Front cover image for Christ plays in ten thousand places : a conversation in spiritual theology

Christ plays in ten thousand places : a conversation in spiritual theology

Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places reunites spirituality and theology in a cultural context where these two vital facets of Christian faith have been rent asunder. Lamenting the vacuous, often pagan nature of contemporary American spirituality, Eugene Peterson here firmly grounds spirituality once more in Trinitarian theology and offers a clear, practical statement of what it means to actually live out the Christian life. Writing in the conversational style that he is well known for, Peterson boldly sweeps out the misunderstandings that clutter conversations on spiritual theology and refurnishes the subject only with what is essential. As Peterson shows, spiritual theology, in order to be at once biblical and meaningful, must remain sensitive to ordinary life, present the Christian gospel, follow the narrative of Scripture, and be rooted in the "fear of the Lord"--In short, spiritual theology must be about God and not about us. The foundational book in a five-volume series on spiritual theology emerging from Peterson's pen, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places provides the conceptual and directional help we all need to live the Christian gospel well and maturely in the conditions that prevail in the church and world today
Print Book, English, 2008
Eerdmans Pub. Co., Grand Rapids, Mich., 2008
xii, 368 pages ; 23 cm
9780802862976, 0802862977
179799253
Acknowledgmentsix
Prefacexi
Introduction1
Clearing the Playing Field11
Two Stories
13
Three Texts
20
Four Terms
26
And a Dance
44
I. Christ Plays in Creation49
Exploring the Neighborhood of Creation
51
Kerygma: Jesus' Birth
52
Threat: Gnosticism
59
Grounding Text (1): Genesis 1-2
62
Grounding Text (2): St. John
85
Cultivating Fear-of-the-Lord in Creation: Sabbath and Wonder
108
II. Christ Plays in History131
Exploring the Neighborhood of History
133
Kerygma: Jesus' Death
137
Threat: Moralism
144
Grounding Text (1): Exodus
147
Grounding Text (2): St. Mark
181
Cultivating Fear-of-the-Lord in History: Eucharist and Hospitality
200
III. Christ Plays in Community223
Exploring the Neighborhood of the Community
227
Kerygma: Jesus' Resurrection
230
Threat: Sectarianism
239
Grounding Text (1): Deuteronomy
245
Grounding Text (2): Luke/Acts
267
Cultivating Fear-of-the-Lord in Community: Baptism and Love
300
Epilogue: As Kingfishers Catch Fire...331
Appendix: Some Writers on Spiritual Theology339
Endnotes343
Index of Subjects and Names355
Index of Scripture References362
Includes index