"Lessons on Becoming a Theologian," facilitated by Dr. John Thatamanil: Second Class (4/30) of Six to be Offered

What is Theology? 6 Lessons on Becoming a Theologian

What does theology have to say about the persistence of racism even in the very heart of the church? 

Christians believe God loves all persons but hold that salvation happens in and through the work of Jesus Christ? What does that mean for our friends of other faiths? Are they lost? 

And, by the way, does God love only human beings? What about all the other creatures who are living and dying through a "sixth great extinction?" What does God's incarnation have to do with them? 

How might Christians dream about and plan for rebuilding a new world after COVID-19? 

The term "theology" has become a mystery to most churchgoers. The default assumption is that theology is best left to academics and priests. What about laity? Is theology something done for them rather than by them? And why do we need to do theology in the first place? Aren't we just supposed to passively accept doctrines and dogmas formulated by the ancient church and transmitted to us? In this series, theologian John Thatamanil will argue that cultivating a theological imagination is the work of every Christian and that work is never finished. Loving God with "all our minds," and struggling with complex questions, old and new, lies at the heart of building a vital, prayerful, just, credible, and contemporary faith. Thatamanil will facilitate conversation that will enable us all to cultivate our capacities for theological creativity. 

Please join us on Thursday evenings at 7pm online via Zoom, starting on April 23. 

Dr. John J. Thatamanil is Associate Professor of Theology and World Religions at Union Theological Seminary, and Theologian-in-Residence at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery.