Archive for the ‘Models’ Category
Monday, May 17th, 2004
Stephen Bevans published the first version of Models of Contextual Theology in 1992. In it he outlined the need for theology to take context seriously. He wrote carefully and compellingly about the interaction between gospel and culture.
Five models were used in 1992:
1. Translation (Hesselgrave & John Paul II)
2. Anthropological (Robert E. Hood & Vincent J. Donovan),
3. Praxis (Douglas John Hall & Asian Feminist theologians),
4. Synthetic (Kosuke Koyama & Jose M. De Mesa), and
5. Transcendental (Sallie McFague & Justo L. Gonzalez).
In 2002 Bevans added the countercultural model as proposed by the Gospel and Our Culture Network (Lesslie Newbigin & Darrell Guder) & Michael J. Baxter.
I like the consistent organic analogies used by Bevans all the way through. Translation’s about bringing seeds to plant in native ground. Anthropological is about watering the seeds already in the ground so they’ll sprout. Praxis is about constantly weeding the garden, learning to be a better gardener. Synthetic’s about cross-pollination. Transcendental is about cultivating my own garden in the hope that another will be inspired to cultivate his or hers. The Countercultural’s about weeding and fertilizing the soil so the seeds can be planted.
Stephen Bevans is on the staff at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Before joining the faculty in 1986, he spent nine years in the Philippines teaching theology at a diocesan seminary. From his website: “This experience has colored the way he does theology and has also influenced his theological interests. His teaching and research probe issues in faith and culture, issues of mission theology, (particularly its trinitarian roots), and issues in ecclesiology and ministry.”
Models of Contextual Theology Revised and Expanded Edition (2002)
Posted in Models, Resources | No Comments »
Thursday, May 13th, 2004
How do we test our assumptions and convictions? When we come to critique our experience, our perception of our context, and our understanding of our tradition, what processes do we use to open up authentic dialogue?
Chris Argyris and Donald Schon have developed a learning discipline with several names: Action Science, action inquiry, action research, or organizational learning. A lot of their material can be found in their book, Theory in Practice. Peter Senge has run with the idea in his book, The Fifth Discipline, implementing the practice of learning organization in business circles.
Anita Farber Robertson, a Unitarian minister in Rockford, Massachussets, has written a book, Learning While Leading, Alban Institute, 2000, for churches wanting to apply action science to theological reflection. She says that the action science approach helps Christian communities identify gaps and inconsistencies in the theories that inform their practice. Instead of continuing to make the same mistakes again and again, local leaders can use action science disciplines to have a look at what really is going on.
Argyris talks about designed blindness - in which we collude with our culture to overlook certain realities. We are so bound up with cognitive dissonance, often because we believe it is shameful to be imperfect and growing. He says that because our mental models provide a framework for our action as individuals and communities, we should pay attention to how those mental models are formed.
When looking at the formation of our mental models Argyris suggests we should consciously use the “ladder of inference”. Start at the bottom of the ladder with directly observable data. Then notice which data you’re paying attention to. What cultural and personal meanings are we giving to what we observe? What assumptions are we making based on those meanings? What conclusions are we drawing? What beliefs about the world are we now forming? Now - what are the actions that result? Using this ladder we can identify ‘leaps of abstraction’ in which we miss steps out and overlook important parts of the process. We can go back and re-explore phases that have been missed. We can identify points of dissonance. This links in with Whiteheads’ first step of attending. With one group, I used an actual step ladder to help people enact this in relation to a case study.
Another important contribution of action science is the concept of advocacy and inquiry being valued equally. “I can tell you what I believe and why (advocacy) while paying attention to what you believe and why (inquiry)”. This ties in strongly with Whiteheads’ second step of conversation or asserting.
I think this model of developing meaning and action is helpful in unpacking the theology and practice related to the everyday life of local christian communities. It helps people test the validity of their assumptions about what’s going on in conversations, interactions with each other.
Posted in Models, Resources | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 12th, 2004
“Art of Theological Reflection” is a popular title - John Shea (2003), Jane Kopas (1983) and Ronald Gariboldi (1987) have all used the phrase in the names of their books. In this post, however, I want to look at the work of Patricia O’Connell Killen and John De Beer in their book, published in 1994 by Crossroad Publishing Company.
Patricia O’Connell Killen is Professor of American Religious History, and chair of the Department of Religion at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.
John De Beer was until very recently rector at St Martins in the Field Episcopal Church, in Severna, Maryland. He has moved to Massachussetts.
Patricia and John were both on the staff at University of the South where they developed their approach to theological reflection. Patricia has continued as part time professor with the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida.
I found this book very helpful - developing an approach that draws insight and action from reflection on significant experience. Participants in this model are encouraged to share their stories, explore feelings, images, and insights that lead to action. Participants are then led to intentionally connect their lived narrative with the Christian tradition, being aware of their own convictions and the influence of their cultural environment.
Patricia and John have written this book with their model in mind. They’ve included images that evoke the sense of exploring experience. 
They’ve outlined their theories in graphic diagrams. One such diagram outlines the interplay between tradition and experience. Standing in tradition alone is described as a standpoint of certitide. Standing in experience alone is described as self-assurance. Healthy theological reflections calls one to stand in the crossover of the two spheres.
The authors provide nine templates or designs for theological reflection, starting with life situation, scripture (tradition), scripture and written meditation (tradition), essay (cultural text), collection of resources on one theme (cultural text), an issue or theme, personal positions, religious experiences, and another’s theological text.
I recently used the ‘experience to action’ phase at a multimedia conference in which participants were looking at developing cutting edge approaches to worship in the ‘emerging church’. I took the line that the freshest experience of emerging church is to be found in last week’s personal and corporate experience. Some were astounded at the level of insight that came from exploring an ‘ordinary human experience’. The challenge then came as we brought our narratives, feelings, images, insights and actions to engage with the Scriptures and the cultural forms in which we engaged with our peers.
Art of Theological Reflection at Amazon.com
Posted in Models, Resources | No Comments »
