Editor’s Notes

            Case Studies as a Pedagogical Tool        

Theological Case Studies

             Faith, Family, and a Musical Future

by Rudolph D. Gonzalez, Director of Interfaith Evangelism of the North American Mission Board, Alpharetta GA.

A son needs to disclose a “secular” musical career opportunity to his father—a conservative minister—who believes such “worldly entanglements” compromise Christian integrity.

 Ethical Case Studies

A Family Decision, Parts A And B

by Tom Tuma, Church of Uganda, P.O. Box 14123, Kampala, Uganda; and Alice Frazer Evans, Coordinator of Planning, Development, and Research, Plowshares Institute, P.O. Box 243, Simsbury, CT 06070.

A husband and wife living in rural Uganda are deeply divided about whether their married daughter, who has AIDS, should return to live in their household.

            Oxford 1937: Are They Right?

by Alan Neely, Henry Winters Luce Professor Emeritus of Ecumenics and Mission, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ 08540.

A Southern Baptist leader attends the 1937 Oxford meeting on Life and Work and is confronted by the radically differing views about what is happening in Nazi Germany.  Some want the body to issue a statement in support of those who are resisting the Nazis, while Free Church representatives from Germany urge the body not to interfere.

            Practical Theology and The Red Light District

by Joyce Anne Mercer, Associate Professor of Christian Education, San Francisco Theological Seminary, 2 Kensington Rd., San Anselmo, CA 94960.

A seminary class is “immersed” into a context—Manila’s Red Light District—to learn about prostitution and sex tourism.

            The Sinner’s Wealth

by Barbara Blodgett, Director of Supervised Ministries, Yale Divinity School, New Haven CT 06511.

“Dirty” or “tainted” money is given by an organization with dubious moral activities, for a worthwhile educational purpose.

            What About The Elephant?

by W. Michael Smith, Director of Field Education and Associate Professor of Christian Ministry at Christian Theological Seminary, 1000 42nd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208.

An untenured, junior theological faculty member is caught in the cross-fire between the seminary president and some of the faculty who resent what they perceive to be a “top-down” style of administration.  When one of the senior faculty members accuses the president of pressuring him to retire early the faculty is polarized, and the junior faculty member was in a very uncomfortable position.

Biblical Case Studies

             Sing Us One of Your Songs, Habakkuk

by Randall J. Pannell, Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, Regent University, 1000 Regent University Dr., RH 317D, Virginia Beach, VA 23464.

Habakkuk, a temple singer, has been placed in a watch-tower, waiting to sound the alarm at the first sign of the Babylonian invasion.  When he sees signs of the Babylonian army’s arrival, it challenges his faith and his theology.

Missiological Case Studies

             Second-Class Missionary?

by William R. O’Brien, Samford University, Birmingham, AL.

A well-intended missionary strategy is poorly communicated to missionaries on the field, and a mission administrator is challenged to rethink it in light of the widespread misunderstanding and resentment.  Should he and the other administrators try to salvage the strategy while ministering to the confused and hurting missionaries?

Interfaith Relations Case Studies

             Call to Prayer

by Alice Frazer Evans, Plowshares Institute, P.O. Box 243, Simsbury, CT 06070; and Abdul-Rahmaan Muhammad, Senior Vice-President for Community Support Services Village for Families and Children, 659 Tower Ave., Harford, CT 06112.

The supervisor of a county social services agency faces charges of religious discrimination by a devout Muslim employee.  She calls on a trusted Muslim leader to mediate the dispute.

             Mother, May I Go?

by Alan Neely, Henry Winters Luce Professor Emeritus of Ecumenics and Mission, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ 08540.

The eleven-year-old daughter of a Jewish elementary public school teacher is invited to attend an after-school event sponsored by a Christian club in the school.  The mother—indeed the whole family--is faced with whether the daughter should be allowed to attend, and what she as a Jewish parent and a public school teacher should do about what she perceives as Christian proselytizing in the school.