Theology And Contemporary Critical Theory

Graham Ward examines the core skills, approaches and concepts employed in the study of theology and relates them to the work of relevant critical theorists. Distinguishing theology's concern with representation, history, ethics and the experience of transcendence, the book then reviews the work of two or three particular postmodern thinkers whose ideas challenge the traditional ways theology has handled these concerns. The book suggests the way in which the study of theology may be transformed through a developed engagement with contemporary critical theory.

Outlining the four fundamental concerns in the study of theology with representation, history, ethics and transcendence, this book examines each of these concerns in the light of contemporary critical theory.

Critical Theory and the Future of Religion; Dubrovnik Papers in Honour of Rudolf J. Siebert This collection documents an historically significant period in the life of the Inter-University Centre of Postgraduate Studies (IUC) in Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia. It covers conversations on the Future of Religion' during the 15 years from 1977-1991, an extremely important time not only for the IUC, but for Yugoslavia itself. Essays address the nature, role and future of religion in the modern and post-modern and post-modern world. [TST 64*] $99.95 364pp. 1992

Dealing with the historical and thematic intersections of Christianity and critical theory, this collection brings together a diversity of specialist scholars in the area. Building on recent discourses in theology as well as their knowledge of hermeneutic and critical traditions, they examine major themes in contemporary critical theory.

*With a foreword from Tim Keller* A bold vision for Christians who want to engage the world in a way that is biblically faithful and culturally sensitive. In Biblical Critical Theory, Christopher Watkin shows how the Bible and its unfolding story help us make sense of modern life and culture. Critical theories exist to critique what we think we know about reality and the social, political, and cultural structures in which we live. In doing so, they make visible the values and beliefs of a culture in order to scrutinize and change them. Biblical Critical Theory exposes and evaluates the often-hidden assumptions and concepts that shape late-modern society, examining them through the lens of the biblical story running from Genesis to Revelation, and asking urgent questions like: How does the Bible's storyline help us understand our society, our culture, and ourselves? How do specific doctrines help us engage thoughtfully in the philosophical, political, and social questions of our day? How can we analyze and critique culture and its alternative critical theories through Scripture? Informed by the biblical-theological structure of Saint Augustine's magisterial work The City of God (and with extensive diagrams and practical tools), Biblical Critical Theory shows how the patterns of the Bible's storyline can provide incisive, fresh, and nuanced ways of intervening in today's debates on everything from science, the arts, and politics to dignity, multiculturalism, and equality. You'll learn the moves to make and the tools to use in analyzing and engaging with all sorts of cultural artifacts and events in a way that is both biblically faithful and culturally relevant. It is not enough for Christians to explain the Bible to the culture or cultures in which we live. We must also explain the culture in which we live within the framework and categories of the Bible, revealing how the whole of the Bible sheds light on the whole of life. If Christians want to speak with a fresh, engaging, and dynamic voice in the marketplace of ideas today, we need to mine the unique treasures of the distinctive biblical storyline.

Original Scholarly Monograph