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A review by drbobcornwall
For the Life of the World: Theology That Makes a Difference by Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun
5.0
To many theology is a rather irrelevant and esoteric exercise with no real world application. As one who is trained as a theologian (historical theology), I would beg to differ. Despite my protests, I expect most would continue with prior assumptions. Miroslav Volf and Matthew Croasmun have written a powerful response to those who suggest that theology has little to offer the modern world. In doing so, they recognize that the study of theology is a moment of deep crisis. Seminaries are in decline, making it more difficult for those trained in theology to get positions. Seminaries are in decline because the churches that relate to them are in decline. As a result we either long for a lost era of importance or settle in and teach classes and go about our business, but is this the way it should be?
"For the Life of the World" is written as a manifesto by theologians who believe that theology should and can make a difference in the world. While theology is, at one level, about God, and theology is engaged in for the sake of God, it is not for God's benefit that we do this, as God does not need theology. Theology, done for God's sake, leads, in their estimation to the flourishing life. In other words, this is an extension of Volf's earlier work [b:Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World|25246846|Flourishing Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World|Miroslav Volf|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1427756222s/25246846.jpg|44966718]. While this isn't a popularization of the earlier book, it is geared differently, in that the focus is on the value of Christian theology and not religion in general to a life that is good or lived well.
The authors begin in chapter 1 with the premise that "Christian theology has lost its way because it has neglected its purpose." That purpose is "to discern, articulate, and commend visions of flourishing life in the light of God's self-revelation in Jesus Christ" (p. 11). This God's primary concern, and thus it should be true of theologians. As laid out in chapter 1, the "human quest" is for the flourishing life, that is abundant life or the good life, a life that is worth living. Theology done right helps orient us toward that form of life as is understood in light of Jesus. This is something the church could engage in, but rarely does.
The question of the human quest leads in chapter 2 to "the crisis of theology." The crisis is related to the way in which theology is pursued, largely in academic contexts, where theologians essentially write for colleagues. By theology, Volf includes the broader theological faculty, including biblical studies, church history, ethics, ministerial arts, not just systematics. Part of the problem is the job market, which is shrinking, and thus those with positions must focus on keeping them, while those without jobs must focus on gaining credentials to get that job. As noted earlier, seminaries are shrinking, because the services of their students are finding it difficult to find work (shrinking churches). I understand all of this well, having trained for the academy, but have spent my life in the church (not that I'm complaining, but it wasn't my original intention). While all of this is an external crisis, there is the internal one, the loss of vision and forgotten purpose. The authors go into some detail as to the reasons for this, which I found compelling and worth looking at closely. In the end, they note the cost of being a theologian -- both in training and in actually engaging in the work. So why bother?
The remainder of the book is a response, an argument for why theology matters. Remember this is a manifesto. It is a call for the renewal of theology by rediscovering the purpose of theology, which is the flourishing life. They make a bold declaration, which will get pushback. That is, "Christian theology shouldn't be mainly about God because the mission of God isn't mainly about God" (p. 64). It's not primarily about redemption either, whether we mean forgiveness of sins or freedom from oppression. Those might be central to the quest, but they are not the goal. You might say that the goal is the realm or kingdom of God, that is, finding our home in God. As Augustine reminds us, we are restless until we rest in God. That would be the focus of theology.
If the work of theology is to understand and live into the life of flourishing, a life that is fully rooted in our relationship with God as revealed in Christ Jesus, that raises a problem. That problem, as outlined in chapter four is "The Challenge of Universality." If we affirm the premise that there is one God, who is revealed in the incarnation, then what of other faith traditions? It's not so much a matter here of exclusivism, as it is of inclusivism. What they note in this chapter is that universalisms are contested visions. With that as a starting point, they believe that it is possible to advocate for this vision while peacefully coexisting and working with those having different visions of the divine reality. They also understand that even within Christianity there is the matter of particularity. I found this to be an important chapter, that helps me think through how I as a committed Christian and follower of Jesus can engage with partners in life's work who come from other faith traditions. Central here is the recognition, as the authors note, that there can be no absoluteness in our claims. The particularities of our claims rules out such absolutes. Theology, therefore must, if it is to contribute to the quest for the flourishing life, take into consideration the pluralism of our realities.
Remembering that this is a manifesto for the renewal of theology by reengaging with its purpose (not simply as an academic institution), the authors remind us that theology needs to be connected to life. It is a way of living, that involves faith seeking understanding, but more than this. They put this task this way: execution of the central theological task requires a certain kind of affinity between the life the theologian seeks to articulate and the life of the prophet seeks to lead" (p. 118). They go into some detail as to what this means. Again, it relates to a flourishing life.
The final chapter offers a "vision of flourishing life." That vision is finding our home in Christ, who is the dwelling place of God, so that we might be part of the church which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. They speak of form and content. They do so in conversation with Paul. The focus here is on the "teleios," the perfect as it's often translated in 1 Corinthians 13. The kingdom is the form, while the content is defined in terms of love, peace, and joy, or in terms of the "life led well" (righteousness, which is love); the "life going well" (peace -- right relationships), and finally "life feeling as it should (joy). Peace and joy are not fully experienced in this life, but love is always to be pursued as the foundation of peace and joy. All are understood to be the gift of the Holy Spirit.
As a theologian, I find this manifesto to be compelling and encouraging. The crisis we find ourselves in won't end soon. The traditional centers of theology will continue to struggle, and yet if we will take hold of this vision we may reclaim its value. Theology in other words is more than a science or a means of study, it is a vision of flourishing. That is worth engaging in. The book is accessible though not easy to read. This is not popular religion, and so it will take committed effort, but it is more than worth the effort.
A word about the title, the authors acknowledge that they borrowed it from Orthodox Alexander Schmemann, because, in their words, "in our own way, we share both Schmemann's sacramental vision of the word as the site of communion with God and his opposition to either seeking refuge from the world in God alone or to employing God as tool to improve the world according to our own preset plan" (p. 190). That is a good summation of their vision.
"For the Life of the World" is written as a manifesto by theologians who believe that theology should and can make a difference in the world. While theology is, at one level, about God, and theology is engaged in for the sake of God, it is not for God's benefit that we do this, as God does not need theology. Theology, done for God's sake, leads, in their estimation to the flourishing life. In other words, this is an extension of Volf's earlier work [b:Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World|25246846|Flourishing Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World|Miroslav Volf|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1427756222s/25246846.jpg|44966718]. While this isn't a popularization of the earlier book, it is geared differently, in that the focus is on the value of Christian theology and not religion in general to a life that is good or lived well.
The authors begin in chapter 1 with the premise that "Christian theology has lost its way because it has neglected its purpose." That purpose is "to discern, articulate, and commend visions of flourishing life in the light of God's self-revelation in Jesus Christ" (p. 11). This God's primary concern, and thus it should be true of theologians. As laid out in chapter 1, the "human quest" is for the flourishing life, that is abundant life or the good life, a life that is worth living. Theology done right helps orient us toward that form of life as is understood in light of Jesus. This is something the church could engage in, but rarely does.
The question of the human quest leads in chapter 2 to "the crisis of theology." The crisis is related to the way in which theology is pursued, largely in academic contexts, where theologians essentially write for colleagues. By theology, Volf includes the broader theological faculty, including biblical studies, church history, ethics, ministerial arts, not just systematics. Part of the problem is the job market, which is shrinking, and thus those with positions must focus on keeping them, while those without jobs must focus on gaining credentials to get that job. As noted earlier, seminaries are shrinking, because the services of their students are finding it difficult to find work (shrinking churches). I understand all of this well, having trained for the academy, but have spent my life in the church (not that I'm complaining, but it wasn't my original intention). While all of this is an external crisis, there is the internal one, the loss of vision and forgotten purpose. The authors go into some detail as to the reasons for this, which I found compelling and worth looking at closely. In the end, they note the cost of being a theologian -- both in training and in actually engaging in the work. So why bother?
The remainder of the book is a response, an argument for why theology matters. Remember this is a manifesto. It is a call for the renewal of theology by rediscovering the purpose of theology, which is the flourishing life. They make a bold declaration, which will get pushback. That is, "Christian theology shouldn't be mainly about God because the mission of God isn't mainly about God" (p. 64). It's not primarily about redemption either, whether we mean forgiveness of sins or freedom from oppression. Those might be central to the quest, but they are not the goal. You might say that the goal is the realm or kingdom of God, that is, finding our home in God. As Augustine reminds us, we are restless until we rest in God. That would be the focus of theology.
If the work of theology is to understand and live into the life of flourishing, a life that is fully rooted in our relationship with God as revealed in Christ Jesus, that raises a problem. That problem, as outlined in chapter four is "The Challenge of Universality." If we affirm the premise that there is one God, who is revealed in the incarnation, then what of other faith traditions? It's not so much a matter here of exclusivism, as it is of inclusivism. What they note in this chapter is that universalisms are contested visions. With that as a starting point, they believe that it is possible to advocate for this vision while peacefully coexisting and working with those having different visions of the divine reality. They also understand that even within Christianity there is the matter of particularity. I found this to be an important chapter, that helps me think through how I as a committed Christian and follower of Jesus can engage with partners in life's work who come from other faith traditions. Central here is the recognition, as the authors note, that there can be no absoluteness in our claims. The particularities of our claims rules out such absolutes. Theology, therefore must, if it is to contribute to the quest for the flourishing life, take into consideration the pluralism of our realities.
Remembering that this is a manifesto for the renewal of theology by reengaging with its purpose (not simply as an academic institution), the authors remind us that theology needs to be connected to life. It is a way of living, that involves faith seeking understanding, but more than this. They put this task this way: execution of the central theological task requires a certain kind of affinity between the life the theologian seeks to articulate and the life of the prophet seeks to lead" (p. 118). They go into some detail as to what this means. Again, it relates to a flourishing life.
The final chapter offers a "vision of flourishing life." That vision is finding our home in Christ, who is the dwelling place of God, so that we might be part of the church which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. They speak of form and content. They do so in conversation with Paul. The focus here is on the "teleios," the perfect as it's often translated in 1 Corinthians 13. The kingdom is the form, while the content is defined in terms of love, peace, and joy, or in terms of the "life led well" (righteousness, which is love); the "life going well" (peace -- right relationships), and finally "life feeling as it should (joy). Peace and joy are not fully experienced in this life, but love is always to be pursued as the foundation of peace and joy. All are understood to be the gift of the Holy Spirit.
As a theologian, I find this manifesto to be compelling and encouraging. The crisis we find ourselves in won't end soon. The traditional centers of theology will continue to struggle, and yet if we will take hold of this vision we may reclaim its value. Theology in other words is more than a science or a means of study, it is a vision of flourishing. That is worth engaging in. The book is accessible though not easy to read. This is not popular religion, and so it will take committed effort, but it is more than worth the effort.
A word about the title, the authors acknowledge that they borrowed it from Orthodox Alexander Schmemann, because, in their words, "in our own way, we share both Schmemann's sacramental vision of the word as the site of communion with God and his opposition to either seeking refuge from the world in God alone or to employing God as tool to improve the world according to our own preset plan" (p. 190). That is a good summation of their vision.