Theological Studies

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This is the collection for the University of Waterloo's Department of Theological Studies.

Research outputs are organized by type (eg. Master Thesis, Article, Conference Paper).

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Balthasar Hubmaier's Sword: A Circumstantial Development
(University of Waterloo, 2010-04-29T14:44:50Z) Wiens, Rudolph Henry
The sixteenth century Bavarian Anabaptist, Balthasar Hubmaier (ca. 1480-1528), has had a disputed role in Anabaptist historiography ever since his martyrdom in March, 1528. On the one hand he is known as the most erudite and prolific writer of the early Anabaptists, and on the other he has been separated from the original Zurich Brethren by his rejection of two major principles, total separation from the world and absolute non-resistance, that were supposedly held unanimously by the Zurich Brethren. Today Hubmaier’s reputation for militancy has been endorsed by most writers, but this militancy is not expressed in any of his writings except On the Sword, the last tract written before his death. Using the well-documented biography of Hubmaier by Bergsten and his own writings collected and translated by Pipkin and Yoder, the thesis explores the question of the extent to which Hubmaier was willing to advocate the use of lethal force by government or against government. It is found that only one source, Johann Faber, accused Hubmaier of inciting peasant revolt , and that witness would seem dubious by any modern standard. Arguments that Hubmaier was ostracized by the Zurich Brethren are found to be conjectural and dependent upon anachronism. Thus in the critical years 1524-26, Hubmaier was a veritable Swiss Brethren. On the Sword indicates a major change in Hubmaier’s thinking, and the reasons for that change are explored.
The Doctrine of the Imago Dei in the Soteriology of Julian of Norwich
(University of Waterloo, 2008-05-26T21:04:58Z) Wiens, Ryan Kade
The soteriology of the English 14th century mystic Julian of Norwich moves in the direction of a hope for universal salvation. The ground for this hope is established through Julian’s appropriation of the doctrine of the soul’s creation in the image of God, the imago dei. Previous studies have primarily focussed on Augustine’s influence on Julian’s use of the imago dei doctrine. While this has been fruitful, in order to better grasp the nuances of Julian’s anthropology and soteriology, it is essential to also attend to Cistercian influences. In particular, William of St. Thierry’s notion of the will that remains godly in spite of sin and Aelred of Rievaulx’s writing on friendship provide important background to the development of Julian’s soteriology. Interestingly, Julian very rarely explicitly mentions the term image of God. However, in her use of the Middle English word kynd, Julian clearly invokes the doctrine of the imago dei. Further, the doctrine of the imago dei powerfully informs her imagination such that the trope of image may be seen behind important theological developments such as the correspondence between the human and the divine and her notions of what is potentially occurring in the process of contemplation. Close attention to the image tropes that structure Julian’s contemplation and her various usages of the word kynd reveals the complexity of Julian’s adaptation of the doctrine of the imago dei and elucidates the ground of her soteriology.
"Even with Nature": Disability and Divine Perfection in Gregory of Nyssa's Theology of Epektasis
(University of Waterloo, 2016-08-10) Campbell, J. Tyler
This thesis seeks to explore Gregory of Nyssa’s theology of epektasis, his view of the body as vessel of the mind/soul and medium for interpersonal communication and the implications for contemporary theological discussions of disability. Epektasis is commonly understood as the human being’s perpetual progress towards God. This perpetual progress is required for the flawed human being to better him/herself in hopes of drawing closer to the inexhaustible goodness of God. Although the study of epektasis most often focuses on the individual aspect, Gregory often emphasizes the relational importance of perpetual progress. Gregory’s depiction of the body as the medium for communications shows the way our bodies exist as both perceivers and expressers. Bodies are perceivers in that they are at all times taking in information and communicating with others, and expressers in the way they allow the bodies we come into contact with to see the content of both the mind and soul. Gregory suggests that the human communication that takes place between bodies has positive implications for the perpetual progress exhibited in epektasis. Human beings are able to learn from the bodies of more virtuous examples, ultimately imitating the virtue these models exhibit in their lives. For Gregory, this bodily communication is important because the human person is not classified by the ability to make rational decisions or to prove ideas with intellect. The notion that the body is able to communicate freely without reliance on intellect creates an accessible connection to contemporary considerations of disability. The argument of the thesis proceeds as follows. Gregory’s thought is hierarchical with a perfect God at the top and humans striving upwards towards that perfection through epektasis. Gregory’s theology of virtuous models allows individuals to resist the assumption that disabled persons are located below abled persons on this hierarchy. His theology pushes us to recognize that fragility is constituent of God’s perfection. The role of disabled persons as models of virtue is one way that this fragile perfection is made known. Epektasis is the human attempt to strive toward a perfect union with God by way of communicating with others, especially virtuous models, through the human body. This communication takes place through sense experiences highlighted by philosophers concerned with the human body such as Maurice Merleau-Ponty. These conversations between Gregory and other thinkers add supplemental thought, explaining the ways Gregory’s theology accounts for the communicative nature on the surface and visceral levels of the body. The application of Gregory’s theology to contemporary thoughts on disability and the body is seen most clearly through an account of the author’s relationship with an individual with disabilities named Brooke. This application works to show the way Gregory’s theology of epektasis remains contemporarily relevant, and solidifies the argument of individuals with disabilities existing as exemplary models of virtue.
From Mt. Moriah to Mom’s Basement: Playing The Binding of Isaac Video Game through the Reception History of the Aqedah
(University of Waterloo, 2021-01-12) Friesen, Colin Daniel
In 2011, Edmund McMillen released The Binding of Isaac (TBOI) video game that retells the story of Abraham’s attempt to sacrifice Isaac on Mt. Moriah. However, the game departs significantly from the biblical account in various ways, such as placing the retelling in a modern setting and switching the parental figure from father to mother. Contemporary scholars have sought to understand The Binding of Isaac primarily through the context and intentions of the game’s creator. In contrast, my thesis analyzes TBOI through the lens of the Aqedah’s reception history. Finally, this thesis shows that TBOI represents another example of the Aqedah’s reception albeit within an unorthodox medium, that both reflects and draws on elements of the broader history of interpretation and demonstrates itself capable of holding multiple viewpoints at the same time. Thus, I show how TBOI functions as a midrash generator whose narratological and ludological elements encourage and accelerate reinterpretations of the game as it is played. To do so, the first half of the project surveys a sampling of the Aqedah’s reception history (chapter 2) and describes TBOI’s ludological elements within the broader field of game studies (chapter 3). I begin the second half of my thesis where I analyze TBOI in light of the Aqedah’s reception history and show how it both resonates with and critiques other interpreters (chapter 4). Finally, I analyze TBOI’s function as a midrash generator that prompts ongoing reinterpretations (chapter 5). This project adopts an interdisciplinary approach using TBOI as a case study for integrating reception history and game studies. This project provides a precedent for exploring both how a reception history approach could be applied to other retellings of religious stories in the video game medium, and a starting point for further development of midrash generation as a concept.
Fundraising and Theology: How does current Mennonite praxis compare to Paul's collection for Jerusalem?
(University of Waterloo, 2008-01-08T21:08:04Z) Reesor, Lori Ann Guenther
This paper compares the theology and praxis of Canadian Mennonite giving to the biblical texts of Paul’s collection for Jerusalem, particularly 1 and 2 Corinthians. It is based on interviewing Mennonite donors and fundraisers, and using the resulting issues about giving to probe the Pauline texts for practical details about asking for money and donating money. The paper suggests how Pauline theology and praxis might further inform giving and fundraising in the Mennonite church.
"If You Believed Moses, You Would Believe Me": The Portrayal of Jesus as Interpreter of Scripture in John's Gospel
(University of Waterloo, 2017-01-17) Suderman, Bryan
The use of scripture in John’s Gospel has been explored extensively by scholars. Less scholarly attention has been paid to the features and significance of the Fourth Gospel’s narrative depiction of Jesus himself as interpreter of scripture. This study offers an account of the portrayal of Jesus as interpreter of scripture in John’s Gospel through a close reading of selected passages that contribute most directly to that portrayal. Further, this study situates the Fourth Gospel’s portrayal of Jesus within the exegetical milieu of Early Judaism by providing a survey of portrayals of other scripture-interpreting characters in a range of literature from Jewish antiquity (Deuteronomy, Daniel, Philo, Qumran, Matthew’s Gospel, rabbinic literature). Using a five-part heuristic device drawn from my own reading of these texts and influenced by Hindy Najman’s account of “Mosaic Discourse” in the Second Temple period, I undertake a comparison of the Fourth Gospel’s portrayal of Jesus with the portrayals of scripture-interpreting characters in the surveyed works. The findings of this descriptive and comparative work are that the Fourth Gospel’s depiction of Jesus as interpreter of scripture is very much at home in the exegetical milieu of Jewish antiquity. There is little in Jesus’ use of scripture, as depicted in the Fourth Gospel, that cannot also be found in other Jewish literature of this era. And yet the cumulative effect of the Fourth Gospel’s depiction of its protagonist drawing upon scriptural passages and images overwhelmingly as a witness to his own identity is indeed unique in its rhetorical force and hermeneutical implications. John’s Gospel depicts Jesus not only as interpreter of the words of scripture, but as the very Word (Logos) of God made flesh. This portrayal, while drawing upon and exemplifying common elements of the exegetical milieu of Early Judaism, pushes beyond the boundaries of those elements in its depiction of Jesus.
Integrating Youth into Worship Leadership
(University of Waterloo, 2008-08-06T19:22:30Z) Johnson, Sarah Kathleen
This thesis explores significant theological and pastoral questions associated with the integration of youth into worship leadership in Anabaptist-Mennonite congregations. Chapter 1 develops an Anabaptist-Mennonite understanding of worship. Chapter 2 outlines an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective on worship leadership. Chapter 3 addresses adolescence from developmental, cultural, biblical, historical and contemporary theological perspectives. In Chapter 4 the theology of worship and worship leadership, and the understanding of adolescence are brought together in a proposal that encourages the integration of youth into regular involvement in collaborative congregational worship leadership. The conclusion describes a Youth Worship Sourcebook that is currently being developed as a resource to equip youth for and integrate youth into worship leadership in Mennonite churches.
Jesus Christ as Woman Wisdom: Feminist Wisdom Christology, Mystery, and Christ's Body
(University of Waterloo, 2010-04-30T16:22:53Z) Loewen, M. Susanne Guenther
This thesis explores Wisdom Christology, the association of Jesus Christ and the mysterious and neglected biblical figure of Woman Wisdom. Because the descriptions of her bear a striking resemblance to the portrayal of Jesus Christ, I argue that they can be seen as two names for the same figure: Christ-Wisdom. This link between Jesus Christ and Woman Wisdom has some interesting repercussions in Christology. Firstly, it emphasizes the mysteriousness of Jesus Christ, preventing the illusion that Jesus Christ can be fully understood. In fact, the incarnation is a deepening of the mystery of God, meaning that theological language must rely on paradox and metaphor to describe the indescribable. I argue that the name Jesus Christ is inclusive, wide enough to hold many names, including that of Woman Wisdom, which he sanctifies so they become appropriate names for the divine. Secondly, the association of Jesus Christ with Woman Wisdom affects the gender of Jesus Christ. Throughout Christian history, there has been a gender fluidity in depictions of Jesus Christ, something legitimated by his full divinity. This does not mean his historical life as a male human being can be ignored, but although he was of the male sex, he arguably did not strictly adhere to socio-cultural gender expectations. Likewise, in Woman Wisdom, Jesus Christ provides an alternative, atypical way of being female. This relativizes the gender of Christ-Wisdom, pointing beyond it to the radical solidarity of the divine with all humanity in the incarnation. Thirdly, to view Christ as Wisdom changes the way gender is understood within the Church, the Body of Christ. If the Church is the representative of Christ-Wisdom, it is therefore a multi-gendered body in which Jesus Christ takes on male and female embodiment. In contrast to gendered ethical models, the Church thus has one ethical example in Christ-Wisdom, which all follow. Because of the various gifts of the Spirit, diversity remains, but is transformed so that differences, including gender, do not limit or determine the roles of believers in the Church, but remain part of the richness of the one Body under its one Head, Christ-Wisdom.
The Jewish Mother of the Gentiles: Paul and Maternal Imagery in Galatians 4
(University of Waterloo, 2020-08-25) Ralph, Lindsay Anne
In Gal 4:19, Paul likens himself to a mother who is “again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed” within the Galatian congregation. Paul then follows this maternal self-declaration with an extended allegory focused upon the matriarchs in the Abrahamic narrative. Galatians is notably an epistle which is primarily concerned with circumcision and Paul’s insistence that gentiles should not be circumcised to be part of the Israel of God (Gal 6:16). Yet Paul, in crafting his argument to persuade the (male) Galatians to remain uncircumcised, relies upon female, maternal imagery which reaches its crescendo in Gal 4 with the above-mentioned passages. Why would Paul rely upon feminine imagery in the climax of his argument against circumcision, which is a Jewish male identity marker? This thesis is a socio-rhetorical examination of Paul’s maternal imagery in Gal 4, and I contend that Paul chose motherhood for the height of his argument because it was the most rhetorically persuasive image which would enable Paul to both affirm the gentile Galatians’ status as children of God while also addressing the Galatians’ social context. Maternal imagery allowed Paul to utilize ancient constructions of maternity to defend his gospel and apostolic calling, while also communicating relationship dynamics that existed between Paul and the church. Once Paul establishes himself as a mother to the congregation, he uses the Abrahamic matriarchal allegory to argue in favour of the gentiles’ status as children of the promise, heirs of Abraham, and born of the free woman. Paul insists that physical identity markers are contrary to the gospel of Christ (for gentiles) and are indistinguishable from the Galatians’ former cultic life. Instead, the Galatians must be animated by God the Father and accept Paul as the “free mother” who birthed them to embrace their identity as a divergent line of Abrahamic descent.
A Jewish Repair For A Free Church Vision: Repairing Restitutionist Hermeneutics With Peter Ochs
(University of Waterloo, 2015-07-13) Klassen, Zacharie
Over the course of his research on the New Testament and early Christianity, the late Mennonite theologian John Howard Yoder developed a provocative thesis that the historic Jewish-Christian schism was not historically inevitable. Yoder argued that it might have been possible for Jews and Christians to remain together as one people despite a difference of faith regarding the significance of Jesus Christ. While many found Yoder’s thesis refreshing, not all were convinced that it was without its significant theological problems. Peter Ochs, a Jewish pragmatic philosopher, was invited to respond to Yoder’s claims through commentary included in a posthumous publication of essays which contained Yoder’s provocative claims. Ochs argued that Yoder’s thesis perpetuated a form of Christian supersessionism, a Christian teaching that states that the Church has replaced Israel as the people of God. This thesis seeks to expose the roots of Yoder’s supersessionism for the purposes of repairing/reforming Yoder’s vision for the Church and the Church’s relation to the Jews. The argument of the thesis is that Yoder’s particular appropriation of a restitutionist perspective on Christian history, as a fundamental hermeneutic, is the root of his supersessionism. I demonstrate this to be the case through engaging two key essays in which Yoder treats the significance of the restitutionist perspective for his theology. After demonstrating this, I critically re-evaluate Yoder’s restitutionist hermeneutic with the help of Ochs among several other supporting authors in order to suggest specific ways that inheritors of Yoder might carry forward key elements to his thought without repeating his supersessionist mistake.
Judgment and Forgiveness: Restorative Justice Practice and the Recovery of Theological Memory
(University of Waterloo, 2008-01-16T21:20:04Z) Regehr, Keith Allen
This study explores the connections between justice understood biblically, and restorative justice. Restorative justice theory has argued that its foundational principles and its forms of practice draw directly from the taproot of biblical justice. This study argues that biblical justice as conceived by restorative justice is incomplete. More, the primary theological and biblical work in the field has not drawn the connections to the way restorative justice is practiced. This study argues that judgment and forgiveness are essential components of biblical justice that are missing from discussions of restorative justice. It concludes by drawing some of the implications of incorporating judgment and forgiveness for restorative justice practice by suggesting language that can be used by mediators. Chapter 1 outlines the main principles of restorative justice and describes the ways in which these principles were initially grounded on a description of biblical justice. The ways in which recent writing about restorative justice has identified an apparent loss of vision are explored, a loss that flows from a theological grounding that has failed to adequately reflect the fulness of biblical justice. Chapter 2 explores the main themes of biblical justice. Drawing connections between biblical understandings of peace, covenant, and justice, it discusses the ways in which restitution, vindication, vengeance, retribution, punishment, mercy, judgment, and forgiveness are all constitutive of a full understanding of biblical justice. Finally this understanding of justice is described as central to repentance and reconciliation. Chapter 3 draws the connections between biblical justice and restorative justice. Arguing that biblical justice is a justice for the nations, that it is what justice ought to be, the role that judgment and forgiveness can play within restorative justice is described. Chapter 4 connects the discussion to the work that mediators do in restorative justice. Offering potential language for restorative justice practitioners, it seeks to find ways for the biblical and theological discussion to influence their work with victims and offenders. Chapter 5 draws the argument together, and identifies the necessity of restorative justice programmes remaining rooted in the church so as to retain the courage and creativity to continually experiment with new forms of practice.
LETTY M. RUSSELL: INSIGHTS AND CHALLENGES OF CHRISTIAN FEMINISM
(University of Waterloo, 2008-01-28T20:09:27Z) Abdekhodaie, Zohreh
This study offers a critical assessment of Letty Mandeville Russell’s contributions to feminist theology with a view to gleaning wisdom for Muslim women who also wrestle with the issue of justice for women. As a liberation theologian, Russell’s definition and construction of feminist theology is based on two elements: commitment to Christianity and strong advocacy of feminism. Russell believes that in human communities, marginalized people, particularly women, are kept down and disempowered in society, history, and the church. Russell recognizes tradition as the key challenge for feminists and she struggles with “all oppressive expressions of Christian tradition.” She notes the androcentric and sexist elements of the Bible, but she refuses to leave the church. Rather, her attempt is to proclaim the “prophetic- messianic” message of the gospel while advocating a critical approach to the biblical text. Thus this thesis will explore the question: Is it possible to reconstruct a theology in a systematic way that is faithful to religious convictions while advocating feminism. In addition to Russell’s books and articles, which form the primary sources for this study, two other Christian feminists (Fiorenza and Harder) will be drawn into the discussion in order to further illuminate the various building blocks that women use to link faith and feminism. Chapter one provides a background for the feminist movement and introduces feminist theology, in order to position Russell within the wide spectrum of feminist theologians who attempt to reconcile their Christian faith and their convictions and vision for women. Chapter two looks Russell’s claim that she is both Christian and feminist. Russell’s definition of feminism, faith, and their inter-relationship will be illuminated as a key to her identity as a feminist theologian. The chapter shows not only how Russell understands these two commitments, often understood as contradictory, but also shows how Russell’s roots in liberation theology have aided her in building a bridge between faith and feminism. Chapter three deals with the methodology that Russell uses to build a bridge between faith and feminism. She proposes a process of action-reflection in which women gain a new understanding of faith and add new perspectives to Christian theology. Chapter four analyzes Russell’s contributions in dealing creatively and faithfully with tradition while being both a Christian and a feminist. She proposes a paradigm shift for the community that does theology; a shift from a paradigm of domination to a paradigm of partnership. She believes that through this shift, all marginalized people, including women, can find their own voices and thus be included in the promises of God to his people. The concluding chapter, chapter five, offers a grandstand view of all of the building blocks that Russell uses to construct a bridge between faith and feminism, thus making apparent how it is possible to advocate feminism and also be committed to Christianity. At the same time, this chapter will also consider whether the same building blocks can be used to build the same kind of bridge for Muslim women.
Mary's Honour in The Protoevangelium of James
(University of Waterloo, 2016-08-26) Eastman, Chalsi
This thesis will argue that the Protoevangelium of James was an apologetic text written to demonstrate Mary’s ascribed and acquired honour. By establishing Mary’s honour the text also defends the honour of Jesus and early Christians. The text indirectly addresses the charges about Jesus’ illegitimacy and Mary’s sexual behavior by emphasizing Mary’s purity and virginity, before and after the conception and birth of Jesus. Such an emphasis would have served to redeem Mary’s honour. The Prot. Jas. first establishes Mary’s honour through her parents, Anna and Joachim. They are portrayed as wealthy and respectable people who are very concerned with purity and righteous behaviour. Anna closely monitors Mary as a young child and takes precautions to ensure that Mary does not do anything that would be considered impure as a young girl, including turning her bedroom into a sanctuary, controlling what she ate, and only allowing Mary to be in the company of other pure people. Mary is then cared for by the temple priests, and finally Joseph becomes her guardian. The Prot. Jas. portrays Joseph as Mary’s caretaker instead of husband to ensure that it is clear Mary and Joseph did not have a sexual relationship. The Prot. Jas. then establishes Mary’s acquired honour through her actions as a young woman to remain pure and celibate for the entirety of her life. When Mary becomes pregnant she must proclaim her innocence multiple times throughout the text, every time promising that she has never been with a man. After the birth of Jesus she endures an exam to prove that even post-partum, Mary is still a virgin. In the Prot. Jas. Mary becomes the two most honourable things a woman could be in Mediterranean antiquity, mother and virgin.
More Than Atonement: Anabaptist-Mennonite Discipleship Ecclesiology and the Work of Christ
(University of Waterloo, 2015-08-31) Ritzmann, Isaiah
This thesis focuses on seven authors writing in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition who have made the argument that traditional atonement theologies have not only failed to adequately integrate the church and the kingdom with the atonement but the very articulations of the atonement logically exclude and marginalize these important themes. Traditional accounts of the atonement have failed to adequately integrate the church as a community of disciples or Christ’s work of bringing the kingdom. In light of this failure these authors propose models of the atonement that promise an adequate integration of atonement, church and kingdom. These authors focus on the wider work of Christ, seen as bringing the kingdom and forming the church as a community of disciples. While having a consensus around these themes their thinking on traditional atonement themes (such as sin, guilt and punishment) is remarkably variegated with little discernable unity. This thesis concludes by suggesting that if Anabaptist-Mennonite theologians make the distinction between the ultimate work of Christ (i.e., bringing the kingdom and forming the church) and his penultimate work (i.e., of atoning for sins) this would bring greater coherence to these traditional atonement themes which in turn would help deliver on the promise for a more adequate integration of atonement, church and kingdom. In the first chapter this thesis gives an account of Anabaptist-Mennonite discipleship ecclesiology through two representative authors, Harold Bender and John Howard Yoder. The next three chapters take a closer look at atonement theologies of seven representative Anabaptist-Mennonite authors, both their general proposals but also how they integrate atonement and discipleship ecclesiology. The concluding chapter will draw the analysis together indicating what has been learned about both atonement and discipleship ecclesiology within this tradition, and how they relate to each other.
Preparing for the Eschaton: A Theology of Work
(University of Waterloo, 2010-10-27T16:11:44Z) MacRae, Leonard
Work occupies a significant part of our lives, and yet it is often not given sufficient attention. Certainly there is much consideration given to finding a career, and succeeding in work, but not enough to how our work affects and defines us as human beings. The default Christian position has been that we must find our vocation, what we have been called by God to do, and that will result in satisfying meaningful labour. However, vocation has not necessarily led us to be more satisfied in our work, or to solve the many issues related to work. This thesis suggests that we may find a new method of understanding our work by returning to some important themes of Christian faith. The resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us a hope for the future, and allows us to reconsider our place within the narrative of history. Along with resurrection, the hope of new creation gives us a goal to work towards and a future existence which we may anticipate in the present. This anticipation of the future can change how we work, and give us reason to reconsider our understanding of our work in the present.
The Significance of Place in the Contemporary Theological Discourse of Heaven
(University of Waterloo, 2015-01-07) Wijnands, Kyle
This study will offer a critical assessment of the hearings of heaven in contemporary theological discourse. After engaging with various eschatological perspectives that pertain to the contemporary discussion of heaven, I will demonstrate that there is an urgent need in eschatology to focus not only on the reality of heaven “at hand” but also on the Christian hope of bodily resurrection and new creation “not yet.” By building upon the work of various theologians, I will argue that the marginalization of place-centred thinking in theology has had a dangerous effect on the contemporary hearing of heaven. As a result, a biblical depiction of the future heaven has either been distorted because of a platonic understanding or under-emphasized by way of the myth of progress. By considering the urban imagery in Revelation 21:1-4, I will demonstrate that Jerusalem should not only be interpreted as God’s people in place but also the place believers will inherit in the future.
Singing with Moses and the Lamb: Social Memory and Radical Discipleship in John’s Apocalypse
(University of Waterloo, 2015-01-23) Martin White, Jake Elliott
The Apocalypse reads as a kind of “discipleship manual” for the ekklesiai living in Asia Minor under Roman administration. It calls for followers of the Lamb to reject easy compliance with the world of empire, and to embrace instead a costly alternative of witness and resistance. This study applies learnings from social memory theory to illuminate the political struggle in the Apocalypse: it considers how memory functions in antiquity to build a shared narrative of “Romanness;” how the Apocalypse’s strategy of drawing on Hebrew scriptures articulates a “counter-discourse” to Roman hegemony; how worship recalls this distinctive memory and re-narrates the world through it; and finally, how memory functions in the important imperative to “remember and repent” (2:5, 3:3). The study concludes that John is quite aware of the dynamics of power at work in his social world and memory is one basis on which he confronts this power. Through memory, the Apocalypse nurtures an alternative way of seeing the world, forges an alternative identity to “being Roman,” and animates an alternative life-practice. Deep memory is crucial for the ekklesiai to embody the way of the Lamb as a sustained alternative to ordinary civic life in the empire.
The Spirit of Technology: A Pneumatological Analysis of the Discourse on Technique
(University of Waterloo, 2014-05-23) Guenther, Kevin
This thesis explores the use of spirit-language in technological discourse in order to show that the category of spirit is viable within technological discourse and that spiritlanguage can be a new way for theology to engage with technology. This thesis demonstrates the need for theological engagement with technology, in the first place, by surveying the existence of moral evaluations in current popular and academic discourse about technique and by citing examples of comparable engagement drawn from ethical discourse and from ancient mythologies. Since morality, ethics, and mythology traditionally belong to religion and theology, theological engagement with technology is warranted. Yet, the current state of theological engagement with technology is typically cautious. In this context, the recent introduction of spirit-language into technological discourse opens up a new and important way for theology to engage critically and constructively with technology. This thesis then surveys the use of spirit-language in technological discourse in order to create a context for theological engagement with technology. “Spirit” is conceptualized in various and inconsistent ways in technological discourse. The “spirits” assumed by technological discourse have religious, ethical, and social consequences. Analysis and evaluation of these implicit pneumatologies represent ways for theology to critically and constructively engage with technology.
A Theological Assessment of Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer on the Christological Foundations of Ethics
(University of Waterloo, 2013-05-23T20:36:43Z) Stumpf, Andrew Douglas Heslop
This thesis aims to contribute to an answer to the question, “What would a philosophy, and more specifically, an ethics, based on Christ, look like?” My first contention is that we find, in the ethical thinking of Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, two particularly radical and complementary attempts to point toward Christ as the basis or foundation of any genuine ethics. What sets the views of Barth and Bonhoeffer apart from many of the other philosophical and theological approaches to ethics, is the extent to which they seek to take seriously the ethical implications of the gospel – the revelation of God's grace in the Word and work of Jesus Christ – for ethics. My second contention is that, even if we follow neither Barth nor Bonhoeffer in the detailed outworking of the character of a Christologically grounded ethics, we nevertheless cannot avoid facing the radical challenge each of these men poses, in their own related but distinct ways, that in thinking about ethics we must take Christ as our standard and foundation. In the first two chapters, on Barth and Bonhoeffer respectively, I identify the structure and content of their arguments and display their textual basis in the texts most relevant to the topic, namely Barth’s Church Dogmatics and Bonhoeffer’s Ethics. I also present an outline of the character of a Christologically-grounded ethics as each of these theologians derives it from its Christological basis. In the third chapter I examine the cogency of their arguments.
Unsettling Theology: Decolonizing Western Interpretations of Original Sin
(University of Waterloo, 2014-04-28) Kampen, Melanie
For Native peoples, becoming Christian in north america has also meant becoming white. That is, the theological beliefs, cultural habits, and political movements that characterized american colonialism are inseparable. Among its many shortcomings throughout colonial history, Western Christianity has failed on a basic, epistemological level; it has failed to recognize itself as a particular theological tradition, instead positing itself as a universal. The insistence of the particular theological doctrines and scriptural interpretations of european settlers as Truth led to the demise of many Others—a violence to which the Indigenous peoples of this land attest. If, as I have suggested, particular theologies were part and parcel of the western colonial project, then it follows that attempts at disarming the imperial machine must not only involve decolonizing dominant politics and cultural habits, but also decolonizing dominant western theologies. This thesis takes up one of the dominant doctrines in Western Christianity, that of original sin. An analysis of this doctrine is pertinent because, in addition to articulating the dominant western Christian understanding of sin, death, and evil, in the world, it also reveals an undergirding anthropology and an implied soteriology, both of which provided justifications for the genocide on the Indigenous peoples of america. Following the decolonizing methodologies of Native americans Andrea Smith and Laura Donaldson, I will demonstrate that the doctrine is particular, both scripturally and culturally, and that the dominant reading of the supporting texts for the doctrine are neither universal nor necessary. Then I will interrogate the two primary texts, Genesis 3 and Romans 5 with alternative interpretations from Native theologians and the experiences of the doctrine by Native peoples. Finally, I will argue that if western theology is to truly release its monopoly on the Truth, even what it claims to be the True discourses and interpretations within Christianity, it must make itself vulnerable to deconstruction and interrogation by those it has oppressed; it must cultivate a posture of receptivity to the other and Native interpretive approaches, begin the hard work of unsettling settler theologies, and composing non-dominant readings of the bible.

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