06.28.07
theology and the laos
We are all “laos,” part of the people of God. That is a critical starting point. How then do we “do theology?” Is theological reflection best left to the academicians? Reflecting on the work of Lesslie Newbigin as well as the work of Michel de Certeau, Alan Roxburgh writes,
“The work of the theologian is to enter… pitch his or her tent beside, the local church and its contexts in order to attend to the actual, real, lived narratives of the ordinary men and women who form those gatherings of God’s people. In the language of Paul Ricoeur the theological task today is to begin with a hermeneutics of appreciation which seeks to discern – like a poet offering language that gives meaning to people’s experience by inviting them into a space of new possibilities or a mid-wife detecting the rhythms of a birth that has begun but not pressed out – the narratives under the narratives among the faithful living in a strange liminal place. This listening cannot be from some position outside and above the life of ordinary people in our churches as answers and the actions based in some universal, abstract truth. It is a listening that can only take place by being with and among a people. “
Related, Vanhoozer, Anderson and Sleasman in their new book “Everyday Theology,” write in their introduction,
“This is a book about everyday theology, written by everyday theologians for everyday theologians. Everyday theology is the reflective and practical task of living each day as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Theology is not for Sundays only.
Disciples must walk the Christian way the whole weekend and throughout the workweek. Theology is an everyday affair: to live to the glory of God is a full-time privilege and pursuit. Everyday theology is the mandate of every Christian who is actively trying to walk the way of truth and life.”
Why is this issue even on the table? In part because it is a profoundly missional question. People who are missional inevitably are driven to understand the world they live in, and the Scriptures become a foundational lens for understanding. Moreover, postmodernity has made us aware that we are situated, and to influence change we have to understand both where we are and where we want to go. If I have time this week I’ll post a summary of Alan’s essay which goes on to examine the limits of Newbigin’s attempts to empower missional engagement and how Michel de Certeau can help us in the next step forward.
See also notes from Patrick Keifert today at Prodigal Kiwis.
Dana Ames said,
June 28, 2007 at 3:12 pm
My (limited) understanding of E. Orthodoxy is that theology was not done in the academy, but rather by monastics, whose communities were out among the people.
Getting back to the first, say, eight centuries of the church is not the point- they had their problems too – but looking at it again could be really helpful.
Dana
Missional Journey - Thoughts Along the Way » Blog Archive » Theology and the Laos said,
June 28, 2007 at 4:36 pm
[...] Here is a post from Len Hjalmarson, NextReformation. Len is a good friend, a proliphetic writer and one of my favorite blogger. [...]
laos » Blog Archive » Huay Xai Laos Articles said,
June 28, 2007 at 10:09 pm
[...] We are all “laos,†part of the people of God. That is a critical starting point. How then do we “do theology?†Is theological reflection best left to the academicians? Reflecting on the work of Lesslie Newbigin as well as the work of … …more [...]
Tensegrities » Struggling to respond… said,
June 30, 2007 at 6:55 am
[...] I wish I had the eloquence of Paul Ricoeur. NextReformation quotes him today: “…in the language of Paul Ricoeur the theological task today is to begin with a hermeneutics of appreciation which seeks to discern – like a poet offering language that gives meaning to people’s experience by inviting them into a space of new possibilities or a mid-wife detecting the rhythms of a birth that has begun but not pressed out – the narratives under the narratives among the faithful living in a strange liminal place.” [...]