I rather like Tom Wright's introduction to an early book of his -New Tasks for a Renewed Church' . Writing theology can be 'a bit like erecting scaffolding round a (church) spire. For some of the time, it may seem to obscure the sharp image of the church's witness etched against the secular images all around it. But theology, and biblical study do not exist for their own sake (though, like a good scaffolder, we theologians sometimes take pride in our work). They exist to get the church back into shape for the tasks it needs to perform.'
His main argument is that :-
>We face a new set of challenges to the church-significantly different from the challenges Christians have received and responded too in recent decades. These challeneges are not new in themselves and there is wisdom from the past to draw on.
> The various movements of renewal have been preparing us for these challenges; - renewal of Christian interest in ecumenism, in liturgy, in the Holy Spirit, in biblical study, in social and political action, and many other things.----'There are new tasks facing us , and a renewed church can face up to them in the knowledge that, through the wise provision of her Lord, she is in principle equal to them.'
> 'The new tasks for the renewed church demand a new look at, and perhaps understanding of, the question: What is our Gospel? The answer to this question is found 'in a new examination of the basic story of Jesus, understanding it within the Jewish context of the time.'
This is of course the question which Tom Wright (or TD Wright when writing for scholars!) has been exploring for many years in many books and papers since this book was published (1992)
No comments:
Post a Comment