Description: Scholars from the United States, Latin America, and Oceania
reflect in this volume on the importance of contextual theology for our
twenty-first century. Contextual theology offers fresh voices from every
culture, and not just from the West. It calls for new ways of doing
theology that embrace cultural values, but at the same time challenges
them to the core. And it opens up new and fresh topics out of which and
about which people can theologize. If the church is to be faithful to
its mission, it needs to provide a feast at which all can be nourished.
Endorsements: ""Rarely do collections of contextual theology deal with
both specific contexts and more general questions of contextual method.
In this compact collection every essay grapples with both aspects in a
lively way. It is on the forefront of missiological thinking. A
significant book with some real gems, particularly for Australasia and
the South Pacific, but ranging beyond the region."" --Ross Langmead Dean
and Professor of Missiology, Whitley College, Melbourne College of
Divinity, Australia ""I have been looking for such a book! The eight
essays in this volume provide challenging, fresh insight for our
theological agenda. It addresses critical issues on both method and
content for contextual theology today."" --Philip Gibbs, SVD Commission
for Social Concerns, Catholic Bishops' Conference, Papua New Guinea
""Contextual Theology for the Twenty-first Century demonstrates how
contextual theology should shape the work of contemporary theologians
and missiologists. The different authors convincingly argue that
contextual theology is not an option, but a theological imperative as
Christian churches respond to the challenges of being disciples of Jesus
in the postmodern, postcolonial world. One of the book's strengths is
the inclusion of Oceanic voices, so often forgotten by the theological
community."" --Susan Smith, Adjunct Faculty, School of theology, the
University of Auckland ""This volume offers thoughtful and sometimes
provocative reflection on contextual theology for our era. Contextual
theology is both critiqued and affirmed as the authors, who span a range
of continents and contexts, wrestle with just how theology can be in
dialogue with daily life. New agendas for engaging with culture,
Christology, and theological education are also suggested. This
collection of essays is indeed a stimulating and challenging read.""
--Cathy Ross Tutor in Contextual Theology, Ripon College, Cuddesdon,
Oxford ""Christians in the twenty-first-century must no longer engage in
mission or do theology that is not faithful to Christ and relevant to
their context. Steve Bevans's illuminating essays accompanied by other
voices should be heard as important steps as we join God's missional
journey in this century. With some critique of the past and hope for the
future we are reminded that contextual theology has never been more
important for our understanding and practice of mission."" --Darrell
Whiteman, Former Professor and Dean of the E. Stanley Jones School of
World Mission and Evangelism, Asbury Theological Seminary About the
Contributor(s): Stephen Bevans is Louis J. Luzbetak, SVD, Professor of
Mission and Culture at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, USA. He is
the author of Models of Contextual Theology (2002) and An Introduction
to Theology in Global Perspective (2009). Katalina Tahaafe-Williams is
the Director of Communitas, a program of contextual and public theology
at United Theological College, Paramatta, NSW, Australia. She is a
coauthor of The Multicultural Toolkit (2005) and Mission and Ministry in
Multicultural Contexts (2009).
