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Current Issue: Didache Volume 25 Number 01
INTRODUCTION
Dean G. Blevins and Eileen Ruger, guest editors
Greetings and welcome to the 25th volume of Didache, our winter 2026 edition. I am former editor Dean G. Blevins facilitating this global edition. It is a pleasure to be back, if only to facilitate an excellent set of moderated papers by Dr. Eileen Ruger and to introduce a new writer from Reverend Constantino Magaya, a new Field Education Coordinator on the Africa South Field and student at Africa Nazarene University. Since most papers were curated at Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary by Dr. Ruger, her words provide our introduction.
From Dr Eileen Ruger, DAIS (Doctorate of Intercultural Studies), Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary
Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary recently hosted a symposium that explored the dynamic relationship between faith and culture in the Asian context. Centered on the theme “A Theology of Home: Reconciling New Identities in Christ with Home Cultures,” the symposium brought together students, scholars, and practitioners to reflect on how followers of Christ navigate the intersection of gospel and culture within their own homelands. This theme underscores the ongoing missiological task of discerning how the Christian message engages local traditions, values, and social structures—affirming what is redemptive while critically evaluating what may distort the gospel. At the heart of this discussion lies the recognition that theology is never formed in isolation but always in context.
To engage meaningfully with the diversity of Asian cultures, theologians and missionaries must employ both emic (insider) and etic (outsider) perspectives. These approaches enable a fuller understanding of cultural practices without resorting to simplistic labeling or premature judgment. The articles in this issue arise from this shared concern: to articulate a theology of home that honors local identities even as it calls all believers to find their ultimate belonging in Christ.
The papers presented at the symposium represent a rich diversity of voices and experiences. The contributors include current students who are seeking to discover relevant ways for the gospel to speak meaningfully within their home cultures, practitioners who have wrestled with these issues in the field for many years, and academics who are charting new theological pathways into contexts where Christianity has often been misunderstood or rejected. Together, these papers embody the seminary’s commitment to fostering dialogue between theory and practice, faith and culture, and global and local perspectives. Through their varied lenses, the authors collectively remind us that contextual theology is not a static discipline but an ongoing conversation—a journey of discerning how the gospel can truly become at home in every culture without losing its transforming power.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
pdf Kapwa as both Bridge and Barrier: The Challenge of Reconciling Filipino Values and Christian Identity (288 KB) by Dr. Marie Joy Pring Faraz and Dr. Lynne M. Bollinger, Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary
pdf ‘Religion’ Through Their Eyes: Understanding What Sasna Is and How It Functions in Theravada Societies (211 KB) by Dr. Claire Chong, Fuller Theological Seminary
pdf Embracing Culture without Compromising Faith: Christian Identity and Rituals in Andhra Pradesh (260 KB) by Nissy Muller Chowtapalli, Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary
pdf The Stories Tattoos Tell: Moral Dilemma and Missional Opportunity for an Inked Generation (882 KB) by Dr. Surtalicito Del Rosario, Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary
pdf The Presence of “Ywa” in Shaping Karen Cultural Identity (244 KB) by Saw Keh Doh Htoo, Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary
pdf “Theology of Home:” A Christian Identity from Heaven to Earth combined with the Great Learning Philosophy (311 KB) by Encheng Jin, PhD Cand., Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary
pdf “But It’s Their Home, Sir,” Or Why We Should Abandon Some Newish Evangelistic Terms (243 KB) by Dr. Mitchel Modine, Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary
pdf Male Disengagement and Its Impact on Family and Church Life in Nazarene Churches in Papua New Guinea (293 KB) by Ben Ninkama, Olsh-Kabaleo Teachers College
pdf Faith and Culture in Collision: South Korean Identity and the Believer’s New Life in Christ (345 KB) by Young Ho Park, Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary
pdf Faith and Identity: The Making of Zomi Christians (291 KB) by Cing Sian Thawn, PhD Cand., Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary
pdf Revisiting and Recontextualizing an African Nazarene Ecclesiology (220 KB) by Constantino Magaya, Africa Nazarene University
As always, we thank the staff of the Asia Pacific Region, who diligently contribute to the formatting and maintaining of our website, and the librarians who curate our work on the Wesleyan Holiness Digital Library (WHDL) https://www.whdl.org/. For inquiries or requests for additional information, please email didache@nazarene.org.
