What is our narrative?

Here are some videos by Brian McLaren that help our class ask questions about how we systematize or arrange our theology:

What is the grid; the narrative?

What about the "6-line narrative" that seems to have dominated theology for 500 years or more?

(Some of you who were in "Church History A" earlier this year will remember the first McLaren video..and remembering appearing in your own video version of it..it can be watched as the bottom video here)

It might help to watch these below clips (the rest are here) before class if you have time; don't feel like you have to agree with them, but use them to trigger questions:

VIDEO 1: Narrative?:

VIDEO #2: Authority?:




VIDEO #4: Jesus?:



VIDEO #5: The Gospel?:

VIDEO #6: Church?:



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LABI Movie stars:

Keeping theology practical....and real

From: Peter J. Leithart:

"'Practical' Theology' departments at seminaries do not make theology more practical. They ensure that theology, outiside the PT department, will remain practical--that it will remain theology..

..Theology is bad enough, but modern theology is theology cultivated into idolatry. Bowing before science, social science, or philosophy, modern theology has adjusted its distinctive language and insight to conform to the common sense of modernity. Metaphysics or evolutionary science or liberal political theory or whatever determines in advance what can be true of God and His ways. . .

Theology is a specialized, professional language, often employing obscure (Latin and Greek) terms that are never used by anyone but theologians, as if theologians live in and talk about a different world from the one mortals inhabit.

Theology functions sociologically like other professional languages - to keep people out and to help the members of the guild to identify with one another.

Whereas the Bible talks about trees and stars, about donkeys and barren women, about kings and queens and carpenters....

...Theology is a "Victorian" enterprise, neoclassically bright and neat and clean, nothing out of place.
Whereas the Bible talks about hair, blood, sweat, entrails, menstruation and genital emissions.

Here's an experiment you can do at any theological library. You even have my permission to try this at home..

Step 1: Check the indexes of any theologian you choose for any of the words mentioned above. (Augustine does not count. Augustines' theology is as big as reality. Or bigger.)

Step 2: Check the Bible concordance for the same words.

Step 2: Ponder these questions: Do theologians talk about the world the same way the Bible does? Do theologians talk about the same world the Bible does?"

-Peter J. Leithart, Against Christianity, pp.44ff

See you soon...and an amazing deal for a penny (shhhh)

Hey all!

I am really looking forward to seeing you (and learning from you) all July 9th, 7 pm.

See a brief summary of the class content at upper right.

As I told everyone, no prep. assignments this time, but read as much as you can of the Horton book.

We will do a paper at end of class for the grade.

By now, you should have gotten the message on which chapters in Horton to emphasize, or read first

(if you read nothing else, read these): 1, 2, 5, 9, 12, 13, 16,17.

I also highly recommend the Wood book, as it is an amazing blend of devotional and theology; it really helps you see how our background and our "issues" color how we do theology..........
and as you can see at the link on right, currently one penny on Amazon.

I have now added some other resources to the right hand side of the website; you should find then helpful.

...by the way, read this website's address carefully, you'll smile at what is says(if you know our resident storyteller):

http://TellmeastoryBrotherSteve.blogspot.com/

Be praying,
Your fan,

-dave