On Being in the Middle

Doing Theology in the Face of Uncertainty

W. J. de Kock

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2024
• Print ISBN: 9781666706161, 9781666706178
• eBook ISBN: 9781666706185
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

In our world, there's a lack of clear middle ground. It's a divided place, with political affiliations drawing lines between the left and the right. Being in the middle is challenging; our allegiances are pulled in different directions, making it isolating and overwhelming to navigate life's complexities. But we live from the middle--between birth and death, between events, important dates, and between stability and change. In this uncertain space, we face existential questions about identity, the meaning of life, our purpose, and our place in the world. This is the domain of theology. Traditionally, theology attempts to answer these questions from the top down, declaring dogmas as absolute truths to remove the uncertainties. However, unexamined answers can become oppressive, stifling vitality, and can even become tyrannical--answers of the left or the right. This book suggests a different approach: doing theology from the inside out and from the bottom up, starting with sacred questions instead of rehearsed answers. We don't expect that the answers we come to will be final. However, we expect to find God in the middle. Theology is the practice of the presence of God, where we integrate our love and knowledge of God to live wisely in a divided world.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Preface
• Introduction
• Part A: Alone in the Middle
• Part B: With God in the Middle
• Methodological Postscript
• Bibliography