Graced Vulnerability: A Theology of Childhood
Despite the frequent use of the term “children of God” to describe graced human existence, Christian theologians rarely consider childhood as an explicitly theological topic. Jensen argues that vulnerability is a dimension of the imago Dei, and suggests that childhood provides a window for understanding the shapes of graced human life and the violence that inhibits life.
By offering a fresh understanding of the vulnerable child in the image of God, Jensen presents a compelling reinterpretation of sin, church practice, and Christian witness in a world in which the threats to children's lives—poverty, child labor, war, and the sex trade—seem overwhelming.
About the Author
David H. Jensen is assistant professor of reformed theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas. He is a sub-editor for Religious Studies Review and author of In the Company of Others: A Dialogical Christology (The Pilgrim Press, 2001).
Reviews
One key priority shapes this book … the value of children in and of themselves. … Children are worthy not because they possess humility or charm or bring happiness or the kingdom, but because they are created in God's image and elected by God. Children are already full persons 'chosen' and 'given to us.' And 'that gift demands our response.' Thank you, David Jensen, for this clarion call.
— from the Foreword by Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore, professor of pastoral theology, Vanderbilt University Divinity School.
How is it that children, the most vulnerable of all human beings, have been neglected by theologians, including liberation theologians? This fine book is set within the framework of an incarnational, advocacy theology. Written from a father's heart, it is a gift to children and to all who want them to flourish as God's beloved.
— Sallie McFague, distinguished theologian in residence, Vancouver School of Theology.
I read Jensen's manuscript while holding my one-month-old granddaughter. In such a setting, I discovered the profound resonance of Jensen's theological exposé with the life of a graced, vulnerable, and unique child. … Strong research and bountiful insight mark this book, weaving a theology of childhood and helping readers to love children and themselves as vulnerable images of God.
— Mary Elizabeth Moore, professor, Candler School of Theology, and author of Teaching as a Sacramental Act (The Pilgrim Press, 2004).
Publisher : The Pilgrim Press, Cleveland, Ohio (2005)
Foreword : Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore
Language : English
Format : Paperback
ISBN-10 : 0-8298-1621-6