Murray Rae
University of Otago, Theology and Religious Studies, Faculty Member
- Murray Rae Professor of Theology at the University of Otago in New Zealand where I teach courses in Christian Theolog... moreMurray Rae Professor of Theology at the University of Otago in New Zealand where I teach courses in Christian Theology and Theological Ethics. His varied research interests include the work of Søren Kierkegaard, theological ethics, theology and architecture, the theological interpretation of Scripture, and Māori Engagements with Christianityedit
Fascination with the different ways of seeing facilitated through art is the guiding interest of this book, specifically in relation to the subject matter of Christian theology. Testimonies in Stone focuses upon the spatial arts,... more
Fascination with the different ways of seeing facilitated through art is the guiding interest of this book, specifically in relation to the subject matter of Christian theology. Testimonies in Stone focuses upon the spatial arts, especially architecture, and investigates how the art-forms engaged in the formation of our built environment might help us to explore, discover afresh, and articulate the Christian faith today. The book does not offer a theology of the spatial arts, but engages in a series of theological conversations with the spatial arts. Art opens up new vistas on the nature of things and draws our attention to aspects of reality that can be opaque to other modes of human enquiry. The spatial arts are all around us and exert a substantial influence upon the unfolding of our daily activities. We do not often pay attention, however, to how they do that or to what they may reveal. This book is an attempt to overcome that inattention and to do so with an attitude of theological curiosity. Through explorations of our built environment the book offers new ways of thinking about the importance of space and place in our experience of God, the relation between freedom and law in Christian life, the transformation involved in God’s promised new creation, biblical anticipation of the heavenly city, divine presence and absence, the architecture of repentance and remorse, and the relation between memory and hope.
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Christian Theology: The Basics provides an introduction to the nature, tasks and central concerns of Christian theology. It is written for those who are new to the subject, particularly first year theology students, but also a wider... more
Christian Theology: The Basics provides an introduction to the nature, tasks and central concerns of Christian theology. It is written for those who are new to the subject, particularly first year theology students, but also a wider Christian audience who seek an understanding of the basics of Christian theology. The book provides a broad overview of the story that Christianity tells about our human situation before God and offers encouragement and a solid foundation for the reader’s further explorations in the subject. The key questions and themes treated in the book are: How can we speak of God?, Creation and Covenant, Jesus and the Spirit, The Triune God, Salvation, The Christian Hope, and A New Community.
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This text aims to expose students to the history of Christian thought, which is a central part of the discipline of theology. The rationale behind it is that students should not complete an introductory course without having been exposed... more
This text aims to expose students to the history of Christian thought, which is a central part of the discipline of theology. The rationale behind it is that students should not complete an introductory course without having been exposed to a wide variety of competing approaches and having gained some broad knowledge of the tradition, rather than studying methodological concerns only. The extracts are accompanied by commentary and annotation. They are divided into themed chapters, and ordered chronologically within chapters. Figures from different periods of history are included within each chapter, in order to represent the breadth of theological traditions, while texts are also included which represent some form of ongoing debate, in order to meet pedagogical needs. Commentary on each text outlines the historical situation of the author and the literary context of the extract, while each chapter offers an introductory essay highlighting the central debates and concerns in that area and indicating how the texts illustrate and illuminate these.
Critical Conversations provides a series of theological engagements with the work of Michael Polanyi, one of the twentieth century's most profound philosophers of science. Polanyi's sustained explorations of the nature of human knowing... more
Critical Conversations provides a series of theological engagements with the work of Michael Polanyi, one of the twentieth century's most profound philosophers of science.
Polanyi's sustained explorations of the nature of human knowing open a range of questions and themes of profound importance for theology. He insists on the need to recover the categories of faith and belief in accounting for the way we know and points to the importance of tradition and the necessity sometimes of conversion in order to learn the truth of things. These themes are explored along with Polanyi's social and political thought, his anthropology, his hermeneutics, and his conception of truth. Several of the essays set Polanyi alongside the work of other thinkers, particularly Karl Barth, Lesslie Newbigin, Hans-Georg Gadamer, and René Girard, and they discuss points of comparison and contrast between the respective figures. While all the essays are appreciative of Polanyi's contribution, they do not shy away from critical analysis--and take further, therefore, the critical appreciation of Polanyi's work.
Polanyi's sustained explorations of the nature of human knowing open a range of questions and themes of profound importance for theology. He insists on the need to recover the categories of faith and belief in accounting for the way we know and points to the importance of tradition and the necessity sometimes of conversion in order to learn the truth of things. These themes are explored along with Polanyi's social and political thought, his anthropology, his hermeneutics, and his conception of truth. Several of the essays set Polanyi alongside the work of other thinkers, particularly Karl Barth, Lesslie Newbigin, Hans-Georg Gadamer, and René Girard, and they discuss points of comparison and contrast between the respective figures. While all the essays are appreciative of Polanyi's contribution, they do not shy away from critical analysis--and take further, therefore, the critical appreciation of Polanyi's work.
This book examines encounters between the Christian church and Māori. Christian faith among Māori changed from Māori receiving the missionary endeavours of Pākehā settlers, to the development of indigenous expressions of Christian faith,... more
This book examines encounters between the Christian church and Māori.
Christian faith among Māori changed from Māori receiving the missionary endeavours of Pākehā settlers, to the development of indigenous expressions of Christian faith, partnerships between Māori and Pākehā in the mainline churches, and the emergence of Destiny Church.
The book looks at the growth, development and adaptation of Christian faith among Māori people and considers how that development has helped shape New Zealand identity and society. It explores questions of theology, historical development, socio-cultural influence and change, and the outcomes of Pākehā interactions with Māori.
Christian faith among Māori changed from Māori receiving the missionary endeavours of Pākehā settlers, to the development of indigenous expressions of Christian faith, partnerships between Māori and Pākehā in the mainline churches, and the emergence of Destiny Church.
The book looks at the growth, development and adaptation of Christian faith among Māori people and considers how that development has helped shape New Zealand identity and society. It explores questions of theology, historical development, socio-cultural influence and change, and the outcomes of Pākehā interactions with Māori.
This reader is a companion volume to 'The Practice of Theology' (SCM Press, 2001) edited by Stephen Holmes, Colin Gunton and Murray Rae. Whereas the earlier volume provided readings in the sources and methods of theology, this companion... more
This reader is a companion volume to 'The Practice of Theology' (SCM Press, 2001) edited by Stephen Holmes, Colin Gunton and Murray Rae. Whereas the earlier volume provided readings in the sources and methods of theology, this companion volume is concerned directly with the content of Christian theology. It provides an overview of the development in the tradition of the major themes of Christian doctrine.
The theology of salvation stands at the heart of the Christian faith. very often the structure of Christian salvation is seen in terms of a single theme, such as atonement for sins, forgiveness, liberation or friendship with God. it is... more
The theology of salvation stands at the heart of the Christian faith. very often the structure of Christian salvation is seen in terms of a single theme, such as atonement for sins, forgiveness, liberation or friendship with God. it is easy to reduce soteriology to a matter of merely personal experience, or to see salvation as just a solution to a human problem.
This book explores a vital yet often neglected aspect of Christian confession – the essential relationship between the nature of salvation and the character of the God who saves. In what ways does God’s saving outreach reflect God’s character? How might a Christian depiction of salvation best bear witness to these features? What difference might it make to start with the identity of God as encountered in the gospel, then view everything else in the light of that? In addressing these questions, this book offers fresh appraisals of a range of major themes in theology: the nature of creaturely existence; the relationship between divine purposes and material history; the holiness, love and judgement of God; the atoning work of Jesus Christ; election, justification and the nature of faith; salvation outside the church; human and non-human ends; the nature of eschatological fellowship with God.
In looking at these issues in the light of God’s identity, the authors offer a stimulating and tightly-argued reassessment of what a Christian theology of salvation ought to resemble, and asks what the implications might be for Christian life and witness in the world today.
This book explores a vital yet often neglected aspect of Christian confession – the essential relationship between the nature of salvation and the character of the God who saves. In what ways does God’s saving outreach reflect God’s character? How might a Christian depiction of salvation best bear witness to these features? What difference might it make to start with the identity of God as encountered in the gospel, then view everything else in the light of that? In addressing these questions, this book offers fresh appraisals of a range of major themes in theology: the nature of creaturely existence; the relationship between divine purposes and material history; the holiness, love and judgement of God; the atoning work of Jesus Christ; election, justification and the nature of faith; salvation outside the church; human and non-human ends; the nature of eschatological fellowship with God.
In looking at these issues in the light of God’s identity, the authors offer a stimulating and tightly-argued reassessment of what a Christian theology of salvation ought to resemble, and asks what the implications might be for Christian life and witness in the world today.
This book is a study of Søren Kierkegaard's elucidation of the condition by which the Truth may be learned. Like Kierkegaard's pseudonym, Johannes Climacus, we are concerned in particular with that Truth which concerns us ultimately and... more
This book is a study of Søren Kierkegaard's elucidation of the condition by which the Truth may be learned. Like Kierkegaard's pseudonym, Johannes Climacus, we are concerned in particular with that Truth which concerns us ultimately and which is confessed by Christians to be disclosed in Jesus Christ. Called faith by Climacus in Philosophical Fragments, this condition is characterized by a transformation of the individual under the impact of revelation and is received as a gift from God rather than attained through human resourcefulness. The epistemological ramifications of this transformation are explored both in terms of the New Testament concept of metanoia and in comparison with claims to cognitive progress in other fields. We conclude that the account of Christian conversion given by Climacus in Philosophical Fragments and approved by Kierkegaard in his acknowledged works is a faithful elucidation of the concept of metanoia and remains a pertinent challenge to the persistent attempts of moderns and post-moderns alike who propose to learn the Truth on quite different terms. Murray Rae thus seeks to develop a new interpretation of Kierkegaard and to challenge some widely followed theological epistemologies.
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'History and Hermeneutics' offers an account of how the faithful reading of Christian Scripture is essentially a theological endeavour and argues that a proper reading of Scripture involves a theological redescription of history.
'Kierkegaard and Theology' provides an outline of the central theological themes of Kierkegaard's authorship and of Kierkegaard's own theological commitments.
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The New Testament has at its heart the story of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. This story, played out in the messy terrain of human history in amongst human brutality and violence is proclaimed, furthermore, to be the working out... more
The New Testament has at its heart the story of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. This story, played out in the messy terrain of human history in amongst human brutality and violence is proclaimed, furthermore, to be the working out of divine grace, forgiveness, and new life. It ...
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This article offers some theological reflections on a recent episode in Aotearoa (New Zealand) in which a Maori community housing an alleged terrorist network was subjected to a police raid. Many innocent people, including children, were... more
This article offers some theological reflections on a recent episode in Aotearoa (New Zealand) in which a Maori community housing an alleged terrorist network was subjected to a police raid. Many innocent people, including children, were caught up in the raid thus bringing to mind other episodes in New Zealand's history in which Maori have been subjected to police and state aggression. These episodes provide a starting point for reflection upon public theology and the limits of state power, upon the nature of forgiveness, and upon the offering of public apologies for past offences.
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Text copyright © 2000 ATF for all papers in this volume. All rights reserved. Except for any fair dealing permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this book may be reproduced by any means without prior permission. Inquiries should be... more
Text copyright © 2000 ATF for all papers in this volume. All rights reserved. Except for any fair dealing permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this book may be reproduced by any means without prior permission. Inquiries should be made to the publisher. First published June ...
Research Interests: Sociology and Ordination
Published by T&T Clark A Continuum imprint The Tower Building, 11 York Road, London SE1 7NX 15 East 26th Street, Suite 1703, New York, NY 10010 www.tandtclark.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be... more
Published by T&T Clark A Continuum imprint The Tower Building, 11 York Road, London SE1 7NX 15 East 26th Street, Suite 1703, New York, NY 10010 www.tandtclark.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by ...
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Science and Theology: Questions at the Interface RAE Murray Regan.
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1. Speaking of God 2. Creation and Covenant 3. Jesus and the Spirit 4. The Triune God 5. Salvation 6. A New Community 7. Christian Life 8. The Christian Hope
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‘‘pro-me’’ with Luther’s teaching of the communication of attributes. (See his essay in Bonhoeffer und Luther: Zentrale Themen ihrer Theologie, ed. Udo Hahn, Klaus Grünwaldt, Christiane Tietz, Hannover 2007.) A stimulating discussion can... more
‘‘pro-me’’ with Luther’s teaching of the communication of attributes. (See his essay in Bonhoeffer und Luther: Zentrale Themen ihrer Theologie, ed. Udo Hahn, Klaus Grünwaldt, Christiane Tietz, Hannover 2007.) A stimulating discussion can foster further Bonhoeffer research. The strength of DeJonge’s dissertation is at the same time its weakness. One must question whether both the inner dynamics and systematic broadness of Karl Barth’s christology has been done justice at all times when interpreting Barth purely along confessional lines and, in addition, whether DeJonge differentiated enough what he called ‘‘the Reformed tradition’’; for instance, no reference is made to a source like the Institutio II (De cognition dei redemptoris) of Calvin.
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Research Interests: Philosophy and Atonement
The account of his own authorship provided by Kierkegaard in The Point of View for My Work as an Author has often been greeted with skepticism. Inconsistencies within the work have led some commentators to regard the work as a... more
The account of his own authorship provided by Kierkegaard in The Point of View for My Work as an Author has often been greeted with skepticism. Inconsistencies within the work have led some commentators to regard the work as a fabrication, and many have challenged the plausibility of Kierkegaard's claim that his whole literary endeavour was a religious one. We are urged therefore to treat Kierkegaard's “report to history” with a good dose of skepticism. I propose, in response to such skeptical interpretations, that The Point of View for My Work as an Author should be regarded instead as an exercise in confessional autobiography in which the author genuinely seeks to discern the hand of God in the development of his authorship. The inconsistencies detected in Kierkegaard's several attempts to reflect on the nature and development of his literary output may be attributed, I contend, both to the gradual realization of the role played by “Governance” in his literary career and to Kierkegaard's reticence in claiming that God had been centrally involved in his authorship. Given the comparable claims made by others in the Christian tradition who have confessed their dependence on divine guidance, Kierkegaard's proposal that his whole authorship took shape under the hand of “Governance” deserves serious consideration.
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... Page 4. Suffering Divine Things Theology as Church Practice REINHARD HÜTTER Translated by Doug Stott William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company Grand Rapids, Michigan / Cambridge, UK ... Page 13. contents 5. Theology as Discursive Church... more
... Page 4. Suffering Divine Things Theology as Church Practice REINHARD HÜTTER Translated by Doug Stott William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company Grand Rapids, Michigan / Cambridge, UK ... Page 13. contents 5. Theology as Discursive Church Practice at the University? ...
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ABSTRACT
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ABSTRACT
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Part I Introduction Short biography General introduction to the work Part II The attack on Christendom Authentic Christianity The scandal of Jesus Christ The human predicament Stages on life's way Practice in Christianity Part III The... more
Part I Introduction Short biography General introduction to the work Part II The attack on Christendom Authentic Christianity The scandal of Jesus Christ The human predicament Stages on life's way Practice in Christianity Part III The reception in theology Reckoning with Kierkegaard.
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Part I Sources for theology: scripture as the source of Christian theology the authority of the Christian tradition the place of creeds and confessions reasoning about God reflecting on the experience of God. Part II The nature of... more
Part I Sources for theology: scripture as the source of Christian theology the authority of the Christian tradition the place of creeds and confessions reasoning about God reflecting on the experience of God. Part II The nature of theological claims: can we know anything about God anyway? how do we know what we know? the nature of religious language neutral and committed knowledge. Part III Doing theology today: modernity and postmodernity the rise of local theologies Christian theology in a multi-faith world theology in the academy challenges and opportunities. Part IV Essay on doing theology, Colin E Gunton.
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‘‘pro-me’’ with Luther’s teaching of the communication of attributes. (See his essay in Bonhoeffer und Luther: Zentrale Themen ihrer Theologie, ed. Udo Hahn, Klaus Grünwaldt, Christiane Tietz, Hannover 2007.) A stimulating discussion can... more
‘‘pro-me’’ with Luther’s teaching of the communication of attributes. (See his essay in Bonhoeffer und Luther: Zentrale Themen ihrer Theologie, ed. Udo Hahn, Klaus Grünwaldt, Christiane Tietz, Hannover 2007.) A stimulating discussion can foster further Bonhoeffer research. The strength of DeJonge’s dissertation is at the same time its weakness. One must question whether both the inner dynamics and systematic broadness of Karl Barth’s christology has been done justice at all times when interpreting Barth purely along confessional lines and, in addition, whether DeJonge differentiated enough what he called ‘‘the Reformed tradition’’; for instance, no reference is made to a source like the Institutio II (De cognition dei redemptoris) of Calvin.
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Published by T&T Clark A Continuum imprint The Tower Building, 11 York Road, London SE1 7NX 15 East 26th Street, Suite 1703, New York, NY 10010 www.tandtclark.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be... more
Published by T&T Clark A Continuum imprint The Tower Building, 11 York Road, London SE1 7NX 15 East 26th Street, Suite 1703, New York, NY 10010 www.tandtclark.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by ...