{"id":3875,"date":"2015-02-05T02:52:55","date_gmt":"2015-02-05T02:52:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=3875"},"modified":"2015-02-05T02:52:55","modified_gmt":"2015-02-05T02:52:55","slug":"utopia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/utopia\/","title":{"rendered":"Utopia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stephen Bevans, Models of Contextual Theology, <\/em>David Neville\u2019s, The Bible, Justice and Public Theology,<\/em> and Kathryn Tanner\u2019s, Spirit in the Cities<\/em> 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\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n

I first read Bevans and was drawn in by his description of the praxis model of theology. Bevans said, \u201cthe praxis model of contextual theology is done not simply by providing relevant expressions of Christian faith but also by commitment to Christian action.[1]<\/a>\u201d The praxis model is challenging all believers to get up out of the church pew and actual do something. We can talk all we want but the praxis model reminds me of James words \u201cfaith without action is dead.\u201d Yet, when I read this, I knew right where the tension in all of this was headed. We have all seen the overzealous believer make his overnight plans and head out on a social crusade only to create more damage and hurt the already fragile Christian image. The heart might have been good but as Bevans reminds us, that is not enough either.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, in America, the overzealous believer with a good heart but poor practice has dug Christianity in a big hole and I\u2019m not sure how to get out. Neville further articulated this issue for me when he said, \u201cPubic theology\u2026faces two main challenges: the challenge of constructing a credible Christian perspective on the matter under discussion, and the challenge of expressing this perspective in an intelligible way to the diverse audiences that comprise secular society.[2]<\/a>\u201d The challenge for us is pretty clear but the issue is really complex. Christians have a hard enough time agreeing on our own Christian perspectives. We can easily see just how important it is to have a credible Christian perspective leading the way, yet the problem is Christians argue with each other and take any credibility away we might have had in the conversation. I\u2019m generally a very optimistic person but I\u2019ll admit I have been a little cynical as I read this week. How do we as believers even make a dent in these issues?<\/p>\n

Tanner gave me a glimpse of hope as she beautifully described different cities and how in each city there is an exciting and vibrant spirit at work. All three of the books we read this week mentioned the need for an utopian vision but it was Tanner that helped me understand why this is so important to my theology. Tanner said, \u201ca necessary component of theology is utopia, the ability to think critically about the social and physical places that emplot our lives by measuring them against the ideal place that actually exists nowhere. Utopia can also be an alternative name for the invisible church.[3]<\/a>\u201d Utopia here on earth isn\u2019t possible yet, Tanner points out that the church can show the way towards utopia, \u201cnot in the popular sense of a chimerical dream, but in the sense of being a reality that \u2018is not but yet will be.[4]<\/a>\u201d My optimistic juices are starting to flow again. The church can pave the way. Through deep thinking, open conversation, reflection, and clear articulation, the Church can move forward in action and point the way. Through beautifully describing different cities Tanner reminds us that this is done through the local church and that the spirit is still alive and vibrant in our cities. May I faithfully join the efforts of the local church and thoughtfully take action, giving people a glimpse of the possible utopia in heaven.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Stephen B. Bevans,\u00a0Models of Contextual Theology<\/em>, rev. ed. (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2002), 72.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> David J. Neville, ed.,\u00a0The Bible, Justice, and Public Theology (The Bible in the Modern World)<\/em>\u00a0Wipf & Stock, 2014), 31.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Kathryn Tanner,\u00a0Spirit in the Cities<\/em>\u00a0(Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2009), 19.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Ibid., 102<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stephen Bevans, Models of Contextual Theology, David Neville\u2019s, The Bible, Justice and Public Theology, and Kathryn Tanner\u2019s, 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\u2019t enough. I first read Bevans and was drawn in by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[15,596,597],"class_list":["post-3875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-bevans","tag-neville","tag-tanner","cohort-lgp5"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3875"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3875\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3876,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3875\/revisions\/3876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}