Christ and Context: The Confrontation between Gospel and Culture

Description

There is a growing awareness of cultural diversity and plurality on the one hand and shared responsibility for our planet on the other. The sense of cultural identity exposes the wealth and richness of our heritage but also introduces its risks, like the proliferation of often violent independence and separatist movements. A sense of shared responsibility represents the hope to avoid ecological catastrophe and highlights the problems of inequality, poverty and suffering. Is our understanding of cultures and contexts affected, or even dramatically transformed, by our perception of Christ and Trinitarian theology? This series of essays addresses the issues of cultural plurality and diversity, poverty, sexist and racist oppression and ecological crisis, and aims to discuss the place of Christ in our understanding of human contextuality. Authors include Gustavo Gutiérrez, Jürgen Moltmann, Johann Metz, Janet Martin Soskice and John de Gruchy. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Preface Contents 1. Introduction 2. The Future of Theology in a Complex World On Being Theologically Responsible The Problem of Complexity and Culture Context, Culture and God's Presence Cultures and the Agenda for Theology Precedents for Such Concerns The Failings of Theology Moving Beyond Our Bad Habits Approaching the Task of Theology Theology as Poesis The New Form of Wisdom The Needs of a Creative Poesis 3. The Truth Looks Different from Here Responses by Jurgen Moltmann and Sue Patterson Reply by Janet Martin Soskice 4. Joy in the Midst of Suffering Introduction 1. Doing Theology 2. Poverty 3. Job Conclusion Responses by John de Gruchy and Stephen May Reply by Gustavo Gutierrez 5. Christ in Feminist Context I. Can a Male Saviour Save Women? II. Relationship and its Consequences 1 2 3 III. Traces of a Feminist Christology Responses by Janet Martin Soskice Response by Veronica Brady 6. Christian Witness and the Transformation of Culture Society in Transition Discerning the Kairos in a Period of Political Transition The Church in South Africa as the Mirror Image of Cultural Division and Conflict Christian Witness to the Promise and Hope of the Transformation of Culture The Role of the Church as Bearer of Christian Witness in this Period of Transition A Witness to Humanizing Values in the Building of a New Nation Identification with the Victims of Oppression and Representative of the Guilty Responses by Daniel Hardy and Douglas Campbell Reply by John de Gruchy 7. Christ in Cosmic Context 1. Christ After Chernobyl 2. An Outline for a Differentiated Cosmic Christology 3. Christ — Evolution's Driving Force or its Victim? Responses by Alan Torrance and Gustavo Gutierrez Reply by Jurgen Moltmann 8. The 'One World': A Challenge to Western Christianity I II III IV Responses by Neil Darragh 1. The Challenge 2. My Task in Response 3. The experience of being Pakeha 4. The Other as Partner Response by Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel 9. The Spirit of God in Creation and Reconciliation Introduction: Contextuality and the Trinitarian God On Poesis, Theory and Truth-Telling The Modes and Operation of Contextuality The Dynamics of Contextuality "A long rumour of wisdom... fierce vigil of contingency, love's congruence...' The Contextual Loss of God Reconciliation in Contextuality Conclusion Notes on contributors Index, author Index, subject List of sponsors