The Cross In Our Context

In this small gem of theological reflection, North America's foremost "theologian of the cross" offers a profound and compelling contemplation on the relevance of the church's most fundamental confession. Hall ponders what confessing Jesus as crucified means in today's context, one that is postmodern, pluralistic, multicultural, and in some respects post-Christian. A digest of his monumental trilogy, this book lays out in brief compass the heart of Hall's theology of the cross, contrasting it sharply with the theology of established Christianity, showing how it reframes classical Christology and soteriology, and drawing the implications for what it means to be human, for Christian ethics, and for the church.

What does it mean to profess the faith as North American Christians at the end of the second millennium? What is Christian theology as consciously crafted in light of the distinctive history, culture, and experience of North America? Hall marshalls doctrinal resources for a critical, creative response that stresses God's necessary involvement in an unfinished, dynamic, suffering world.

St. Teresa of Ávila and St. John of the Cross are among the greatest teachers of prayer in the Christian tradition. For nearly five centuries, their writings on the spiritual life have guided those seeking greater union with God. Beyond the written corpus of these saints, the lived experiences of these reformers of the Carmelite Order also draws fascination. Living in sixteenth-century Spain among kings, prelates, explorers, inquisitors, and reformers, these two saints were formed and sanctified by the context and circumstances of their historical time and place. In Context: Teresa of Ávila, John of the Cross, and Their World explores the social, cultural, intellectual, and religious themes that prevailed during the time in which St. Teresa of Ávila and St. John of the Cross lived and breathed. This book is not only a thematic overview but also visits particular situations in the lives of these saints: the events that shaped their writings, their lives, and the Carmelite Reform they initiated. Offering for the first time in English a comprehensive contextual overview of the Carmelite reformers, Father O’Keefe draws upon pivotal scholarly sources not available to many beginner-to-intermediate students of spirituality. The extensive bibliographies point readers toward the next steps in diving deeper into Carmelite studies. Also including: + A fully linked comprehensive index + 16 pages of color photos. This book is an excellent resource for any earnest student of St. Teresa of Ávila and St. John of the Cross.

How can a doctrine about reconciliation with God create so much controversy among God's people? Theologian Brad Vaughn believes Christians can gain clarity and unity on the doctrine of the atonement through a renewed attention to the biblical evidence. While theological theories are necessary and useful, they can obscure reality as much as clarify it. And we're often ignorant of the role that cultural and historical context plays in shaping these views. Instead of beginning by comparing atonement theories, he argues, we need to delve deep into the Bible, where we find a handful of motifs that combine to form a richer, more robust theology of atonement. The Cross in Context presents a perspective on the atonement that seeks to reconcile theological camps and enable Christians to interpret the Bible more faithfully. It draws from the entire biblical canon and considers the New Testament in light of its Old Testament background, focusing on the internal logic of Israel's sacrificial system. Applying his intercultural ministry experience and expertise on honor and shame, Vaughn also considers how to effectively contextualize the multifaceted message of salvation in diverse cultural contexts. Combining missiology, theology, and biblical studies, The Cross in Context provides a refreshing and nuanced look at the atonement and what it means for the life and witness of the church.

"As the Christian movement nears the end of its second millennium, it faces a crisis that could not have been anticipated at the close of the first thousand years—or, indeed, by most of our own great-grandparents. … "Since the most conspicuous dimensions of the waning of Christendom have to do with material decline (the decline in church membership and active attendance of Sunday services, the decline in financial and physical prosperity, the decline of influence in high places), such analyses as there are usually belabor the obvious: something drastic is happening to the churches! … "Throughout most of its long history, Christianity has not required of its adherents that they should think the faith. The historical accident of its political and cultural establishment 15 centuries ago… ensured that a thinking faith would be purely optional for members of the church. … "But thought-less faith, which has always been a contradiction in terms, is today a stage on the road to the extinction, not only of Christianity itself, but of whatever the architects of our civilization meant by 'Humanity.' Only a thinking faith can survive. Only a thinking faith can help the world survive! " ——From the Preface

For the first-century Roman world the cross was first and foremost an instrument of shameful and violent execution. But early Christians, who had seen their world upended by the atoning power of the cross of Christ, came to view it in an entirely different light. Deeply scandalous, it was paradoxically glorious. For the cross of Christ marked the epochal saving event in God's dealings with Israel and the world. And its meaning could not be fathomed or encircled by a single image or formulation. Since its publication in 2000, Recovering the Scandal of the Cross has initiated among evangelicals a new conversation about the nature of the atonement and how it should be expressed in the varied and global contexts of today. In this second edition Green and Baker have clarified and enlarged their argument in a way that will continue to provoke thought and conversation on this critical topic.

Where is God present in the world? What hope does the church offer to folks who are struggling with death and despair in their many forms, from broken relationships to lost jobs to the seeming lack of meaning in our late-modern context? Some answer these questions by pointing to churches that have had success in growing their worship services and ministries. But Andrew Root invites us to answer the questions from a different angle. Rather than place primary focus on creating a successful church, he asks the church to open its eyes to the suffering and hopelessness of the world, to identify with and embrace it, because it is precisely in the world’s suffering that God is found. Using Luther’s theology of the cross as a lens, Root shows how the church’s willingness to become weak for the world’s sake results in a refocusing of Christian living and ministry, which he examines through the categories of discipleship, authentic hope, community, justice, and resurrection. Thus, as with the other books in the Living Theology series, this book brings theology to bear on life in suggestive and provocative ways, encouraging readers to think theologically about their specific contexts.