|
|
Reweaving in Godzone: theological scholarship in Aotearoa New Zealand Abstract by Steve Taylor for ANZAMS, 15-17 July
The movie Whale Rider has placed New Zealand on the screens of the world. The movie explores many themes, including the place of the ancient and historic in a culturally fluid context.
In this paper I will apply this metaphor of re-weaving the broken rope to the task of theological scholarship in aotearoa New Zealand.
Our theological scholarship occurs in a broken landscape. This includes the decline of church attendance, the cultural divides that mark our society and stain of responses to global terrorism. The broken ends of these ropes need to be acknowledged.
The task of theological scholarship can be described as a re-weaving the ancient ropes.
This paper will reweave the Emmaus Road narrative into the rope of theological scholarship in Aotearoa New Zealand. This means facing the brokenness of ethnocentricity, violence and marginality and weaving in themes of hospitality, welcoming the stranger and table fellowship.
This paper will thus challenge the notion of theological scholarship as an individual elite rational enterprise.
This paper will argue for first: excavating the unheard stories, and the task of theological scholarship is to mine the edges, to allow the voice of the voiceless to speak. This can be applied to a number of areas, including the voice of popular culture.
Second: excavating the non-rational insights, and the task of theological scholarship is to allow ways of knowing, to “let our hearts burn,” not only through words, but in community and ritual. New ways to research, as evidenced in recent trends in practical theology are thus insightful.
Third: excavating in missional community, and the task of theological scholarship is to include the edges, rather than exclude. Scholarship thus must be an inclusive, missional enterprise. |
ANZAMS Home Page + International Association for Mission Studies |