“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”)
Tag Archives: 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 Apocalyptic Advent which Stories the World
In the midst of this Advent season of waiting, I received an early taste of Christmas yesterday with the arrival of my author copies of Minding the Web.
Continue reading The Apocalyptic Advent which Stories the World
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/
A People Who Wait (Series on “Minding the Web”)
“Advent is a time that rightly begins the church year. But as Christians we wait not only at Advent. Rather, waiting is a time that is constitutive of every time of the church year. Continue reading A People Who Wait (Series on “Minding the Web”)
Creatures of Time (Series on “Minding the Web”)
“Advent is a time the church has given us in the hope we can learn to wait. To learn to wait is to learn how to recognize we are creatures of time. Time is a gift and a threat. Time is a gift and a threat because we are bodily creatures. Continue reading Creatures of Time (Series on “Minding the Web”)