Ed Cyzewski, Coffeehouse Theology: Reflecting on God in Everyday Life. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2008. 233 pp. $10.19 (paper), ISBN: 978-1600062773.
29-year old Ed Cyzewski explains how his theological perspective has deepened and strengthened in the process of his theological education. Cyzewski is a teacher–wanting to put his discoveries in language college students or other people beginning to be interested in theology can understand. He earnestly shares personal stories and contemporary examples to illustrate the theological concepts he is trying to explain. In his famous/infamous book A New Kind of Christian, Brian McLaren provocatively presents conversations between fictional characters on a number of controversial theological topics. Cyzewski addresses many of these questions but shows how he has resolved them in his own mind. If you were confused by McLaren's questions, Cyzewski helps sketch how an evangelical Christian might move toward resolution. Maybe McLaren's A New Kind of Christian and Cyzewski's Coffeehouse Theology should be given to all Christian college students–the former to get them intrigued about theology and the latter to nudge them toward further constructive reflection. Cyzewski's book is ambitious–tackling a number of issues related to systematic theology. Perhaps one might want to read a more distinguished theologian who addresses these issues–perhaps Lesslie Newbigin or Stan Grenz; but academic theologians rarely address so many contemporary questions in such a concise way and in language as accessible as Cyzewski's. One of the great parts of Coffeehouse Theology is that Cyzewski recommends many other books as he moves through the book–purposefully trying to intrigue the reader to explore further.
One minor critique of Cyzewski's book is his regular use of the term "contextual theology" to describe his approach. He writes, "So we need to challenge ourselves to learn about God with an awareness of context–what we can call 'contextual theology'–while at the same time making sure we value different insights from different cultures where Christians are learning about God in their own particular situations. In brief, that's where we are headed together in this book. Coffeehouse Theology will help us understand who we are and by including perspectives outsider of our own in the midst of our study of Scripture" (20). What Cyzewski actually means by the term "contexual theology" is "good theology" or just plain "theology." Cyzewski does not intend to align himself with the "contextual theologies" that typically fall under that heading. For example, Lesslie Newbigin characterizes "contexual theology" in a negative way as "a theology that gives primary attention to the issues that people are facing at that time and place and insists that the gospel cannot be communicated except in terms of these issues" (Lesslie Newbigin, The Open Secret: An Introduction to the Theology of Mission, rev. ed; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995, 133-134). Andrew Walls calls “contextualized” “appalling jargon” (Andrew F. Walls, The Missionary Movement in Christian History: Studies in the Transmission of Faith, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1996, 7, 84). David Bosch writes, "It goes without saying that not every manifestation of contextual theology is guilty of any or all of the overreactions discussed above. Still, they all remain a constant danger to every (legitimate!) attempt at allowing the context to determine the nature and content of theology for that context" (David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1991), 432, Cf. 420-432. Darrell Guder's Missional Church uses the term "contexualization" but not "contextual theology." "The church relates constantly and dynamically both to the gospel and to its contextual reality. It is important, then for the church to study its context carefully and to understand it. The technical term for this continuing discipline is contextualization" (Darrell Guder, ed. The Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998, 18). Again, I do not think Cyzewski's approach has the weaknesses of the group of theologies under the heading "contextual theologies" but I do think it is unfortunate he repeatedly uses that term to describe his own approach.
All in all, Cyzewski's Coffeehouse Theology is a fine introduction to a number of contemporary issues in theology in language college students or other beginning theological students will understand. I hope it will serve as the on-ramp for many into rigorous theological reflection.
Resources:
Post on Emergent Village blog: Why I wrote yet another book on contextual theology …
Ed Cyzewski's Blog: In a Mirror Dimly.
Note:
Ed Cyzewski is a Taylor University grad like I am.
See my post:
Everything I needed to know about the church I learned at Taylor University.