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Leading experts analyze the innovative work of theologian Dorothee Soelle.
Dorothee Soelle (1929-2003) was one of the most creative and prophetic German theologians of the post-war generation. Her work was profoundly shaped by the memory of war, of the Holocaust, and of totalitarianism. This "political" theology joined a strong mystical dimension with a deep concern for the challenges of history, integrating feminism, ecological awareness, a witness for peace, and global solidarity. Book jacket.
Dorothee Soelle enjoyed a solidly-established reputation as theologian in both Europe and the United States. Works such as 'Christ, the Representative', 'Political Theology', and 'Suffering' have shown her to be a writer who combined scholarship with clarity of expression, and made theology come alive through her human warmth and compassion. 'Revolutionary Patience', however, reveals yet another facet of Soelle as both person and writer. With disarming simplicity, the prayer-poems in this book reflect the author's own deep Christianity as she attempts to make sense, in the light of the Gospel, of a world brutally scarred by oppression, filled with cries of the hungry and the hunted. These poems are also prayers, of a kind rarely heard in our churches, but disturbingly evocative of Amos, Isaiah, and Jesus. These pages offer stones, not bread, for any who might open them looking for spiritual comfort or consolation. Yet, for those with ears to hear, 'Revolutionary Patience' will also be a treasured experience as Dorothee Soelle's lines sing and sting their way into the reader's mind and heart.
Today, a kind of Rdemocratized mysticismS of those without much religious background flourishes. This mystical experience is not drawn so much of the tradition as out of contemporary experiences. In that sense, each of us is a mystic, and Soelle's work seeks to give theological depth, clarity and direction. This work conveys Soelle's deep religious knowledge and wisdom with her passion for social justice.
Developing out of a series of public lectures given to a large audience of non-theologians, this is one of the most attractive introductions to theology which has appeared so far. Perhaps, as Dorothee Soelle points out, in fact, "introduction" is not the right word, for this is above all an invitation to share her enthusiasm for theology, her delight in the beauty and the power of religious and theological language and the themes it expresses. The book covers all the major areas of modern theology. After discussing the nature of systematic theology and comparing orthodox, liberal, and radical approaches, it looks at the use of the Bible in theology. Then follow chapters on creation, sin, feminist liberation theology, the understanding of grace, Black theology, Jesus, cross and resurrection, the kingdom of God and the church, the theology of peace, the end of theism, and the question of God. Each chapter is followed by a bibliography, and Dorothee Soelle, who is familiar with theology on both sides of the Atlantic, has herself revised these for the English-language edition.
Renate Wind has composed a well-researched and searching biography of Dorothee Soelle (19292003), who became a true religious provocateur and one of the most prolific and widely read theologians of the postwar period. Born in Germany and educated at the University of Cologne, Soelle turned from literary studies to theology, concentrating on rethinking Christian convictions in light of World War II and the Holocaust. A poet and activist as well as theologian, after her arrival at Union Theological Seminary in 1974, where she assumed the post previously held by Paul Tillich, Soelle became a leading voice for the liberation of women and against militarism, especially the Vietnam War. Her person...
"A valuable contribution to the literature of theology and ethics, combining in a fascinating way biblical, theological, pastoral, and socioethical themes. . . The study is of immense value because it identifies the modern idolatry that views suffering as absurd and devoid of meaning. . . The book is a marvelous exercise in cultural self-analysis that is preliminary to any meaningful exorcism and redirection." --Kenneth Vaux Theology Today "Passionate, imaginative, learned, literary, pithy, and at every point searching, Suffering is a notable achievement, not least because it pricks the heart and conscience, making the reader share in the deep experience of suffering that lies behind its writing." --James A. Carpenter Anglican Theological Review
The lived theology movement is built on the work of an emerging generation of theologians and scholars who pursue research, teaching, and writing as a form of public discipleship, motivated by the conviction that theology can enhance lived experience. This volume--based on a two-year collaboration with the Project on Lived Theology at the University of Virginia--offers a series of illustrations and styles of lived theology, in conversation with other major approaches to the religious interpretation of embodied life.
Unquestioning obedience - in politics, religion, and gender roles - leads to disaster. But how are we to overcome these pernicious traditions without hurtling toward anarchy and antinomianism? In this updated edition of a classic text, theologian Dorothee Solle examines historical patterns of obedience and oppression and suggests a model of timeless "creative disobedience" that leads to liberation for all. Appealing to the figure of Jesus, whose earthly ministry was marked by submission to the will of God, not to oppressive institutions. Solle reminds us that this kind of revolutionary response is required of all of us. She also offers a revealing account of her own evolution as a female scholar searching for the meaning of God - a search that led not to a rejection of her faith, but to the theological justification of faithful and creative disobedience.
Leading church activist and theologian Dorothee Soelle recalls a lifetime of learning and activism in church, academia, and politics.