Journal of Theology Vocatio Dei

If You Show Favoritism, You Sin

2025-04-21T16:45:25+00:00

This paper aims to critique the acts of favoritism that occur within church congregations. Through descriptive qualitative research methods and literature studies that depart from the rhetorical criticism of James 2:1-13, it is concluded that favoritism is contrary to the law of love towards others: both the rich and the poor are equal before God. This text also aligns with the fifth Poda Tohonan Hapanditaon of HKBP, where pastors are mandated to care for and look after all members of the congregation. The results show that the use of the terms “guard” and “nurture” means that the pastor must fulfill the needs of all members of the congregation (physical and spiritual) so that they do not lack and move away from the church. As a shepherd, the pastor must first finish with himself to be able to realize the church's solidarity with the poor. Therefore, the church needs a spirituality of liberation and leadership that imitates Christ-who serves regardless of face- to truly be an inclusive and solidary space for the poor.

The Transformation of Christian Liturgical Practices in Post-Covid-19 Using Marshall Mcluhan's Four Laws of Media

2025-04-22T13:33:21+00:00

This study examines how digitally mediated liturgical practices respond to Marshall McLuhan’s Four Laws of Media—extend, obsolescence, retrieval, and reversal—as a conceptual framework for understanding liturgy dynamics in the post‑pandemic digital culture. The main problem addressed is the lack of systematic integration between media theory and liturgical studies, resulting in insufficient critical insight into the theological and practical challenges and opportunities of digital worship. Employing a conceptual framework analysis, McLuhan’s Four Laws are deductively applied to secondary data, including literature reviews, hybrid church case studies, and previous empirical research. The study aims to bridge liturgical discourse with classical media theory to offer new perspectives on digital liturgy. Findings reveal that digital media extend worship’s reach and temporality, render traditional media like printed Bibles obsolete, revive house‑church traditions, potential to reverse the function of liturgical rituals into the fulfillment of aesthetic commodities. McLuhan’s Four Laws provide a critical analytical “lens” that helps identify dynamics, challenges and opportunities in digital liturgy, and contributes to future research.

A Social Science Theoretical Approach in the Old Testament Research

2025-04-22T13:36:58+00:00

Corak kehidupan umat Allah yang digambarkan dalam Alkitab khususnya Perjanjian Lama sungguh sangat beragam, baik secara personal maupun secara komunal. Misalnya nomaden, pengembaraan, perjalanan di padang gurun, penindasan serta masa pembuangan. Corak kehidupan tersebut mencerminkan pengalaman kolektif umat yang dabadikan dalam tradisi dan literatur keagamaan mereka. Melalui gambaran kehidupan yang beraneka ragam itu umat Allah selalu percaya bahwa. Allah selalu memelihara umat-Nya dari masa ke masa. Topik ini hadir sebagai salah satu penelitian Perjanjian Lama untuk mengungkapkan corak kehidupan umat Allah dalam berbagai lintasan kehidupan. Inilah yang disebut sebagai pendekatan teori sosial atau Social Science dalam penelitian Perjanjian Lama. Penelitian ini mencoba mengangkat beberapa isu sosial kehidupan bangsa Israel dalam beberapa narasi kitab Perjanjian Lama. Melalui pendekatan teori Social Science ini ada pesan sosiologis- teologis yang sangat perlu diungkapkan dan diketahui para pembaca Alkitab sejak pemilihan hingga pada periode pembuangan. Kehidupan umat Allah tidak selalu baik-baik saja tetapi menghadapi berbagai kesulitan. Akan tetapi didalam seluruh kehidupan itu Allah tetap setia kepada umat-Nya dan membawa umat-Nya keluar dengan tangan-Nya yang kuat (band. Ul. 6:21).

Engaging the Public Sphere

2025-04-22T13:44:39+00:00

Amid the prevailing tendency to privatize religion in modern society, this paper explores efforts to bring the Bible into the public sphere through film as a form of public theology. Employing a descriptive-qualitative approach and literature review, this study examines how biblically themed films not only retell sacred narratives but also mediate theological messages into the public domain in response to social, political, and popular cultural issues. The findings reveal that film serves as an analytical and critical medium capable of engaging with social structures by bridging personal faith and public involvement. The concept of the Bible as a public book is reinforced through its engagement in moral and justice discourse conveyed through the visual symbolism of film. Thus, film is not merely a medium for visualizing faith, but also a hermeneutical space that invites both the Church and society to reinterpret the message of the Bible in a contextual manner. This paper asserts that engaging in public theology through film represents a strategic means of reaching broader audiences and expanding faith participation in the public sphere.

Reading the Word בְּרִיתִ֖ (Berith) in Genesis 9:8–17 as the Foundation of God's Peace with the World and Its Implications for the Integrity of Creation

2025-04-22T13:48:05+00:00

This article explores the meaning of the word בְּרִיתִ֖ (berith) in Genesis 9:8-17 as the foundation of God’s peace with creation after the Great Flood. The research examines berith textually, historically, and ecotheologically, revealing it as not merely a unilateral promise but a relational covenant encompassing all creation, with the rainbow serving as a symbol of God’s faithfulness. Textually, berith is understood as a “bond” or “obligation”affirming the relationship between God, humanity, and nature. Historically, the biblical Flood narrative is compared to Babylonian flood myths, highlighting the uniqueness of Israelite theology that emphasizes restoration. In an ecotheological context, berith serves as a theological basis for addressing modern ecological crises, such as environmental damage in Lake Toba caused by PT Toba Pulp Lestari’s exploitation. The study asserts that environmental preservation is a form of human participation in upholding God’s covenant. Through an ecotheological approach, this paper offers a critical perspective on human-nature relations, rejecting exploitative anthropocentrism and nature romanticization while advocating for relational justice as an expression of faithfulness to berith.