A Node in the Web of the Emerging Church

Why I wrote yet another book on contextual theology ...

Posted Sep 24, 07:53 AM | 0 comments | by Editor | Link

By Ed Cyzewski:

I know you’re thinking it, so I’ll just go ahead and ask the question for you, “Why in the world did this Ed Cyzewski guy write another emerging church theology book?”

It’s a valid question. We have so many fine books out there, what could I possibly add?

In a word: synthesis.

In two: simple synthesis.

Having participated in the broader emerging church conversation on reimagining faith, culture, and practice in today’s context, I noticed a need during my seminary days for a book that provided a synthesis of mission, culture, theology, and Christian living accessible for just about everyone in the church. Not only did I want to bring the ideas of various thinkers together in one place, showing how they related to one another, I also wanted this book to be accessible for a reader who wouldn’t know a metanarrative if it hit him in the face—or marginalized his perspective for that matter.

In other words, we have mission, culture, the doctrine of God, Biblical theology, church history, and global Christianity, but need a fresh look at how they all relate together in our pursuit of contextual theology. That’s the scoop on Coffeehouse Theology: Reflecting on God in Everyday Life.

Beginning with the mission of God, that sends us out into the world, I move readers through the complexities of culture and its relation to the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, the Bible, Christian traditions, and global Christianity in the forming of theology. One point that I particularly try to hammer home is the centrality of God to theology, even before we start talking about the Bible. A truly Christian reading of scripture takes place under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who inspired it in the first place. I’ve always wondered why so many churches list the Bible ahead of God in their doctrinal statements, as if to imply we could have the Bible without God making the first move. This central position of God is something I find in the writings of Barth, Grenz, and Franke (influential theologians on the emerging church) and wanted to clearly connect with the various pieces of contextual theology in my book.

At the end of the day, I pray that Coffeehouse Theology unites the church in a dynamic dialogue that helps us plunge deeply into the revelation of our Lord. As we seek God through our reflection on theology’s sources, we should also find ourselves reflecting the love of God. We have an opportunity to help one another grow in our love for the Lord, and if Coffeehouse Theology does one thing, I pray it’s that.

You can read a sample chapter from Coffeehouse Theology at TheOoze.com.

Ed Cyzewski works as a freelance writer in the nonprofit sector of southwest Vermont. He is the author of Coffeehouse Theology and other books, and he blogs regularly on theology.