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IJST, April 2008

Merit in the Midst of Grace: The Covenant with Adam Reconsidered in View of the Two Powers of God - John Halsey Wood Jr

Living the Future: The Kingdom of God in the Theologies of Jurgen Moltmann and Wolfhart Pannenberg - Timothy Harvie

Eucharist, Matter and the Supernatural: Why de Lubac Needs Teilhard - David Grumett

Deconstructing the Linearity of Grace: The Risk and Reflexive Paradox of Mary's Immaculate Fiat - Aaron Riches

The Elusiveness, Loss and Cruciality of Recovered Holiness: Some Biblical and Theological Observations - Jason Goroncy (who blogs here)

Reviews include Alan Spence's The Promise of Peace, David Clough's Ethics in Crisis: Interpreting Barth's Ethics, Stephen Barton's edited The Cambridge Companion to the Gospels, Paul Louis Metzger's edited Trinitarian Soundings in Systematic Theology,  Paul Nimmo's Being in Action: The Theological Shape of Barth's Ethical Vision and Brian Brock's Singing the Ethos of God: On the Place of Christian Ethics in Scripture.

New Books for 2008: Pete Ward on Mass Culture

Mass Culture was originally published in 1999 as a collection of essays, edited by Pete Ward, looking at how communion connected with culture. There were six great essays by the likes of Jonny Baker, Graham Cray, Mike Riddell and Pete Ward himself. The book is now about to get a revised and expanded edition with new contributions from Ryan Bolger (who co-wrote Emerging Churches), Martyn Layzell (the Soul Survivor and New Wine worship leader) and Stephen Burns.

Contents:

Introduction: Essentially strange: communion and culture   - Pete Ward

1 Rhythm of the masses  - Jonny Baker

2 Parable and encounter: celebrating the eucharist today - Stephen Cottrell

3 The eucharist and the postmodern world - Graham Cray

4 Heaven or Las Vegas? Engaging liturgical theology - Stephen Burns

5 Communion and the emerging church in the United States - Ryan K. Bolger

6 Bread and wine, beer and pies - Mike Riddell

7 Doing the story: narrative, mission and the eucharist - Sam Richards

8 Charisma, freedom and the eucharist  - Dave Roberts

9 The Lord’s supper: ‘contemporary’ worship? - Martyn Layzell

David Fergusson's Gifford Lectures

One of the great things there must be about studying theology in Scotland, is the opportunity to hear the Gifford Lectures. The Gifford Lectures are one of the most prestigious around the world. This year its the opportunity of David Fergusson at the university of Glasgow.

David Fergusson, Professor of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh, will present the Gifford Lecture Series 2008.

Founded in 1887 by the bequest of Lord Gifford, the annual Gifford Lecture Series was established to promote, advance and diffuse the study of Natural Theology in the widest sense of that term. The focus of this series will be 'Religion and its Critics.'

The appearance of a steady stream of recent writings critical of religion has been heralded as ‘the new atheism’. Its leading exponents include Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Michel Onfray, Anthony Grayling, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens. Unlike earlier forms of scepticism, religion is no longer regarded as a harmless and quaint life-style choice lacking in social significance. Instead, it is seen as unscientific, irrational, dangerous and requiring more robust public criticism. These lectures will attempt to set this new movement in context before offering some analysis of its standard claims and arguments. As an exercise in natural theology, the lectures will outline ways of variously conceding, accommodating and countering criticism.

Formerly a parish minister of the Church of Scotland, Professor Fergusson's research interests include issues in Christian doctrine, theological ethics and the history of Reformed theology, especially in its Scottish context. His publications include Scottish Philosophical Theology (2007), Church, State and Civil Society (2004) and John Macmurray: Critical Perspectives (2002)

The lecture topics will be as follows:

April 8th - The new atheism: historical roots and contemporary context.
April 10th - The implausibility of religious belief: claims and counter-claims.
April 15th - The genesis of religion: can Darwinism explain it away?
April 16th - Religion, morality and art: invention or discovery.
April 22nd - Is religion bad for our health? Saints, martyrs and terrorists.
April 24th - Sacred texts: how should we treat them?

Hopeful Imagination Easter Blogging

There is some group blogging happening over at hopeful imagination throughout Easter. Geoff is blogging there today.

Forthcoming Books for 2008: Zizioulas on Dogmatics

Good news for Zizioulas fans. John Zizoulas' Lectures in Christian Dogmatics (edited by Douglas Knight) is arriving at the end of November. This will be third Zizioulas book (Being as Communion and Communion and Othernesss being the other two). Douglas Knight also edited last year The Theology of John Zizioulas.

Nigel Biggar to give his Inaugural Lecture

On Tuesday 22nd April (5pm, Schools) Professor Nigel Biggar will give his inaugural lecture as Regius Professor of Moral Theology in the University of Oxford. It's titled Saving the 'Secular': The Public Vocation of Moral Theology.

Impressed with The Passion

I was generally impressed with The Passion. Some great moments. I like the way it began showing the intentionality of Jesus' decision to enter Jerusalem through the east gate on a donkey - he was making a theological and political statement about his identity. The scenes of Jesus teaching helped me visualize that he was speaking right in front of the Temple, this was a direct confrontation.  I was interested in the use of the word 'sacrament' after Jesus broke bread and shared wine in the Last Supper scenes. I like the way the flogging, the carrying of the cross and the crucifixion was almost a direct antithesis of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. I liked the way they presented the whole drama as something political.  I liked the fact that the characters of Judas, Caiaphas and Pilate were not so two-dimensional. I found the final part, a bit disappointing, it was lacking something, but then perhaps it is simply that the resurrection is so difficult to convey. Mark Goodacre, who was an adviser on the production, has lots of links to background, reviews, etc.

Greenbelt 2008 first names announced

This year Greenbelt will feature Brian McLaren, Philip Yancey, Maggi Dawn, John Bell, Bev Thomas, Francis Schaeffer, among others. I've only heard Brian McLaren speak once a few years ago, so it will be great to hear him again. I guess he'll be speaking about his latest book Everything Must Change. I'm looking forward to more names. Nothing announced yet on the music front.

Book Review: Shaping a Theological Mind

Darren C. Marks (ed.) Shaping a Theological Mind: Theological context and methodology (Ashgate, 2002) 144pp (with thanks to Ashgate for a review copy)

This is a fantastic short book of essays with the likes of Colin Gunton, John Webster, Jurgen Moltmann, John Milbank and Kathryn Tanner, charting how these (and others) approach the theological task with regards methodology. Some of the essays, and these are arguably the more interesting, trace the theological journey the author has made or is making. I think theological autobiography is an underused way of doing theology.

Gunton charts the influence of Jenson becoming his doctoral supervisor and pointing him towards Barth, meeting John Zizioulas as part of the British Council of Churches commission on the Trinity, Christoph Schwoebel joining the  theology department at King's and  starting the Research Institute in Systematic Theology, as some of the moments which shaped the way he did theology. The title of his chapter 'Theology in communion' reflects the central importance for Colin that theology was done in community, it was not an isolated activity.

John Webster charts his move towards dogmatics, Alister McGrath the relationship in his work between theology and science, Jurgen Moltmann's chapter is a short summary of his recently published autobiography.

I recommend this book if you like to understand the theological journey and contexts that shaped the work of these theologians. Theology is a lived activity that is shaped by life and through the places we visit and the people we meet. (Incidently Darren Marks has recently published another collection, titled Shaping a Global Theological Mind.)

Interim Report on Easter Icons

Today was the last of 3 days of school visits (about 250 students from 7 different schools, mainly primary) to our Easter Icons exhibition. We're open tomorrow to the public between 12-6pm. It's been a fantastic few days - its be great to see children and adults engaging with the different stations. Geoff has kindly blogged some of his reflections here. A full report with pictures will appear at some point in the next week.