About the 2022 Stott-Bediako Forum
Across the world today, we are seeing increased polarization; threats of coups d’état; proliferation of violence toward people based on race, religion, gender, and sexuality; and the growth of economic empires – much of which has been justified by people who use the name of Jesus to baptize their activities and feed the ideological flames. Now, as war unfolds due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we witness a similar tendency among some Christians to use people’s suffering to build up personal fame and engage in political power-plays.
What does a faithful Christian witness look like in the context of power?
Thankfully, many Christians have responded to these challenges in their writing and actions at local and national levels, drawing on the example set by Jesus as he engaged with the imperial powers of his day and taught his followers to live out a redemptive ethic born from their allegiance to the Kingdom of God. In this Stott-Bediako Forum, INFEMIT sought to bring together perspectives and experiences from across the globe of people and communities that are living out a faithful Christian witness in the face of empire and power in order to challenge and encourage the global Church. We explored together how Christians in local and global contexts can reflect and live out their faith in the public sphere from a deeper understanding of how Jesus interacts with power.
About the Forum
The annual Stott-Bediako Forum held by the International Fellowship for Mission as Transformation (INFEMIT), bears the names of John Stott and Kwame Bediako, two historical theologians who shared a vision for theological expressions rooted in and emerging from diverse contexts around the globe. They sought to bridge traditional divides, such as those between “Majority” and “Minority” worlds, men and women, academia and practitioners. Following their example, INFEMIT hosts the Stott-Bediako Forum as an open, public event that brings together scholars and practitioners to reflect and respond redemptively to issues of the gospel in the world today. We welcome practitioners, artists, scholars, students, missionaries, and others! The forum typically brings together people who represent a wide range of organizations, networks, and institutions, particularly from the hosting region. The 2022 Stott-Bediako Forum was hosted by the University of Arad in Eastern Europe!
The 2022 Stott-Bediako Forum was a hybrid event, which means that people joined in both online and in-person. There were moments in which all participated together, as well as several online activities scheduled at various times to accommodate people in different time zones. Following the forum, we made available the recorded forum content (access via links below) and we also continued to interact with one another on the AMRI Connect platform (Association of Mission Researchers and Institutions). INFEMIT finally hosted a short series of post-forum conversations with three of our plenary presenters, Ruth Padilla DeBorst, Martin Accad, and Zac Niringiye.
Themes and Topics
The following are titles and descriptions of contributions that were prepared for this conversation. You can watch or listen to several of the presentations by clicking each title.
Faithful Witness in the Public Sphere
Christian Citizenship in the Midst of Empire
Christianity’s Subversive Power and Practice
Other Presentations
Several other participants shared presentations online and in person. Following is a complete list with links to the content that is available to view.
A Theology of “Nondominating Power”: Kwame Bediako on Politics, by Tim Hartman | Non-Violent Visions of God: Non-violent Theologizing as Resistance to Empire, by Joel D. Aguilar Ramírez | The Hope for the Eschatological Imperium as Counter-Politics, by Ana Petrache |
Jesus Vis-à-vis the Power and Peace of Empire, by Rev. Prof. Kabiro wa Gatumu | Jesus and Women: Lessons on Subverting Patriarchal Power in Private and Public Spheres, by Mary Thamari | Discipleship between Cesar and Christ: Reading Mark 8:27-10:45 in the Context of Power, by Daniel Oprean |
Christian Witness in the Public Space: A Case Study of Romanian Pentecostal Christians, by Daniela Meisaros | Penticostalismul românesc după 100 de ani, încotro? Orientarea teologiei penticostale române spre noua paradigmă a teologiei penticostale globale, by Eugen Porcilescu | Theological Interpretation of Macedonian Contemporary Painters, by Kosta Milkov |
Power and [Political] Economics: Reflections from Latin America, by H. Fernando Bullon | Songs of Liberation, by Jocabed Solano | The Public Presence as Christian Virtue, by Teofil Stanciu |
The Unexpected Messenger, by Melody Wachsmuth |
Start a Group Discussion!
As part of the Stott-Bediako Forum, we created a group discussion guide so that you and a few other people can enter into a process of dialogue and reflection. The guide was generated from the interviews and paper excerpts of a few Forum contributors, reflecting on different aspects of Empire and Power. Click here to access and use the guide with your small group.
The event may have finished, but the conversation continues. Join in!
We’re glad to journey with you.
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Thank-You to Sponsors
This Forum was widely supported by individual donors and foundations, as well as local churches and the University of Arad. We’re so thankful for all of the financial support and gifts in kind that helped to make this possible!
You can help sponsor future Stott-Bediako Forums by making a donation here. Thank you!