A prophet of old: Jesus the “public theologian” (original) (raw)
Related papers
Theology, Biography & Social Justice in 'Jesus & the Disinherited'
Part book review/analysis, part spiritual autobiography, we engage Howard Thurman's 'Jesus & the Disinherited' analyze themes of social justice in Christian thought and practice, isolating him as a transitional figure in American thought. Thurman's book helps to quiet a 'ringing dissonance' between Christian thought and practice, and the potentialities of the Gospel message. We also find that biography informs theology, and vice versa; tension between these two creates both incoherence and coherence within Christian thought and practice.
Christian Scripture and Public Theology: Ruminations on their Ambiguous Relationship
International Journal of Public Theology, 2013
This article explores the relatively neglected topic of the role of Scripture in public theology. It proffers a provisional taxonomy of approaches to relating Scripture to public theology, with a view to demonstrating that there are various ways in which Scripture and Scripture scholarship play a vital role in public theology, broadly construed. It then discusses in more detail three of the eight approaches, focusing especially on recent works by Gerd Theissen and Paul Hanson, and illustrating the value of inner-biblical critique for public theology with reference to the themes of violence and justice.
From the Sacristy to the Public Square The Public Character of Theology*
International Journal of Public Theology, 2012
This article is a study of the public role of Christian theology in contemporary democratic societies. It focuses on the role of theologians as intellectuals in the public square, as defenders of values like justice, democracy and peace. After a brief reflection on Brazilian experiences of the presence of Christians in public debates, it discusses the role of intellectuals such as Habermas, Bourdieu, Said, Bauman and others.
Public Theology: Historical Milestones
Journal of Humanistic and Social Studies, 2020
Public theology is a relatively new theological field, but its themes and concerns are as old as the interaction between the Christian community and society. Different ages prompted different emphasis and approaches. This by far is not a way of pretending that public theology always existed in some form. This article is a biographical and historical investigation in tune with the defining features and interests of public theology and public theologians. The selection of the figures discussed here-without accounting for a complete history-aims to reflect the theoretical, practical, contextual and ecumenical aspects of public theology. The historical approach is one of the three directions or types of public theology, according to Harold Breitenberg 1. In following this approach, theological researcher would look for "some key theologians and theological discourses and their contributions to the formation of public theology" (Kim, 2017: 40). Such a task is not concerned only with legitimizing a relatively new theological field, but also with exploring themes, conceptions, actions, models, methods, seminal reflections that predate the emerging of public theology as academic discipline. For the purposes of this article, we will draw on previous undertakes such as Kim's chapter (2017: 40-66) in A Companion to Public Theology, a historical excursus of Duncan B. Forrester (2004: 5-19) or the six stories about the origins and development of public theology as told by Dirk J. Smit (2013: 11-22). In defining the meaning of public theology that will be taken into account for this paper, alongside with the perspective of "critical, reflective and reasoned engagement of theology in society to bring the kingdom of God, which is for the sake of the poor and marginalized"
Public Theology: Its Pastoral, Apologetic, Scientific, Political, and Prophetic Tasks
International Journal of Public Theology, 2018
This blueprint for a constructive public theology assumes that Christian theology already includes public discourse. Following David Tracy's delineation of three publics--church, academy, culture--further constructive work leads to a public theology conceived in the church, reflected on critically in the academy, and meshed with the wider culture. Public reflection on classic Christian doctrines in a post-secular pluralistic context takes the form of pastoral illumination, apologetic reason, theology of nature, political theology, and prophetic critique.
The Prophetic Voice of Amos as a Paradigm for Christians in the Public Square
Tyndale Bulletin, 2007
This study focuses upon the OT prophet Amos and his life, mission, and message in the context of Christians in the public square. After a brief introduction to the concept of the public square, the study introduces important biographical, geographical and historical facts that are relevant in order to understand Amos’ prophetic voice in the public square. Amos’ message is clearly an international message (Amos 1–2) and a message critical to religious traditions and structures that are disconnected from practical ethical living (Amos 5:21-27). The judgement motif is another relevant topic of Amos’ public discourse (Amos 7–9) and while not a popular theme in current discourse needs to be taken into consideration if one would like to learn from Amos’ prophetic voice. Finally, Amos exits his public square experience with a word of hope, reminding us that judgement and hope are highly interconnected themes which need to be presented concurrently.
Recently, the government of Romania, in an effort to raise extra revenues for the country's suffering economy, decided that witches, fortunetellers, astrologers, prophets, and other mantic professionals should be required to pay taxes. Ultimately, however, the legislation was voted down. The reasons for the rejection offered in the media was not only that the taxation would be difficult to administer, but also that many Romanian politicians feared the curses that these professionals threatened to pronounce against them.
Introduction to Reading Scripture as a Political Act (Fortress, 2015)
Reading Scripture as a Political Act: Essays on the Theopolitical Interpretation of the Bible, 2015
The broad aim of this volume is to highlight the significance of theological readings of scripture for contemporary political theology. Indeed, theological readings of scripture—especially premodern theological readings of scripture—have great potential to illuminate the sociopolitical issues at the center of political theology. Yet political theology tends to neglect this font of resources. Although divine revelation is recognized as a key concept in political theology, and biblical scholars increasingly understand scripture to contain political dimensions, scripture is often marginalized in most scholarly discussions of political theology. As a corrective to this problem, the contributors of Reading Scripture as a Political Act attempt to demonstrate how scripture functions in the “theopolitical imagination” of theologians from the earliest Christian centuries to the present day.
Public Theology and Political Ethics*
International Journal of Public Theology, 2012
The article explains the fundamental features of the Lutheran two kingdoms doctrine and the Reformed doctrine of the Lordship of Christ and finds strong convergences of both in addressing political realities without leaving the Gospel perspective aside. Since Catholic concepts show a similar profile, an ecumenical public theology emerges. Six guidelines for a public church are presented to describe the consequences of a public theological approach to politics for the churches. Authentic faith witness is as much part of these guidelines as ‘bilinguality’, that is, the capability to talk the language of secular discourse and prophetic speech, which is put in relationship to the necessity of concrete daily political processes. Thus, in the end the article explains the profile of public theology in relation to liberation theology and political theology.