Theological Fragments Essays in Unsystematic Theology [Paperback]

This book of essays hopes to show that there is an important place today for a modest and unsystematic theology, consisting of 'theological fragments' rather than some grand theory.These theological fragments arise from and relate to specific situations, problems, contexts and communities. Here Duncan Forrester asks: What do the practices of Christian worship have to teach us about ethics? How can a word of reconciliation be heard in Northern Ireland? How do Dachau and the Rwanda genocide affect how we understand the Church? Are the modern mass media a threat or an opportunity for Christian communication? Duncan B. Forrester is Emeritus Professor of Christian Ethics and Practical Theology in the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

1. Theological Fragments: Introduction (A new essay of about 6,000 words defending the notion of Theological Fragments which I have been developing for some years past)* 2. Biblical Interpretation and Cultural Relativism (from Michael Wadsworth, ed., Ways of Reading the Bible. Brighton: Harvester, 1981)* 3. The End of Sacraments? Sacramental Action and Discipleship (from The Record of the Church Service Society, Vol 38 Autumn 2002)* 4. Education and Moral Values: Who Educates? (from Studies 38, 1997) 5. The Gay Vocation (Radically revised version of a paper on the ethics of homosexuality published in conference proceedings in 1981)* 6. The Church and the Concentration Camp: Some Thoughts on Moral Community (From M.T.Nation and Samuel Wells, eds., Faithfulness and Fortitude. T. & T. Clark, 2000)* 7. The Mystery of the Human Person in Community (originally written for the World Council of Churches Commission on Faith and Order's Theological anthropology Project) * 8. Welfare and Human Nature (from Studies in Christian Ethics) 9. Violence and Non-violence in Conflict Resolution: Some Theological Comments (from Studies in Christian Ethics, 2003* 10. The Blessed Virgin Mary: A Pastoral Approach (From The Clergy Review) 11. Ethics and Salval³*