On the Mystery: Discerning Divinity in Process

by Catherine Keller

Overview

With immediate impact and deep creativity, Catherine Keller offers this brief and unconventional introduction to theological thinking, especially as recast by process thought. Keller here takes up theology itself as a quest for religious authenticity in a way that helps us probe the meaning of the divine, of divine power and compassion, of our evolving world, and of Christian life in the Spirit. Through a marvelous combination of brilliant writing, story, engaging reflection, and unabashed questioning of old shibboleths, Keller redeems theology from its often-dry and predictable categories to reveal what has always been at the heart of the theological enterprise: a personal search for intellectually honest and credible ways to make sense of the loving mystery that encompasses even our confounding times.

About the Author:
Catherine Keller is Professor of Constructive Theology at the Theological School and Graduate School, Drew University

Product Details

ISBN-13:	2900800662768
Publication date:	11/08/2007
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)

About the Author

Catherine Keller is Professor of Constructive Theology at the Theological School and Graduate School, Drew University. Her works include Apocalypse Now and Then: A Feminist Guide to the End of the World (1996, 978-0-8006-3736-1), and God and Power: Counter-Apocalyptic Journeys (2005, 978-0-8006-3727-9).

Table of Contents

Prologue     ix
Open-Ended Interactivity     xii
Seven Signs     xiii
Come, My Way: Theology as Process     1
Boarding Call     1
The Absolute and the Dissolute     2
Is God the Problem?     5
Christian Right, Planetary Wrong     6
Honest to God     7
Trails and Trials     9
Theology as Truth-Process     10
Touch of Truth     11
Calling God     14
Speaking of the Mystery     17
Attractive Propositions     20
Process Theology     21
Such a Way     24
Pilate's Shrug: Truth as Process     27
Torturous Truth     28
Johannine Testimonies     30
Truth Wells     31
Way or Wall?     33
Christian Shibboleths     35
Johannine Vines     35
Truth in Relation: The Risk of Trust     36
"Hereticks in the Truth"     38
Truth or Terror     40
In Flesh and in Truth     42
Be This Fish: Creation in Process     45
Fishy Grace     45
Ex Nihilo or Nihilism?     47
A Magnificent Mess     48
Lost Chaos of Creation     50
Panentheism     52
Over Our Heads     53
A Luminous Darkness     54
Of Wombs and Warriors     56
Genesis and Genetics     59
Self-Organizing Creation     61
Male, Female, and Talkative     63
Kabash the Earth?     65
Seascapes of Grace     66
After Omnipotence: Power as Process     69
Power Flashes     69
The Logic of Omnipotence     70
Crashing Waves     72
Job's Leviathanic Epiphany     74
Calvin's Decretum Horribile     76
Sin and Power     79
Blameworthy or Responsible?     81
Thorny Confession     83
Double Crossed     85
God of Letting Be     87
Risk the Adventure: Passion in Process     91
In Control or in Love?     94
Enemy Love: Not for Wimps     95
Sin and Love     97
God in Process: Lure and Response     98
Arise, My Love     101
"Invisible Attractions": Law and Love     104
Between Eros and Agape      107
Sticky Justice: Com/Passion in Process     111
Liberating Com/Passion     111
Just Love     113
Network of Mutuality     115
Agapic Justice     117
Community of Compound Passions     118
Love, Politics, Enemies     121
August Wisdom     122
Love Rhythm     124
Dispassion or Compassion?     125
Moved Mover     127
Sticky Gift     129
Jesus the Parable: Christ as Process     133
Missing Jesus     134
Creedal Omission     135
Revealing or Concealing?     137
In Joy: Discerning Priorities     139
Overpaid Idlers: Economics of the Basileia     140
Heaven, Hell, and Here     143
Salvation in Process     146
Fermenting Possibility     148
The Lure of a Higher Christology     151
Christ in Process     152
Becoming Parables     154
Open Ending: Spirit in Process     159
Insoluble Theology     159
Hot Tongues     161
WMD: Word of Mass Destruction     164
Hope as Counter-Apocalypse     166
Double-Edged S/Word     168
Cases of Spirit     170
Absolution, Dissolution, Resolution     173
Acknowledgments     177
Teaching Resources     179
Notes     187
Index     203