Christian Wisdom
Desiring God and Learning in Love

David Ford explores what is Christian wisdom for living in the twenty-first century.

David F. Ford (Author)

9780521875455, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 7 June 2007

428 pages
23.3 x 16.7 x 3 cm, 0.74 kg

'This book is deeply theological, profoundly spiritual, and imaginatively engaged with some important issues that confront thinking people in our time.' Journal of Reformed Theology

What is Christian wisdom for living in the twenty-first century? Where is it to be found? How can it be learnt? In the midst of diverse religions and worldviews and the demands and complexities of our world, David Ford explores a Christian way of uniting love of wisdom with wisdom in love. Core elements are the 'discernment of cries', the love of God for God's sake, interpretation of scripture, and the shaping of desire in faith. Case studies deal with inter-faith wisdom among Jews, Christians and Muslims, universities as centres of wisdom as well as knowledge and know-how and the challenge of learning disabilities. Throughout, there is an attempt to do justice to the premodern, modern and postmodern while grappling with scripture, tradition and the cries of the world today. Ford opens up the rich resources of Christianity in engaging with the issues and urgencies of contemporary life.

Introduction: theology as wisdom
1. Wisdom cries
2. A wisdom interpretation of scripture
3. Job!
4. Job and post-holocaust wisdom
5. Jesus, the spirit and desire: wisdom Christology
6. Learning to live in the spirit: tradition and worship
7. Loving the God of wisdom
8. Inter-faith wisdom: scriptural reasoning between Jews, Christians and Muslims
9. Interdisciplinary wisdom: knowledge and formation in the negotiable university
10. Interpersonal wisdom: L'Arche, learning disability and the Gospel of John
Conclusion: love's wisdom.

Subject Areas: Christian theology [HRCM], Biblical studies & exegesis [HRCG]