Theology as a Way of Life - by Adam Neder (Paperback)

About the Book

This clear and creative theological and spiritual reflection on the art of teaching the Christian faith provides a wealth of fresh insights for anyone involved in teaching and learning Christianity.

Book Synopsis

What difference does Jesus Christ make for the way we teach the Christian faith? If he is truly God and truly human, if he reveals God to us and us to ourselves, how might that shape our approach to teaching Christianity? Drawing on the work of Søren Kierkegaard, Karl Barth, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Adam Neder offers a clear and creative theological and spiritual reflection on the art of teaching the Christian faith. This engaging book provides a wealth of fresh theological insights and practical suggestions for anyone involved in teaching and learning Christianity.

From the Back Cover

"Simply superb"

"This is the book I wish I could have read when I started teaching theology over thirty years ago. Ironically, much literature on theological pedagogy these days is woefully bereft of theology. Every page of this book takes its ultimate cue, materially and formally, from the Christ-shaped gospel itself--in all its disturbing and heart-wrenching glory. At the same time, the text is jargon-free, utterly honest, and obviously born out of years of classroom experience. It is simply superb."
--Jeremy Begbie, Duke Divinity School

"Neder has written a beautiful book. It is also a profound book, one which will reward multiple readings. What comes to expression here is the 'impossible possibility' of teaching theology, and the kind of theological existence the teacher must herself reflect if she wants her students to know that this human impossibility is nonetheless, by God's grace, possible. This is a book that stands in favorable comparison with Barth's Evangelical Theology. Surely, a book for our times--and for all times."
--Bruce McCormack, Princeton Theological Seminary

"Neder's book has as its central claim that you cannot know Jesus from a safe distance. Yet as he makes clear, theologians are tempted to make it safe to follow and think with Jesus. Neder does not make that mistake, which is why this is such a challenging and constructive book."
--Stanley Hauerwas, Duke Divinity School

"This honest, realistic, yet deeply encouraging handbook for Christian theological educators is brimming with wise practical principles. Those who love to teach and learn about God--whether in the academy, the church, or the home--will themselves be taught and inspired by a vision of the task of Christian theology and the nature of the Christian life grounded in the glorious reality of God's work for us in Jesus Christ."
--Han-luen Kantzer Komline, Western Theological Seminary

"An incisive, wise, and wonderful book on teaching theology. I wish it had been around when I began teaching. It should be required reading."
--Kimlyn J. Bender, Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University

"This is a beautiful page-turner of a book, a must-read for all who engage in teaching the Christian faith. Whether you are in the church or the classroom, just embarking upon your calling or have been teaching for decades, Neder's powerful, grace-bathed theological reflections on teaching the Christian faith will impact why and how you do what you do."
--Kristen Deede Johnson, Western Theological Seminary

"Here is a volume of warmth and wisdom on teaching theology. Drawing heavily on the insight of figures like Barth, Bonhoeffer, and Kierkegaard, Neder points us to lived theology that is personal and vibrant, honest and faithful. Encouragements--and warnings--bounce off the pages as Neder provides tried and tested counsel on good teaching and healthy classroom practices, all done with and before the triune God: we have much to learn from him!"
--Kelly M. Kapic, Covenant College

"The person you meet in this book is a deeply serious, self-critical Christian gentleman, who is passionately discipled to the person and work of Jesus Christ and who yearns for the discipline of theology to be taught compassionately, intelligently, and engagingly. If Neder were to write a comprehensive account of Christian theology, I would be as eager to read it as I once was to read Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics."
--Frederick Dale Bruner, Union Theological Seminary, Philippines, and Whitworth University (emeritus)

"What does it mean to be 'in Christ'? Neder wonders what it means to teach 'in Christ.' For those of us in academia or pastoring a congregation, this comes as both a challenge and a gift. Neder joins Barth's ever-present call to 'theological existence' in which not just the content but the praxis of our teaching is changed by the person of Christ. Prayer, personal integration, humility, and even publishing are discussed in this light (with the help of World Cup and Radiohead analogies). As Neder says, 'Teaching Christianity is an act of love.' So is this book."
--Julie Canlis, Whitworth University

About the Author

Adam Neder (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) is Bruner-Welch Professor of Theology at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, and the author of Participation in Christ: An Entry into Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics. He has been voted Most Influential Professor by four Whitworth senior classes.