How do you
- define the “hands†of the Christian faith?
- understand the “hands†working in relationship to the “head†& the “heart” in one’s Christian faith?
[Read more…] about Head, Heart & Hands: Christian Faith and the Hands
InterVarsity's Emerging Scholars Network
How do you
[Read more…] about Head, Heart & Hands: Christian Faith and the Hands
As we dig further into the material developed in Part 1*
Jesus and Head, Heart & Hands
How did Jesus relate to those to whom he ministered?
How did Jesus relate to his adversaries? [Read more…] about Head, Heart & Hands: Overview – Definitions of “Head,†“Heart,†and “Hands.†Part 2
“Holding together what people tend to pull apart”
To facilitate conversation (inspired by Gene’s comment on the previous post):Â Would love to have you briefly share …
In response to “What theologians have influenced you?” Dennis Hollinger shares:
The writings of C. S. Lewis have been very significant. I’m eclectic in my theology. I have drawn from the wells of Wesley, Calvin, Augustine, and the Anabaptist tradition. One thing that characterizes my own life and my approach to ministry and theological education is holding together what people tend to pull apart. My book Head, Heart & Hands reflects that approach. Those oriented toward the head have said that if we get our biblical and theological knowledge down, that will really put us in the good spot for the rest of our lives. The heart-oriented folks say that if our hearts are strangely warmed by God, that will develop Christian maturity. Others focus more on the action side. What I do in that book is argue that not only must all three be present, but also that they really need to nurture each other. That insight stems from my background of having worked in a number of different denominational settings.
Do you see the tensions between evangelicals stemming primarily from the head, the heart, or the hands? [Read more…] about Head, Heart & Hands: Overview – Definitions of “Head,†“Heart,†and “Hands.†Part 1
As you characterize your conversion experience, would you say that it is one
Hmm. Of the cuff I’d say, “First my head, then my heart and finally my hands. As my hands have followed Christ, I’ve found a ‘way of life’ emerge which weaves together ‘head, heart, and hands.’ How about you?”
Background on the study …
As I mentioned in The Spiritual Life as an Editorial Process, Dennis Hollinger contends in Head, Heart & Hands: Bringing Together Christian Thought, Passion and Action (InterVarsity Press, 2005):
head, heart and hands all play a significant role in our Christian faith. Moreover, each dimension plays a crucial role in the expression of the others. Our minds, passions and actions interact in such a way that unless all three are present and nurturing each other, we are less than the people God created us to be. To be whole Christians, head, heart and hands must join together as joyous consorts. The problem is that most believers and Christian organizations or movements have accentuated one dimension to the neglect of the others (10).
The holistic perspective offered by Dennis Hollinger (President of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) serves the whole believer and the whole Body of Christ, including Christian scholars. In response the Central PA Christian Scholars Network/ESN, in partnership with Elizabethtown Brethren in Christ Church and Hearts and Minds Bookstore, invited Hollinger to speak for a series in Fall 2010. Part of the congregational engagement with Head, Heart & Hands included a fall adult elective based on the book. It is from Kevin Milligan’s excellent class leadership (and notes) which I draw these posts. In distributing books among participants and local Christian scholars (some who participated in the class), I couldn’t keep enough copies of the book in stock, even with the help of InterVarsity Press and Hearts and Minds Bookstore. People are still looking for copies and gathering for small group discussions! If you don’t have a local/campus book discussion which you’re a part of this summer (or you’re looking for a book to read), I encourage you to gather some friends, start one up, and share your group’s thoughts with us on-line. As an individual and/or group, please feel free to answer 1, some, or all the questions in the comments section below.
Back to the study:
What words do you associate with Head, Heart, and Hands? (My first words are below, I’ll share more after the conversation has started …)
[Read more…] about Head, Heart & Hands: Fragmented Faith and Fragmented People (Intro/Chapter 1)
Have you ever considered The Spiritual Life as an Editorial Process?
Al Hsu, an editor (and author) for InterVarsity Press, skillfully explores The Spiritual Life as an Editorial Process in Chapter 5 of the recently published A Spiritual Life: Perspectives from Poets, Prophets, and Preachers (Allan Hugh Cole Jr., ed. Westminster John Knox Press. 2011). As I’ve spent the past several months considering The Incarnational Stream/Tradition, I particularly appreciated Hsu’s section entitled The Practice of Incarnational Remembrance. He begins by asserting:
One of the most valuable aspects of the publishing process is that it is an act of cultural production, or what Andy Crouch calls “culture making.” Writing creates artifacts. Publishing takes the abstract ideas of an author’s mind and puts them into print in a physical, tangible object. This process preserves someone’s insight and anchors it in space and time. The physical artifact of the book also makes an author’s ideas portable and transferable to others (40).
In addition to the value of “culture making,” Hsu’s reflections on guiding others through the writing process, capturing midnight thoughts, daily journaling, understanding life as an unfolding story nestled in God’s grand narrative, and the communal nature of writing “struck a chord.” Love his illustrations/metaphors.
A Few Questions drawn from my reading of The Spiritual Life as an Editorial Process