Catherine Keller's On the mystery: Discerning divinity in progress envisions the creation as a living, dynamic thing rather than something that is static and unchanging. The central metaphor which governs Chapter 3 of her book is that of the fish: a fish is constantly moving with the ebbs and flows of the waters around him and instead of drowning or being swallowed up by the waters of change like a human being, the fish is able to move forward. The fish also supports Keller's ecological view of the universe. Keller stresses the need for human beings to see themselves as part of the universe, rather than dominators of it. Keller finds particular inspiration in the ambiguous "bi-gendered" vision of the divine in the first creation myth of Genesis, versus the second myth which portrays a more anthropocentric God and a more rigid gender hierarchy.[footnoteRef:1] [1: Catherine Keller, On the mystery: Discerning divinity in progress, (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2008), p.46.] Keller's work also attempts to reclaim the myth of Genesis in general for progressive theologians. In the present day, it has too long been viewed in a literalist fashion, as a manifestation of pseudo-scientific "intelligent design."[footnoteRef:2] Rather than seeing it as evidence of the creation emerging from nothing, Keller instead sees it as the formation of the world from the watery depths. This chaos Keller sees as more commensurate with evolution than might be assumed; more importantly, it is a powerful...
"Flow in nature is a natural function not of a smooth, continuous motion but of pulsation, as the in-and-out-take of breath keeping your oxygen steady ... as in the ebb and flow of the waves keeping the water moving."[footnoteRef:3] Keller urges the reader to break out of current dichotomies of solely seeing the debate about Genesis and creation as one between fundamentalists and scientists and to make more creative space in the narrative for current theological wisdom in the feminist and ecological tradition. [2: Keller, p.47] [3: Keller, p.49]
Liberation Theology The 1970s saw the emergence of liberation as an important force within Christianity. The liberation had three major expressions that include; Black theology, Latin American liberation theology and feminist theology. Studies shows that all three respond to oppression, for instance, Latin American liberation theologians argue that the poverty stricken people are exploited and oppressed by capitalist nations. Black liberation theologians also argue that their people are suffering from oppression
Tinker's analysis brings into fore the issue of women subjugation in Catholicism in general, regardless of the cultural context in which Catholicism is applied. Unlike Robert's case, Tinker's presented the other side of the coin, a case in point that explains why there are feminist constructions around the relationship between gender and religion, specifically of Catholicism and its female followers. From the last case, a feminist reading is negotiated, wherein
Christianity Why should Christian theology be contextual? Explore this by referring to four important issues such as culture, liberation theology, feminist theology, and queer theology. Christian theology should be contextual because religious expression is dependent on culture. Historical and cultural context have continually impacted the development of Christian theology. Biblical allegories and the gospels are contextual in that they refer to the life and times of Christ, with additional references to Hebraic
In search for honest leadership in the church she wrote "Character is the first qualification," without that, the minister is a menace." She stated that ministers should have a clean and unselfish purpose, be innovative, dedicated to the issues of the community, sincere in their mission and not lazy. In effort to stay true to her vision for black women, Burroughs introduced "Women's Day" to the National Baptist Convention in
Trible provides evidence that God is female -- if not literally, then certainly metaphorically. She primarily does so by referencing passages in which the reproductive power of women is akin to God's power of creation. As enlightening as this point is, it is perhaps even more so to realize that there was a considerable amount of effort undertaken to hide this fact. The author discusses how a certain passage
Social Justice and Theology Black Liberation theology offers a much needed critic of classical theology, and the various ways in which it favors, and even fosters the racially oppressive behavior and attitudes that many white people have towards marginalized people. However, while Black Liberation has adequately pushed back against the issue of white supremacy, it has done so without giving a sufficient attention to the issue of patriarchy, which has an
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