The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian TheologyObserving a strange disappearance of doctrine within the church, Kevin Vanhoozer argues that there is no more urgent task for Christians today than to engage in living truthfully with others before God. He details how doctrine serves the church--the theater of the gospel--by directing individuals and congregations to participate in the drama of what God is doing to renew all things in Jesus Christ. Taking his cue from George Lindbeck and others who locate the criteria of Christian identity in Spirit-led church practices, Vanhoozer relocates the norm for Christian doctrine in the canonical practices, which, he argues, both provoke and preserve the integrity of the church's witness as prophetic and apostolic. |
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... Truth;. The. Stuff. of. Life. 1 In the beginning, an empty space. A word breaks the silence, bespeaks a universe; the world dawns. More words; nondescript space acquires shape, becomes a place for forms emerging from the dust. The stage is ...
... truth . Yet the appeal to God is too powerful simply to be let loose . History affords too many illustrations of individuals and societies ( and churches ! ) too hastily invoking God's name as a rationale for their beliefs and behaviors ...
... truth claims about objective realities . " 11 Like the Jews at Berea , many theologians - typically evan- gelicals congregating on the conservative end of the spectrum - studiously search the Scriptures to find out what the Bible ...
... truths of reason ( rationalism ) ; to appeal to a quality of religious experience ( mys- ticism ) ; to prove the truth in works of love and justice ( activism ) . The problem with all these alternatives is that there is nothing ...
... truth that were derived from science , history , and philosophy rather than from Scripture and Christian faith.32 He insisted that the Bible does not have to be repackaged or translated into some other conceptuality in order to be made ...
Contents
37 | |
38 | |
44 | |
57 | |
58 | |
60 | |
77 | |
79 | |
Theology as Dramaturgy | 243 |
Introducing the Dramaturge | 244 |
The theologian as Dramaturge | 246 |
Faithfulness as Dramatic Fittingness | 256 |
The CanonicalLinguistic Approach Part One Scientia | 265 |
A Postpropositionalist Theology | 266 |
A Postconservative Theology | 278 |
A Postfoundationalist Theory | 291 |
83 | |
100 | |
III | 113 |
Word and Church The Canon as Covenant Document | 115 |
According to the Scriptures | 116 |
Why Turn to Canon? Problems and Possibilities | 120 |
How Scripture Constitutes the Church Canon as Criterion Why Scripture Rules | 133 |
Why Scripture Rules | 141 |
Scripture and Tradition Two or More Kinds of Performance Interpretation | 151 |
Ecclesiology as First Thelogy? | 154 |
The Interpretative Community Authors and Directs | 165 |
Divine Canonical Discourse | 176 |
The Interpretative Community Responds and Enacts | 179 |
Jesus Spirit Church Scripture and Tradition in Theodramatic Perspective | 187 |
The Church as Performance of the Spirit? | 189 |
Canon and the Prophetic Authority of Jesus Christ | 193 |
The Church as History of Canonical Effects | 199 |
The Rule of Faith as Canonical | 203 |
The Work of the Spirit in the Practices of the Canon | 211 |
Genres as Types of Social Action | 212 |
Canonical Practices and Forms of Convenantal Life | 216 |
Figuring and Praying the Scriptures | 220 |
The Canon as Sapiential Criterion | 226 |
IV | 231 |
V | 239 |
The CanonicalLinguistic Approach Part Two Sapientia | 307 |
A Prosaic Theology | 309 |
A Phronetic Theology | 324 |
A Prophetic Thelogy | 354 |
VI | 361 |
Doctrine Role Vocation The Actors Prepare | 363 |
Casting Calls RolePlaying Being Oneself | 364 |
From Character To Spiritual Formation | 369 |
Atonement and Union with Christ | 380 |
Being Real | 394 |
Doctrine and the Church The Company of the Gospel | 399 |
The Empty Space | 401 |
Playing Corpus Christi | 407 |
Interactive Theater as Communio | 413 |
A Theater of Martyrdom | 426 |
Acting in Parables | 441 |
Creeds Confessions and the PastorDirector Doctrine and Theology in the Theater of Congregational Action | 445 |
Pastoral Theology | 447 |
Creedal Theology | 449 |
Confessional Theology | 451 |
Congregational Theology | 453 |
Selected Bibliography | 459 |
Index of Names | 471 |
Index of Subjects | 477 |