Rev Dr David Galston as ecumenical Chaplain to the 18 000 students at Brock University, Canada, takes up the ‘death of God’ challenge: Does belief in the God of Christian tradition that appears meaningless to the modern world, also mean the death of theology?
No, answers Galston, for at its best, theology is the place where Christian tradition pushes itself to the limits of its own possibilities. Problems arise when theology holds onto an old vision of God that cannot empower communities to foster a more open-minded approach to theology. How can theologians respond to the pressing concerns of humankind’s imperative to live within its ecological limits, without clinging to outdated metaphors for God?
Marking key features and turning points in western theology and understanding of Jesus’ parables, Galston’s expertise in the philosophy of religion and experience in a wisdom-based community of university students, helps guide readers through questions surrounding the future of religion. For it is through the religious quest that humankind, in a seemingly indifferent cosmos, derives meaning for human existence.
Richard Smith
Revive Magazine 