All posts by Robert Dean

A Poor Church-Growth Strategy? (Series on “Minding the Web”)

“That we are taught to confess our sin, particularly during Lent, is not something to which we look forward. We are not at all sure an emphasis on sin is a good idea. We are in a time of a dramatic loss in membership in mainline Protestantism. We need to attract new people. Telling people they are possessed by sin does not sound like a good church-growth strategy. Continue reading A Poor Church-Growth Strategy? (Series on “Minding the Web”)

A Lifetime Project (Series on “Minding the Web”)

“One of the great advantages of being a Christian is that we are in a lifetime project to discover how to confess our sins. To be able to confess our sins is a theological achievement that our baptisms have made pos­sible. For sin, as Karl Barth maintained, is only known in the light of Christ. Thus from Barth’s perspective, our fundamental sin consists in the presumption that we can know our sin without having become a dis­ciple of Christ. In short, to be a Christian means we must be trained to be a sinner. Continue reading A Lifetime Project (Series on “Minding the Web”)

The Good News of the Impassible Love of God

In the wake of Moltmann’s The Crucified God (1973), it has become fashionable in some theological circles to celebrate the “suffering” or passibility of God.  In recent years, I have become increasingly convinced that such construals may not actually understand how the language of “impassibility” has historically functioned in the Christian theological tradition and particularly in the work of the Fathers. Continue reading The Good News of the Impassible Love of God

Providence Press Release for “Minding the Web”

Providence University College and Theological Seminary has issued a press release for Minding the Web: Making Theological Connections, the recently published book that I’ve worked on with Stanley Hauerwas.  The press release includes some quotes from both myself and Hauerwas, alongside of other information about the book.  You can read the full release here:  http://www.prov.ca/news/theological-seminary/providence-professor-dr-robert-dean-illumines-work-of-theological-spider-man-dr-stanley-hauerwas-in-new-book/

 

Christianity Is Not for Sissies

“The church can’t survive on sentiment and nostalgia.  If we try to do that, we will wake up at midnight and discover that our lamps are going out.  Sentiment, nostalgia, optimism: these are weak, thin fuels.  We need premium oil for our lamps if we are to keep the light of the church burning in the time of trial.  Christianity is not for sissies.  Continue reading Christianity Is Not for Sissies