I just finished my last paper for this semester and I’m finally done. It was for my Advanced Studies in Youth Ministry course with Kenda Dean and was entitled "Pneumatology as a Theological Foundation for Youth Ministry in the 21st Century." I used pneumatology (theology of the Spirit) as the theological backbone underpinning, basically, for a proposed philosophy of youth ministry. Drew heavily on the pneumatologies of J√ºrgen Moltmann (Reformed theologian) in his book The Spirit of Life, and Elizabeth Johnson (Catholic feminist theologian) in her book "She Who Is." Here is my conclusion (because I *know* you’re interested):
Is this a perfect model for ministry? No. Does it have its own theological and methodological flaws? Probably. But I think that a youth ministry that is centered and oriented around the unrestricted movement of the Spirit is a welcome alternative to other current models of youth ministry. The Holy Spirit has been avoided for long enough in theology and the church. Incorporating a robust and open theology of the Holy Spirit as a theological foundation for youth ministry will radically change the way youth groups look, act and function in society. Students will become more open to the presence of the Spirit in all people and in the world, more passionate and desiring of personal encounters of the Spirit through spiritual formation and relationships and more willing to work hard for authentic community that seeks to exemplify the community and relationality found in the triune God.
“What is most baffling about forgetfulness of the Spirit is that what is being neglected is nothing less than the mystery of God’s personal engagement with the world in its history of love and disaster; nothing less than God’s empowering presence dialectically active within the world in the beginning, throughout history and to the end, calling forth the praxis of life and freedom. Forgetting the Spirit is not ignoring a faceless, shadow third hypostatis but the mystery of God closer to us than we are to ourselves, drawing near and passing by in quickening, liberating compassion" (Elizabeth Johnson, She Who Is, 131).
If you want to read the whole paper, click here.
Technorati Tags: Pneumatology, Youth Ministry, Progressive Theology, Spirituality
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If the moving of the spirit in youth ministry be the backbone, may the revelation of Scripture be the brain.
Glenn, thanks for the comment but I didn’t mean backbone as an analogy to the specific body part. What I meant is what I changed it to - it is the foundation, the underpinning of youth ministry. I think we took quickly jump to the scriptures sometimes.
I look forward to reading your paper, because I think you’re on the right track. I heard recently that the “faith” we pass on to our youth in mainline Protestant denominations tends to be nothing more than diestic-therapeutic moralism. In an attempt to pass on the faith that announces the cosmic messiahship of Jesus and anticipates God’s reign, this summer I will be writing a curriculum for my youth group next year designed to ground young folks in the mission of the church to discern Holy Spirit’s activity of the in-breaking of God’s reign in our midst. And this coming from a Lutheran — a tradition that hasn’t figured out what to do with pneumatology and sanctification. If you’re interested in following me on this journey you can check out http://discipleshipcoach.blogspot.com
Thank you for this post.
Shalom!
“God‚Äôs empowering presence dialectically active within the world in the beginning, throughout history and to the end, calling forth the praxis of life and freedom. Forgetting the Spirit is not ignoring a faceless, shadow third hypostatis…”
If theology had “techno babble” it would sound just like that.
I too was speaking metaphorically about the backbone/brain thing.
I appreciate your emphasis upon the Spirit’s work as foundational to youth ministry (and all ministry at that).
I guess I was simply trying to suggest that, foundationally, we must build upon both the Work of the Spirit and the Revelation of Scripture. (The John 4:24, Spirit/Truth motif.)
I thought She Who Is was incredibly interesting… I’ll have to go back and re-read it soon since I’ve forgotten most of what it says…