Christian Practical Wisdom: What It Is, Why It Matters

by Dorothy C. Bass, Kathleen A. Cahalan, Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore, James R. Nieman, Christian B. Scharen

Overview

In this richly collaborative work, five distinguished scholars examine the oft-neglected embodied practical wisdom that is essential for true theological understanding and faithful Christian living. After first showing what Christian practical wisdom is and does in several real-life situations, the authors tell why such practical wisdom matters and how it operates, exploring reasons behind its decline in both the academy and the church and setting forth constructive cases for its renewal.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802868732
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	05/06/2016
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	360
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Dorothy C. Bass is director emerita of the Valparaiso Project on the Education and Formation of People in Faith. Kathleen A. Cahalan is professor of theology at Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary, Collegeville, Minnesota. Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore is E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Religion, Psychology, and Culture at Vanderbilt University. James R. Nieman is president of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Christian B. Scharen is vice president of applied research at Auburn Theological Seminary, New York.

Table of Contents

Framing: Engaging the Intelligence of Practice 1

Part 1

Spooning: How Bodies Shape Knowledge 23

Swimming: How the Practice of Lectio Divina Heals and Transforms 45

Camping: Practical Wisdom in Everyday Life 64

Dancing: Moves and Rhythms That Engage Local Wisdom 88

Rocking: Practical Wisdom at Work in Pop Culture 119

Part 2

Eclipsing: The Loss and Recovery of Practical Wisdom in the Modern West 145

Disciplining: Academic Theology and Practical Knowledge 175

Imagining: Biblical Imagination as a Dimension of Christian Practical Wisdom 232

Unknowing: Spiritual Practices and the Search for a Wisdom Epistemology 275

Part 3

Collaborating: An Invitation to Experiment, an Expression of Thanks 325

The Authors 334

Index 335

Editorial Reviews

Homiletic
"This is a volume that should be on the shelf of every seminary professor. . . . Demonstrates what is possible when the head and heart (and entire body) are brought into conversation to show us the best of what Christian practical wisdom has to offer."

Journal of Religious Leadership
"This competent and knowledgeable team brings forward the importance for engaging the concrete and embodied Christian life."

Stephanie Paulsell
-- Harvard Divinity School
"A beautifully written and much-needed exploration of Christian practical wisdom from a trusted group of theological educators. These five friends narrate their own imaginative, embodied attempts to live attuned to the presence of God and the needs of their neighbors and help us imagine how we might recover Christian practical wisdom in ways large and small in our own lives. . . . This is a challenging, graceful call to live wisely with and for each other."

Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung
-- Calvin College
"What do dancing, imagining, and collaborating have to do with 'gaining a heart of wisdom' in what Charles Taylor calls 'a secular age'? This creative and compelling case for Christian practical wisdom practices what it preaches. The authors 'show' and 'tell' how a more holistic kind of knowing -- beyond academic expertise -- is essential to an authentic and living theology."

Mary C. Boys
-- Union Theological Seminary, New York City
"Christian Practical Wisdom invites its readers to ponder deeply and live with greater intentionality. This substantive and beautifully composed book deserves to be read slowly, allowing the authors' insights to take root and germinate. May their learned experience and religious depth enrich all who read this magnificent text."

Elaine Graham
-- University of Chester
"This book is a very important intervention into the debate about 'practical wisdom.' We have long anticipated the potential of this term for scholars, educators, and practitioners alike, but this is one of the first attempts to address practical wisdom in an integrated fashion. A bold and innovative study that will enrich and revitalize practical theology."

John D. Witvliet
-- Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
"Offering a robust and illuminating evocation of practical wisdom or know-how from a Christian theological perspective, this volume not only describes practical wisdom but also demonstrates it through the synergistic collaboration of five gifted theological educators. . . . An ideal book for anyone who wants to both study and grow in the practice of Christian wisdom."

From the Publisher