The WBC Theology discussion group meets about once a
month. We all enjoy thinking about our faith and we try to have open
minds when it comes to reading and thinking about new perspectives on
our understanding of God and His ways. We also aim to tolerate and
respect viewpoints that challenge our own. We sometimes succeed!
Our approach is to agree as a group what we will discuss next, be it a
book or some other form (we have listened to seminar recordings as
well). We all read/listen to the material and come prepared to share
our insights and questions. We try not to be too "dry" and academic,
but we like to be challenged in our thinking.
We look at ideas and doctrines, not just for themselves, but also as to how they might impact the way that we live.
The group (like many WBC communities) is inclusive of people who do not
otherwise attend any WBC meetings, and we value the breadth this gives
us.
We normally meet at 8pm at
Mark and Andrea Hotchkin’s, 45 Agbrigg Road.
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Theology Group Spring 2008 update |
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Our latest book under discussion is "The Bible - The Biography" by Karen Armstrong. We next meet on Weds May 14th to discuss the first 3 chapters – from Torah
to Gospel.
Book Blurb:
The Bible is the most widely distributed book in
the world. Translated into over two thousand languages, it is estimated
that more than six billion copies have been sold in the last two
hundred years alone. In this seminal account, Karen Armstrong traces
the gestation of the Bible to reveal a complex and contradictory
document created by scores of people over hundreds of years.Karen
Armstrong begins her analysis with the origins of the very earliest
books of the "Hebrew Bible", in which God was called both 'Yahweh' and
'Elohim'. She then traces the development of both the "Hebrew Bible"
and the "New Testament" to reveal the disparate influences that helped
to form these sacred texts. From the Jewish practice of Midrash and the
Christian cult of Jesus; to the influence of Paul's letters on the
Reformation and the manipulation of Revelations by Christian
fundamentalism, Armstrong explores the contexts in which these
sixty-six books were understood and explains the social needs they
answered. In the process she reveals an unfamiliar and paradoxical work
that will permanently alter our understanding of the Bible.
Under consideration for next book to study is "Evangelism After Christendom" by Bryan P. Stone
Book Blurb
Most people think of evangelism as something an individual does - one
person talking to one or more other people about the gospel. Bryan
Stone, however, argues that evangelism is the duty and call of the
entire church as a body of witness. "Evangelism after Christendom"
explores what it means to understand and put to work evangelism as a
rich practice of the church, grounding evangelism in the stories of
Israel, Jesus, and the Apostles. This thorough treatment is marked by
an astute sensitivity to the ways in which Christian evangelism has in
the past been practiced violently, intentionally or unintentionally.
Pointing to exemplars both Protestant and Catholic, Stone shows
pastors, professors, and students how evangelism can work nonviolently.
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29th March - A Generous Orthodoxy Part 1 |
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This meeting will be our first around the book "A Generous Orthodoxy" by Brian D. McLaren. Before coming to the meeting we will read the intro and up to the end of the Chapter 1.
Book blurb:
"Why I Am A Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant,
Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical,
Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist,
Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational,
Depressed - Yet Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished Christian" is a
confession and manifesto from a senior leader in the emerging church
movement. "A Generous Orthodoxy" calls for a radical, Christ-centered
orthodoxy of faith and practice in a missional, generous spirit. Brian
McLaren argues for a post-liberal, post-conservative, post-protestant
convergence, which will stimulate lively interest and global
conversation among thoughtful Christians from all traditions.
In a
sweeping exploration of belief, author Brian McLaren takes us across
the landscape of faith, envisioning an orthodoxy that aims for Jesus,
is driven by love, and is defined by missional intent. "A Generous
Orthodoxy" rediscovers the mysterious and compelling ways that Jesus
can be embraced across the entire Christian horizon. Rather than
establishing what is and is not "orthodox," McLaren walks through the
many traditions of faith, bringing to the center a way of life that
draws us closer to Christ and to each other. Whether you find yourself
inside, outside, or somewhere on the fringe of Christianity, "A
Generous Orthodoxy" draws you toward a way of living that looks beyond
the "us/them" paradigm to the blessed and ancient paradox of "we."
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March 1st 2007 |
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We looked at the second half of Vincent Donovan's book "Chrisitanity Rediscovered. In this section he looks more at how Church should "emerge". Things we liked- Donovan didn't try to pretend be a Masai, he just tried to understand their ways
- Donovan didn't plan how to do church and invite them to join. church "emerged"
- Church grew out of pre-christian community and enriched it. - "emergent"?
- Leadership & stuctures were not imposed. - "emergent"?
- Donovan just told the story - he mostly let them apply it.
- He did not force himself on them.
- He challenged bits of the culture he considered unbibilical - the inclusion of women at communion was a striking example.
- Communion was at the centre of church.
- Church was missional from the first - they understood the need to be reaching others.
Things that affect usIn our increasingly "tribal" culture much of what Donovan did is relevant today. (We used the example of the Goths to help us imagine). Considering our current project "Dignify" this does add fresh perspective to the idea of emerging church in contemporary Wakefield. Pretty much all of the things we liked in reading of the Masai chuch could apply today in Wakefield.
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Christianity Rediscovered
by Vincent Donovan
For our first look at this book we agreed to read the first seven chapters. I think it is fair to say we were all pleasantly surprised by this book. The author - a roman catholic missionary working in the mid-twentieth century tells the fascinating, and challenging story of his work bringing the gospel to the Masai of Kenya. The first chapters we read gave a detailed insight into Donovan's contextualisation of the gospel story. The book allows us the chance to try and see the gopsel from a Masai perspective. We were able to see paralells between this book and our previous studies when we were listening to Pete Rollins delivering material from his book "How Not to Speak of God" Both are contextualisations of the gospel message - to the Masai of 1950 and to the post-moderns of our day. Some of us find ourselves quite uncomfortable with much that calls itself evangelism, yet we recognised a wonderful directness in Donovan's approach. But it was the way in which he engaged with the Masai way of seeing life, and the sensitivity to Masai ways that struck us. The way also in which Donovan was willing to re-examine many of his (and our) cherished preconceptions. When Donovan speaks of Jesus he says "I say to you Masai: You have not known man..." A Masai Christology seems to find the true and complete Humanity of Jesus almost more significant than his deity. One statement we found most exciting was his ending to chapter 5: "This was the end of the good news I had come to proclaim to the Masai. The response to it was up to them." It was this blend of the direct and unapologetic telling of the gospel story, followed by Donovan's willingness to leave the hearers to make their own decision with no pressure or compulsion. |
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