Abstract
This introduction to theology provides students with stimulating, at times creatively surprising pathways of theological reflection off the busy roads of more traditional introductions to the subject. It addresses the need for embodied thought in theology, paying attention to the bodily condition of the human mind (even in abstract reflection) and to the bodily condition of its subject: Christian faith as embodied in Christian practice. It does so by correlating the five sensory experiences (seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling) and two foundational human experiences, loving and resting, with certain areas of theological thinking. As it aims at enabling students (in their first encounter with theology) to raise more interesting questions rather than at providing answers, it does not compete with, but supplements comprehensive textbooks of Christian dogmatics.
In each chapter, readers find the key points of each section and the entire chapter summarised, a short list of recommended readings, and various textboxes, stimulating introductory reflection, discussion, or activities to approach the topics – useful both in the classroom and for your individual study. As sources for ‘imaginative seeing’, reason, Scripture, tradition and experience are the topics of the introduction into theology’s methodology. Through the lens of music as imaginative meaning-making, Christology, the doctrine of the Trinity and the doctrine of creation are explored. The third chapter relates the sense of touch to the implications of being a body, focussing on questions of sex and gender, flesh and desires as well as desire-transforming asceticism. Although a broader approach to anthropology (e.g. mortality, finitude, fallibility, being in relation etc.), which could be spelled out in terms of embodiment, is present throughout the book, it is not subject of explicit engagement. Chapter 4 contains an account of the sacraments (eucharist and baptism) as the taste of Christian faith, chapter 5 an account of Christian worship as embodied faith – both chapters emphasising the character of God’s grace as mysterion and thus introducing ways of negative and mystical theology. Chapter 6 underscores that life is essentially political and explores different accounts of politics and faith/salvation: theology versus, theology through, or theology as politics, engaging with the meaning and the practical implications of the love of enemies. The authors’ decision to refer here amongst others to John H. Yoder’s account (‘Engaged love’, pp. 139-142) without reference to Yoder’s abuse of women in his church and the long struggle of the Mennonite Brethren to come to terms with his ‘legacy’ appears to me a disturbing and mistaken decision, contradicting their own conviction of the fundamental interdependence of dogmatics (here: ecclesiology) and ethics (here: spiritual and sexual abuse of women). (For a detailed argument that Yoder’s ‘theological contributions … cannot be separated from his behavior’, see Isaac Samuel Villegas, The Ecclesial Ethics of John Howard Yoder’s Abuse Modern Theology 37:1 (2021), pp. 191-214). Under the topic of the Sabbath rest chapter 7 contains both: an introduction to eschatological thinking and an account of Christian ecology.
The outline of this introduction with its orientation towards the senses makes it at times difficult for the reader (especially for beginners in the study of theology) to grasp connections and relations between the different doctrinal areas as they are displayed in the ‘anatomy’ of Christian faith itself. However, this can easily be counterbalanced by reading this introduction in connection with a classical textbook of Christian doctrine as the authors themselves recommend. In this way, students will benefit greatly from this introduction, enabling them to critically and creatively approach full-bodied theological thought.