Speech And Theology

God is infinite, but language finite; thus speech would seem to condemn Him to finitude. In speaking of God, would the theologian violate divine transcendence by reducing God to immanence, or choose, rather, to remain silent? At stake in this argument is a core problem of the conditions of divine revelation. How, in terms of language and the limitations of human understanding, can transcendence ever be made known? Does its very appearance not undermine its transcendence, its condition of unknowability? Speech and Theology posits that the paradigm for the encounter between the material and the divine, or the immanent and transcendent, is found in the Incarnation: God's voluntary self-immersion in the human world as an expression of His love for His creation. By this key act of grace, hinged upon Christs condescension to human finitude, philosophy acquires the means not simply to speak of perfection, which is to speak theologically, but to bridge the gap between word and thing in general sense.

Is the portrait of God revealed in Scripture fundamentally intelligible? The biblical accounts of God reveal seemingly contradictory themes: God's holiness and narratives telling of his anger; the Divine Omnipotence faced with the Impossible; the suffering Christ upon the Cross and the transcendent Trinity of Persons in God; the unique Savior and the universality of God's salvific will; and so forth. How are we to hold together all of this data without denying any aspect of the mystery of God? Must we give into our ambient culture's sense that the biblical God cannot be taken seriously by truly discerning and rational minds when they try to understand "the Divine"? Or, in the midst of this apparent contradiction, can we find the lines of harmony in the revealed mysteries? In Divine Speech in Human Words, Fr. Emmanuel Durand unties some of the knots that face us when we reflect on the God of biblical Revelation. In each of the essays gathered here, Fr. Durand sympathetically articulates the tensions and apparent contradictions experienced by contemporary minds as they strive to understand the revealed truth of God. A whole host of topics are covered in this volume: the Cross and the revelation of the Trinity; God's holiness and transcendence; divine immutability and the sorrow of a loving God; Divine Providence and human prayer; the fatherhood of God and eschatology; Christ's way of life; and many others. Drawing philosophical insights from the Thomistic tradition as his intellectual tools, Fr. Durand nonetheless emphasizes the importance of a properly theological mode of reflection, allowing these issues to be illuminated by the revealed truth of Sacred Scripture. Thus, for each of these difficult topics, he shows that a vital theological response must not limit itself to mere logical rigor but, rather, requires metaphysical insight and, above all, sapiential appreciation of God's revealed word. With such instruments in hand, each essay approaches the tensions of biblical revelation with an eager readiness to show how a thoughtful Thomistic practice of biblical theology can guide faith as it seeks an understanding of both contemporary and perennial theological problems.

The second annual St. Andrews Conference on Scripture and Theology brought leading biblical scholars and systematic theologians together in conversation, seeking to bridge the growing gap between these disciplines. Reflecting the convergence of the Old Testament s cultic theology, Hellenistic ideas, and early Christian thinking, the epistle to the Hebrews provides a perfect foundation for this fruitful dialogue. / The contributors examine a number of key theological themes in the letter to the Hebrews: the person and nature of the Son, his high-priestly work, cosmology, the epistle s theology of Scripture, supersessionism, the call to faith, and more. Unlike many modern treatments, this substantial volume considers Hebrews in both its ancient context and against our modern backdrop. / Edward Adams, Loveday Alexander, Harold W. Attridge, Richard Bauckham, Markus Bockmuehl, Daniel Driver, Douglas Farrow, Trevor Hart, Richard B. Hays, Stephen R. Holmes, Morna D. Hooker, Edison M. Kalengyo, Mariam J. Kamell, Bruce L. McCormack, Nathan MacDonald, I. Howard Marshall, R. Walter L. Moberly, Carl Mosser, Mark D. Nanos, Nehemia Polen, John Polkinghorne, Ken Schenck, Oskar Skarsaune, Daniel J. Treier, John Webster, Ben Witherington III, Terry J. Wright.

Makes the bold claim that the rhetorical skills of public speaking are essential to all Christian witness.

Charles Bartow's stated purpose in this practical theology of preaching is "to encourage confidence in the Bible read and the sermon delivered as a means of grace in an age of radical criticism of Scripture, creed, and confession.

From the IntroductionIn the last moments of our final session in May 2011, at the end of Judith Favor's paper, she quoted Nelle Morton: "I'd like to hand this manuscript to you-wherever you are, whoever you are-and say, 'This is how it is with me. How is it with you?'"Nelle talked about "being heard into speech." She wrote, "Women are literally hearing one another to speech. But the speech is our speech. Through hearing and speaking, women sense the possibility of doing theology out of our own experience."During this past year we have been listening to each other and dialoguing about a variety of themes. In short papers with a collaborative style, we have looked at the conflict between Israel and Palestine, active and fulfilling retirement, experiences of worship and spirituality, and what our faith says about money. With more expanded articles members have shared experiences of growth and healing, the richness of global sharing, the connection between theology and social action, the challenge of pastoral ministry in a world of chaos, and thoughts about being a non-theologian or a hopeful realist. Discussion has been animated and enriching as papers launch us all into further speech. Contributions have been like pebbles thrown into a pond. The ripples extend around our circle and beyond, hopefully into the lives of you our readers as well.One more thing needs to be said about this year of conversation. We have been joined by several new residents of Pilgrim Place. Their papers are found here. Pilgrim Place is now on the other side of a campus development project which brought noise, dust, bulldozers, cement mixers, jack hammers and swarming tradesmen to remake a central portion of our campus. Now we enjoy the rewards, the 30 or so household of new residents, new stories, new angles of vision, new forms of thought. We welcome this new life in our midst.-Paul Kittlaus, Pat Patterson and Donna Blackstock