A Theology of Failure

A Theology of Failure
Author: Marika Rose
Publisher: Fordham Univ Press
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2019-05-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0823284085

Everyone agrees that theology has failed; but the question of how to understand and respond to this failure is complex and contested. Against both the radical orthodox attempt to return to a time before the theology’s failure and the deconstructive theological attempt to open theology up to the hope of a future beyond failure, Rose proposes an account of Christian identity as constituted by, not despite, failure. Understanding failure as central to theology opens up new possibilities for confronting Christianity’s violent and kyriarchal history and abandoning the attempt to discover a pure Christ outside of the grotesque materiality of the church. The Christian mystical tradition begins with Dionysius the Areopagite’s uncomfortable but productive conjunction of Christian theology and Neoplatonism. The tensions generated by this are central to Dionysius’s legacy, visible not only in subsequent theological thought but also in much twentieth century continental philosophy as it seeks to disentangle itself from its Christian ancestry. A Theology of Failure shows how the work of Slavoj Žižek represents an attempt to repeat the original move of Christian mystical theology, bringing together the themes of language, desire, and transcendence not with Neoplatonism but with a materialist account of the world. Tracing these themes through the work of Dionysius and Derrida and through contemporary debates about the gift, violence, and revolution, this book offers a critical theological engagement with Žižek's account of social and political transformation, showing how Žižek's work makes possible a materialist reading of apophatic theology and Christian identity.

A Theology of Failure

A Theology of Failure
Author: John J. Navone
Publisher:
Total Pages: 129
Release: 1974-01-01
Genre: Failure (Christian theology)
ISBN: 9780809118397

The Failure of Natural Theology

The Failure of Natural Theology
Author: Jeffrey D Johnson
Publisher: New Studies in Theology Series
Total Pages: 266
Release: 2021-09-15
Genre: Natural theology
ISBN: 9781952599378

Aristotle's cosmological argument is the foundation of Aquinas's doctrine of God. For Thomas, the cosmological argument not only speaks of God's existence but also of God's nature. By learning that the unmoved mover is behind all moving objects, we learn something true about the essence of God-principally, that God is immobile. But therein lies the problem for Thomas. The Catholic Church had already condemned Aristotle's unmoved mover because, according to Aristotle, the unmoved mover is unable to be the moving cause (i.e., Creator) and governor of the universe-or else he would cease to be immobile. By seeking to baptize Aristotle into the Catholic Church, however, Thomas gave his life to seeking to explain how God can be both immobile and the moving cause of the universe. Thomas even looked to the pantheistic philosophy of Pseudo-Dionysius for help. But even with Dionysius's aid, Thomas failed to reconcile the god of Aristotle with the Trinitarian God of the Bible. If Thomas would have rejected the natural theology of Aristotle by placing the doctrine of the Trinity, which is known only by divine revelation, at the foundation of his knowledge of God, he would have rid himself of the irresolvable tension that permeates his philosophical theology. Thomas could have realized that the Trinity alone allows for God to be the only self-moving being-because the Trinity is the only being not moved by anything outside himself but freely capable of creating and controlling contingent things in motion.

Failure: the Back Door to Success

Failure: the Back Door to Success
Author: Erwin W. Lutzer
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Total Pages: 155
Release: 2015-12-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0802493335

Find the goodin your failure. Failure is a fact of life, one we’d rather forget. Fortunately it has a silver lining. Failure, the Back Door to Success shows us how God uses even our sins, shortcomings, and weaknesses in His perfect plan. It will inspire you to: Learn from the past without being controlled by it Embrace your limitations Accept yourself as God accepts you Be more gracious toward others Redefine your idea of success Easy to follow, illustrated with engaging stories, and deeply encouraging, Failure, the Back Door to Success speaks straight to the heart. It will make you feel free to try and unafraid of failing, knowing that God is the one at work in you, and that he’s not finished yet. And that’s the first step toward success, every time. “This book is sorely needed in our overanalyzed, under-motivated, and guilt-ridden Christian society. It can be a life changer to anyone tired of the old one-step-forward-and-two-steps-backward routine.” — Howard G. Hendricks

Colin Gunton and the Failure of Augustine

Colin Gunton and the Failure of Augustine
Author: Bradley G Green
Publisher: James Clarke & Company
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2012-01-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0227900146

The British systematic theologian Colin Gunton argued that Augustine bequeathed to the West a theological tradition with serious deficiencies. According to Gunton, Augustine's particular construal of the doctrine of God led to fundamental errors and problems in grasping the relationship between creation and redemption, and in rightfully construing a truly Christian ontology. In Colin Gunton and the Failure of Augustine, Bradley G. Green's close reading of Augustine challenges Gunton's understanding. Gunton argued that Augustine's supposed emphasis of the one over the many severed any meaningful link between creation and redemption, contra the theological insights of Irenaeus, and furthermore that because of Augustine's supposed emphasis on the timeless essence of God at the expense of the three real persons, he failed to forge a truly Christian ontology, effectively losing the insights of the Cappadocian Fathers). For all of Gunton's many insights, Green argues that on the contrary, Augustine did not sever the link between creation and redemption, but rather affirmed that the created order is a means of genuine knowledge of God, that the created order is indeed the only means by which redemption is accomplished, that the cross of Christ is the only means by which we can see God, and that the created order is fundamentally oriented toward a telos - redemption. Concerning ontology, Augustine's teaching on the imago Dei, and the prominent role that relationship plays in Augustine's doctrines of man and God, provides the kind of relational Christian ontology that Gunton sought. In short, Green argues, Augustine could have provided Gunton key theological resources in countering the modernity he so rightfully challenged.

Fallen

Fallen
Author: Christopher W. Morgan
Publisher: Crossway
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2013-09-30
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 143352225X

From marital infidelity to global war, the world is obviously broken, leaving people desperate to find an explanation for our universal sin problem. In the latest addition to the Theology in Community series, Christopher Morgan and Robert Peterson have assembled an interdisciplinary team of evangelical thinkers to explore the biblical doctrine of sin from a variety of angles. Among other contributors, popular scholar D. A. Carson discusses the contemporary significance of sin; seasoned professor Paul House details sin in the Old Testament law, prophets, and writings; and New Testament expert Douglas Moo explores sin from Paul's vantage point. This team of top-notch scholars offers modern readers a comprehensive overview of this oft-neglected, biblical theme so that readers might learn to live better in a sinful world. Part of the Theology in Community series.

Triumph Through Failure

Triumph Through Failure
Author: John J. Navone SJ
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 202
Release: 2014-11-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1725234580

We confront failure in all levels of our humanity. There is failure in the use of the gifts of the earth, the unlimited exercise of intelligence, the enjoyment of freedom, and in the acceptance of the call of an infinite God. The failure to achieve fulfillment at any one of these levels may contribute to a particular frustration that may destroy the wholesome harmony necessary for happiness. In a period of utopian ideologies and theologies, this book may serve as a reminder that we do fail and that our faith does not promise that we shall not fail. Yet, precisely because we experience failures, we find cause for hope and deliverance outside ourselves. This is the theology of the cross--triumph through failure.

A Theology of Failure

A Theology of Failure
Author: Marika Rose
Publisher: Fordham Univ Press
Total Pages: 275
Release: 2019-05-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0823284093

Everyone agrees that theology has failed; but the question of how to understand and respond to this failure is complex and contested. Against both the radical orthodox attempt to return to a time before the theology’s failure and the deconstructive theological attempt to open theology up to the hope of a future beyond failure, Rose proposes an account of Christian identity as constituted by, not despite, failure. Understanding failure as central to theology opens up new possibilities for confronting Christianity’s violent and kyriarchal history and abandoning the attempt to discover a pure Christ outside of the grotesque materiality of the church. The Christian mystical tradition begins with Dionysius the Areopagite’s uncomfortable but productive conjunction of Christian theology and Neoplatonism. The tensions generated by this are central to Dionysius’s legacy, visible not only in subsequent theological thought but also in much twentieth century continental philosophy as it seeks to disentangle itself from its Christian ancestry. A Theology of Failure shows how the work of Slavoj Žižek represents an attempt to repeat the original move of Christian mystical theology, bringing together the themes of language, desire, and transcendence not with Neoplatonism but with a materialist account of the world. Tracing these themes through the work of Dionysius and Derrida and through contemporary debates about the gift, violence, and revolution, this book offers a critical theological engagement with Žižek's account of social and political transformation, showing how Žižek's work makes possible a materialist reading of apophatic theology and Christian identity.

Failure

Failure
Author: Emma Ineson
Publisher: SPCK
Total Pages: 162
Release: 2022-12-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0281087857

'A superb book on failure . . . humorous, realistic and absolutely not judgemental.' JUSTIN WELBY In 2019, Emma Ineson wrote about ambition and what it means for Christians to be successful. And then there was a global pandemic . . . Suddenly failure began to feel very much more familiar than success. But what is failure? What did Jesus think of it? What did he say about sin, mistakes and generally mucking things up? At the start of this wonderfully humorous and encouraging book - which will end at the cross - it's suggested that our tendency to lump all kinds of failure together could be a bit unhelpful. A more nuanced understanding of what sort of failure we're dealing with might just allow us to make friends with it and respond more appropriately. This idea leads us 'Towards an (Imperfect) Theology of Failure', based on key Christian thinking, and Emma poses the question of whether sin is an individual or corporate thing. Looking at the church, we consider, what is God's purpose for it? And in the light of key concerns such as safeguarding and racial justice, how might we re-examine concepts of success and recognize and measure failure? As the book draws to an end, we are reminded of our calling to live life to the full, to take risks despite our fears. We are bound sometimes to fail! Yet gazing at Jesus - who looked like the greatest failure of all - we may discern in the heartache, vulnerability and humility of failure, the glory of the cross.