Engaging With Contemporary Culture: Christianity, Theology And The Concrete Church PDF
Preview Engaging With Contemporary Culture: Christianity, Theology And The Concrete Church
ENGAGING WITH CONTEMPORARY CULTURE I commend Martyn Percy’s new book to Anglican and Catholic laity, pastors, theologians,andbishops.All,withhissprightlyprosedrawingthemin,willfind themselvesjoininghissearchforauthenticpathsforChristianfaith.Allwillalso find something to disagree with. Percy’s well-researched work is not a polite chat about how we can all get along better. His practical theology examines lived faith and ordinary life, where Christianity and culture meet. Thomas Hughson, SJ, Marquette University, Milwaukee, USA Martyn Percy has provided an insightful and fresh approach to the dialogue between theology, church and world. He achieves this through a series of penetrating theological sketches touching the everyday life of churches and western culture. The accent is on engagement, the theology is practical and grounded. The result is an intellectually robust, accessible and provocative public theology. He shows himself to be a theologian at the cutting edge of contemporary Christian Theology. A joy to read and plenty of food for further engagement. Stephen Pickard, School of Theology, Charles Sturt University, Australia Theology and the churches are often considered to be at the margins of contemporaryculture,frequentlystrugglingforidentityandattention.Inthis important new book Martyn Percy argues that a rich form of practical theological engagement is needed if the churches are to comprehend their situation in the modern world, thereby enabling them to engage more confidently with society. Drawing on a range of perspectives in the religion– culture debate, and from case studies in the USA and Europe, the book explores the myriad of ways in which culture is now shaping contemporary Christianity, and how vital an appreciation of this dynamic is for the self- understanding of churches and theology. Thisbookexploresthecrucialandcontinuingcontributionthattheologycan make to public life, in an era that is often perceived to be dominated by consumerism and secularity. It will especially appeal to scholars of contemporary religion, practical theologians, and all those who are engaged in ministerial formation. Explorations in Practical, Pastoral and Empirical Theology Series Editors: Leslie J. Francis, University of Wales, Bangor, UK and Jeff Astley, University of Durham and Director of the North of England Institute for Christian Education, UK Theologicalreflectiononthechurch’spracticeisnowrecognizedasa significant element in theological studies in the academy and seminary. Ashgate’s new series in practical, pastoral and empirical theology seeks to fosterthisresurgenceofinterestandencouragenewdevelopmentsinpractical andappliedaspectsoftheologyworldwide. Thistimely seriesdrawstogether a wide range of disciplinary approaches and empirical studies to embrace contemporarydevelopmentsincluding:theexpansionofresearchinempirical theology,psychologicaltheology,ministrystudies,publictheology,Christian educationandfaithdevelopment;keyissuesofcontemporarysocietysuchas health, ethics and the environment; and more traditional areas of concern such as pastoral care and counselling. Other titles published in this series: A Reader on Preaching Making Connections Edited by David Day, Jeff Astley and Leslie J. Francis Congregational Studies in the UK Christianity in a Post-Christian Context Edited by Mathew Guest, Karin Tusting and Linda Woodhead Women’s Faith Development Patterns and Processes Nicola Slee Divine Revelation and Human Learning A Christian Theory of Knowledge David Heywood Engaging with Contemporary Culture Christianity, Theology and the Concrete Church MARTYN PERCY # Martyn Percy, 2005 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwisewithoutthepriorpermissionof the publisher. Martyn Percy has asserted his moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as author of this work. Published by Ashgate Publishing Limited Ashgate Publishing Company Gower House Suite420 CroftRoad 101Cherry Street Aldershot Burlington Hants GU113HR VT 05401-4405 England USA Ashgate website: http://www.ashgate.com British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Percy, Martyn Engaging with contemporary culture : Christianity, theology and the concrete church. – (Explorations in practical, pastoral and empirical theology) 1. Christianity and culture 2. Theology, Practical 3. Secularization (Theology) I. Title 261 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Percy, Martyn. Engagingwithcontemporaryculture:Christianity,theology,andtheconcrete church / Martyn Percy.—1st ed. p.cm.—(Explorations in practical, pastoral, and empirical theology) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7546-3259-8 (alk. paper) 1. Christianity and culture. 2. Theology, Doctrinal. I. Title. II. Series. BR115.C8P37 2005 261—dc22 2004013983 ISBN 0 7546 3259 8 Typeset by Tradespools, Frome, Somerset Printed and bound in Great Britain by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham For Stewart, Nick and Tim This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgements xi Introduction: Christianity, Theology and Contemporary Culture 1 Practical theology: the background 7 Practical theology as methodology 10 Practical theology: further reflections 12 PART I THEOLOGY, CHURCH AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE 1 Church, Authority and the Culture of Credibility 19 Roman Catholicism in North America: four writers in dialogue 19 Teaching authority 29 Authenticity and authority 32 Authority and discipleship 37 2 Christianity and Consumerism 41 Preamble: Going to church in Atlanta 41 Religious studies, culture and contemporary Christianity 43 Choice, consumerism and Christianity 46 Christmas, Christianity and culture 54 Christianity in a secular society 59 3 Theology and Cultural Challenge 63 Introduction 63 The deductive possibility: John Milbank and Radical Orthodoxy 66 The reductive possibility: Lieven Boeve and reflexive theology 70 The inductive possibility: David Martin and socio-theology 74 Reflexive religion and contemporary culture 78 Theological engagement 83 PART II ORDINARY THEOLOGY 4 Acuity, Clarity and Practical Wisdom 89 Introduction 89 Practical theology, ecclesiology and formation 96 viii Engagingwith ContemporaryCulture Describing faith: some perspectives 99 What is theological knowledge? 102 World-views 106 Summary 109 5 Mother Church 111 Introduction 111 Mother church 114 Metaphor and metamorphosis 118 The nature of theology 122 The nature of the church 125 The nature of theological education 129 Conclusion 132 6 Formation, Transformation and Liberation 133 Introduction 133 Transformation 136 Liberation 139 Wisdom 143 Education and vocation 147 Understanding 149 Conclusion 153 PART III THEOLOGICAL CULTURE AND THE CONCRETE CHURCH 7 Adventure and Atrophy in a Charismatic Movement 157 Introduction 157 Interpreting Toronto: a methodological sketch 160 Immersed in the river of revival: returning to Toronto 166 Adventure and atrophy 172 Conclusion 176 8 A Blessed Rage for Order 181 The origin and anatomy of reform 182 Reform: an ethnographic sketch 187 An interpretative horizon 189 Money, sex and power 194 Reading Reform differently 198 Conclusion 203 9 Comic Turns 207 Introduction 207 Anglicanism as irony and comedy 209 Contents ix Anglicanism: comic and ironic 212 Excursion: Continuing Anglican Churches as alternative comedy 217 Further reflections 220 The cultural nature of Anglican Communion 223 Comic endings: what is the future for the Anglican Communion? 227 Concluding and unscientific postscript: quadripolar Anglicanism 228 Conclusion: Authentic Engagement 231 Bibliography 237 Index 251
The list of books you might like
