Laurie Green

Colleges & Courses will warm to a new edition.

Preface

PART I: DESCRIBING THE PROCESS

Chapter 1: Transforming Theology
Why do theology?
Participating in Theology
Let's Do Theology!
Living through exciting times:
1. Salvation and the Kingdom of God
2. All theology has context
3. Theology includes action
4. The question of power
5. God's concern for the marginalised
6. Courageous spirituality

Chapter 2: A New Way to Do Theology
Developing a method
The Doing Theology Spiral
Some health warnings
An African Example
A British urban example
Getting stuck
Mind the Gap

PART II: THE FOUR PHASES

Chapter 3: Starting from Experience
Making the experience come alive
1. Getting to know the group
2. Discerning the Focus
3. Sharing First impressions
4. Explaining the process
5. Getting the best from the group
6. The Group
7. Personality differences
8. The Leadership
9. Confidence building
10. Tools to encourage the theological process
a. Stating the Problem
b. Word-association
c. Keeping a record
d. Multi-media

Chapter 4: Exploring
From Anecdote to analysis
Using the analytical tools
Gathering analytical information
Gathering historical information
Gathering geographical information
Gathering social information
Gathering economic information
Discerning the culture
Religious factors
The exploration of ourselves
Making sense of the information
Looking for connections
Looking for causes
Looking for values
6. Celebrating the Group

Chapter 5: Reflecting
1. Challenge from the Christian tradition
2. Why do theological reflection?
3. The liberation of the imagination
4. A selection of set pieces
a. Biblical Approaches
i. Simple list
ii. The checklist
iii. Bibliodrama
iv. Public enactment
v. Bible themes & characters
vi. Narrating the Bible
vii. Prepared questions
viii. Using art materials
5. Connecting with other Christian treasures
6. Making the connections
7. The Baby and the Bathwater
8. Checking our intuitions
9. Focusing the Vision

Chapter 6: Responding
Fulfilling the Dream
Knowing what is to be done
Criteria for selection
Importance and viability
Who will benefit?
Causes not symptoms
Who will be involved?
Will the response preach the gospel?
Aims and Strategies
Implementation
Dealing with our fears
Continuing round the spiral

PART III: THINKING IT THROUGH

Chapter 7: Challenging implications1. The problem of hermeneutics
2. The question of authority
3. Who should do theology?
4. The People's Theologian

Chapter 8: Other Styles of Theologising
Styles determined by Role
i. Personal Walk with God
ii. Me and my Group
iii. Me in the Ministry
iv. The Church in Society
Styles determined by Learning Preference
i. The living human document
ii. Constructing Stories
iii. Acting out the Mind of Christ
iv. Living the Body of Christ
v. Speaking out about God
vi. Value-committed Action
vii. Theology with a local accent
Where Do I see God?
i. Treasure Hunt Theology
ii. God on the attack
iii. Planting the Gospel
iv. God in the Mix
v. The Praxis Model
4. Four criticisms
5. A Rule of Life

Chapter 9: Spirituality ~ Where will we find God?
1. A Rabbinic Story
a. Finding God where you are
b. Finding God in servanthood
c. Finding God at the edges
d. Finding God in the Issues
e. Finding God in repentance
f. Finding God in money, sex and power
2. Joys and Sorrows in the Spirit
a. Theology and self-sacrifice
b. Celebration with the struggle
3. Worship and prayer
4. The Practice of Prayer
5. Converting the Church
6. Church as Privileged Instrument of the Kingdom

Appendix: A survey of sub-disciplines usually considered to be the content of academic or conventional theology
Selected bibliography and contact addresses