paternoster theological monographs

The Trinity, Creation and Pastoral Ministry

Imaging the Perichoretic God

Graham Buxton

Foreword by Jürgen Moltmann

Copyright © Graham Buxton 2005

First published 2005 by Paternoster

Paternoster is an imprint of Authentic Media

9 Holdom Avenue, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK1 1QR, UK

and

P.O. Box 1047, Waynesboro, GA 30830-2047, USA

The right of Graham Buxton to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher or a license permitting restricted copying. In the UK such licenses are issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 9HE.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN–13: 978-1-84227-369-2

ISBN–10: 1-84227-369-8

This monograph is dedicated to my wife, Gill

“The good does not begin in the consciousness of man. If is being realized in the natural cooperation of all beings, in what they are for each other. Neither stars nor stones, neither atoms nor waves, but their belonging together, their interaction, the relation of all things to one another constitutes the universe. No cell could exist alone, all bodies are interdependent, affect and serve one another, Figuratively speaking, even rocks bear fruit, are full of unappreciated kindness, when their strength holds up a wall.”

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907–1972), theologian, educator, philosopher and author

“At moments of wonder, it is easy to avoid small thinking, to entertain thoughts that span the universe, that capture both thunder and thinkle, thick and thin, the near and the far.”

Yann Martel, Life of Pi, Edinburgh, Canongate Books: 2002: 223

Contents

Foreword by Jürgen Moltmann

Preface

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1

The Road Less Travelled—Science and the Christian Faith

The Shape of ‘Scientific Theology’

Clarifying Terms

Connecting Science and Theology

The Science-Religion Relationship: Conflict

The Science-Religion Relationship: Independence

The Science-Religion Relationship: Dialogue

Alternative Theological Approaches to Dialogue

Dialogue, Truth and the Postmodern Culture

Chapter 2

In Solidarity with Beasts, Plants and Stones—Theology, Science and Pastoral Ministry

Ministry as Praxis

Theological Reflection and Theologia Viatorum

Theological Method in Pastoral Ministry

Defining Pastoral/Practical Theology—A Historical Perspective

Pastoral Ministry as Contextual Activity

The Contemporary Scientific Context for Ministry

Imago Dei and the Natural World

Chapter 3

The Coping-stone of Christian Doctrine—The Resurgence of Trinitarian Thinking

Beginning with Barth

Being and Becoming

‘Rahner’s Rule’

The Cappadocian Connection...