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A Community Called Atonement: Living Theology
by Scot McKnight
Edition: Paperback
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a synthetic approach in understanding the atonement, April 12, 2010
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This review is from: A Community Called Atonement: Living Theology (Paperback)
I appreciate Mcknight's synthetic approach to understanding the atonement in the light of the contemporary discussions that often tend towards polarization and the hardening of categories. The various theories or metaphors are discussed in a concise way - satisfaction, ransom, penal substitution, representation, moral example, Christus Victor, recapitulation and so on - showing the inadequacies of each model as well as its strengths and contributions and how we need to hold them together for a more balanced and holistic view of the death and resurrection of Christ. It augurs well with the Emerging Churches' ethos of generous orthodoxy, which seeks to embrace rather than exclude a diversity of viewpoints in Christian faith and practices. In taking this approach, the church can thus find its way towards charity and unity of faith as well as a more humble, mature and fuller grasp of the mystery, that is the atonement. He devotes several chapters towards the end to fleshing out the outworking of such a synthetic approach and how it could shape the church in her mission, fellowship, worship and work of justice.
I reckon that the book will be useful to one has already entered the contemporary discussion of the atonement for some time and is trying to make sense of the various approaches and theories but will probably prove a little daunting to a new reader who is just getting acquainted with the subject and its historical understandings. Mcknight skilfully steers us away from the slanted portrayals of those theories which have come under fire in some circles and provides us with a more nuanced picture of them, especially the penal substitutionary theory. Some readers might be tempted to charge him for going out of his way to agree with these positions (which he does not really buy, if pressed) for the sake of diplomacy. I doubt this critique is fair and would like Mcknight and synthetic thinkers like him to continue to expand on this work and thereby demonstrate more fully from Scripture and good theology how we do really need 'all the clubs in one bag'. I think even if one goes away disagreeing, one stands to benefit from the charity, humility and even-handedness that characterizes the spirit with which he writes. Comment | Permalink
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To Love as God Loves
by Roberta C. Bondi
Edition: Paperback
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a simple, reflective companion to reading the desert fathers, April 11, 2010
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This review is from: To Love as God Loves (Paperback)
This is a short, simple companion to reading the desert fathers. Because the historical and cultural chasm that separates us from the desert fathers/mothers tradition, some of their practices and sayings can sound rather strange and bizzare. Bondi writes as an old friend to the tradition and gives some pointers to anyone with an open mind and heart to receive the gems of these ancient spiritual masters. Bondi advises us against absolutizing the desert fathers' sayings but instead to capture the essence of what they are driving at in some of their rather sometimes shocking statements. For example, the saying 'one hour of sleep a day is enough for the monk who is a fighter' probably goes against the basic rule of modern sleep hygiene. But, taken in context, it is aimed at subduing the body's many compulsions and indulgence so that the will is set free to love.
Indeed, the whole end of the desert fathers' many seemingly superhuman feats is not how far they can stretch their mortal bodies beyond normal breaking points but love. Hence, humility remains the main foundational virtue upon which the whole spiritual quest is built. It is really not in the heroic acts and death-defying stunts where love is nurtured but in the day-to-day small acts of service, hospitality and kindness.
The imagery of the sailboat is a helpful illustration of how the divine and the human come together in a beautiful synergy in the life of sanctification. Human efforts are like the steering of the sail whereas it is the powerful wind of God's grace that propels the boat forward. No desert fathers ever thought that one can make it on his own without the grace of God. Yet, few realize more than they the place of human co-operation and indeed struggles in the economy of real spiritual growth. Hence, even the murderer does not lie beyond the possibility of redemption in so far as he has the ability to cry out 'God, help me!' and yes, 'God has more pity on the murderer struggling to turn his heart and face to God than the thoughtless monk.'(loose paraphrase)
As for the approach to sanctification, Bondi identifies at least two prongs: the subduing of the 'passions' (understood here as the excessive and inordinate desires of the flesh) and a life of prayer. The discussion of the passions is done by giving a brief treatment of the classical seven deadly sins. Prayer is dealt with in the forms of the apophatic tradition - the wordless, imageless prayer of quiet - and the kataphatic tradition - using the psalms, a question, or imagery that reshapes our vision of God around biblical themes.
Overall, a short, easy companion that offers one helpful perspective and approach to harnessing the wisdom of the desert fathers, whose life's quest is to love as God does.
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Mandate to Difference: An Invitation to the Contemporary Church
by Walter Brueggemann
Edition: Paperback
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poignant, subversive and biblical., March 28, 2010
This review is from: Mandate to Difference: An Invitation to the Contemporary Church (Paperback)
Walter Brueggemann is not capable of writing a boring sentence. His words are well crafted, sharp and provocative, even if different readers will take issues with him on different points. Here is a scholar whose mind has been baptised with decades of deep study and reflection of the biblical materials; it is hard to pull apart the exegetical basis of his proposals, which are often subversive to contemporary habits of thoughts.
This collection of talks he gave on different occasions to the contemporary audience, brings the ancient texts of Scriptures to bear on the modern church, primarily in the American socio-political context but in many ways relevant to other modern societies as well. He basically circles around the theme of God's alternative society vs Pharaoh's/Philistine's/Caesar's empire. Hence it is God's life-giving command of the Sabbath against the quota-system of the urban world, God's invitation to rest in his abundant grace vs the harried and hurried quest for acquisition, consumptions and accomplishments that bolster the idolatrous self. Here, he unmasks the illusions of human greed and proposes instead a life centered around God and neighbour and that liberates the self for shalom - for art, beauty and play.
Being very much a part of the Pharaohic world myself, I have to take the leisurely pace to digest this book and hear the message it is intended to convey. Thankfully, Brueggemann is as much a poet as he is a careful scholar;his words have a way of stretching your imagination, evoking an alternative world and holding out hope for a world starving for a fresh script with which to order its existence. Most of us know that business as usual simply will not do. I thank God for Brueggemann who helps us to listen to the ancient texts again that are capable of speaking afresh to every generation in such a powerful and liberating way. Comment | Permalink
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The Ascent to Truth
by Thomas Merton
Edition: Paperback
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Merton's reading of John of the Cross - reason in the contemplative life, November 19, 2009
This review is from: The Ascent to Truth (Paperback)
The mystical literature of John of the Cross is known for its literary beauty and spiritual profundity but it is not always accessible. The Ascent to Truth is a clear and reliable guide to understanding him. Merton's Catholic and monastic background together with his literary gifts makes him an excellent expositor of St John. Merton devotes many pages to exploring the place of reason (understood here as spiritual discernment, good sense/moderation and biblical understanding) in the mystical life. This is a helpful corrective to tendencies of some readers of John and practitioners of contemplative prayers that elevate personal experiences over the intellect, almost treating the latter as a hindrance to be bypassed. While recognising the immediacy of mystical union and the passivity of the natural faculties when one is graced with infused contemplation, one never at any point dispenses with the need to stay rooted in the concreteness of the revealed word of God and in Christ. That is to say, a sound grasp of biblical truths is essential in preparing one to receive by faith a deeper apprehension of divine mysteries that go beyond the intellect itself as one reaches out to God in love.
Besides John of the Cross, Merton also draws lessons from the other great spiritual teachers such as John Ruysbroek, Teresa of Avila, Gregory of Nyssa and others that have left us some signposts along the mystical path that help one discern where one might be in the journey, avoid some of the pitfalls and know when one is ready to advance. Though the book gets tedious at times in its seemingly repetitive circling around the book's main theme - reason in the life of contemplation, Merton delights us with some fine touches every now and then such as these:
'Contemplation is one of the indications of spiritual maturity. It is closely allied to sanctity. You cannot save the world merely with a system. You cannot have peace without charity. You cannot have order without saints. Our nature imposes on us a pattern of development which we must follow if we are to fulfil our best capacities and achieve at least the partial happiness of being human. The pattern must be understood and worked out in all its essential elements. But it can be stated very simply: We must know the truth, and we must love the truth we know, and we must act according to the measure of our love.' (pg 8)
'All the deeper instincts of a true theologian warned Saint John of the Cross that the revealed word of God offered him greater security than did experience itself, where there was question of a supernatural order in which the ways were known with certitude by Him alone who had established them.' (pg 124) Comment | Permalink
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