NT Wright and I...!
It was lunch time. I with some friends had made our way to Birmingham to hear NT Wright, Bishop of Durham speak on Mission in a Pagan World. I'd watched as people sidled up to NT Wright over coffee and lunch for a 'one on one' or made a bee-line for a conversation - I wished I'd enough nerve. My head was full of questions from trying to work through the whirlwind of his utter theological depth."We need to re-think our orthodoxy .... used the bible to prop up a dualistic soteriolgy ... we've colluded with dualism for far too long ... ticking doctrinal boxes without the narrative we've managed to turn a dot to dot picture of an elephant into a camel ... judgement is Gods fulfillment through Christ to put the world to right ... we've allowed 19th Gnosticism found in our old hymns shape our theology ... it is time for Orthodox Christianity to re-claim the high ground ... salvation is to do with this world ... Jesus had them by the short hairs!!"
... I was aware that NT Wright was making a bee-line for me. This great mind was striding towards me, his hand outstretched, a smile on his faced married to a look of recognition.
Suddenly I was aware that NT Wright was making a bee-line for me. This great mind was striding towards me, his hand outstretched, a smile on his faced married to a look of recognition. "Salvation Army! great to see you .... we've met before haven't we?"Everything within me wanted to scream 'yes' and then start a great conversation about the renaissance of Gnosticism in contemporary Christianity, but as he shook my hand I had to admit "I'm afraid not!"
Are you sure? Where have you come from?
"The Eastend of London... Poplar - I also teach Mission at TSA training college" I add hopefully.
"No I don't think I have, have I?"
"no!"
He smiled
"It is good to meet you now... keep the teaching up ...well done"
That was the end of my audience! The renaissance of Gnosticism in contemporary Christianity debate will have to wait!!
Comments
I don’t blog (yet!) so responses to my email address at fefward@btinternet.com although if there’s any way that some dialogue can be generated within whatever blogging community you belong to, it would be great to be notified of any links etc that I might otherwise miss.
Many thanks in anticipation …
1. How long have you been blogging?
2. What got you started?
3. Do you have a history of diary/journal/log writing beforehand?
4. How in your own mind do you negotiate the boundary between private and public? E.g. are there things that you would not put on your blog that you would put in a journal?
5. How do you decide? What criteria do you use for inclusion/exclusion?
6. How much time, on average, do you spend blogging each day or week?
7. How many other people do you actively engage with – e.g. are part of your blog community?
8. Who is your readership – literally; as far as you know?
9. and metaphorically? Do you imagine someone to whom you write/with whom you engage?
10. What counts as successful blogging?
11. What does blogging offer as a method of theological reflection?
a. Its opportunities
b. Its draw backs
12. What potential do you see for blogging as a method of theological reflection?
13. Do you know of examples of theological education programmes where students are required to keep a learning journal and blog as a form of journal?
14. Blogging and gender: do you think gender makes any difference to any of the above questions?
I hope that was a joke!
Good to catch up today - hope the move goes well and look forward to meeting up next time in the world of academia!