Peter Rae

A Plain Account of Christian Faithfulness

“The essays, like the man in whose honor they are written, often provide a challenge to the Wesleyan perspective that is their context, but their feisty faithfulness addresses pressing issues and offers some compelling directions for travel. This collection deserves a wide readership. . . . The rich range of themes, which start with biblical, theological, and historical studies, land ineluctably in the grounded present of practical theology, as they grapple with text and context.”

A Theology of Cross and Kingdom

Theology

“Doug Matthews sensitively sifts historic and contemporary understandings of the cross, starting with the work of Luther, and underlines the recognition that God ‘unexpectedly shows up amidst pain, shame, and suffering.’ Matthews sets this theology of cruciform suffering against dominant contemporary models of spiritual sensualism and narcissism, to show that God is found ‘especially, amidst suffering, weakness, and pain.’ He creates an important roadmap to help readers navigate the complex terrain of contemporary theologies of the cross, directs them to the key features of the landscape, and helps explain what each contributes to this pivotal Christian doctrine.”

The Fruits of Listening

Discipleship & Christian Education

“As westernized theological education is being exported globally and uncritically, this careful study on the need for indigenous and contextualized voices, for teaching in ways which engage people with the mission imperative in their own cultures, is welcome and necessary. Its conclusions call for theological educators to resist the temptation of adopting homogeneous western structures, pedagogies, and curricula, and instead listen and respond to the stories of the soil.”