Tag: Theology

Narrative Theology in action – Donald Miller’s “Searching For God Knows What”

I’ve finished (not so long ago) “Searching For God Knows What” – the latest book from Donald Miller, the “Blue Like Jazz” guy. It’s a good read, and it’s certainly very easy to read. He takes a while to get warmed up, there’s not much of the first few chapters that I can really remember, but once he gets going, there are some great analogies in there. Highly recommend having a read.

And it certainly reads as a fairly solid example of “narrative theology” in action. (For a little background – have a look at my previous post on narrative theology) Miller’s ideas aren’t conveyed through propositional truths, instead he expands on his thoughts through stories, both of his own and those of others, to communicate meaning. He’s not interested in providing a list of statements of truth, but instead only offers his ideas as concepts that have been distilled from each narrative.

My initial reaction was one of excitement and, to a certain extent, relief. Relief that these ideas can work, at least on some level. I came away from reading “Searching For God Knows What” with a better understanding of what makes me tick, what makes others tick, and relating to God in general. The system works. The narrative structure of Miller’s theologising made it much easier to relate to what was being said, and there was definitely a feeling that this is how ideas like these should happen.

But…. (and there’s always a but)

I was also left with just an underlying feeling that it didn’t quite go deep enough. As much as I enjoyed reading it, and certainly “got stuff out of it”, there was a feeling that it almost became an exercise in “pop psychology”. I might have some post modernity in me, but it just felt like there wasn’t quite enough solid underneath it. To a degree, it felt like there is only a certain depth to which stories can travel, after that, you’re left with either going there on your own thoughts, or waiting for propositional truth.

And maybe that’s the poit of doing your theology in a narrative model – that it forces you to push to the depths yourself, rather than having someone do all the work for you. I’m not sure, but there was a slight feeling of dissatisfaction on finishing this book. I’d love to hear people’s thoughts on this – particularly if they have read the book themselves. Sorry that the post is a little dis-jointed and non-sensical.

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Meaning Making – A Model For Contextual Theology

This post is the second that have been adapted from my notes from a lecture with Wynand de Kock. It is likely to be a little disjointed, although I’ll try and expand this one out a little bit more and provide a little more personal opinion so that it has more of a natural flow. The ideas here are probably less difficult than in the narrative theology post, but it will probably go longer. It’s quite a long post, so you’ll have to click on the link to read the whole thing

Read more…

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Building an “Australian theology” – mateship, multiculturalism and malleability

The module for the first semester of my Tabor course is on doing “Theology in Context” – basically making sure that as we (the church in particular) “do theology”, that we are doing so in a way that is applicable to peoples lives and that considers the wider cultural setting. It’s all very good stuff, and it’s got the head really going. I love the notion that we’re removing the tendency towards theology becoming an end unto itself – your theology has to “do something”.

Last weeks reading was effectively lamenting the lack of “Australian Theology”. It pointed out that the christian community in Australia has imported their theology from the larger cousins – Europe historically, and the US more recently. Citing the contrasting cultures of Australia and the mother country, the need for Australians to generate their own thoughts and concepts of our relationship with God becomes increasingly evident.

So, the solution proposed is that we find our own Australian theology. Building on a quote from Paul Hogan in Crocodile Dundee, the thought is that we build a theology around mateship, and the ideas behind that:

“Nah. I read The Bible once. You know God and Jesus and all them apostles? They were all fishermen, just like me. Yeah, straight to heaven for Mick Dundee. Yep, me and God, we’d be mates.” (Source: IMDB)

It then goes on to deconstruct the history of the “mate” culture, and how you can apply that concept to our relationship with God, and with who Christ was. Which is a great concept, and it hits on a pretty fair point for lots of people in Australia.

But the notion that you are going to be able to come up with an “Australian theology” seems to me to be almost as foreign as the notion that you could apply a European theology, or an American theology to the Australian context. In our “cohort group” discussion stuff, we were talking about even the difference between the culture at Croydon Hills Baptist versus our church in Lilydale. And that’s not as a reflection on the church, but the setting that the specific church is in. And those two churches are less than 10 minutes drive apart!

Australian culture is so hard to define because it is so incredibly diverse. The theological analogies that would hit the spot with a group of Anglo-Australian bogans from Lilydale are going to be completely different than you can use on a group in the inner city, which is completely different from country Victoria.

So rather than look for a unifying “Australian theology”, or even a specifically “Lilydale theology”, I believe that we need a theology that is “culturally flexible” (I used malleability in the title ’cause it’s an ‘M’ word). A theology that has boiled down the heart of Jesus’ message to the deep centre, and can then apply the theology out of that heart. A theology that can sort the legalism from the heart of the law, and ask “Which is lawful… to do good or to do evil?” (my slight paraphrase of Luke 6:9).

We need to stop looking to the US (or the UK) to find our brilliant “God Formula”. Where God is doing things, we need to look not at what specific things churches are doing, not looking for the specifics, but to look at what the heart of God is behind that move of God. Breaking the colonial instinct of transferring culture in from outside, and instead of seeking to apply the good news of Christ directly where people are at.

OK, I’ve ranted enough.

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Bono-isms

I’m not sure how much it’s come out in the blog, but I’m a big U2 man. Love em. I would certainly say that some of my deepest personal worship moments in the past year or so have come at the hands of U2 pumping through the iPod (wow – aren’t I a post-modern cliche). The thing that I love the most about Bono’s lyrics is that I can hear a song a hundred times, then for some reason, in one instance, I’ll hear the most profound line, or just a perfect statement of where I’m at with God, or with the world, or whatever.

So – here it is. A list of some of my favourite Bono-isms. Those lines that just hit the spot. It’s not complete (so feel free to add some in the comments :) ) and I’m writing this on the train, so it’s even possible that the exact wording may be incorrect, but hear me out nevertheless. My favourite Bono-isms (with Song and Album)

  1. Love. The higher law. (“One”, “Achtung Baby”)
  2. Grace. It’s a name for a girl. It’s also a thought that changed the world. (“Grace”, “All That You Can’t Leave Behind”)
  3. And love is not an easy thing. The only baggage you can bring is all that you can’t leave behind (“Walk On”, “All That You Can’t Leave Behind”)
  4. One step closer to knowing. (“One Step Closer”, “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb”)
  5. Have you come here to play Jesus to the lepers in your head (“One”, “Achtung Baby”)
  6. You become a monster, so the monster will not break you (“Peace on Earth”, “All That You Can’t Leave Behind”)
  7. And I must be an acrobat, to talk like this, and act like that (“Acrobat”, “Achtung Baby”)
  8. They say they want the kingdom, but they don’t want God in it (“The Wanderer”, “Zooropa”)
  9. Feel like trash – you make me feel clean (“Ultraviolet (Light My Way)”, “Achtung Baby”)
  10. Wake up dead man. (“Wake Up Dead Man”, “Pop”)
  11. But you denied for others, what you demand for yourself (“Crumbs From Your Table”, “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb”)
  12. I gave you everything you ever wanted. It wasn’t what you wanted (“So Cruel”, “Achtung Baby”)
  13. In the name of love – what more in the name of love? (“Pride (In The Name Of Love)”, “Unforgettable Fire”)
  14. Ain’t love the sweetest thing? (“Sweetest Thing”, “Best Of 1980 – 1990″)
  15. Will it make it easier on you, now you’ve got someone to blame? (“One”, “Achtung Baby”)
  16. We’re one, but we’re not the same (“One”, “Achtung Baby”)
  17. I knew much more then, than I do now (“City Of Blinding Lights”, “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb”)
  18. I have a brother when I’m a brother in need. I spend my whole time running. He spends his running after me…. But for the first time, I feel love. (“The First Time”, “Zooropa”)
  19. You don’t have to always be right. Let me take some of the punches for you tonight (“Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own”, “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb”)
  20. Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own (“Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own”, “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb”)
  21. What no man can own, no man can take. Take this heart, And make it break (“Yahweh”, “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb) – courtesy of Tim
  22. Who’s to know when the time has come around (“Kite”, “All That You Can’t Leave Behind”)

Each little snippet has passed without saying anything to me. But likewise, each has at one stage or another, confronted something in me, or uplifted me (or both). These are only a handful, so let me know if you’ve got some other classics. Might even add them on.

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