A new month means a new conversation here on the Missio Alliance blog. And July will focus on an important and timely topic: Gender and the Kingdom of God.
To introduce this month’s theme, here is a recent lecture by our own contributing writer Karina Kreminski at Morling College:
(And while you’re at it, check out this great post at The Junia Project by another contributing writer, Ruthie Johnson.)
An Invitation for Submissions
In global and local contexts it is evident that enmity, confusion, and fear continue to mark the way women and men understand and relate to one another. What hope can we offer our world here in terms of presenting a perspective on gender that flows straight from the values and the paradigm of the kingdom of God? What does it mean to be male and female as those who bear God’s image or under the Lordship of Christ? What does it look like for relationships to thrive between men and women within and outside the church? These are issues that have been not handled very well by the church in the past; what can we do to make up for it now? What does it mean and look like for the church to navigate this issue as both a contrast community and an incarnational witness in mission?
If you would like to submit a post for the Missio Alliance blog that addresses these issues, please contact us!
Missio Alliance Comment Policy
The Missio Alliance Writing Collectives exist as a ministry of writing to resource theological practitioners for mission. From our Leading Voices to our regular Writing Team and those invited to publish with us as Community Voices, we are creating a space for thoughtful engagement of critical issues and questions facing the North American Church in God’s mission. This sort of thoughtful engagement is something that we seek to engender not only in our publishing, but in conversations that unfold as a result in the comment section of our articles.
Unfortunately, because of the relational distance introduced by online communication, “thoughtful engagement” and “comment sections” seldom go hand in hand. At the same time, censorship of comments by those who disagree with points made by authors, whose anger or limited perspective taints their words, or who simply feel the need to express their own opinion on a topic without any meaningful engagement with the article or comment in question can mask an important window into the true state of Christian discourse. As such, Missio Alliance sets forth the following suggestions for those who wish to engage in conversation around our writing:
1. Seek to understand the author’s intent.
If you disagree with something the an author said, consider framing your response as, “I hear you as saying _________. Am I understanding you correctly? If so, here’s why I disagree. _____________.
2. Seek to make your own voice heard.
We deeply desire and value the voice and perspective of our readers. However you may react to an article we publish or a fellow commenter, we encourage you to set forth that reaction is the most constructive way possible. Use your voice and perspective to move conversation forward rather than shut it down.
3. Share your story.
One of our favorite tenants is that “an enemy is someone whose story we haven’t heard.” Very often disagreements and rants are the result of people talking past rather than to one another. Everyone’s perspective is intimately bound up with their own stories – their contexts and experiences. We encourage you to couch your comments in whatever aspect of your own story might help others understand where you are coming from.
In view of those suggestions for shaping conversation on our site and in an effort to curate a hospitable space of open conversation, Missio Alliance may delete comments and/or ban users who show no regard for constructive engagement, especially those whose comments are easily construed as trolling, threatening, or abusive.