Reviews for Theology and contemporary critical theory

The average rating for Theology and contemporary critical theory based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-05-26 00:00:00 Andrew Bryans Dr. Ward's work provided a helpful introduction to a range of issues and thinkers in contemporary critical theory, but for a book titled 'Theology and Contemporary Critical Theory,' the work was certainly light on the theology. Often, the theological application felt tacked on at the end and was often more trendy than substantive. Ward's analysis of thinkers like Kristeva, Butler, Irigaray, Foucalt, and Derrida were all enlightening and provided a cogent and lucid introduction to their ideas and questions. So much so that I found myself wanting to go and read their work for myself. But again, as a work of theology, I found it wanting. While I find critical theory to be an important part of the conversation, I find that Ward seems to let the critical theorists take the steering wheel rather than remain as conversation partners. He seems more interested in letting critical theory set the trajectory and dictate the agenda. For those who agree with his methodology and framework, this book will be more fruitful. I have more fundamental theological differences with Ward, so the theological dimension of this work was seriously lacking for me. I still would recommend reading this book because Dr. Ward clearly displays a mastery of the field of critical theory. That alone makes the book worth a read.

Review # 2 was written on 2010-10-28 00:00:00 Lanoise Cockrell I had an unusually long conversation with my daughter Georgia (also now a Goodreader) once when she was seven years old (she's now 16 going on 17, just like in the song) and the matter of eschatology came up, so I asked her directly - well, what does happen when you die? So she laid out what she thinks happens, and I was so taken by the stuff she came out with that I wrote it down. As it's a variety of religious experience I thought it appropriate to include here. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DIE Heaven has different parts to it. In one part there are monsters, but they're good. In another part they're like orcs but they're good. In the third part there are dinosaurs, and they're bad. Jesus is not in heaven. He is above heaven. He was a normal man but he went on the cross and died and he became magic. He was alive again and turned into an angel. Now he can listen to anyone on the earth just by thinking of their name. When people die they all go to heaven. It could be the good part or the bad part. When you die you turn into a zombie, but then quite quickly you turn into a skeleton and that's when you go to heaven. The skeletons in heaven can't see the Earth at all, but to the good orcs Earth appears like the brightest star in the sky. But they have to look down to see it, because they are all upside down. If you are cremated your ashes float up and turn into your soul. It goes up into a purple porthole. It meets a sorter who asks you what age you want to be and that's what you stay at from then on. In this world everything is slightly see-through. You only spend 1000 years here and then you go to the graveyard and sleep. But one day in each 10 years you come alive again. But this world is not heaven so jesus is not there. The bad people who die become good. For five years out of 1000 they are punished in a house sized prison cell by having to eat all the food they really hate and listen to all the music they really hate. There is a feather of truth and a catch up course, but I can't remember what they are for. People have gone into space in rockets but they haven't seen heaven because it is very small. When animals die, if it's on concrete they fade away and become invisible. If it's on soil, they sink bit by bit into the earth and they become animal zombies. Our hamster Lucy became an animal zombie, but all animal zombies are good, not bad. Note : don't blame me for any of this, I never allowed her to watch any zombie films intil she was 12! I don't know where she's got any of this stuff apart from orcs.