By: Garrick Roegner on October 24, 2013
Two questions: Where was tempura invented? Where was the Caesar salad invented? If you answered Japan and Italy, you are of course wrong. The correct answers are Portugal and Tijuana, Mexico. Portugese missionaries brought tempura to Japan in the 16th century. Meanwhile, the Caesar salad was birthed by American-Italians who opened a restaurant in Mexico during…
By: Phil Smart on October 24, 2013
The Leadership Mystique and Play-doh – Manfred Kets De Vries I’m sitting in an “Inspire Justice” advocacy conference put on by a partnership between World Vision and our church. The attendance isn’t what we had planned and hoped for, but key leaders are here and for that I’m grateful. But as I listen to the…
By: Chris Ellis on October 24, 2013
The Leadership Mystique by de Vries is a thorough psychoanalysis of leaders, followers and organizations and reads like a companion guide to the DSMV IV. Though this kind of leadership book is probably not read by many (it’s the first of its kind for me), I think many would find it interesting. It gives an…
By: Deve Persad on October 24, 2013
Sunday afternoon, while in London, at our recent Advance, a choice was set before me. I could use the time I had remaining to immerse myself in one or two historic landmarks (i.e. museum, aquarium, palace) or I could get a quick overview of almost everything historically significant. I chose the latter, paid my thirty…
By: Sharenda Roam on October 23, 2013
In his writing “The Leadership Mystique” Manfred Kets de Vries explains, “My main objective in studying leadership is to bring the person back into the organization.”… He continues and states that too many organizations leave the human element out and focus more on structures and systems. Instead, he suggests that focusing on the individual brings…
By: Fred Fay on October 23, 2013
Imagine with me the following scenario. You are part of a large organization. The organization has transitioned from an iconic longtime leader to a young, take-the-bull-by-the-horns leader who is working to revitalize it. There is a huge pressure to bring about health change to an organization that was stagnated and dying. Signs were hopeful, change…
By: Stefania Tarasut on October 18, 2013
It is hard to place “theology” and “short” in the same sentence because just hearing the word theology stirs in us a plethora of feelings, images and complexities. In his little book “Theology: A very Short Introduction” David Ford does a pretty good job of not only being short, but being pretty objective as he…
By: Miriam Mendez on October 18, 2013
In reading, Theology: A Very Short Introduction, I found myself saying: “Yes! Yes! Yes!” Yes, because David Ford not only challenges and encourages me to think deeply about theology but also challenges me to go beyond thinking. Ford challenges me “to move from thinking about the discipline of theology into direct theological thinking, beginning with…
By: Telile Fikru Badecha on October 18, 2013
After reading Theology: A Very Short Introduction I noted a couple of crucial issues the author David Ford brilliantly discusses in relation to theology and religious studies. Throughout this book he emphasizes the need to think further and deeper to be able to engage with issues that are relevant to us in our ministry context.…
By: Michael Badriaki on October 18, 2013
This week’s reading “Theology: A Very Short Introduction” by David Ford drew out my thoughts about theology even further in rather unique ways. “Theology: A Very Short Introduction”, put to words what I’ve always wanted to articulate about my ongoing journey with Christian theology. Admittedly, there are times when I intellectually connect with Christian theology…
By: Carol McLaughlin on October 18, 2013
Reading David F. Ford’s Theology: A Very Short Introduction is at the same time compelling, in the sense of wanting to read more deeply and daunting, if ever so slightly, because he does not back away from asking the challenging questions one must ask in the study of theology. It is these questions in every…
By: Julie Dodge on October 18, 2013
As I sat to write about David F. Ford’s, “Theology: A Very Short Introduction”[1] I was uninspired. And then a phrase came to my mind: “Taste and see that the Lord is good…” (Psalm 34:8). It was then that I discovered what I was missing. Ford’s purpose is to provide an introduction to the huge…
By: rhbaker275 on October 18, 2013
Who needs theology? What is theology? How do we study theology? The weekly readings in the course of study on “Engaging Leadership Concepts” have attempted to stimulate our thinking as we consider these questions. What leaders believe is obviously important; equally important is to consider the basis and the source of belief. How leaders have…
By: Cedrick Valrie on October 18, 2013
Chocolate – sweet, savory, delicious, enjoyable, and it comes with an untold story. Often times those who take delight in eating chocolate are unaware of its journey before making it into their hands and stomachs. The chocolate industry is great at marketing, selling, and profiting tens of billions of dollars each year from the cocoa…
By: Raphael Samuel on October 18, 2013
The most common definition of theology is that it is “the study of God”. Sounds simple but nothing about theology is really simple. Many within the christian faith including myself, often pretend that we know all the answers to questions people asking. We trend to over simplify our answers as in the local proverb, “ones…
By: Richard Volzke on October 18, 2013
Ford, in his book Theology: A Very Short Introduction, calls us to look at theology in a holistic context with regards to our entire lives and the world around us. The author asks, “what is distinctive about our own period as a setting for doing theology?”[1] Ford answers to this question is, “the pace, extent,…
By: Ashley Goad on October 18, 2013
Where does one even begin with Ford’s brief masterpiece? Though it claims to be a very short introduction to theology, the author presents an overwhelming amount of material filled with an array of subjects from the theology of prayer and worship to the interpretation of theological texts. And this vast material is presented in a…
By: Mitch Arbelaez on October 18, 2013
Once again the topic before us is theology. As we discussed last week everyone is a theologian to some degree, for everyone has some type of thoughts regarding God. Whether it be the Christian God, or a lesser God, (yes, I am bias) or no God at all, just by entering into the discussion regarding…
By: John Woodward on October 18, 2013
If Grenz and Olson’s book Who Needs Theology is Theology 101, Ford’s book Theology: A Very Short Introduction would be Theology 301 or 401. Where Grenz and Olson provide a concise explanation of the task of theology, Ford actually takes you into the very practice of theology. He explains theology while doing theology. The reader…
By: Bill Dobrenen on October 17, 2013
David Ford’s, Theology: A Very Short Introduction (1999)[1] impacted me in a most powerful way. I first read it this summer while on vacation in eastern Oregon. The most amazing thing to me about this text is its unapologetic use of questions to explain theology. The questions presented are honest and insightful. As a young…
