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…
By: Phil Smart on October 17, 2013
Exit and Voice are expressions of two ways to affect change within an organization. However, I tend to disagree with Hirschman in his book Exit, Voice, and Loyalty. He states that within many organizations including churches, voice is almost the only way to be heard when dissatisfied with a situation (p. 76). Perhaps this highlights…
By: Garrick Roegner on October 17, 2013
Recently a good friend of mine embroiled in a denominational split said, “theology is everything.” My mother’s maiden name was Mullins, recently I traced the ancestry of that name back to its entry point into the colonies in the late 1600s. The name had originally been des Moulines (French) and belonged to a family of…
By: Sharenda Roam on October 17, 2013
“With the country (America) having been founded on exit and having thrived on it, the belief in exit as a fundamental and beneficial social mechanism has been unquestioning.” (Hirschman, 274) After listening to my students’ presentations today in my “World Religions” class I thought about the book by Albert O. Hirschman, “Exit, Voice and Loyalty:…
By: David Toth on October 17, 2013
Hirschman’s book addresses the topic of organizational realignment in the light of market share loss. He writes that there are three basic responses and some conflagrations of the three that could result in organizational success. The basic options are for the customer to “exit” which means the customer goes somewhere else for the goods or…
By: Richard Rhoads on October 17, 2013
All of us have had amazing co-workers leave our respective ministries. In these moments, have you ever heard a fellow leader who’s about to leave say, “God’s leading me onto a new ministry?” Now, I know this can often be true but what happens when you and all the other employees know the back story,…
By: Sandy Bils on October 17, 2013
These days the Catholic Church in Germany has a hard time. The public focus is on German Catholic Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst. After weeks of accusations and extended aswell as merciless media coverage the Bishop of Limburg now traveled to Rome to ask for consultations with Pope Francis. The Bishop is under fire for allowing…
By: Chris Ellis on October 17, 2013
One of things I love about my D.Min program is the wide variety of books I get to read. Many of the books assigned to us I wouldn’t naturally choose. This week’s book, Exit, Voice and Loyalty by Albert O. Hirschman is one of those books. Fortunately, my inclination to read or not read a…
By: Sam Stephens on October 17, 2013
Exit, Voice and Loyalty: Responses to decline in Organizations, Firms and State by Albert O. Hirschman is a short and quick read but one packed with a load of analytical information on how people respond to deterioration and decline, whether in an organization, a grouping of any sort, government or firms. The author initially begins…
By: Liz Linssen on October 17, 2013
Ford attempts to do several things through his book: bridge the dichotomy between the study of theology and religion; equip the theologian to effectively dialogue with other disciplines; and bring theology into practical relevance in our postmodern global community, all towards the goal of enabling individuals to find the Christian God. According to Ford, theology…
By: Deve Persad on October 17, 2013
Why ask questions? David Ford’s book, Theology: A Very Short Introduction, provides a challenging follow up to the Grenz & Olson book (Who Needs Theology?) from last week. Ford’s take on theology allows us the chance to think further, and deeper, about the role of theology in our own lives and its implications for our…
By: Fred Fay on October 16, 2013
A couple of years ago a church in our area had a pastoral change. The new pastor brought fresh energy and a desire to reach out to the community. Within a few weeks of taking the role, people became uneasy about his preaching style. It was more topical; less focused on scripture and did not…
By: Becky Stanley on October 14, 2013
Miller and Yamamori’s Global Pentecostalism vividly captures a growing trend among the global church today. He considers the buzzword of holistic development with a focus on social transformation in the church context. Interestingly while holistic development and social transformation in principle encompasses church’s mission, the church historically, either chosen to dichotomize it from the sacred…
By: Cedrick Valrie on October 14, 2013
In their book Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement, Miller and Yamamori do an extensive job investigating and sharing their findings on how Pentecostalism is impacting its global neighbors. As their four year journey takes them from country to country, the authors discover that Pentecostal organizations are about both raising their voices…
By: Telile Fikru Badecha on October 13, 2013
Reading “Who Needs Theology? An Invitation to the Study of God” by Stanley J. Grenz; Roger E. Olson refreshed my understanding about my theological studies and their contribution to the development of my Christian faith. I am reminded to appreciate the privilege that God has granted me to study theology so that I have a…
