:: in.a.mirror.dimly ::

It’s my hope that my book Coffeehouse Theology will help Christians apply theology to their everyday lives, and to that end I have written two study guides that will help readers actively engage in contextual theology. In the Contemporary Issues Discussion Guide I bring up a variety of topics relevant for Christians, and that’s what I’d like to share today, with my next post covering the Bible Study Guide.

When an acquaintance read through the Contemporary Issues Discussion Guide, he shared that he felt it was so badly needed in the church today. Christians need to talk about these issues. At the time he said this, he was thumbing through the chapter on homosexuality.

Throughout the study guide I bring together scripture, global and historic Christians, and a series of thought-provoking quotes on issues we face today that include social justice, race, gender, the environment, war, torture, and evil. Some of these are matters on the political stage, while others are pressing matters for Christians in particular. I could have included other topics, but I felt these were a good start.

Part of my criteria for this guide were issues you typically can’t bring up in church without things getting a bit messy. These are topics that are tempting to avoid, issues we could potentially place outside our spheres of influence. Perhaps some of our views are outdated or not fully engaged with all of the angles and possibilities. For example, have Christians been too quick to condone war or torture? I think we need to talk about that–a lot.

I’m not going to kid myself that this study guide will sway Christian opinion or solve these topics once and for all. However, just as Coffeehouse Theology serves as a point of entry into contextual theology, bringing together a vast array of sources and ideas together, I hope this study guide will help us start more conversations about these important topics.