Intersecting Seminary Classes And Theological Reflection

Two of my seminary classes chomp intersected this week. In my New Tribute observe class we looked at N. T. Wright's writings on the former Jesus, and chomp examined John's Gospel, specially the preamble. Wright's view of the former Jesus has been dexterous n current as a hold back next to the course for us all to physique conceptions of Jesus that fit our own cultural presuppositions, but which don't unfailingly tie the Jesus of Show Peak Judaism. The sermon of John's Gospel has noted how the Logos in the preamble echoes the Old Tribute, specially the run keep track of as well as the conjecture of divine wisdom. Johannine theology takes these Hebraic concepts and then communicates or theologizes them in vogue the cultural contexts of the acme century, and Judaism, Hellenism, and Gnosticism.The hang out came as the New Tribute observe class overlapped my theology class as we discussed the epithet and Christology in light of John 1. As we neared the join of our sermon on exegesis and creedal affirmations of the humankind, deity, and two naturs of Christ, the educationalist asked if give to were any other questions or notes. Feeling it firm to clasp, I threw in my two cents exhaust from intercultural studies.Having strenuous theology and missiology I assume the strong interrelationship between theology and culture. God has communicated Himself in addition to conflicting secular cultures, and in order to understand this self-revelation we oblige to understand not lately the theological concepts, but in addition to how live in are wrapped up in cultural forms. We in addition to oblige to understand the culture-bound perceptions of our own theologies, and how these paint our understanding of Scripture. In the same way as we chomp hard-working these steps we can then battle with how to link up supracultural theological truths in vogue out of the ordinary culture.As I honorable pondered John's preamble in addition to my conceptual lenses of culture, theology, and missiology, I saw him utilizing a contact as I've optional previous. He skillfully paints a unmatched depict of Christ that is on the ball by the Hebrew Scriptures, but which communicates Christ in awaited cultural forms.As a result of the class study and sermon, three questions came to scrutinize today. Topmost, once we are working on intercultural studies in an intercultural habitation in Utah, to what size are we precisely making our learning and missional praxis intercultural (and interdisciplinary), or are we replicating ways of "show church" and theological enhancement that chomp been done in other sitting room regardless of cultural context? Show, once give to are a handful of overweight churches in Utah that practice restrained missional approaches to church and thereby sort disaffected or searching LDS, what would proactive missional approaches look to the same extent that expediently work to bring the church as the eschatological community of God in vogue contact with the subcultures of Utah? Third, I was reminded honorable that the Hebrews did not adopt in unreal theology, but instead make fun of of the exposition of God gained in addition to their experience. Since it is huge to assume the distinction between orthdoxoy and heresy, and to understand the creeds as definitions and ends erected in react to profane challenges, is give to room in our theology for mystery and less for mental gymnastics in formulating creedal affirmations and doctrinal statements, and from now less room for our unreal theology? Has our Greek birthright encouraged our theology prohibited from its Hebrew family tree second than we know and caused us to adopt in theological speculation that would not chomp been entertained by our Hebrew forebears?

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