More Information
ISBN: 9781786410344
Imprint: Langham Global Library
Format: Paperback
Dimensions (mm): 229 x 152 x 15
Publication Date: 17/09/2024
Pages: 274
Series: Rethinking Church in the 21st Century
Language: English

Suffering and Persecution

Rethinking Church in the 21st Century

£18.99

General Editors: Riad Kassis and Mark Labberton
Series Editor: Joshua Robert Barron

God’s love in Jesus Christ for the salvation and recreation of all things is still the hope of the world. This Christian affirmation is the reality that “holds all things” and “holds all things together.” Yet in today’s world, it is easy to understand why the church is in pain and declining in its Christian and moral influence.

Rethinking Church in the 21st Century is the culmination of three years of exploration into the condition of the church around the world today. Bringing together a diverse community of Christian voices, these essays offer reflections and admonitions to ignite the hearts of pastors and leaders during the dynamic, vulnerable, and hopeful times we face.

In this first volume, scholars and church leaders from across the globe respond to writings on suffering and persecution. The authors examine the universal themes of suffering and address topics such as violence, natural disasters, and persecution through contextually rooted lenses. The resulting essays are an authentic, richly diverse collection that offers fresh perspectives for the church to reflect on together.

Author Bios

Myrto Theocharous
(Edited By)

MYRTO THEOCHAROUS has a PhD from the University of Cambridge, UK. She is professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at the Greek Bible College in Athens, Greece and serves as president of Nea Zoi Anti-Trafficking Ministry.

Table of Contents

  1. Series Introduction
  2. Volume Introduction
  3. Africa
  4. Nigeria: No More Cheeks to Turn?
  5. South Africa (and Germany): Suffering, Persecution and Martyrdom: Theological Reflections
  6. Uganda: The Sacrifice of Africa: A Political Theology for Africa
  7. Asia
  8. China: The Chinese Epaphras
  9. China: The Carving of God: The Biography of the Lord’s Servant – Simon Zhao
  10. Hong Kong: Chan Kin-Man’s Prison Writings
  11. Hong Kong: Authentic Forgiveness: A Biblical Approach
  12. Hong Kong: The Courage to Live: Reimagining the Gospel for Our Times
  13. India: “The Problem of Suffering: A Theological Analysis”
  14. India: “Lessons from Orissa: Peacemaking in the Face of Anti-Christian Violence”
  15. India: “A Christian Response to Hindutva”
  16. India: When Time Stood Still: A True Life Answer to the Question – Where Is God When it Hurts?
  17. Japan: Theology of the Pain of God: The First Original Theology from Japan
  18. Japan: Silence
  19. Japan: Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering
  20. Pakistan: Suffering for Christ
  21. Philippines: How Long, O Lord?: The Challenge and Promise of Reconciliation and Peace
  22. Philippines: Why, O God? Disaster, Resiliency, and the People of God
  23. Philippines: It’s OK to Be Not OK: Preaching the Lament Psalms
  24. Singapore: Hope for the World: The Christian Vision
  25. Singapore: When Christians Face Persecution: Theological Perspectives from the New Testament
  26. Sri Lanka: Sarah’s Laughter: Doubt, Tears, and Christian Hope
  27. Sri Lanka: The Call to Joy and Pain: Embracing Suffering in Your Ministry
  28. Thailand: A Christian Theology of Suffering in the Context of Theravada Buddhism in Thailand
  29. Central and South America
  30. Bolivia: A Nazarene Church: Theology from the Insignificant
  31. El Salvador: Witnesses to the Kingdom: The Martyrs of El Salvador and the Crucified Peoples
  32. Europe
  33. Germany: Christian Persecution in Antiquity
  34. Germany: The 21: A Journey into the Land of Coptic Martyrs
  35. Greece: My Sister
  36. Greece: The Enigma of Evil
  37. United Kingdom: A Theology of Suffering
  38. United Kingdom: Faith That Endures: The Essential Guide to the Persecuted Church
  39. Middle East
  40. Egypt: Martyrdom and Martyrs: A Spiritual Study
  41. Lebanon: Following Jesus in Turbulent Times: Disciple-Making in the Arab World
  42. Palestine: The Politics of Persecution: Middle Eastern Christians in an Age of Empires
  43. Syria: Called for Martyrdom, Called for Victory
  44. North America
  45. Canada: Prison Power: How God Uses Imprisonment to Enlarge His Kingdom
  46. The United States of America and the United Kingdom: Creating Shared Resilience: The Role of the Church in a Hopeful Future
  47. The United States of America: Finding Hagar: God’s Pursuit of a Runaway
  48. The United States of America: What Can We Expect from God Now: Seven Spiritual Truths for Trusting God in Troubled Times
  49. The United States of America: Forgiveness and Justice: A Christian Approach

Contributors

Riad Kassis

RIAD KASSIS holds a PhD in Old Testament from the University of Nottingham, UK. He previously served as international director of ICETE and regional director for Overseas Council. He is currently the international director of Langham Partnership. Riad is from Lebanon, where he lives with his wife, Izdihar.


Mark Labberton

MARK LABBERTON is Lloyd John Ogilvie chair for preaching and director of the Lloyd John Ogilvie Institute for Preaching at Fuller Theological Seminary, California, USA. He previously served as senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, California, for sixteen years, and received his doctorate in theology from the University of Cambridge, UK. He is also a senior fellow of the International Justice Mission, and has published articles in Leadership Journal and Radix magazines.


Joshua Robert Barron

JOSHUA ROBERT BARRON is a theological educator and curriculum developer in Kenya. He is series co-editor for the African Christian Studies Series, series editor for Rethinking Church in the 21st Century (Langham Global Library), and a managing editor of the African Christian Theology journal. He is a PhD candidate at Africa International University, Kenya.


Alfred Sebahene

ALFRED SEBAHENE is a lecturer, researcher, and consultant at St John’s University of Tanzania, Dodoma. He has a PhD in systematic theology, public theology and ecclesiology from Stellenbosch University, South Africa. He is on the editorial board of the African Journal for Transformational Scholarship and assists NGOs, churches and other organizations in understanding, formulating and responding to public policy. He is a priest in the Anglican Church and prior to working in higher theological education, Alfred spent fifteen years with the Diocese of Kagera, Tanzania.


Brent Hamoud

BRENT HAMOUD lives with his family in Beirut, Lebanon, where he is a projects manager with Kids Alive International, a faith-based organization working with at-risk children. His work includes ministry to refugee, migrant, and stateless children and youth. He has a master’s in Middle Eastern and North African studies from the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, Lebanon.


Muhindo Malunga


Xiaxia E. Xue

XIAXIA E. XUE is an associate professor of New Testament at China Graduate School of Theology. She holds a PhD in New Testament studies from McMaster Divinity College, Canada, and has published several academic articles. Her current interests are in New Testament Greek and Paul’s use of the Old Testament.


Alansoe Yan


Kam Yuen-Shan


Loreen Maseno


Barry Cheung


Lanuwabang Jamir


Dimitrios G. Oulis


Adrian Paul. P. Morales


Chee-Chiew Lee

Chee-Chiew Lee is professor of New Testament at Singapore Bible College. Her publications include When Christians Face Persecution (IVP, 2022), Interpreting New Testament Epistles (in Chinese), and The Blessing of Abraham, the Spirit, and Justification in Galatians (Wipf & Stock, 2013). She also serves on the editorial board for Langham Chinese Bible Commentary and on the advisory board of Evangelical Quarterly.


Nathanael M. Somanathan


Riad Ghobrial


Olga Politi


Angukali Rotokha

ANGUKALI ROTOKHA has a PhD in Old Testament from the South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies, Bangalore, India. She has taught at Oriental Theological Seminary, Nagaland, India and South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies, Bangalore. She is a member of the executive committee of her local church in Bangalore, where she also serves with the teaching/preaching ministry, and she has been involved in Christian ministry for nearly twenty years.


Ashkenaz Asif Khan


Ruth Barron


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