Letters to a Young Theologian

323 Pages·2022·3.527 MB·English

by  Henco van der Westhuizen (editor)

V
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A feast of wisdom and insight on Cynthia Rigby Heinrich Bedford-Strohm
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the theological vocation e Letters . Hanna Reichel
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W
e . .
Jürgen Moltmann to Miroslav Volf
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Theology is, for many, far more than a profession. It is an t
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identity, a passion, a way of life. While books on theology Christoph Schwoebel Katherine Sonderegger
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are countless, books on the identity of the theologian are e
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Alister McGrath Nicholas Wolterstorff
all too rare.
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L Michael Welker Richard Kearney
In this helpful volume, Henco van der Westhuizen has e
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assembled an outstanding and diverse array of theologians t Stanley Hauerwas a Jan-Olav Henriksen
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who each offer their wisdom and reflection on what e
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r Karen Kilby Traci West Adam Neder
it means to be a theologian through a letter written to
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someone considering the field. t Mitzi Smith . Gijsbert van den Brink
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Each letter is as unique as its author, and together they form a Daniel Migliore Wolfgang Huber

a rich symphony on the art and craft of being a theologian. Y
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o Ellen Charry Young Johan Cilliers
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n David Fergusson Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen
Henco van der Westhuizen is senior lecturer in historical
g
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and constructive theology at University of the Free State, Catherine Keller John de Gruchy
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South Africa.
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Willie James Jennings Emmanuel Katongole
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Michael Mawson Douglas Ottati
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o
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g Denise Ackermann Robert Vosloo
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Kevin Vanhoozer Bram van de Beek
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Theology, Letters, Essays $19.00
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Graham Ward Theologian Allan Boesak
. .
Piet Naudé Paul Nimmo Rachel Muers
Henco van der Westhuizen, Editor
Letters to a
Young Theologian

Letters to a
Young Theologian
Edited by
Henco van der Westhuizen
Fortress Press
Minneapolis
LETTERS TO A YOUNG THEOLOGIAN
Copyright © 2022 Fortress Press. Original edition published in The United States
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ern English by J. B. Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered
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Scripture quotations marked (RSV) are from the Revised Standard Version of the
Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ
in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Chapter 10 is a version of an article that originally appeared as Stanley Hauerwas,
“Go with God: An Open Letter to Young Christians on Their Way to College,”
First Things, November 2010, https:// www .firstthings .com/ article/ 2010/ 10/ go
-with -god. Reprinted with permission.
Chapter 16 is a version of an article that originally appeared as Kevin Vanhooz-
er, “Letter to an Aspiring Theologian: How to Speak of God Truly,” First Things,
August 2018, https:// www .firstthings .com/ article/ 2018/ 08/ letter -to -an -aspiring
-theologian. Reprinted with permission.
Cover design: Kristin Miller
Print ISBN: 978-1-928314-98-1
eBook ISBN: 978-1-928314-99-8

Contents
Introduction • 1
On Ways to Theology
1. Hanna Reichel • 9 4. Michael Welker • 25
2. Jürgen Moltmann • 15 5. David Fergusson • 31
3. Miroslav Volf (I) • 21 6. Nicholas Wolterstorff • 34
On Hermeneutics, Reading, Writing
7. Richard Kearney • 47 10. Stanley Hauerwas • 64
8. Piet Naudé • 54 11. Miroslav Volf (II) • 74
9. Karen Kilby • 59
On Ways in Theology
12. Jan- Olav Henriksen • 81 16. Kevin Vanhoozer • 109
13. Katherine Sonderegger • 87 17. Bram van de Beek • 120
14. Christoph Schwoebel • 92 18. Daniel Migliore • 130
15. Paul T. Nimmo • 104 19. Wolfgang Huber • 138
On Flourishing, Blossoming, Liberating
20. Miroslav Volf (III) • 145 22. Ellen T. Charry • 157
21. Robert Vosloo • 150 23. Emmanuel Katongole • 164
vii
24. Mitzi Smith • 170 27. Willie James Jennings • 193
25. Traci C. West • 178 28. Adam Neder • 204
26. Allan Boesak • 182
On Healing, Wholeness, Dignity
29. Rachel Muers • 211 32. John de Gruchy • 230
30. Denise Ackermann • 217 33. Michael Mawson • 234
31. Catherine Keller • 224 34. Douglas F. Ottati • 245
On Public Life, Science, Interreligious Dialogue
35. Heinrich 37. Gijsbert van den Brink • 269
Bedford- Strohm • 253
38. Alister E. McGrath • 280
36. Graham Ward • 262
39. Veli-M atti Kärkkäinen • 287
On Fun, Joy, Imagination
40. Johan Cilliers • 301 41. Cynthia L. Rigby • 307
viii Contents
Introduction
By the way, it would be very nice if you didn’t throw away my theo-
logical letters. . . . Perhaps I might want to read them again later. . . .
One writes some things more freely and more vividly in a letter than
in a book, and often I have better thoughts in a conversation by cor-
respondence than by myself.
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “To Eberhard Bethge, Tegel,
July 8 and 9, 1944”
Letter- writing is a great way to do theology.
— John de Gruchy, “On Locusts and Wild Honey—
Letter Writing as Doing Theology”
Although there have been many books with the title Letters to a
Young . . . , the title of this book by no means speaks for itself. In fact,
all five of the words in the title— theologian, young, a, to, and letters— are
significant.
I will begin with the end of the title, with theologian.
With theologian, I have in mind those interested in why we study the-
ology; in what it means to study theology, to really study theology; in what
makes theology theology; in what it means to be a theologian. Why do
many say that studying theology is an odyssey, a pilgrimage, a sojourn?
Whereto does this lead? What will we have to look out for? Who do we
listen to, what do we touch or taste?
With theologian, I also have in mind those who are theologians,
those who would want to be theologians, those interested in theology
and the doing thereof, particularly those doing theology in and through
these letters.
1