Date of Award

10-19-2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Practical Theology

First Advisor

Glenn Nielsen

Scripture References in this Resource

Matthew 5:13-14; 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 4:2; Proverbs 25: 21; 2 Corinthians 8:2; Acts 6:1-7; Luke 19:5; Philippians 4:12; Matthew 5:45; John 6:38-40; Matthew 10:8; Acts 20:35; John 14:16-17; Exodus 31:1-5; Exodus 35:30-35; 1 Timothy 2:4; John 3:16; 1 Timothy 6:12; 1 Corinthians 4:7; Galatians 5:22; 23a; Galatians 1:4; Galatians 3:28; 1 Corinthians 5:14

Abstract

Silva, Maximiliano Wolfgramm. “Giftive Dialogue: An Analysis of the Use of the Giftive Metaphor in the Pluralist Context of the Lutheran University of Brazil.” Ph. D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2019. 189 pp.

Modernity’s secularization project and specific characteristics of Brazilian history have promoted pluralism to the status of a moral demand, especially in the academic context. Such a situation posits challenges and opportunities for ULBRA’s campus pastors. That is so because ULBRA’s chaplains’ pastoral ministry is the most visible and symbolic expression of ULBRA’s confessional identity. Because of the claims made by Christianity, that identity has exclusivist traits. Therefore, it becomes necessary to develop or systematize approaches that can inform the exercise of the pastoral ministry in that specific context. While not limiting the possible approaches to one option, this dissertation argues for the use of Terry C. Muck and Frances S. Adeney’s giftive metaphor as a tool that promotes an embodied presence of the Christian faith in the confessional university, one that is both culturally sensitive and theologically sound. The dissertation affirms that the giftive metaphor suitably relates to Lutheran theology’s most remarkable theological accent: forgiveness/salvation is graciously given by God as a free gift. It also argues that the relationship God establishes with us is giftive in nature, and that that same giftedness is expressed in his creation and it is part of what we are as human creatures. Because of that, in every human relationship, including those between people from different faiths, gifts can be and are exchanged. Assessing the giftive metaphor through the lens of the Lutheran Two Kinds of Righteousness distinction, the dissertation affirms the uniqueness of the gift of the Gospel and qualifies the gifts Christians receive from other religions, locating them in the horizontal dimension of our relationships. Finally, the dissertation exemplifies how that giftive dialogue can take place making use of two distinct religious traditions: Christianity and Afro-Brazilian religiosity.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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