org/10.62950/vsrto84
Volume 8.5
Girardian Perspectives on Power and Kenarchy in the Apocalyptic Age
Andre Rabe
Andre Rabe earned his doctorate degree in theology from Northwind Theological Seminary. He is known for his contributions to research on mimetic theory, open and relational theology, process philosophy, science and religion, and how to make these ideas relevant to real life. He has authored numerous books, including Processing Mimetic Reality. He is a founding member of Mimesis Academy and served as an affiliate faculty member at St. Stephen’s University.
Abstract
There was a time when we could veil our violence as sacred, uniting our society against a demonic other. That epoch has come to an end, for the aura of religiously justified violence has been eroded beyond repair. Our sacrifices and myths no longer have the magical power to unite our communities. We are no longer fully convinced of the guilt of our victims, the innocence of our community, or the divine inspiration of our myths. As a desperate last resort, we may multiply our sacred sacrifices and flood our communities with bewildering narratives, but the miracle of unanimous condemnation of an evil other escapes us. Our accusatory narratives only serve to further divide us and energize an escalation toward extremes.
According to René Girard’s anthropological insights, archaic human society was founded upon the magical efficacy of sacred violence, where communal unity was achieved through the expulsion of a demonic other. The transformation of primal, uncontrolled violence into ritualized sacrifice marked the very genesis of civilization and religion. Warriors became worshippers, and savages became civilized through this process. However, it’s not only in the birth of cultures that violence shapes our humanity, but in their disintegration also, as worshippers are tempted to become warriors once again.
As a critical framework, Girard’s mimetic theory has become indispensable for analyzing contemporary acts of violence, yet popular analytical readings often miss the theory’s profound historical trajectory. This study argues that the power of archaic structures was fatally wounded by a seed of awareness planted in human consciousness through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. The Christian revelation unveils sacred violence; we can no longer be unconscious of what we do. The historic trajectory of mimetic realism—from an unconscious concealed event of violence, becoming ritual, developing into religion and culture, complemented by sacred narrative (myth), culminating in its exposure by Christ—has stripped archaic power structures of their efficacy, limiting humanity to an apocalyptic choice between self-destruction (profane violence) and the kenotic imitation of Christ.
Read / Download full article: Volume 8.5
DOI reference: https://doi.org/10.62950/vsrto85
Volume 8.6
Kenotic Love and the Pericope Adulterae in a Power-Crazed World
Lynnette Missiuna
Lynnette Missiuna is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Theology and Culture at St Stephen’s University in Canada. She works as a Physical Therapist in the Emergency Department of her local hospital, teaches in a Spiritual Formation Praxis group at her church, and deeply desires to grow in and share the kenotic love of Jesus, as He enables.
Abstract
In our power-crazed world dominated by anger and fear, what can the ‘meekness’ of Jesus teach us about kenarchy — the practical outworking of kenotic love in the face of opposition and oppression?
What can we learn about a love that subversively calls for both oppressed and oppressor to pause in the midst of turmoil — to consider, to consent, to cooperate — as they come face to face with a Messiah they did not expect? The Feast of Tabernacles historically celebrated God’s abundant provision for his people in the desert. At the time of our story however, the city was embroiled in an atmosphere of rising anger and danger, exacerbated by Jesus’ claims to be the fulfillment of the Feast’s ceremonies. Right in the middle of the drama is the controverted Pericope Adulterae (PA), (the story of the woman caught in adultery), which I see as a powerful portrayal of Jesus’ kenotic love. At considerable risk, Jesus humbles himself before a woman caught in adultery (the Adulterae) and the worldly power of the religious leaders; choosing the way of protector, revealer of hearts, wisdom and love over retaliation, self-preservation, or the exploitation of his own power. He respects the woman’s God-given dignity in her need for de-escalation and reflection, providing the opportunity for thoughtful metanoia, as she faces her decision to consent and wholly participate in union with God in his kingdom. At the same time he demonstrates the counter intuitive power of the shock of meekness in social action: Stooping in the dust before them, he provides quiet space in the centre of turmoil, “forcing” the religious leaders to confront their own sin and the harm they are perpetrating, clearing the way for their own conversations with God, that might perhaps lead to soul transformation and social change. By reading the story as history and metaphor, considering the significance of the Feast of Tabernacles, I will explore how Jesus demonstrates unpanicked kenotic love, and invites us too, to consent to and participate in that love, for ourselves, for the oppressed around us, and shockingly, even for the oppressors. Howard Thurman is a sure guide in this story, as he gently models the beauty of “kenarchy” for us.
Read / Download full article: Volume 8.6
DOI reference: https://doi.org/10.62950/vsrto86
Volume 8.7
Between Scripture and the State: Interrogating the Influence of Religious and Cultural Identities on Gen Z’s Civic and Political Engagement in Nigeria
Adeyinka Daniel Damilare
Adeyinka Daniel Damilare a Nigerian theologian and doctoral researcher at Ajayi Crowther University in Oyo, Nigeria.
Abstract
In Nigeria’s complex socio-political context, where religion and politics are deeply intertwined, Gen Z navigates inherited beliefs and contemporary democratic ideals in unique ways. Current scholarship often treats religion and culture as secondary or unchanging, failing to capture how these identities dynamically shape youth political behavior. This study explores how religious and cultural identities influence the civic and political engagement of Nigeria’s Gen Z, a digitally active and demographically significant group. It also addresses the literature gap by examining how Gen Z reinterprets religious and cultural narratives to engage with political systems, governance issues, and social movements. Using literature, journals, case studies and applying relevant theoretical frameworks, the study foregrounds the lived experiences, motivations, and internal conflicts of Nigerian Gen Z. It finds that religious and cultural identities provide moral grounding and community support but can also limit participation when influenced by conservatism, patriarchy, or ethno-religious tensions.
Read / Download full article: Volume 8.7
DOI reference: https://doi.org/10.62950/vsrto87
Volume 8.8
Book Review: Reckoning with Power by David E. Fitch
John MacMurray
John MacMurray is founder and director of the Northwest School of Theology and the Open Table Conferences. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
Volume 8.9
Book Review: Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age
of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird
Joseph Beach
Joseph Beach – Joe is the Pastor of Amazing Grace Church in Denver, Colorado and the author of Ordinary Church: A Long and Loving Look.
Volume 8.10
Book Review: A Revolutionary Jesus: Violence and Peacemaking in the Kingdom of God by Jesse P. Nickel
Bradley Jersak
Bradley Jersak is the editor of CWRmagazine and Clarion Journal for Religion, Peace & Justice, Principal & Director of Theology & Culture, at St. Stephen’s University
Volume 8.11
Book review: A Jesus Way Forward: Contemplative Discovery Through Story, Scripture, and Spiritual Practice by Marisa J. Lapish
Marijke Hoek
Marijke Hoek PhD, researches suffering and weakness in Pauline literature and the related role of the Spirit. Her writings focus on the Church and the poor, and its advocacy for systemic change.
Volume 8.12
Book Review: Evangelical and African Pentecostal Unity Balancing Principles and Practicalities in Britain around the Millennium by Hugh Osgood
Paul Lancaster
Paul Lancaster’s background is in education and helping lead unity/mission teams in Leeds. More recently he has helped establish an intercultural mission forum and an innovative Intercultural leadership project with Leeds Trinity University. He holds a B.Ed. and an MA in Global Leadership in Intercultural Contexts.
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