The Christian Gospel for Americans: A Systematic Theology

The Christian Gospel for Americans: A Systematic Theology

In 1934, Confessing Christians in Germany declared that support for the Nazi regime violated the basic principles of the Christian faith, thereby creating a status confesionis (confessional situation), requiring a binding doctrinal stance on sociopolitical questions. In this book, the result of a lifetime of engaged religious, philosophical, and critical inquiry, David Ray Griffin declares that with regard to American Empire, the church in America is in a similarly dire situation and must stand up for the integrity of the Gospel. He writes: â‚¬Å“Our Christian faith at its best would lead us, both as individual Christians and as churches, to oppose the American Empire in the name of God. As long as the church does not explicitly oppose this empire, it is, by its silence, a de facto supporter.â‚¬ÂChapter by chapter (in some cases, verse by verse) Griffin argues that Christians in America must deal with the darker side of their country, especially its imperialism, racism, and nuclear and climate policies. With clarity and insight, Griffin points out ways in which the American Empire is similar to the Roman Empireâ‚¬"the empire that crucified Jesusâ‚¬"and urges Christians, â‚¬Å“publicly and unequivocallyâ‚¬Â to reject it.To that end, Griffin has written a theology that aims always to keep in mind the meaning of â‚¬Å“gospelâ‚¬Ââ‚¬"good news. That is, it focuses on the primary doctrines of Christian faith, which are unqualifiedly good news, as distinct from secondary and tertiary doctrines, some of which have delivered badâ‚¬"sometimes horribleâ‚¬"news. The primary doctrines are rooted in the Bible, especially the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Written from the perspective of process theology, the book is â‚¬Å“liberal in method and conservative in content.â‚¬Â â‚¬Å“Liberal in methodâ‚¬Â means that all appeals to authority to establish truth are rejected. Theology, like philosophy, can argue for the truth of its doctrines only on the basis of evidence and reason. So although the reality of revelation can be affirmed, theologians cannot make claims for the truth of events or doctrines by claiming that this truth was revealed. It is â‚¬Å“conservative in contentâ‚¬Â by virtue of employing a constructive postmodern worldview, based on the process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead. Being â‚¬Å“conservative in contentâ‚¬Â does not mean affirming the types of conservative theology that allow secondary and tertiary doctrines to distort the gospelâ‚¬s primary doctrines. It means reaffirming primary doctrines of the Christian gospel, such as Godâ‚¬s creation of the world, God as actively present in us, and divinely-given life after death. American Christianity is in crisis. In this timely book, David Ray Griffin preaches the Gospelâ‚¬"not interpreted for the convenience of Americans, but to remind Americans of what the Gospel actually says and what it calls us to do.
Country USA
Brand Process Century Press
Manufacturer Process Century Press
Binding Paperback
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781940447421
ReleaseDate 0000-00-00

Country	USA
Brand	Process Century Press
Manufacturer	Process Century Press
Binding	Paperback
UnitCount	1
EANs	9781940447421
ReleaseDate	0000-00-00

The Christian Gospel for Americans: A Systematic Theology

You might also like...