The essays in this collection vary in their approach, voice, focus questions, and contexts of origin. All are of a theological nature, though their approaches to the doing of theology differ. All exhibit in some way the Anglican ethos that seeks to integrate pastoral, liturgical and theological concerns together. Some, more than others, call more upon Scripture; some, more than others, call more upon the Tradition. Some focus their attention on the urgency of present missional call in order to challenge us; some offer perspectives to root us in the spirituality that we need to continue in the ways that we are trying to be faithful. All contributions reflect a deep pastoral care to nurture faithful discipleship in local communities for the sake of God’s mission in the world.
It is never an easy thing to organize the presentation of this sort of project. We did not set out to invite people to speak to pre-determined questions – that would have been easier to curate after the fact, but it seemed important to allow the invitation to rest with the discernment of those invited about how they wanted to approach their contributions. In the end, it seems that what we have received can be sorted into the following categories:
- Spiritual Roots for Stressful Times
- Learning in Context: Congregational Life and Mission
- Discipleship and Mission
- Theological Foundations and Journeys
- Reflections from Ecumenical and Anglican Communion Partners
- Epilogue: A Theology of Lament and Hope, Psalms for Lament
The articles have been drawn together into these ‘chapters’ for now in order to facilitate their study in a relatively ordered way. This ordering of them at this point also helps us to think about what perspectives, voices, questions, and insights are missing. This presentation should be viewed at this time as the initiation of a conversation. For now, here is a summary of what you will find in the collection of essays.