By: Aaron Peterson on October 22, 2015
As my dear friend strolled through the Louvre last year, he spotted this 7th Century icon and immediately thought of me. The astounding thing about this tile is that Jesus is presented as a friend to St. Mina (a 3rd century Coptic ascetic and martyr). The title: I Call You My Friends (http://www.monasteryicons.com/product/christ-the-true-friend-icon-166). Before…
By: Anthony Watkins on October 22, 2015
Introduction Alister McGrath’s “Theology: the Basics” is just that, the very basics of theology. Perhaps because it’s about the basics, I found myself getting frustrated and asking myself the following questions: Why am I reading about the basics of theology again, and how is this connecting to my program of leadership and global perspectives? Summary…
By: Pablo Morales on October 22, 2015
INTRODUCTION Recently, at the center stage of international news was the discovery of an ancient church in Chiapas, Mexico. Ever since a dam was built in the region, the ancient building was covered with water, disappearing not only from sight, but also from the memory of the faithful. In these past days, however, the water…
By: Jon Spellman on October 22, 2015
“Liquid Modernity.” That phrase by Zygmunt Bauman is emblazoned in my mind as, perhaps, the most spot-on accurate description of the world in which we all now live and lead. Fluid, ever-changing, morphing, these are words I find myself using a lot when helping leaders understand the nature of the world surrounding their organization, the…
By: Phillip Struckmeyer on October 22, 2015
Becoming a Different Kind of Leader For the last three years I have operated under a job title I have made up for myself. I am the “Network Catalyst” for Nitrogen, a church health and multiplication network within The Wesleyan Church denomination. I live in Lowell, Michigan, a four hour drive from The Wesleyan Church…
By: Nick Martineau on October 21, 2015
Just think about how much has changed in the last 50 years. Just over 50 years ago, the fictional married couple, Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, starred in the number one television show, I Love Lucy, but they couldn’t dare sleep in the same bed. Even though showing the married couple in one bed would be…
By: Dave Young on October 21, 2015
I want to live in a different world. I long for the world that would have been if Adam had said to Eve “Oh, honey—let’s not listen to that snake in the grass. After all, God has shown himself to be completely trustworthy.” Or even if his theological discernment was a little off that day,…
By: Claire Appiah on October 20, 2015
Christian Theology: An Introduction by Alister McGrath Introduction Stanley Grenz and Roger Olson in Who Needs Theology? make it clear that everyone needs theology and everyone engages in theologizing on some level. But, good Christian theology which is the theology that characterizes students in the dminlgp program entails critical thinking and reflection on core values…
By: Brian Yost on October 19, 2015
In his book Visual Faith: Art, Theology, and Worship in Dialogue, William A. Dyrness reminds us of the need to embrace the visual arts and incorporate them into our worship. Visual arts have been embraced for centuries in the church. While not without conflict, it was understood that beauty and artistic expression could be used…
By: Rose Anding on October 19, 2015
Introduction In most cases, we go to church, sing worship songs, read scriptures, dance, preach or listen to preachers. Some of us have Christian songs in our iPods, laptops or even mobile phones. Some of us attend night concerts organized by various preachers across the world. It’s obvious that if I sample 2000…
By: Anthony Watkins on October 18, 2015
Friends and fellow students, thank you for all your thoughtful comments to my blog on Grenz and Olson’s “Who Needs Theology?” Forgive me for taking so long to respond to you. I’m grateful to be a member of this cohort. Several of you brought up the same points. You spoke about my terms: Hermeneutics, Doctrine…
By: Jon Spellman on October 17, 2015
Rational behavior… I have often asked myself, “What in the world are you doing?” Or, “what did you get done today?” I can’t count the number of times that a person has asked me (quite innocently enough) “hey, so what do you do?” and almost immediately I feel the anxiety creeping up the back of…
By: Travis Biglow on October 17, 2015
No Mystery October 15th 2015 (I posted this thursday dont know what happened) I never feel that we are where we are for no reason. I think God ordains us for what we are created for. “People are products of their past”[1] As much as I want to not associate with my past I know…
By: Brian Yost on October 16, 2015
While it is true that a good leader will have a clear vision for the future, it is important to recognize that our past will inform our present as we move into the future. A leader does not just arrive onto the scene. A leader and each person with whom the leader works will function…
By: Dawnel Volzke on October 16, 2015
In his book, The Leadership Mystique, Manfred Kets De Vries states, “effective business leadership is never limited to the acts of one “heroic” individual; rather, it operates in a context of employees and of the business, industry, and larger social environment. Leaders who recognize the nuances of that context and guide their followers accordingly provide…
By: Kevin Norwood on October 15, 2015
Introduction Who needs theology? I do! I accept the invitation to the study of God. The only problem I have with accepting this invitation is that I am not so sure about the foundation. What is theology? “A revival of sound theological interest and reflection among God’s people.” What is the fear? Christianity may be…
By: Mary Pandiani on October 15, 2015
A number of years ago, I asked my Organizational Dynamics teacher in seminary which book and/or author would she recommend as one of the best on leadership. Perhaps because of her influence under Dr. Bobby Clinton, especially with his work Making of a Leader, she claimed that he provided the most significant practical information on…
By: Phil Goldsberry on October 15, 2015
Introduction The word “theology” invokes a wide range of emotions and arguments. To some it is a substitution for just “knowing Jesus” for others it is the ability to proof text what you really believe. Stanley Grenz and Roget Olson in their work, “Who Needs Theology?” addresses holistically the true…
By: Pablo Morales on October 15, 2015
Introduction Who needs theology? This question is not only the title of the book I just read, but it is also a personal question that I must answer. Summary Stanley Grenz and Roger Olson eloquently argue that every thinking person is a theologian, but not every theologian has good theology. In order to become a…
By: Aaron Cole on October 15, 2015
Introduction: Who Needs Theology by Stanley J. Grenz and Roger E. Olson is a basic overview of what theology is and is not. The essence of the book for me is summed up in two words: theological exploration. Grenz and Olson state: “…they (Christians) would do well to explore the meaning of God and try…
