"The Kingdom of God breeds prophets; the Church breeds priests and theologians. The Church runs to tradition and dogma; the Kingdom of God rejoices in forecasts and boundless horizons. The men who have contributed the most fruitful impulses to Christian thought have been men of prophetic vision, and their theology has proved most effective for future times where it has been most concerned with past history, with present social problems, and with the future of human society. The Kingdom of God is to theology what outdoor colour and light are to art. It is impossible to estimate what inspirational impulses have been lost to theology and to the Church, because it did not develop the doctrine of the Kingdom of God and see the world and its redemption from that point of view."Walter Rauschenbusch, A Theology for the Social Gospel, 1917.
Hey, Larry! I bought Rauschenbusch's book a few years back now. I had bounced my confusion about Christ/culture interaction off the smartest person I know, and he suggested I get that book plus Yoder's "The Politics of Jesus" and read them back-to-back. They sort of represent polar opposites on the issue.
ReplyDeleteBeing the sucker that I am, I read both and agreed with each one as I read. So I'm still confused.
But I see Yoder as a bit more of a purist, and Rauschenbusch as more practical. And since I tend to be more practical than pure (smile), I spend more time in Rauschenbusch's camp.
I'm rambling, and I have no point. :-) Sorry. Thanks for the passage from such a landmark thinker and doer.
As Lenny Bruce said, "Every day, people are straying away from church and going back to God."
ReplyDelete- JG
Great quote! I may have to check this guy out.
ReplyDeleteI recommend two books on subject, especially the Church's responsibility to spread the kingdom:
ReplyDelete"What on Earth is the Church For? by David Devenish and "The Next Evangelicalism" by Soong-Chan Rah.
MSW, Katy Texas