Theopoetic Notes

Inspired by Jan Zwicky, Wittenstein, Rubem Alves etc...all those who blut the line between theology/philosophy/poetry - i give you these fragments.
1) To do theology as theopoetic enables us to do theology as not just an academic endeavourer but also as an exercise of communities on the ground dealing with the realities of their mission and to listen to the voices of the poor and marginalized, those who feel they have no place in our liturgical assemblies’ and who have been cut off from the world of the academy by economic realities, learning styles or life choices.

2) And to the ends that our work allows we want to take seriously this notion that the responsibility of the theologian in the new millennium, in the age after Christendom, is to take up the task of engaging with our ‘unconscious axioms and symbolics[1]’ by bridging the worlds of our imaginations and social drama. All theologies are by nature political, as are our spiritual practices whether in the contemplative movement, or as William Stringfellow has shown, in the experiences and spiritual ecstasies of the charismatic and Pentecostal movements[2].

3) This theopoetic of the cross continues to imagine the cross in a movement towards the edges of our society and culture. A theopoetic of the cross tries to imagine the ways in which crucifixion exists as a reality in our own day and age

4) To construct our theopoetry we will not only be working with and developing Wilders idea of the theopoetic. In addition to this we will be working with the style of writing suggested by Alves and Guynn’s notion, as well of that as Scott Holland[3] that theopoetics – as theology and as social action – are a ‘type of writing’[4]. Marianne Sawickis 3-tables will play a vital role in our attempt to articulate what this may mean and Adi Da Samraj’s book “The Mummery Book” provides an example of a form the theopoetic can take.

5. Our exploration of the theopoetic presents certain specific challenges to us. Very few major works have been written exploring the theopoetic and only one book has actually been written presenting its self as an example of the theopoetic[5].

4. After addressing the early theology of the cross in Luther I will then explore the roll it played in some theological thinking where the pursuit of suffering was prized and the cross was used as an example of obedience even unto suffering and persecution.

5. These insights will be placed next to the work of Bob Eckblad and his ‘The Peoples Seminary’. Eckblad is a Presbyterian theologian/pastor doing liberation theology with immigrant communities. Eckblad has found that the majority of his ministry is with immigrants with Pentecostal backgrounds, and as such developed language, ideas, images and worships inspired by the meeting of liberation theology and Pentecostal worship[6].

6. As Guiterreze states, a new creation of the poor that must happen, assuming that their can be a time in history when all things are made perfect and human nature is somehow removed. It is to a new creation of the church that we must turn.

7. Altmann explores Luther as a man who had to understand himself in his own weakness[7].[8]

---

[1] Cite again?

[2] Stringfellow, William. An Ethic for Christians and Other Aliens in a Strange Land. (Eugene, Oregean: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1973) 146-151

[3] Holland, Scott. “Theology is a kind of writing: the emergence of theopoetics”…..

[4] Guynn, 100

[5] though I am sure other examples can be found by books and organizations alike who are just ‘doing’ the work with out worrying about our limiting labels.

[6] Eckblad

[7] Altmann, 2

[8] this along with his theology of the cross and Caputo’s ‘The Weakness of God’ will provide us with conversation points in how to address the powerful weakness of God and the Cross.