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Books by Stephen Wright
The identification of God with beauty is one of the most aesthetically rich notions within Christ... more The identification of God with beauty is one of the most aesthetically rich notions within Christian thought. However, this claim is often at risk of becoming untethered from core Christian theological confessions. To avoid a theological account of beauty becoming a mere projection of our wildest desires, it must be reined in by dogmatics. To make this case, this book employs the thought of Robert W. Jenson to construct a dogmatic aesthetics. Jenson’s whole theological program is directed by exploring the systematic potential of the core doctrines of the faith that finally opens out into a vast vision of the beauty of God and creatures: “God is a great fugue . . . the rest is music.” Taking Jenson’s cue, the account of beauty presented in this book is propelled by a core conviction of Jenson’s theology: the sole analogue between God and creatures is not “being” or any other metaphysical concept, but Jesus Christ.
Modern Protestant theology has tended to shun metaphysics. The philosophical underpinnings of our... more Modern Protestant theology has tended to shun metaphysics. The philosophical underpinnings of our theological traditions have cracked under the weight of modern scrutiny. Robert Jenson is a theologian who has embraced the critique of inherited metaphysics, but who then finds contained within the gospel itself the basis for further and more specific critiques: the story of Jesus of Nazareth. Jenson argues that the appropriate response of theology to the contemporary situation is not to reject metaphysics, but to develop new and more radical metaphysical proposals. For several decades now, he has been pursuing a theological program of "revisionary metaphysics"—an attempt to speak about the gospel in a society more and more characterized by epistemological disquiet. Gathered together in this volume is a collection of his proposals for theology laboring under this task of revisionary metaphysics.
Papers by Stephen Wright
Aldersgate Papers, Volume 9, Sep 2011
This article engages the work of American Lutheran theologian Robert Jenson to argue that creatur... more This article engages the work of American Lutheran theologian Robert Jenson to argue that creaturely experiences of beauty are as revelations from the Spirit of a future beauty of restored life in God through Christ. This is not to assign ontic status to a simple futurity, but it raises the question of the complex nature of time itself. Time is not a simple line stretching eternally forwards, but the real future falls within the infinite embrace of God’s triune life. Freedom, then, is predicated on the liberating beauty of the triune being. Where Jenson’s account tends towards a unilateral act of beauty upon the creature, I propose a Wesleyan corrective through prevenient grace to restore reciprocity to the aesthetic event. The relation of the present to the future need not be determinative or causal; rather, it is an aesthetic invitation.
A quiet chorus of voices have begun to sing of the importance of American Lutheran theologian, Ro... more A quiet chorus of voices have begun to sing of the importance of American Lutheran theologian, Robert W. Jenson. The latest voice to be added to the choir is that of Scott Swain of Reformed Theological Seminary. Swain's book makes an impressive addition to the small but growing shelf of volumes dedicated to parsing Jenson's work.
Journals Edited by Stephen Wright
The identification of God with beauty is one of the most aesthetically rich notions within Christ... more The identification of God with beauty is one of the most aesthetically rich notions within Christian thought. However, this claim is often at risk of becoming untethered from core Christian theological confessions. To avoid a theological account of beauty becoming a mere projection of our wildest desires, it must be reined in by dogmatics. To make this case, this book employs the thought of Robert W. Jenson to construct a dogmatic aesthetics. Jenson’s whole theological program is directed by exploring the systematic potential of the core doctrines of the faith that finally opens out into a vast vision of the beauty of God and creatures: “God is a great fugue . . . the rest is music.” Taking Jenson’s cue, the account of beauty presented in this book is propelled by a core conviction of Jenson’s theology: the sole analogue between God and creatures is not “being” or any other metaphysical concept, but Jesus Christ.
Modern Protestant theology has tended to shun metaphysics. The philosophical underpinnings of our... more Modern Protestant theology has tended to shun metaphysics. The philosophical underpinnings of our theological traditions have cracked under the weight of modern scrutiny. Robert Jenson is a theologian who has embraced the critique of inherited metaphysics, but who then finds contained within the gospel itself the basis for further and more specific critiques: the story of Jesus of Nazareth. Jenson argues that the appropriate response of theology to the contemporary situation is not to reject metaphysics, but to develop new and more radical metaphysical proposals. For several decades now, he has been pursuing a theological program of "revisionary metaphysics"—an attempt to speak about the gospel in a society more and more characterized by epistemological disquiet. Gathered together in this volume is a collection of his proposals for theology laboring under this task of revisionary metaphysics.
Aldersgate Papers, Volume 9, Sep 2011
This article engages the work of American Lutheran theologian Robert Jenson to argue that creatur... more This article engages the work of American Lutheran theologian Robert Jenson to argue that creaturely experiences of beauty are as revelations from the Spirit of a future beauty of restored life in God through Christ. This is not to assign ontic status to a simple futurity, but it raises the question of the complex nature of time itself. Time is not a simple line stretching eternally forwards, but the real future falls within the infinite embrace of God’s triune life. Freedom, then, is predicated on the liberating beauty of the triune being. Where Jenson’s account tends towards a unilateral act of beauty upon the creature, I propose a Wesleyan corrective through prevenient grace to restore reciprocity to the aesthetic event. The relation of the present to the future need not be determinative or causal; rather, it is an aesthetic invitation.
A quiet chorus of voices have begun to sing of the importance of American Lutheran theologian, Ro... more A quiet chorus of voices have begun to sing of the importance of American Lutheran theologian, Robert W. Jenson. The latest voice to be added to the choir is that of Scott Swain of Reformed Theological Seminary. Swain's book makes an impressive addition to the small but growing shelf of volumes dedicated to parsing Jenson's work.