Urban Theological Foundations Is God or was God

Urban Theological Foundations • • Is God or was God? Is God or does God? Is God incarnate or cosmic? Is God a holistic Story teller or a rationalist philosopher?

Epistemology of MATUL • The MATUL is based of a different understanding of knowledge and theology to that of modernist systematic theology – It does not grow from logical Catholicism • The centre of theology is not systematic theology – Systematic theology is one type of contextual theology from Western Europe

MATUL Based on Urban Contextual Theology • Poor people are largely oral learners. • They are story-tellers not linear Aristotolean logicians • Jesus reached the poor through oral techniques Storytelling, parables, proverbs,

MATUL Theological Process • Every course in the degree is a theological course • But we utilise a “transformational conversations” approach • We start with situations in the slums and the stories of those situations then reflect on parallel Biblical stories to understand Biblical praxis for those situations

Jesus, Paul & Plato • 1 Cor 1: 30 Paul trained by Gamalial, disciple of Plato and Socrates, as well as Hebrew rabbi • Paul rejects philosophic knowledge approach • Centers on wisdom – Christ is our wisdom – Holy Spirit as centre of revelation

Elements of a Web of Belief

Part of New Global Theologies This is part of a trend in developing global theologies around the world in developing nations and represents an information age tribal/global culture 21 st century shift.

Beyond Dialogue: Transformational Conversations • The Bible is stories (narrative) • Theology is stories • Theology is conversations • • • Hui for migrant ethnic leaders 2 nd generation kids Role of theologian as thematizer The issue, decoding the issue in the midst of the stories in small groups Integration of the issue

Transformational Conversation on an Issue 4. Pneumatological to City Transformational Conversation Theological Analysis 3. Postmodern/ Modern City Conversation Social Analysis 5. A Journey of Understanding the Issue 1. Entrance Stories Structures as Conversations New Faith Story 2. Evang/Penteco stal Pneumatological Conversation