James D. Whitehead

I always have difficulty with rating books that represent "first forays" into a particular field or subject. This book was presented to me as pretty much still (though over 30 years old) the "gold standard" in articulate processes of theological reflection.

The low(er) rating is not so much reflective of the fact that I didn't ENJOY the book, as much as it is reflective of the fact that I kept getting distracted as a read, pondering the different ways that I, as a Pentecostal, would frame this or that point. It only became slowly clear (and I wish the authors had been more up-front on this point) that the book is written from a Roman Catholic perspective. Thus, it's not surprising that several points rankled, not the least of which was the absolute inability to speak of Scripture without immediately tacking on the phrase "and Tradition." In a work that so carefully distinguished between "personal experience" and "cultural information" as separate resources for reflection, such a lack of nuance was both disturbing and irksome.

If this IS truly the "gold standard" of theological reflection, then I believe the time has come for the development of an authentically PENTECOSTAL approach to theological reflection that takes seriously the voice of the Spirit, the gift of discernment, and the reality of a vibrant community...and not just the voice of "the Tradition."… (altro)