Just back from Manchester where I met with 30+ British Baptists all enthusiastic about doing theology in context. Held at Luther King House (shown in the two photos in different seasons - great place for a retreat / conference). Originally the brainchild of Professor Paul Fiddes, Baptists Doing Theology in Context isn't a conference but a consultation. It's a place where we come to share what we are already working on, thinking about, exploring, mostly as that arises in the context of our ministry and lives; it is a place where 'prayer is valid.' Those who come are committed to theology by collaboration, participating in a fellowship of thought in which friendships grow and our own limited grasp of faith is strengthened and enlarged.
The papers as indicated earlier were varied in content and approach, each of them evidence of serious engagement with truth that can be elusive, disturbing, renewing and transforming, and shared in a safe place where the main pre-requisite is a love of shared enquiry within the broad context of Baptist identity and loyalty to Christ. Varied viewpoints, differing backgrounds, any number of personal academic interests, a pervasive sense of seriousness that never precludes fun, exchanges of viewpoint, judgement and opinion moderated by respect and intellectual fairness; these set the spirit of the occasion. Everyone who brought a paper or a contribution to share, made themselves vulnerable by offering their thinking as a gift to the rest - I have notes from those I was able to attend which will become part of my own continued following after the way of Christ and the reality of God. I don't want to mention highlight contributions - that would be about my personal preferences. Quality of research, reflection and thought is judged not by personal taste, but by the integrity of those for whom a discipleship of the intellect is an important path traceable on their landscape.
High points for me were to do with people - I met Andy Goodliff finally after repeated blog exchanges; he is as lively and theologically alert over coffee as at his keyboard. I met Catriona again and attended her paper on (local) church history as a resource for practical theology. Clare whom I've know for a good while now, and who was studying in Aberdeen while I was minister there, continues to work with faithful persistence in a place where the circumstances are hard but the people are well worth the sacrifices made to continue supporting them in their shared life. (Indeed - ditto for Catriona whose own ministry requires similar faithful tenacity, and is resourced from deep vocational wells). Briefly encountered Sean the Baptist just back from holiday and looking the picture of rude health - rude and healthy? - anyway looking good! Talking with all the various participants - none of us have life easy - for some theology has to be done in a hard place - it becomes clear that those who think theology is a rarefied intellectual hobby, or a diversion from 'real' life, should talk with some of these real life theologians. Some of them I simply admire and quietly note the importance of new friendships being incorporated into prayer for each of them.
So. A good three days. I'm on sabbatical in a couple of days and now tidying up emails 'n stuff. The blog will continue but with occasional hiatuses (is that the plural?) I promised a post on Balentine on Job to one of my new friends from this week. It'll appear soon, Robert!
I'd asked several people to lead us in our prayers and they each set our thinking, talking and searching within the holy brackets of prayerful attentiveness, to God, and then to each other. I had time to catch up with several folk I don't see nearly often enough - and talking to them reminds me of why I feel that way.
And thank YOU Jim for your essential role in it all. It was an excellent few days, and a privilege to share with so many wonderful people.
Have a truly wonderful sabbatical and maybe you, too, can look rudely healthy!! (Just not like an ancient Olympian we hope!)
Posted by: Catriona | August 29, 2008 at 08:26 PM