Last week I graduated from Bethel Seminary with a Masters in Theological Studies. It took me almost four years to complete this two-year degree, and at times I wondered if it was worth it (mostly at 2 am before a deadline), but I am so glad I did it.
Over the past couple months I have been processing through all that I have learned. Here are seven of the most important books or themes. There are more, but these seven really stood out.
- Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard
The most in-depth study of spiritual formation I have ever come across. Willard claims that the church's discipleship failures throughout history are a result of Christians' trying to reach perfection by behaving more perfectly. Instead, he argues that believers should allow God to transform them internally through apprenticeship to Jesus Christ. Willard proposes that the human self is made up of several interrelated components: spirit (heart or will); mind (thoughts and feelings); body; social context; and soul and delineates a general process toward transforming each.
- Critical-Realism
Before studying hermeneutics we first had to wrestle with epistemology (what can be known). Modernism claimed that truth is an objective reality that can be proved through scientific or rational means. Postmodernism claims there is no absolute truth, all truth is subjective to the perspective of the knower. Between the two extremes lies critical-realism.
Critical-realism is a philosophy of perception that maintains there exists an objectively knowable, mind-independent reality (a.k.a. God), while acknowledging our own subjectivity as human beings.
In other words critical-realism “acknowledges the reality of the thing known, as something other than the knower (hence "realism"), while fully acknowledging that the only access we have to this reality lies along the spiralling path of appropriate dialogue or conversation between the knower and the thing known (hence "critical").” - NT Wright, The New Testament and the People of God, p. 35
- The Art of Biblical Narrative by Robert Alter
Robert Alter argues that the Hebrew Bible is a largely cohesive literary text to be read with finely tuned literary eyes. His view represents a radical departure from both the traditional Judeo-Christian understanding of the Bible as sacred-history and the dominant theories of Biblical criticism. Alter offers a "third way." While he does not completely dismiss the historicity of the Bible, he sees it as secondary; rather, in Alter's view, the authors of the Bible developed a form of prose fiction in order to tell the revolutionary story of God.
- The Importance and Relevance of Torah
Traditionally Christians have divided the Torah (Jewish Law) into three categories (civil, ceremonial and moral) with the understanding that only the moral law was timeless. The problem is that these categories are nowhere to be found in the text. In fact, if you study ancient Jewish culture you realize that there are moral issues behind ceremonial and civil laws.
Torah refers to the divine standard for the conduct of the people of God. Because the Torah was given after the election and deliverance from Egypt (Ex 2:23) it is not about earning a relationship with God. Rather, Torah is about living out relationship with God and provides the framework for righteousness to occur. Therefore the principles behind the regulations of the Torah are timeless, even if particular expressions are culturally bound and these principles are extremely relevant to the Church.
- Joining Children on the Spiritual Journey by Catherine Stonehouse
Most churches minister to children in some way. Too often they simply perpetuate what they have done for many years without questioning whether or not those approaches are effective in forming the faith of children. Spiritual formation during childhood is too important to simply perpetuate programs and hope for the best. Adults who care about children need to understand the inner workings of the developing child. If we do not understand those processes, such as their physical, mental, and moral development, we will not know when our methods are not contributing to the child’s spiritual growth.
Stonehouse provides a philosophy of education, an understanding of human development, and a theology that are in harmony, each area supporting the others. This book was incredibly helpful in designing our philosophy of ministry for children at The Gateway.
- Resident Aliens by Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon.
The authors argue that Christian ethics are not universally applicable and it is futile to try to change the world through politics or to convince people to follow Christianity as a rational belief system that will “work” for them. The way of Jesus cannot make sense to those who do not believe that the claim “Jesus Christ is Lord” makes sense. In fact, the only way the Christian ethic will work is in a strong community to support it.
The church is therefore a colony, an outpost, an island of one culture in the middle of another, a place where the values of home are reiterated and passed on to the young, a place where the distinctive language and life-style of the resident aliens are lovingly nurtured and reinforced.
I have a feeling that most seminarians within the past five years would put Wright on this list. Wright is a brilliant historian, theologian and world-renowned New Testament scholar. His Christian Origins series (still in progress) have been “game changing” in the modern Quest for the Historical Jesus by arguing that the current understanding of Jesus must be connected to what is known to be true about him from the historical perspective of first-century Judaism and Christianity. Paul: Fresh Perspective and Justification: God's Plan and Paul's Vision provide a beautiful and more biblical perspective on the Apostle Paul’s writings and the doctrine of justification. And his more popular writings (Surprised by Hope, Simply Christian) give an excellent picture of what this all means for the mission of the Church.
Great list Paul. You're finishing grad school just as I'm starting! (i had my first class yesterday). i'll have to keep these in mind. N.T. Wright i know but i'm so excited for my OT classes. I feel so imbalanced!
Posted by: Reed | June 02, 2009 at 05:53 PM
I can not wait to see what happens with you guys. I am watching and cheering you on from a distance.
Posted by: brewster | June 03, 2009 at 04:16 PM