For the past couple of days I've been busy with the local annual clergy conference, known affectionately as "clergy camp". Our speaker this year is John Franke, who has thus far proven to be an engaging speaker. His area is missional theology. He comes from a Reformed/Presbyterian tradition (of which he is still very much a part, and considers Barth to be a favourite read), but he has also extended his interest into the whole area of the emerging church.
One of the ideas which he has re-emphasized is that missional theology is Trinitarian. That is, the triune God is 'missional' in nature. It is interesting that in this day and age at least some of Christian mission would prefer to move God as Trinity into a bit of a far corner, or at least off center stage. The focus tends to be either on mission as acts of goodness (nothing wrong with charity) or on understanding a certain aspect of Jesus' ministry (again, there is nothing wrong with the cross and resurrection).
Perhaps our age has been so keen on interfaith relations and certain forms of relativism that the church has been either embarassed by the Trinity, or simply been at a loss as to how to present the Christian vision of God to the world.
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