By: Jon Spellman on February 12, 2015
As I was getting started into the intro and first chapter of this week’s reading, I thought to myself “Great, this will be easy! I’ll just connect the dots between the ‘agora’ and ‘ecclesia’ and make this week’s post a ‘part 2’ of last week’s. I should be able to really drive home my assertion…
By: Mary Pandiani on February 12, 2015
Like Bauman’s Collateral Damage, I’m going to take “a series of tributaries”[1] that express some places where his book exposed me Tributary One I’ll be honest; I did not want to read this book. Just looking at the title and subtitle, I knew I would be overwhelmed by the problems of society. There seems to…
By: Nick Martineau on February 12, 2015
The other day my wife pulled out some cookies from the oven and laid them on the counter. Just a few minutes later my daughter jumped up on the counter, smelled the cookies, and then quickly managed to lick each one. I was in shock. When I asked her what in the world she was…
By: Dawnel Volzke on February 7, 2015
Being culturally relevant is an issue that the Christian community has faced for centuries. We each see the world and perceive situations through our own lens, drawing assumptions and developing our own thoughts and ideas. Each of us is unique and acts out our faith in a very personal way. Hence, many intelligent ministry professionals…
By: Travis Biglow on February 6, 2015
Observations of Theology Only February 5, 15 I really don’ t need to start with any order in the books I have read but clearly the lady from London in Spirit in the Cities really got my attention. She observes culture in a way to me that is demeaning and uppity. I lived in the…
By: Brian Yost on February 5, 2015
As I try to synthesize the readings from the books Models of Contextual Theology, Spirit in the Cities: Searching for Soul in the Urban Landscape, and The Bible, Justice, and Public Theology, the word that keeps coming to mind is “relevance”. Spirit in the Cities paints a landscape of urban life that is often missed…
By: Phillip Struckmeyer on February 5, 2015
I received a text message two weeks ago from my sister’s sister-in-law, Jane, asking me if I would “do her wedding.” While this sounds like a reasonable request that would be a note that plays rather readily in the song of my mind and life, it actually has become something sounding like a high pitch…
By: Mary Pandiani on February 5, 2015
Pastor Ron was a Lutheran pastor in the Salishan/Eastside area of Tacoma, known for its gang affiliation, poverty, and high crime rate. He saw himself more of a parish priest who emphasized the strengths and assets of a community when they rallied together over yet another gang shooting. He ministered all over the city from…
By: Jon Spellman on February 5, 2015
Public Theology So, what did the disciples hear Jesus say? While we have a written record of many things spoken by him,what they heard him say was undoubtedly different than what was recorded and preserved in the biblical texts. Without being present with them, smelling the air, tasting the tastes, feeling the textures of the…
By: Nick Martineau on February 5, 2015
Stephen Bevans, Models of Contextual Theology, David Neville’s, The Bible, Justice and Public Theology, and Kathryn Tanner’s, Spirit in the Cities have given me plenty to think about and in a good uncomfortable way they have reminded me that thinking/talking about these things just aren’t enough. I first read Bevans and was drawn in by…
By: Dave Young on February 4, 2015
The list of terms seems endless—contextual theology, public theology, practical theology, pastoral theology—how can we make sense of it all? The three books under discussion (Models of Contextual Theology; The Bible, Justice and Public Theology; and Spirit in the Cities) clearly claimed that theology isn’t just for the Academy or for dusty libraries. It must…
By: Travis Biglow on February 1, 2015
The Economic Evolution January 31st 2015 While at time the details in The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of our Time got a little cumbersome it was interesting to read how economical institutions flourished and survived. Looking at the way power and countries came together and how society internationally bonded was interesting. While…
By: Dawnel Volzke on January 30, 2015
The economic historian, Karl Polanyi, in his book The Great Transformation, looked at the world’s economy from the days of agriculture to the market based system that we have today. His book provides great insight into the impact that the market based economy has had and could have on nations. “It is indispensable for understanding…
By: Jon Spellman on January 30, 2015
Not Sure If I’m OK With This. Adam Smith suggested that the division of labor in society was dependent upon the existence of markets, or, as he put it, upon man’s “propensity to barter, truck and exchange one thing for another.” This phrase was later to yield the concept of the Economic Man. In retrospect…
By: Brian Yost on January 30, 2015
In his book The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of Our Time, Karl Polanyi paints a fascinating picture of the history and inherent pitfalls of our capitalist systems. One area that Polanyi stresses is the concept of a self-regulating market. He is quick to point out that “market economy if left to evolve…
By: Nick Martineau on January 29, 2015
The Great Transformation – The Political and Economic Origins of Our Time By Karl Polanyi The other day the gaslight came on so I pulled up to the pump and filled the entire tank in my Toyota Camry for just over $25. I’m the kind of guy that never notices gas prices, I just…
By: Phillip Struckmeyer on January 29, 2015
Are self-regulated markets the real evil of the industrial revolution that have fundamentally flawed the core development of the “Western World”? I believe Karl Polanyi in his book, “The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of our Time” not only poses this ultimate question but answers it with a resounding yes. Joseph Stiglitz in…
By: Dave Young on January 29, 2015
As I read the opening chapters of The Great Transformation images of Downton Abbey were dancing in my head. Ok, my secret is out: I’m a fan. I could certainly blame my wife, but I really do enjoy it, despite its similarities to a soap opera. Set in the fictional Yorkshire estate, it depicts the…
By: Mary Pandiani on January 28, 2015
Baldo by Hector D. Cantu and Carlos Castellanos As I read Polayni’s The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of Our Time and a number of reviews, I find myself asking more questions than finding answers. Perhaps that’s what happens when a new paradigm is introduced. The “new” paradigm, ironically not so new with a…
By: Dawnel Volzke on January 24, 2015
Marykate Morse’s book, Making Room for Leadership: Power, Space, and Influence, provides actionable advice for exerting influence over others to achieve intended results. “Leadership is not something produced for certain occasions and specific roles. Leadership happens all the time, and it happens when we use our bodies to influence others.”[1] A good leader uses power effectively…
