How (Not) to Speak of God - Softcover

Rollins, Peter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1557255059 ISBN 13: 9781557255051

Publisher: Paraclete Press, 2006

Synopsis

With sensitivity to the Christian tradition and a rich understanding of postmodern thought, Peter Rollins argues that the movement known as the “emerging church” offers a singular, unprecedented message of transformation that has the potential to revolutionize the theological and moral architecture of Western Christianity.
How (not) to Speak of God sets out to explore the theory and praxis of this contemporary expression of faith. Rollins offers a clear exploration of this embryonic movement and provides key resources for those involved in communities that are conversant with, and seeking to minister effectively to, the needs of a postmodern world.
 
“Here in pregnant bud is the rose, the emerging new configuration, of a Christianity that is neither Roman nor Protestant, neither Eastern nor monastic; but rather is the re-formation of all of them. Here, in pregnant bud, is third-millennium Christendom.” —Phyllis Tickle
 
“I am a raving fan of the book you are holding. I loved reading it. I have already begun widely recommending it. Reading it did good for my mind and for my soul. It helped me understand my own spiritual journey more clearly, and it gave me a sense of context for the work I’m involved in. In fact, I would say this is one of the two or three most rewarding books of theology I have read in ten years.” —Brian McLaren, from the Foreword

About this title

About the Author

PETER ROLLINS has a 1st class honours degree in scholastic philosophy, a Masters (with distinction) in political theory and social criticism, and a PhD for his thesis, 'His colour is our blood: A phenomenology of the prodigal father', all from Queens University Belfast, where he currently lectures in the philosophy of religion and ethics. He is the founder and current director of Ikon, an acclaimed post-secular project, actively exploring philosophy, spirituality and reconciliation, and a regular speaker at conferences, community groups and on BBC radio. He is currently working on a second book entitled, Being Evangelized, which is developing out of the course he teaches to YWAM (Youth with a Mission, an international, inter-denominational Christian movement).

From Publishers Weekly

In the first half of this powerful but frustratingly opaque book, debut author Rollins summarizes some of the theological ideas that the so-called emerging church is currently exploring: the importance of doubt and silence, the limits of apologetics, and the idea that God is concealed even as God is revealed. He skillfully scrutinizes Christian teaching though the lens of postmodern (especially deconstructionist) theory, and argues that Christians should both affirm their views of God and recognize that those views are inadequate. The second half comprises a set of liturgies that Rollins's religious community, an Irish group called Ikon, has employed. One service explores "divine absence" through a parable and a reading from Pascal. A ceremony for Advent uses sackcloth and ashes to highlight the penitential nature of the season. If most of these liturgies are affecting, some are a little hokey—in a concluding service called "Queer," for example, participants wrap stones, representing their prejudices, in Bubble Wrap. While this may prove an important book for some younger Christian leaders, dense prose will limit its audience: "God's interaction with the world is irreducible to understanding, precisely because God's presence is a type of hyper-presence." Nonetheless, a very enthusiastic foreword from Emergent elder statesman Brian McLaren will help create buzz. (Aug.)
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About this edition

• Publisher: Paraclete Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1557255059
• ISBN 13: 9781557255051
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144