Books by Stefan Höschele
This book contains the first comprehensive collection of Seventh-day Adventist texts and statemen... more This book contains the first comprehensive collection of Seventh-day Adventist texts and statements on interchurch and interfaith relations. With more than 16 million baptized members and about 30 million adherents in total today, this church is a significant global Christian movement. However, Adventist interchurch relations have been characterized by some degree of ambivalence; therefore this collection is an attempt to
document a phenomenon found in other less ecumenically inclined denominations as well. At the same time, the texts in this book can serve to enlighten the thinking in churches that lack enthusiasm for the Ecumenical Movement but still do attempt to cooperate with other Christians and even non-Christians in ways that are compatible with their specific convictions.
The growth of Christianity in Africa during the twentieth century is one of the most fascinating ... more The growth of Christianity in Africa during the twentieth century is one of the most fascinating shifts in the history of religions. This book presents a history of the Tanzanian Seventh-day Adventist Church, which is representative of this shift in many respects: slow beginnings, struggles over cultural issues, the emergence of a unique church life combining denominational heritage and African elements, frictions with governments, and the development of popular theology. Yet Tanzanian Adventism also exemplifies an important phenomenon which has been given little attention so far—the transformation of minority denominations to dominant religions. This study breaks new ground in analyzing how the Adventist “remnant” developed into an African “folk church” while attempting to remain true to its original ethos.
Dieses Buch ist Teil der edition afem im Verlag für Theologie und Religionswissenschaft (VTR), di... more Dieses Buch ist Teil der edition afem im Verlag für Theologie und Religionswissenschaft (VTR), die von Dr. Klaus W. Müller, Dr. Bernd Brandl und Verlagsleiter Thomas Mayer herausgegeben wird.
Papers by Stefan Höschele
The main question of this study is: What do we actually study when we engage in "ecumenics"? In i... more The main question of this study is: What do we actually study when we engage in "ecumenics"? In its short history, this academic discipline has been defined in a variety of ways. The article presents a classification of approaches to what John A. Mackay called "the Science of the Church Universal," discusses the role of "wider" approaches for ecumenics, and suggests a comprehensive definition of the discipline for the 21st century.
When a new denomination is formed, a viable ecclesiology is vital for its survival. The case of t... more When a new denomination is formed, a viable ecclesiology is vital for its survival. The case of the Millerite Movement and its Adventist heirs is particularly interesting because of the initial ecclesiological dimness associated with their apocalyptic expectation and revivalist anti-sectarianism. After the “Great Disappointment” of October 1844, sabbatarian Adventists constructed a “remnant” self-understanding from the residue of Millerite convictions and re-interpreted their experience by means of an eschatological scheme that assigned them a crucial role in what they believed to be the short last phase of history. This article provides a detailed account and analysis of their developing view on this remnant motif with its several distinct steps towards the ultimate establishment of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. Sabbath-keeping Adventists eventually came to apply the term to their ecclesiastical organization (“remnant church”), which reversed the initial trans-denominational tenet of the motif but codified a thoroughly eschatological ecclesiology.
Unlike many other bilateral theological dialogues, the interchurch conversations in which Seventh... more Unlike many other bilateral theological dialogues, the interchurch conversations in which Seventh--day Adventists were involved contain substantial discussions about eschatological themes. This paper presents a first thematic analysis of the denomination's dialogues; it focuses on some aspects of those papers that deal with aspects of eschatology and suggests that this theme, and continued Adventist participation in bilateral conversations, can be fruitful for ecumenical dialogue.
A survey of Adventist missionary activities originating in Germany until World War II.
The names adopted by Christian denominations customarily express elements deemed crucial for thei... more The names adopted by Christian denominations customarily express elements deemed crucial for their identity. This article uses the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a case study: it traces the initial debate over the necessity of a name, discusses the conflict regarding “biblical” names, and describes the decision process that led to the denomination’s official self-designation. In most cases, it was subsequently translated into other languages in a literal manner, but there are also noteworthy modifications, especially in Europe. Several factors contribute to the stability and changeability of church names and the concomitant identity construction dynamics: theology, history, context, and language.
A review of studies on Christian revivals reveals a remarkable imbalance. While there have been c... more A review of studies on Christian revivals reveals a remarkable imbalance. While there have been countless analyses of specific revival movements in history, 1 one finds comparatively little systematic scholarly reflection on the subject. Themes common to various or all such movements, issues arising from their study for theology and sociology, evaluations of trends in revival research -all of these efforts are still in their infancy. 2 Given the significance of historic awakenings and of the revivalist tradition for many segments of Christianity and particularly for evangelism and mission movements arising out of these,3 there clearly is a need of increased academic attention to such phenomena. 4 I Michael J. McClymond, Encyclopedia ofReligious Revivals in America [hereafter ERRA], vol. 2: Primary Documents (Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2007), lists more than 5000 bibliographic entries on revivals. 2 Michael J.
Theologische Dialoge sind aus der Beziehung konfessionsverschiedener Kirchen nicht mehr wegzudenk... more Theologische Dialoge sind aus der Beziehung konfessionsverschiedener Kirchen nicht mehr wegzudenken. Siebenten-Tags-Adventisten haben zunächst zögernd, seit den 1990er Jahren aber zunehmend zielgerichtet, solche Gespräche gesucht. Dieser Aufsatz gibt einen Überblick über adventistische Dialoge, vergleicht und analysiert sie und versucht eine erste Gesamtwertung, bei der die Spezifika adventistischer interkonfessioneller Dialoge aufgezeigt werden.
In the year 2010, the Christian world, and especially those engaged in mission, will commemorate ... more In the year 2010, the Christian world, and especially those engaged in mission, will commemorate one of the major Christian meetings of the twentieth century, the 1910 World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh. 1 This conference was undoubtedly one of the most important gatherings of the modern missionary movement: for the first time, a multi-denominational group of more than 1,000 persons representing global Protestantism meUor common strategizing, theological work, and missiological reflection.
English translation of: "Höschele, Stefan, “Das Global Christian Forum: ‘Forum’ als Paradigma für... more English translation of: "Höschele, Stefan, “Das Global Christian Forum: ‘Forum’ als Paradigma für die Zukunft der Ökumene?”
An article on Seventh-day Adventists and their guest status in the German National Council of Chu... more An article on Seventh-day Adventists and their guest status in the German National Council of Churches - historical and theological observations.
Relating and reconciling universal and particular facets of the Christian faith have been delicat... more Relating and reconciling universal and particular facets of the Christian faith have been delicate tasks since the inception of the church. The early 19th century provides a striking example of an attempt to actually deny and completely do away with the tension between catholicity and particularity: the Restorationist Movement in North America.' The Restorationist Movement is today often called "Stone-Campbell Movement" in reference to the names of the major figures of its early stages.' This movement is not very well known in Europe because its major 1 Major works on the movement include those of Douglas A. Foster, Paul M. Blowers,
Empirische Forschung spielt in verschiedenen Theologieverständnissen eine unterschiedliche Rolle.... more Empirische Forschung spielt in verschiedenen Theologieverständnissen eine unterschiedliche Rolle. Dieser Beitrag entwickelt vier solcher idealtypischer Verständnisse und zeigt ihre Chancen und Begrenzungen. Dabei dient als Kriterium das jeweilige Weltverständnis sowie die Grundentscheidung, ob Theologie letztlich statischer oder dynamischer Natur ist.
Statt eines Vorworts soll an dieser Stelle ein reflektierender Rückblick auf den nunmehr zwanzigj... more Statt eines Vorworts soll an dieser Stelle ein reflektierender Rückblick auf den nunmehr zwanzigjährigen Weg der Zeitschrift Spes Christiana stehen. In einem Jahr, in dem des Mauerfalls und der friedlichen Revolutionen in Osteuropa gedacht wird, scheint es auch angebracht, über die Entwicklung der Friedensauer theologischen Zeitschrift zu berichten und nachzudenken, die von diesen und folgenden gesellschaftlichen Veränderungen nicht unberührt blieb. Denn durch die Anerkennung des damaligen Theologischen Seminars Friedensau als Hochschule durch die letzte DDR-Regierung wurde der Weg zu einer gesamtdeutschen theologischen Ausbildungsstätte der Freikirche der Siebenten-Tags-Adventisten gelegt. Die Zeitschrift Spes Christiana, als Publikation des Theologischen Seminars Marienhöhe in Darmstadt gegründet, wurde nach der Vereinigung der Institutionen in Friedensau weitergeführt.
This article takes as a point of departure the ‘religious economy’ model and suggests that it may... more This article takes as a point of departure the ‘religious economy’ model and suggests that it may not be able to explain some dynamics in the construction of composite identities in religious movements. By analysing the critique discourses between Tanzanian Adventists, other religious communities, and society, an anatomy of the values underlying these critique discourses is established. Criticisms originating from Tanzanian Adventists as well as those directed at them may be understood as serving several divergent ends and producing contradictory results, including preserving central Christian values, safeguarding aspects of African identities, cementing separation from or in society, and attempting to change the environment. Thus, a community model of religion is suggested as a supplement to the ‘religious economy’ model to explain the necessity of critique and many of its dynamics.
of critique and many of its dynamics.
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Books by Stefan Höschele
document a phenomenon found in other less ecumenically inclined denominations as well. At the same time, the texts in this book can serve to enlighten the thinking in churches that lack enthusiasm for the Ecumenical Movement but still do attempt to cooperate with other Christians and even non-Christians in ways that are compatible with their specific convictions.
Papers by Stefan Höschele
of critique and many of its dynamics.
document a phenomenon found in other less ecumenically inclined denominations as well. At the same time, the texts in this book can serve to enlighten the thinking in churches that lack enthusiasm for the Ecumenical Movement but still do attempt to cooperate with other Christians and even non-Christians in ways that are compatible with their specific convictions.
of critique and many of its dynamics.