By: Pablo Morales on October 29, 2015
INTRODUCTION The world is in constant change. These changes create new challenges that require leaders to think critically in order to provide solutions that will address those challenges in new and effective ways. The book Contemporary Social Theory is a summary of these efforts. SUMMARY Professor Anthony Elliot provides a summary of the vast array of issues…
By: Jason Kennedy on October 29, 2015
Introduction I am 40 and living with my parents….temporarily until my girls move to Texas permanently. On Monday at 6am as I head out the door, my dad asks, “what time will you be home?” Seriously, I am 40 years old with a wife and two children, I have flown all over the world, and…
By: Colleen Batchelder on October 29, 2015
Elliott seeks to uncover the social theory that is tied into sexuality, dominance and capitalism through the discussion of Marxism, Feminism, Structuralism and various other theories. He suggests that semiology plays a valid part in understanding these constructs and provides us with the ability to delve past the façade and seek to understand humanity and…
By: Claire Appiah on October 28, 2015
Change Is Inevitable Except For Moral Absolutes Contemporary Social Theory: An Introduction by Anthony Elliott Introduction This book is a rich, introductory resource on contemporary social theory as it is reflected in the disciplines of sociology, politics, history, and cultural studies. It is a great textbook for individuals who have little or no exposure to…
By: Anthony Watkins on October 28, 2015
Introduction Anthony Elliot’s book covers a broad range of social theories down through history from Marx, Weber and Freud, through Marcuse, Levi Straus, feminism and more. So, I recognized it encompasses a lot. I looked for a branch to perch on to try to survey the book’s material and try to digest some of it.…
By: Rose Anding on October 27, 2015
How do we live as individuals? How do we live in a society of different individuals and character? Introduction It’s often said that stereotypes are rooted in truth, but is this a valid statement? People who make this argument often want to justify their use of stereotypes. The problem with…
By: Jason Kennedy on October 23, 2015
INTRODUCTION Alister McGrath’s seminal work, Christian Theology: An Introduction seemed a daunting read. Covering some 2000 years of Christian thought, key figures, various doctrines, and debates, McGrath exhaustively explores the world of Christian theology and makes it reasonably accessible to the modern reader. Given the vastness of material, McGrath proverbially “eats the elephant one bite…
By: Garfield Harvey on October 23, 2015
What happens when a reader lacks the vocabulary or intellect to comprehend a ‘deep revelation’ of our opinionated approach to theology? How much context should be included to avoid distorting the truth? Who has the best biblical approach? What philosophies influence theology today? This I will answer: Pragmatism – results dictates the value of truth…
By: Phil Goldsberry on October 22, 2015
Introduction “Christian Theology”, by Alister E. McGrath, is a comprehensive look historically and theologically at the foundational tenants of the Christian faith. McGrath says in the opening “To the Reader: How to Use this Work”, “You must not be frightened by the amount of material the volume includes; you do not need to master…
By: Kevin Norwood on October 22, 2015
Introduction I love theology. As much as anyone can love a subject that is so expansive, complicated and deep. I have grown so much as I have studied systematic theology over the past few years. Knowing theological history helps me to better understand Christianity since Jesus walked the earth. Jesus encountered those who knew and…
By: Aaron Cole on October 22, 2015
Introduction: An Introduction to Christian Theology by Alister E. McGrath is a comprehensive reference on Christian theology. This resource takes you from theological arguments like the challenge and controversies of Gnosticism facing the early church to the tension that lies between a secular philosophy and Christian theology. The material is divided into three major sections:…
By: Colleen Batchelder on October 22, 2015
Are we simply pawns in God’s hand – waiting to be placed – waiting to be positioned on the checkered board? We look down and grip onto His grasp – praying that His desire will match our desire. His hands release and we’re scattered across the chess board – without reason, without cause and without…
By: Marc Andresen on October 22, 2015
Many of us may remember attending our first school dances: perhaps in junior high school. Observing such events now is very humorous because of the obvious discomfort of 13 year olds figuring out how to navigate across that expansive dance floor in order to ask someone to dance. It was not so amusing when I…
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: 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: 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: Garfield Harvey on October 16, 2015
Interestingly enough, Grenz/Olsen revealed that Bethany College vowed never to have a theology department. This speaks to the complexity with how we interact with the understanding of theology. The bias (or ignorance) against theology understands theology to be superstitious, boring and irrelevant to real life. The authors state, “It is not a question of whether…
