Kevin Vanhoozer – Doctrine for Disciples

Paul writes – Over the last few days I’ve been listening to a theologian I continue to admire, Kevin J. Vanhoozer (author of a number of books including The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology (extensive blog review, here). He has also edited the very good collection of essays (as well as providing the introductory essay), Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends).

Vanhoozer, Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, presented the 2007 Theta Phi Lectures at Asbury Theological Seminary, Kentucky. The series was entitled Doctrine for Disciples.  In a two-part lecture, Vanhoozer discussed "The Stage, the Story and the Script" on March 15 and "Doing Church: the Theater of the Gospel" on March 16.

He has some really interesting, and dare I say, exciting, things to say theologically; the implications of which have within them the possibility of re-shaping our sense of what being a disciple of Jesus, and local churches might look like when we take our identity in Christ seriously.

Emphasis on theology / doctrine / the Bible as being primarily concerned with a life lived (this is a regular theme at this blog – most recently, here. Vanhoozer develops Wright’s notion of Scripture as a five-act drama) out of an alternative script is, I think, near the heart of the missional challenge (c.f. the rising interest in recovering and re::mixing the monastic. I think we're trying to recover something very important - something that has been lost over the last few decades - identity re:formation).

Certainly, it’s at the heart of my own personal sense of hope for my own life as a Jesus-follower, i.e. that my life would be lived more distinctively (is this a holy life?) and in contrast the ways that cultural scripts / doctrines say I should live my life… to call myself “Christian”, otherwise, seems to undermine the claim. It won’t stop being in conversation with (and in) culture; rather my hope is that it should be shaped a lot less predominantly by culture

I recommend the audio… listened to in conversation with Hauerwas’ 19 theses.

You can download as Mp3’s (high-speed) by right clicking on the title of each lecture (above). I have most recently blogged about Vanhoozer, here…

Comments

[Paul Fromont]

See also this recent post from Mike Todd:

http://miketodd.typepad.com/waving_or_drowning/2008/01/a-spark-of-hope.html

And this from Leighton Tebay - an excerpt from his post of Jan.1, 2008:

"...The question of how we “do” church has always had its place but we get stuck their far too often. The question of how we follow Christ is far more important. We can reform church all we want but until we admit we really don’t understand what it truly means to be a Christian all of our efforts will make little difference..."

http://theheresy.com/?p=1428

See also this article in a Jan 08 (web only) article in Christianity Today. Titled - "Do Evangelicals Have a Future?
Leaders see cultural captivity choking out the gospel." It includes comment from John Franke. I'm interested not so much in an evangelical future, but in the underlying theme.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/januaryweb-only/101-52.0.html

See also the interview with Alan Wolfe (Prof. of American Politics and Public Policy @ Boston College. Author of "The Transformation of American Religion: How We Actually Live our Faith (this book mentioned by Vanhoozer in his lecture)) in the Summer 2004 issue of "Cutting Edge" (pp.4-5 & 20-21). Link to PDF below:

http://www.vineyardusa.org/upload/summer_2004.pdf