Christian Theology After Christendom

Christian Theology after Christendom: Engaging the Thought of Douglas John Hall brings together contemporary thinkers to engage and build upon Douglas John Hall’s work—and to take up his challenge to reclaim a contextual and de-colonizing theology of the cross as a means to speak to the realities of life and faith today. With a focus on contemporary issues, this edited collection critically analyzes and deconstructs the centuries-old colonial triumphalism of Christian theology and the church in the West. This book seeks to frame present day crises in ways that honor a deeply rooted theologia crucis that does not colonize the “other.” It explores constructive decolonizing possibilities for Christian theology at the end of Christendom.

This gathering, of insights and commitments, is an appropriate tribute to one of the most remarkable thinkers in North America today. The chapters in this book lay down the markers for the way beyond post Christendom. , This fine book is grounded in a deep sense of the crisis of the church and the world as it confronts the legacy of Christendom’s colonialism and domination: of First Nations people, women, people of color, and the earth itself. By reminding readers of the powerful theological vision of John Douglas Hall, it invites us a realistic hope that Christians might find a different way forward from the one that brought us to the dark times we are living in. Readers new to Hall will find a profound and creative theological partner. Those familiar with his work will be inspired anew. , Far more than a mere overview of Hall’s work, this book provides outstanding, insightful engagements with his lifetime of contributions. In particular, the deeply contextual theologies of each contributor mirror Hall’s own concern that the theology of the cross be clearly heard amid the still-colonialist cacophony that blares throughout the cultural airspace of the twenty-first century. The end of Christendom—long one of Hall’s theological keynotes—is powerfully exegeted here, not with anemic nostalgia or resentment, but with courage and hope. This is a must-read for anyone serious about decolonizing theology today. , With vulnerability, passion, and a keen awareness of our time, the authors in this edited collection strive to understand where we have come from while discerning the ways forward for the Christian movement, especially in North America. Meditating on and inspired by the groundbreaking work of contextual theologian Douglas John Hall, this book traces fresh lines on the rutted ground of theological discourse. Those, like myself, who are within the ministry of the church, will find here compass points which take seriously our own place on the front lines of being church in a time of disestablishment.

Patricia G. Kirkpatrick holds the chair in Old Testament in the School of Religious Studies at McGill University. Pamela R. McCarroll is associate professor of practical theology at Emmanuel College at the University of Toronto.