Journal: Conspectus
Volume: CONSPECTUS 33:1 (Apr 2022)
Article: Editorial
Author: Cornelia van Deventer

Conspectus 33:1 (April 2022) p. 4

Editorial

Cornelia van Deventer

Conspectus publishes content marked by three distinctives: first, like the seminary, the journal is broadly evangelical with the aim to ultimately serve the Church; second, the journal brings together various theological sub- disciplines; finally, it is a journal that foregrounds the Global South and Africa in particular. These three distinctives are well on display in Conspectus 33. The volume boasts seven well-written articles, spanning Biblical Studies, Systematic Theology, Practical Theology, and even Psychology. The authors have done well to foreground the Church and, where appropriate, to situate theological concerns within African realities.

Conspectus 33 Articles

In the first article, “The Rhetoric of Rejuvenation: Restoring the ‘Weak’ and ‘Wanderers’ according to James 5:13–20, ” Prof. Ernst R. Wendland analyzes the aforementioned pericope, paying special attention to the nature of the “weakness” (ἀσθενέω) that James’s readers are encouraged to pray about. Wendland argues that the portion serves a climactic role in an epistle that communicates persistent purity of faith and life. He offers useful suggestions for a translation that faithfully conveys its tone and meaning.

In another New Testament article, “Metonymic Conceptualization of Body Parts in the Greek New Testament,” Prof. Charles Owiredu examines the metonymic structure of body parts in the Greek New Testament within the framework of Conceptual Metonymy Theory. Owiredu aptly demonstrates that, in the New Testament, body parts are metonymically conceptualized as “body part stands for the person,” “body part stands for activity,” and “body part stands for its content.”

Next, in an article titled, “Coherence in Ecclesiastes 3:16–22, ” Dr. Kimmo Huovila and Prof. Dan Lioy argue that the pericope ought to be understood as a coherent whole. They affirm the passage’s two-fold response to injustice, namely, guaranteed justice through an afterlife judgement and God’s action of revealing human limitations as he allows injustice.

Moving on to Systematic Theology, Mr. Aku Stephen Antombikums presents John Calvin and John Sanders as examples of the ongoing debate on the nature of divine control and human freedom in his article titled, “Is Divine Providence Risky? A Dialogue Between John Calvin and John Sanders.” Using dialogical hermeneutics, Antombikums argues that divine providence is risky to us but not to God.

In his article, “Toward Shalom as a Radical and Transformative Conceptual Frame...