In response to the post-foundationalist turn, the author is suggesting ‘shifting foundations,’ that, while acknowledging the plurality of ‘starting points’ within the dialogical spectrum, he claims that, it will further justify the ‘particularity’ of faith articulations to ascertain ‘universal applicability.’ He turns to Donald L. Gelpi’s use Charles Sanders Pierce’s triadic pragmatism and Richard Rorty’s interpretations – sans his agnostic outlook–to overcome the binary limitation of foundationalism and relativism that makes it possible for him to articulate a Pentecostal-Charismatic faith and practice, within the shifting foundations. He goes on to engage McClendon and Veli-Matti Karkkainen and Radical Orthodoxy to show the fecund possibility of intra-Christian and interfaith dialogues from a robust ‘international’ Pentecostal theological framework, in the post-Christendom context. Within the post-secular milieu, the author engages the Tibetan Buddhist interlocutors and John Polkinghorne to suggest a viable, dialogically driven, Trinitarian theological methodology with a pneumatological thrust.
The final chapter grapples with the postmodern challenges and the burden on Christian theologians to approach pervading religious pluralism and obligatory interfaith encounters. He evaluates the dual-religious affiliation of Francis Clooney and further clarifies it through Andre Drooger’s ‘methodoloical ludism’ which enables human beings to assume an alternative identity while suspending another aspect of identity and also at times to engage both simultaneously. He claims that such ‘ludic stance’ would make possible for a a pneumatological theological method, facilitating dialogue partners across all religious, socio-cultural and political boundaries.
Overall the book is a highly stimulating reading as it attacks the factors that attempts to shrink ‘faith spaces’ and suggests relevant alternatives, all the while staying true to the ‘orthodoxy and orthopraxy’ of one’s faith articulations. The pertinent questions that the author has grappled with will stay on, and hence an engagement with these are a prerequisite for any serious theologian. This book will definitely help in that venture.
— David Muthukumar, Union Biblical Seminary, Pune, India.
Das. Galatians 2014 (Concordia Commentary)
Das, A. Andrew. Galatians. Concordia Commentary: A Theological Exposition of Sacred Scripture. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2014
Here we have a commentary which trained academics will cherish and pastors and lay persons without much training will love to read. It is amazingly detailed. The commentary on the six chapters of Galatians are presented to us in 656 pages! For example, the detailed discussion on the fruit of the Spirit runs many pages. The explanation of ‘love’ in this passage has taken up two full pages with ten footnotes documenting modern authors and ancient writers. Each verse, and word is so thoroughly treated and the reader gets the feeling that there is no leaf that is not unturned.
This includes a very sumptuous introduction that deals with topics that widen the readers’ understanding of the situation in Galatia that Paul addresses, Pauline chronology, rhetorical analysis of the epistle, etc. Besides this there is a detailed up-to-date bibliography, scripture and subject indices. Non-academic readers will find the three-page glossary of terms a blessing. Besides the commentary there are a number of excursus that are really a treat for the learners. Look at a sample: ‘Modern Perspectives on Conversion’, ‘The extent of Paul’s Arabian ministry’, ‘The metaphorical and social context of Galatians 4:1-7’, ‘The elements of the cosmos’, etc.
This easy to read but profound commentary on Galatians will be welcomed by both academics and lay persons as ‘The Commentary on Galatians’ for many years to come!