Men and women embarking on the study of systematic theology quickly find themselves awash in a sea of unfamiliar theological terms, historical names, and philosophical "-isms." The Survivor's Guide to Theology is both a life preserver to help stay afloat and a compass to help navigate these often unfamiliar waters. While many books on systematic theology provide introductory material, still the reader is often forced to dive right into actual theology without adequate framework for understanding. Resources for building this framework are available but scattered. This unique book brings them together in one place. The Survivor's Guide to Theology is ideal for both introduction and review/reference. - The first part deals with the question, "What is Theology?" It addresses issues, categories, theory of knowledge, and more. - The second part surveys nine major theological systems. For each, the author provides history and background, overview of content and theological distinctive, and a critique. - The final part provides the reader with biographical sketches of significant theologians, a brief dictionary of common theological terms, and an annotated bibliography of major theological works.

Christian theology at its core is a story about someone being in trouble. In response to this trouble, the triune God intervenes. God identifies with those in trouble, walking with them through the experience. Yet, the God of Christian theology goes a step further. God prevails over trouble. God is an overcomer. Black women with breast cancer identify with this God. They also see themselves in this theological narrative. They see themselves in the midst of troubles, troubles like racism, poverty and environmental exposures that create the disease affecting their bodies. They see the troubles of breast cancer, their biological disposition towards more aggressive cancers, later stage diagnoses, poorer prognoses, diminished quality of care and worse outcomes. Black women also palpably feel the troubles breast cancer brings like fear, physical disfigurement, social isolation, being stereotyped for treatment decisions, abandonment and even death. Black women feel the myriad troubles breast cancer brings. But, Black women also know God in their troubles. They know an active God who identifies with and prioritizes their needs. They know this God, through scripture and experience, as God who puts them front and center. And because they know God as an overcomer and creative force, they know themselves as overcomers. For with God, their troubles do not last always. Black women with breast cancer construct a cultural theology of breast cancer out of knowing God. Borne out of experiences of the Black Church, womanist theology and their intersectional identities of race, class and gender, this theological investigation, informed by anthropology, examines how Black women construct an ontology of who God is and how God operates and gain a God consciousness that shapes their response to the disease. Using pain, faith and testimony as tools to struggle against breast cancer Black survivors’ theology transforms them from victims of breast cancer to change agents. Out of their lives as survivors comes a theology of complex hope- one cognizant of Black women’s breast cancer disparities, yet oriented towards Black women’s achievement of health in the present and the future– a sufficient hope to sustain Black women through it all.

The intention of Trauma Sensitive Theology is to help theologians, professors, clergy, spiritual care givers, and therapists speak well of God and faith without further wounding survivors of trauma. It explores the nature of traumatic exposure, response, processing, and recovery and its impact on constructive theology and pastoral leadership and care. Through the lenses of contemporary traumatology, somatics, and the Internal Family Systems model of psychotherapy, the text offers a framework for seeing trauma and its impact in the lives of individuals, communities, society, and within our own sacred texts. It argues that care of traumatic wounding must include all dimensions of the human person, including our spiritual practices, religious rituals and community participation, and theological thinking. As such, clergy and spiritual care professionals have an important role to play in the recovery of traumatic wounding and fostering of resiliency. This book explores how trauma-informed congregational leaders can facilitate resiliency and offers one way of thinking theologically in response to traumatizing abuses of relational power and our resources for restoration.

This concise introductory work explores the essentials of doing theological research and writing. It is a handy companion to assist persons as they begin and pursue theological education. It provides an overview of expectations that both various professors have shared and students have reported over many years as basic wisdom to foster quality theological work. It is a time-tested resource to guide those called to seminary study.

When handling the things of God, our method matters. Everyone who thinks about God has a method for approaching the subject, whether they recognize it or not. A theological method addresses foundational questions such as: What is theology? How should we approach Scripture? What is the role of tradition, philosophy, and experience? How do we use theology in ministering to others? These questions are vital for anyone studying God and his Word—how one defines theology, sees its task, and uses its sources will shape one’s doctrine, for better or worse. In The Method of Christian Theology, Rhyne Putman guides readers through the essential “first words” of systematic theology. Written for entry-level theology students, this book provides clear guidance for using theological sources, reasoning through difficult questions, and applying theological reflection in paper writing and preaching. By studying the foundations of theology, readers will be better equipped to serve God’s people in whatever ministry they are called to.

Three parts sexual license, two parts corporate I ladder, with a dash of Monolo Blahnik. If a woman's single years were a cocktail, that would be the f culture's preferred recipe.

This second edition of the Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms provides a comprehensive guide to nearly 7,000 theological terms—1,000 more terms than the first edition. McKim’s succinct definitions cover a broad range of theological studies and related disciplines: contemporary theologies, biblical studies, church history, ethics, feminist theology, global theologies, hermeneutics, liberation theology, liturgy, ministry, philosophy, philosophy of religion, postcolonial theology, social sciences, spiritually, worship, and Protestant, Reformed, and Roman Catholic theologies. This new edition also includes cross-references that link readers to other related terms, commonly used scholarly abbreviations and abbreviations for canonical and deuterocanonical texts, an annotated bibliography, and a new introductory section that groups together terms and concepts, showing where they fit within particular theological categories. No other single volume provides the busy student, and the theologically experienced reader, with such easy access to so many theological definitions.

So many people are leaving the church today because of its hypocrisy, bigotry, and intellectual dishonesty. Such "heretics" find themselves in exile, wondering if there is anything worth holding onto regarding Christianity and faith. The answer is: Yes, but probably not in the way you think. A Survival Guide for Heretics reveals that the scandalous heart of Christianity is about the death of religion and the resurrection of a new way of living in the world called the kingdom of God. Drawing upon the fields of psychology, philosophy, and Radical Theology, this book guides readers step by step through their own spiritual journeys and reveals how they got where they're at and how to move forward. Along the way, Aaron Van Voorhis addresses some of the hardest questions perplexing Christians today and offers some surprising answers. As a pastor, Aaron uses his personal story and the story of his church as examples of how Christianity might be embodied in the twenty-first century. Deeply informed by the work of Peter Rollins and John D. Caputo, among others, A Survival Guide for Heretics is a very accessible and necessary book for anyone struggling with their faith.

Where was God during the Holocaust? And where has God been since? How has our religious belief been changed by the Shoah? For more than half a century, these questions have haunted both Jewish and Christian theologians. Holocaust Theology provides a panoramic survey of the writings of more than one hundred leading Jewish and Christian thinkers on these profound theological problems. Beginning with a general introduction to Holocaust theology and the religious challenge of the Holocaust, this sweeping collection brings together in one volume a coherent overview of the key theologies which have shaped responses to the Holocaust over the last several decades, including those addressing perplexing questions regarding Christian responsibility and culpability during the Nazi era. Each reading is preceded by a brief introduction. The volume will be invaluable to Rabbis and the clergy, students, scholars of the Holocaust and of religion, and all those troubled by the religious implications of the tragedy of the Holocaust. Contributors include Leo Baeck, Eugene Borowitz, Stephen Haynes, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Steven T. Katz, Primo Levi, Jacob Neusner, John Pawlikowski, Rosemary Radford Reuther, Jonathan Sarna, Paul Tillich, and Elie Wiesel.

This book identifies and analyzes the forms, causes, and potential treatments of religious abuse. Religious abuse can include experiences of sexual, physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental abuse connected to a religious context. The book will help readers understand different types of religious abuse, including where the perpetrator is a religious leader, a group, or a system, as well as when there is an overtly spiritual element connected to the justification for the abuse. It also describes common experiences of those who have experienced religious abuse and some treatment approaches that will be useful to mental health providers when their clients present with these experiences. The rigorous scholarly approach of this book provides an academically grounded insight into this complex topic. As such, it will be a key reference for those studying and working in Religious Studies, Religion and Psychology, the Sociology of Religion, and Counseling and Mental Health.