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Christianity is growing massively in the Global South, while it is declining in the rest of the world. This has changed the trajectory of missionary work. Africans used to be recipients, but are now benefactors who promote the gospel and lead mega-churches beyond their motherlands. Correspondingly, African Christian leaders ought to develop their capacities. While some of them appreciate the importance of leadership development, as confirmed by publicized leadership seminars and conferences, few African churches have contextualized Christian leadership development frameworks.Most problematically, countless Christian leaders have been the subjects of disturbing controversies, and they age and die without having prepared people to succeed them. By failing to do so, they betray the mission of God and the Church. Although having a call is invaluable for ministry and leadership, continuous leadership development is highly necessary for effectiveness, as ministerial needs grow daily while the capacities of Church leaders are limited. Applying grounded research as theory and engaging with contemporary literature, this paper reviewed African Christian leadership, and drew on leadership development models from the Old and New Testaments, in view of Malphurs and Mancini’s (2004) leadership development framework. This paper identified the necessity of contextualizing leadership development, appraising incumbent leaders, and addressing their situational challenges and needs, and recommends consistent holistic capacity enhancement in correspondence with changing times, contexts, people and places. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School counselors are needed now more than ever. Providing Catholic school counselors the specialized formation they need to be effective in the Catholic school context is essential. This study addressed two research questions in this regard: (1) What competencies (e.g., understanding, incorporating) and topics do Catholic school principals and school counselors believe are important for school counselors to fully contribute to the educational and faith-based mission of Catholic schools; and (2) How might the research findings inform pre-service education and/or continuing education and formation of school counselors for the Catholic school context? Online surveys were developed using the "Defining Characteristics of Catholic Schools" from NSBECS and researchbased, mission-centered competencies and topics. The surveys were sent to the 40 principals and 54 school counselors at the schools in one mid-size U.S. diocese that employ school counselors. The survey response rates were 87.5% for principals and 91% for school counselors. Findings confirmed high levels of support from both groups for school counselors understanding mission-related topics and incorporating these competencies into counseling practices and activities, although principals often rated the importance higher than did school counselors. Some between group differences were statistically significant on items such as the importance of incorporating Catholic teaching with current student and school issues. To reduce differences in perceptions, the authors recommend increased collaboration between principals and counselors to achieve unity of vision. Other recommendations to help school counselors contribute to mission include embedding mission-related topics or adding specialized courses to school counseling programs at Catholic universities, designing mission-centered professional development opportunities, and building networks of school counselors to support them in their complex and evolving role in support of Catholic school mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The missionary ethos of the Orthodox Church reflects the character and message of Christ and, broadly speaking, remains constant in all Local Orthodox Churches. However, there can be subtle nuances of differentiation between the various Local Churches and in different time periods, depending on the current context and challenges, as well as the priorities they address. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the inner dimensions of truth by investigating Jewish-Christian Scriptures, Doctors of the Church (Augustine, Aquinas, and Bonaventure), and Pontiffs (John Paul II and Benedict XVI). Through phenomenological and dialogic thinking, the inner dimension of truth is surfaced as personal and interior enlightenment and divine revelation (Scriptures), as dialogical communications (Benedict XVI), as God's grace bestowing perpetual liberation (Augustine and John Paul II) as the realization that man is a manifestation of God (Aquinas), as action (Scriptures and Bonaventure) as reciprocal acts of love, justice, and the promotion of the common good (Scriptures and Benedict XVI). These inner dynamics serve as a framework of Catholic education, teaching the notion of truth according to its faith and mission, establishing a Divine - human relatedness and an initiation process. Truth is bestowed, and humans are encouraged to accept and present themselves to Truth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Catholic Church, along with other denominational groups, is an important part of the religious landscape in the Kafa region of southwestern Ethiopia. In addition to pastoral activities, the Catholic Church is particularly involved in the provision of social infrastructure facilities such as schools, kindergartens, or hospitals as part of the Human Integral Development approach to its mission. This article therefore examines the role of the Catholic Church and its mission on the everyday life of the people in the Kafa region. Drawing on ethnographic research, the article conceptualises the Catholic Church as a religious infrastructure – a notion that sheds light on the socio-material processes and entanglements that enable the anticipation of ideas about the future and about development. In addition, the article explores the role of the Catholic Church in sociocultural transformation processes through this infrastructural approach, thereby contributing to a subject that has been hitherto neglected in anthropological studies of religion and Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Theologica Varsaviensia is the property of Uniwersytet Kardynala Stefana Wyszynskiego w Warszawie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Although the relationship of Catholic mission to colonialism in Africa is a controversial one, it cannot be denied that the Church was instrumental in the progress of African peoples and nations. Drawing inspiration and guidance from the corpus of Catholic Social Teaching, the Church plays a key role in continuing to inspire Africans to the higher goals of human rights and Democracy. A Catholic social imagination, through which Catholics communicate the social demands of their faith as they engage social questions and envision social possibilities in Africa's pluralist societies, needs to be promoted. The task before the Catholic Church in Africa is to move this rich deposit of faith from being the Church's best-kept secret to the marketplace of ideas that can constitute the moral foundation for our politics. Helping to frame the moral direction of public policy in the various young or tottering democracies in Africa is a noble vocation that makes the Church remain a critical collaborator in building sustainable and just democratic cultures on the continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For more than half a century, the Catholic Church has deliberated the effects of religious pluralism on its evangelizing mission and rapport in the contemporary world. The Second Vatican Council, after examining theological tradition and scrutinizing the signs of the times, produced many noteworthy documents that modernize the Catholic Church and prudently integrate ideas of religious pluralism into its functions of mission, evangelization, and interreligious dialogue. Yet, tensions remain between the Catholic Church's mission as the universal sacrament of salvation and its recognition of religious pluralism. Pope John Paul II strived for balance while Pope Benedict XVI expressed concern that justifying multiple religions might lead to relativism. For Pope Francis, the combination of mission, evangelization, and interreligious dialogue is a form of engagement, a means of being in solidarity with the poor and remedying social issues, such as global climate change, poverty, and systematic injustice. Religious pluralism consequently transforms society, serving as an impetus for the Catholic Church's evolving use of interreligious dialogue to develop mutually respectful relationships and inspire a new evangelization of multifaith collaboration for the global common good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the emergence of Protestantism in West Africa in the 17th century, using both primary and secondary sources. Its central argument is that the history of Protestantism in early modern Africa has mainly been examined within the paradigm of mission history, thus reducing the history of Protestantism to a history of Protestant missionary endeavors. By intersecting three complementary windows, – a Roman Catholic window, a chartered company window and a Euro-African window –, the article traces the wider history of Protestantism in early modern West Africa. It maps the impact of Protestantism on Roman Catholics in West Africa, sketches the significance of Protestantism for certain Euro-Africans, and shows that through a combination of dispersion, procreation and mission Protestantism became a reality in West Africa as early as the 17th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Theologica Varsaviensia is the property of Uniwersytet Kardynala Stefana Wyszynskiego w Warszawie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Middle leaders play an essential role in schools but for many their position is characterised by tensions caused by 'being caught in between or sandwiched between senior management to whom they were accountable ... and subordinates for whom they had some functional and often moral responsibility'. Moreover, Catholic school middle leaders face increased tension because they are expected to actively support the Catholic mission and identity of the school. Unfortunately, contemporary leadership descriptions provide Catholic school middle leaders with limited insight about how best to manage these tensions. Thus, this article seeks to redress this challemging situation by providing a clearly articulated theoretical foundation that offers a coherent and manageable guide for the formation and practice of middle leadership in Catholic schools. As a result, this article provides clarity to all who have Catholic school governance or administrative responsibilities as to what should be expected of middle leaders so that performance responsibilities and accountabilities are appropriately aligned to enable the religious education dimension of the school to flourish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When we consider the role of the church in the modern world, we also need to contemplate the relationship that exists between the church in God's Kingdom. Churches should not be considered as simply being institutions residing in various denominations but should rather be viewed as entities in the service of the Creator. As such they are essentially transcendent over any man-made institution and are inevitably bound to be responsive to the word of God as manifested in Holy Scriptures, Holy Traditions and daily living, and are expected to do His will until God's Kingdom comes. The church offers us an epiphany the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ - and of the Kingdom of God and it allows us to go back in time to the life of Jesus Christ as the God-man (Theanthropos), who is totally faithful to the Father. Not only does the church look backwards, but it also anticipates futuristic revelation. The manner in which the church and the world are interrelated is ultimately determined by the relationship of each to Gods Kingdom. The Orthodox Church today as always, strongly asserts the truth of freedom in Christ through its evangelisation, mission, theology, devotional and pastoral endeavours. It teaches that it is the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church established by Jesus Christ in His Great Commission, and that all bishops are essentially the successors of Christ's apostles. Thus, the church upholds practices held by the original Christian faith, as they have been passed down to us via Holy Tradition and she has a life-giving role to play in a highly distressed world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archipelagic communities in Indonesia, today are pluralistic societies, and almost all citizens embrace religion because according to the first value of Pancasila, the Indonesian people are people who recognize the existence of God. In the community, there are intersections even the adoption of philosophy and theology simultaneously, which is manifested in daily worship practices. The philosophy that lives in the land of Nusantara (archipelago) is certainly part of eastern philosophy, and both western and eastern philosophies, there are have same philosophical view about humans and God. This research is qualitative, using case studies, in the form of steps (1) determining the symptoms being examined, (2) finding unit of analysis, (3) determining research questions, (4) gathering information or data, (5) linking criteria to interpret the findings obtained, (6) determine criteria for interpreting findings, (7) link findings. The findings of the study, that as part of a diverse Nusantara society, the community of believers needs an approach to carry out a mission in pluralism. Understanding of local philosophy in the context of theology and philosophy meeting issues. Likewise the fellowship of believers on the island of Bali, an island that has long been known for its culture of society, local wisdom and natural beauty. People in Bali, who are not Christians, when they receive an understandable understanding, are ready to receive salvation and live as disciples of God. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding of the catholic mission could be summed up in one short sentence: love is our mission! The Church was founded for no other but one reason: to follow the praxis of Jesus, to make God's creating and healing love touchable every day in our world. The Church can realize this mission by stepping out of herself and going into mission, not only geographically, but existentially, to the wounds of the world. To the wounds of personal and global crises she brings the healing balsam of love. Pope Francis brings us closer to the rediscovery that the Church, as a dynamic community of Christ, is nothing else as a community of love. Because of it, she has always to renew her mission in two directions (in a dual sense) of love: love toward God and love toward people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After a basic statement of the Catholic doctrine on healing ministry, this article adopts the understanding of the World Council of Churches' document Healing and Wholeness: The Churches' Role in Health, adopted in 1990 by the central committee. The document views health, healing, and wholeness not just as medical issues, but as embracing the political, social, economic, cultural, and spiritual dimensions. Building on the above, this article proposes an integral approach to sacramental healing for the African Catholic Church, arguing that alongside healing of physical ailments and deliverance from evil and malignant forces, healing must include working for social justice and peace for the people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper intends to provide the church with a biblical perspective of work and economics in order for the church to missionally respond to global poverty. For this purpose, the Western Church's attitude toward work and economics is critically examined in light of how the church's biblical identity, a holy people, is related to work and economics in Scripture. This paper demonstrates that God's mission in Scripture always involves redeeming work and economics from the influence of sin. As its main thesis, this paper contends that, from a biblical perspective, the church's call to be a holy people requires practicing a way of work and economics that embodies and presents the compassionate character of God who envisions human flourishing. In conclusion, this paper suggests that the church, which seeks to missionally respond to global poverty, should participate in God's mission of redeeming work and economics from the influence of sin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evangelical church in North America is facing a crisis in its failure to retain young people. Research has shown that young people are dropping out of the church and they are not only leaving but also failing to return once they are older. This crisis did not appear in a vacuum; it is the result of the church's movement towards a style of programming that has created a division between evangelism and discipleship. This style of programme not only seeks to reach those outside of the church at the expense of those youth in the church but also creates a dichotomy between who we are (our identity) and what we do (our mission). The church must seek to remove this dichotomy between identity and mission and utilise strategies that work with our identity rather than against it. Intradisciplinary and/or Interdisciplinary Implications: This article is an interaction between practical theology and pastoral practice in Christian ministry. The crisis of youth leaving evangelical churches in North America is because of the dichotomy between mission and identity. Once this dichotomy is erased, mission will be a natural outworking of identity in youth ministry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to show the evolution of the conceptualisation of Africa according to the Catholic Church, using as its key references Daniele Comboni and Adalberto da Postioma, two Italian missionaries who lived in the 19th century and 20th century respectively. Through them, the article attempts to interpret how the Catholic Church has conceived and implemented its relationships with the African continent in the last two centuries. The article uses history to analyse the thought of the two authors using a qualitative and comparative methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the support for the Mission in Scotland given by networks formed in the Scottish Catholic diaspora, especially by those key members linked to the Scots Colleges abroad, the Scots Benedictine monasteries in Germany, and the Roman curia during the second half of the seventeenth and first half of the eighteenth centuries. Drawing on sources from the colleges', monasteries', and Roman archives, together with extensive historiography, the narrative describes the problems faced by the Mission, the help it needed, and the extent to which it received that help. In doing so, the study attempts to show how the financial and diplomatic initiatives related to this work became interwoven with the dynastic struggles of the House of Stuart, and how this involvement of the Mission and its supporters in the Jacobite cause inevitably compromised their work and severely limited the success which their efforts merited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper begins with a simple problem: given the implicit Ignatian model for conversion and of conversion narratives for those already within the Christian fold, how did Jesuit missionaries in the colonies represent native conversion? To what extent were these colonial conversion narratives responding to the demands of Jesuit representational norms and to what extent did they reflect local realities? To address this question, this paper will examine stories of conversions of natives in public letters sent from Bahh and Goa and their immediate environs during the first thirty years of the missions in Brazil and India--annual letters but also other letters which were published in popular collections such as the Nuovi Avisi delle Indie di Portogallo series printed in Venice. The public cartas particulares, as opposed to the private hijuelas, were meant to be carefully crafted, and were explicitly intended to give a good account of the mission to the public in Europe. Since the public letters considered here were guided by Ignatius' epistolary conventions and often placed into wide circulation, they provide an index of the rhetorical strategies and conversion narratives deemed successful by the Jesuit order in Europe in a period when Ignatius' influence was still strongly felt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New Evangelization is the announcement of the Good News of Jesus Christ in the midst of the post-Christian and post-secularist situation of our time. The «New Areopagi» are a metaphor John Paul II used in a missionary context, defining them as spaces opened to mission. There are two kinds of «New Areopagi»: one that is Christian-ecclesial which requires an ad intra evangelization, and another that is mundane or neopagan, addressed by the ad extra evangelization. The New Evangelization demands both a new personal experience of faith, considered as a free encounter with Jesus Christ, and also the discovering of the communal aspect of that faith. From this strong position we might hope for the recovery of the public dimension of Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New Evangelization -as a wide and lasting work horizon- is only achievable if there is a renewed Church that carries it out being simply the Church, the People of God called to be in Christ and to turn the Christian way of existence into a daily reality, wherever each one is. The principle the author holds is clear: that revitalization of the Christian identity, toward which the new evangelization is oriented, cannot be clone only with simple modifications performed from old intellectual and pastoral categories and structures, but demands their real renewal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Prefecture Apostolic of the Polar Regions (‘North Pole Mission’), which ran between 1855 and 1869, was an attempt to bring the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church to a broadly defined circumpolar area. From its initial base in Alta, in northern Norway, the mission expanded to establish a presence in: Iceland; the Faroe Islands; Orkney, Shetland and Caithness; and Tromsø. This article explores the reasons behind the mission's expansion into northern Scotland, and the reaction which greeted the arrival of foreign missionaries in a region which had been relatively untouched by Catholicism in the three centuries since the Reformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]