[Note: This is one post in a series on David Gushee’s book After Evangelicalism: The Path to a New Christianity. The aim of these posts is to help you start conversations with people in your community. Invite someone to read this book with you and discuss it together. You don’t need to agree with each other or the author to benefit from doing this type of activity.]
Chapter 4: God: In Dialogue with the Story of Israel
After spending the first several chapters deconstructing problems with evangelicalism and its authoritative sources, Gushee begins his reconstructive project in chapter 4. In this chapter he acknowledges the various strands of theology which played especially formative roles in the construction of his theological perspective (kingdom of God theology, social gospel theology, Holocaust theology, liberation theology, Catholic social teaching tradition, and progressive evangelical social ethics).
The majority of the chapter is spent outlining Gushee’s summary of the Old Testament narrative. He suggests that our theology should be shaped by a reading of the Old Testament which is enriched by conversations with post-holocaust Jewish thinking. This leads Gushee to acknowledge the “multi-vocality” of scripture in which the various biblical authors and later interpreters wrestle with God’s covenant faithfulness and the reality of evil in the world. One of the chapter’s most important contributions is to emphasize the loving nature of God in the Old Testament.
Intriguing Quote(s)
“The burning-children test constrains all claims about God, Jesus, and the church that I will make in this book.” (70)
“Elie Wiesel also used that word: ‘I believe in a wounded faith. Only a wounded faith can exist after these events. Only a wounded faith is worthy of a silent God.’” (76)
Conversation Starters
What theological traditions have influenced your thinking?
Have you ever read Christian (or Jewish) thinkers who might challenge the way you understand the Christian life?
How should the Holocaust challenge or change the way we construct our theology?