Social identity, ethnicity and the gospel of reconciliation

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Authors

Goroncy, Jason A.

Journal Title

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Volume Title

Publisher

AOSIS Open Journals

Abstract

This article attends to the relationship between our ethnic, social and cultural identities, and the creation of the new communal identity embodied in the Christian community. Drawing upon six New Testament texts – Ephesians 2:11–22; Galatians 3:27–28, 1 Corinthians 7:17–24 and 10:17, 1 Peter 2:9–11 and Revelation 21:24–26 – it is argued that the creation of a new and prime identity in Christ does not abrogate other creaturely identities, even as it calls for the removal of such as boundary markers. Catholicity, in other words, is intrinsically related to the most radical particularity, and demands an ongoing work of discernment and of judgement vis-à-vis the gospel itself. Those baptised into Christ are now to live in the reality of Christ who is both the boundary and centre of their existence, a boundary which includes all humanity in its cultural, ethnic, gendered, social and historical particularities.

Description

Rev. Dr Jason Goroncy is participating as research fellow with Prof. Dr Yolanda Dreyer, Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Keywords

Ethnicity, Apocalyptic identity, Creation and socio-cultural identities, Divine crisis and the end of idolatrous association, Gospel of reconciliation

Sustainable Development Goals

Citation

Goroncy, J.A., 2013, 'Social identity, ethnicity and the gospel of reconciliation', HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 69(1), Art. #2007, 14 pages. http://dx.DOI.org/ 10.4102/hts.v69i1.2007