SHAPING A THEOLOGICAL MIND Rarely do theological thinkers have the opportunity to present their own self-understanding of both their context and their methodology and the inter­ relation of the two. This book gives leading theological minds from North America, Great Britain and Europe an opportunity to explore the shaping of their theological minds in regard to context and methodology. Asking ‘why theology’, each contributor explores their sense of call to the Christian faith, the purpose of their theological journey, and reflects on his or her context and theology. Cutting across denominational, gender, disciplinary, international and generational boundaries to explore shifts in theology and methodology, this book provides a diagnostic tool for examining where theology has come from and a compass to where theology is headed. Contributors include: James H. Cone, Edward Farley, Colin E. Gunton, Alister E. McGrath, Wayne A. Meeks, John Milbank, Jürgen Moltmann, Gerald O’ColIins, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Kathryn Tanner, Keith Ward and John Webster. RO Routledge U TLE DG Taylor & Francis Group E LONDON AND NEW YORK Taylor & Francis Taylor & Francis Group http:/ /taylora ndfra ncis.com Shaping a Theological Mind Theological context and methodology DARREN C. MARKS Wycliffe Hall and St Hugh ’s College, Oxford RO Routledge U TLE DG Taylor & Francis Group E LONDON AND NEW YORK First Published 2002 by Ashgate Publishing Published 2017 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA Routledge is an imprint oft he Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Copyright© Darren C. Marks 2002 The author has asserted his moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the editor ofthis work. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Shaping a theological mind : theological context and methodology 1. Theology I. Marks, Darren C. 230 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Shaping a theological mind: theological context and methodology I edited by Darren C. Marks. p.cm. ISBN 0-7546-0616-3 (hbk.) ISBN 0-7546-0617-1 (pbk.) 1. Theology, Doctrinal. I. Marks, Darren C. BTlO .S43 2002 230'.01-dc21 2002023645 Typeset in Times by J.L. & G.A. Wheatley Design, Aldershot ISBN 13: 978-0-7546-0617-8 (pbk) ISBN 13: 978-0-7546-0616-1 (hbk) Contents Contributors vii Preface Darren C. Marks ix Chapter 1Looking Back, Going Forward James H. Cone 1 Chapter 2 Ecclésial Contextual Thinking Edward Farley 15 Chapter 3 Theology in Communion Colin E. Gunton 31 Chapter 4 The Need for a Scientific Theology Alisier E. McGrath 37 Chapter 5 The Irony of Grace Wayne A. Meeks 45 Chapter 6 The Last of the Last: Theology, Authority and Democracy John Milbank 59 Chapter 7A Lived Theology Jürgen Moltmann 87 Chapter 8 A Theological Pilgrimage Gerald O’Collins SJ 97 Chapter 9An Intellectual Autobiography Rosemary Radford Ruether 103 Chapter 10How I Changed My Mind Kathryn Tanner 115 Chapter 11 A Constructive Contemporary Theology Keith Ward 123 V vi Shaping a Theological Mind Chapter 12Discovering Dogmatics John Webster 129 Chapter 13Method as Creative Fidelity: Habitus and the Sensus Communis Darren C. Marks 137 Index 143 Contributors James H. Cone, Briggs Distinguished Professor of Theology, Union Theological Seminary. Edward Farley, Emeritus Buffington Professor of Theology, Vanderbilt University. Colin E. Gunton, Professor of Christian Doctrine, King’s College London. Alister E. McGrath, Professor of Historical Theology, University of Oxford and Principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. Wayne A. Meeks, Emeritus Woolsey Professor of Biblical Studies, Yale University. John Milbank, Francis Ball Professor of Philosophical Theology, University of Virginia. Jürgen Moltmann, Emeritus Professor of Systematic Theology, University of Tübingen. Gerald O’Collins SJ, Professor of Theology, Pontifical Gregorian University (Rome). Rosemary Radford Ruether, Carpenter Professor of Feminist Theology, Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley). Kathryn Tanner, Professor of Theology, University of Chicago Divinity School. Keith Ward, Regius Professor of Divinity, University of Oxford. John Webster, Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity, University of Oxford. vii Taylor & Francis Taylor & Francis Group http:/ /taylora ndfra ncis.com Preface The genesis of this text is admittedly somewhat selfish. As a youngish would- be theologian, fresh out of graduate studies, and imbued with a sense of wonder at the ‘cathedrals of the mind’ of many theologians, I wanted to ask questions that reading texts alone would not permit. The most pressing question was the hardest to answer: ‘why theology at all?’ To ask ‘why theology?’ was to ask the question of the authors’ own lives and contexts, for it is clear from reading the essays that each participant understands constructive theology as a form of habitus theosdotos - the concurrence of their own contingent circumstances in a greater culture (and its own problematic questions for theology) with their sense of what the Gospel demands for, to borrow a Barthian term, ‘theological existence’ today. Or, put more simply and perhaps ‘spiritualized’, in the confluence of their lives, experiences and education (both formal and informal) with their theological writings, the question of how each is faithful to their sense of call to the Christian faith is explored. In each essay what cannot be denied is the sense thawt hat is being said (about faith and theology) reflects a greaterW ho in light of a host of real and concrete issues. This is, not at all, merely the preoccupation with the epistemological justification for theology that contemporary theology is oft charged, but real theolopgriacxali s. The issues of each’s work are the very issues of each individual thinker living within their own sense of grace-vocation and provocation or challenge to Christian solution. Each, as a theologian, is a ‘hearer’ and ‘preacher’, their works being ‘sermons’ of their profession in Christ. The mandate given to each participant was to reflect on his or her conte xt and theology. However, to distinguish from the notableH ow My Mind has Changed series, the focus was not to be on the alteration within theology (although immutability is a negative quality even for God) but rather on the consistency in development. Many in the volume have used the motif of ‘pilgrimage’; this is particularly apropos, in that a pilgrim might encounte r many obstacles or adventures in the journey but sets out with a purpose to arrive somewhere specific. In a like manner, each thinker in the volume was asked to consider what purpose their theological journey was to seek, even given radical shifts in the process. A second mandate was to attempt to provide a theological ‘state-of-the-union’ by cutting across denomination, gender, discipline, location and even status of career. It is the latter categories that yield the most fruit, allowing a comparison between European, British and American theology and also a comparison from very senior thinkers such as Meeks, Moltmann, Ruether, Cone and O’Collins to those in very promising ix