2. A new paradigm to serve new fields of missiological knowledge
3. A Theological
Framework for
the MATUL
degree
An Entrance Story: The Moses –
God-Liberation Conversation in
Exodus 3
Finding God (3-6) in a context of oppression (7)
through solidarity (8), spiritual power (15,20),
advocacy (10), entrepreneurial vision (17),
community organization (16-22)
Transformational
Conversations
4. My Early Paradigm
Contributions to
Urban Poor
Missiology
These laid the foundations for
multiplication into 200 + new
organizations, 25+ authors
Holistic
Mission
Theology
Apostolic
Orders
Incarnation
5. My Development of
a Second Wave of
Paradigms (in 90’s)
Urban Poor
Movement
Leadership
Theology of Land
Rights
Transformative
Revival
Economic
Discipleship
Cooperative
Economics
Social
Entrepreneurship
7. All theologies are
Contextual Theologies
Irish Catholic
Italian Catholic =
Systematic
German Reformation =
Systematic
Latin American Liberation
= Justice –Based
Theologies
American Evangelical =
modernist logical
Slum Pentecostal = Oral
theologies
8. European Systematic Theologies
are one type of Contextual Theology
They build on Greek Logic of Plato and Aristotle
Seek to create logical Western philosophical systems
of theological ideas.
Are based on the logic of previous theologians
As with all of the modernist project in Western
academia of the last three centuries, they are based on
Greek logic, but have not succeeded in creating a
unified integrated system of knowledge
11. Urban Theological Foundations: Contrasting
Polarities
Is God or was God?
Is God or does God?
Is God incarnate or cosmic?
Is God a holistic Story teller or a rationalist
philosopher?
13. Epistemology of MATUL
The MATUL is based of a different understanding of
knowledge and theology to that of modernist systematic
theology
It does not grow from logical Catholicism
The centre of Jesus’ theological approach was not
systematic theology
Systematic theology is one type of contextual theology from
Western Europe
14. MATUL
Based on Urban Contextual Theology
Poor people are largely oral learners.
They are story-tellers not linear Aristotolean logicians
Jesus reached the poor through oral techniques
Storytelling, parables, proverbs,
16. MATUL Theological Process
Every course in the degree is a theological course
But we utilise a “transformational conversations”
approach
We start with situations in the slums and the stories
of those situations then reflect on parallel Biblical
stories to understand Biblical praxis for those
situations
18. Engaging Postmodernism
Using a web of belief aproach
Recognizes the limits to our capacity to create
integrated fields of logical knowledge
Enables engagement with postmodern story-based
image culture.
19. Part of New Global Theologies
This is part of a trend in developing global theologies
around the world in developing nations and represents
an information age tribal/global culture 21st century shift.
20. Emerging Styles of Theology
Historic Systematic Western
Theology
God is (Theology of being and
definitions)
God was (Historical theology of
books, diachronic)
The cosmic God of grand
principles above all things
(systematic theology)
God the rationalist philosopher
(search for THE truth,
closed-minded)
Theology of experts - popes,
bishops and professors, tested
by councils
Modern rationalist, evangelical
Western
Global Conversational Theologies
God does (Do theology, praxis,
action theology)
God is (Theology tested across
cultures in present, synchronic)
God the story-teller living
among us (contextual theology,
oral theology)
God the creative imaginer
(search for his truth into the
present, open-ended)
Theology of the people lead by
Spirit tested by the faith
community
Postmodern, Pentecostal
Indigenous people, Emergent
world
21. Jesus, Paul & Plato
Paul was trained by Gamaliel, a disciple of Plato and Socrates, as well
as a Hebrew rabbi
Paul rejects deviant philosophic knowledge approaches current in
Corinth in 1 Cor 1.
He Centers on Hebrew wisdom models
Christ is our wisdom
Holy Spirit as source of revelation
Yet he uses all his Greek philosophy training, so he is not rejecting the
academe per se, simply testing it against the revelation of the Spirit,
subjecting it to the centrality of the cross, and indicating that the cross
will never fit with other philosophies.
23. Beyond Dialogue: Transformational
Conversations
The Bible is stories (narrative)
Theology is stories
Theology is conversations
e.g.A hui for migrant ethnic
leaders in NZ
2nd generation kids
Role of the theologian as
thematizer
The issue, decoding the
issue in the midst of the
stories in small groups
Integration of the issue
24. Transformational Conversation on an Issue
4. City
Transformational
Conversation
2.Theological
Conversation
3.Postmodern/
Modern City
Conversation
The Issue
1.Entrance
Stories
Socio-Economic Analysis Biblical Reflection
Theological Analysis
5. New Action Story
Structures as
ConversationalistsInterfacing the
conversations
25. Transformational Conversation on Land
Rights
4. City
Transformational
Conversation
2.Theological
Conversation
3.Postmodern/
Modern City
Conversation
Land
Rights
1.Entrance
Stories:
Violence,
Dispossession
Socio-Economic Analysis:
UNHabitat Literature,
Best Practices,
Community Organization,
Cross-nation Legislation
Biblical Reflection on
Land and Land Rights,
Jubilee, Prophets,
Exodus,
Theological Analysis:
Brueggeman -3
Movements
5. New Action Stories:
Rebuilding, marches, new
legislation, comm orgn….
Structures as
Conversationalists: Rebuilding
Communities, Community
Organizations Voicing Biblical
Values
Interfacing the
conversations:
Engagement
with NHA
(public
theology),
Jubilee Year,
Research on
Latrines
(Dignity)
26. Transformational Conversation on an Slum
Latrines
4. City
Transformational
Conversation
2.Theological
Conversation
3.Postmodern/
Modern City
Conversation
The Issue
1.Entrance
Stories
Socio-Economic Analysis Biblical Reflection
Theological Analysis
5. New Action Story
Structures as
ConversationalistsInterfacing the
conversations
27. Transformational Conversation on an
Entrepreneurship
4. City
Transformational
Conversation
2.Theological
Conversation
3.Postmodern/
Modern City
Conversation
The Issue
1.Entrance
Stories
Socio-Economic Analysis Biblical Reflection
Theological Analysis
5. New Action Story
Structures as
ConversationalistsInterfacing the
conversations
28. Transformational Conversation about
psychologically damaged slum children
4. City
Transformational
Conversation
2.Theological
Conversation
3.Postmodern/
Modern City
Conversation
The Issue
1.Entrance
Stories
Socio-Economic Analysis Biblical Reflection
Theological Analysis
5. New Action Story
Structures as
ConversationalistsInterfacing the
conversations
29. Transformational Conversation as a Thesis
Framework
4. City
Transformational
Conversation
2.Theological
Conversation
3.Postmodern/
Modern City
Conversation
The Issue
1.Entrance
Stories
5. New Action Story
30. Extended Action Research
Moving from one conversation to the next and the next
Action
reflection 3
Action
Reflection
2
Action-
Reflection 1
Initial round of research
New Action steps
31. 1.Global Urban
Conversation
• Holistic Mission
• Revitalization
• City Leadership
2.Encarnacao Alliance:
400 cities
3. APU Internal
Conversation
• Mission to the Poor
• Legal/Admin/Theology
4.Multiplication of 16
Topic/Course
Conversations
• Students
• MATUL Commission
• Partner School Faculty
APU MATUL: Multiple
Transformational
Conversations?
32. The Los Angeles Conversations
Racism
Unemployment
Homelessness
Opulence
Migration
33. References
Bevans, S. B., S.V.D. 1996. Models of
Contextual Theology. Maryknoll:
Orbis.
Grigg, Viv. 2009. Grigg, Viv. 2009.
Transformational Conversations.
The Spirit of Christ and the
Postmodern City. Asbury, KY: Emeth
Press, Chap 2.
Kraft, C. (1979). Christianity in Culture:
A Study in Dynamic Biblical
Theologizing in Cross-Cultural
Perspective. Maryknoll: Orbis
Books.
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