Reading Ray S. Anderson

Why is theology often divorced from ministry? Why is ministry left bereft of a robust theology? Ray S. Anderson, a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary for over thirty years, has left a legacy of provocative reflections on these questions. In this book Christian Kettler provides a sure guide to major themes in the work of one of the most creative theological minds to have sought to integrate theology and ministry. Early experience on a South Dakota farm and in a California parish helped form the theologian whose radical incarnational theology of the ""kenotic community"" provided a new basis for a broader, risk-taking ecclesiology. Anderson also brought theological anthropology to the front of the agenda, and therefore into ministry to actual hurting human persons. His challenging theological reflections can provoke the mind, stir the heart, and guide compassionate and wise incarnational ministry. Each chapter ends with a case study from an actual life situation, to ""test out"" and work through the implications of Anderson's theology. ""This book provides a great service to anyone wishing to understand and facilitate the integration of Christian ministry and theology. I know of no greater resource for this task than Ray Anderson, and Chris Kettler has now given us the most accessible and comprehensive introduction to his thought and practice. Strongly recommended!"" --F. LeRon Shults author of Reforming the Doctrine of God ""Ray Anderson's work is a gold mine, but the treasure does not always lend itself to easy extraction for the ad hoc reader. Chris Kettler masterfully displays the coherent theological vision that propelled Anderson, helping us grasp the revitalizing implications of his Christocentric approach to theology. With this sympathetic yet honest appraisal, Chris ignited my desire to re-read Anderson while rekindling and clarifying my vision for theological education."" --Don J. Payne author of The Theology of the Christian Life in J. I. Packer's Thought Christian D. Kettler is Professor of Theology and Philosophy, Director of the Master of Arts in Christian Ministry program at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), and Theologian in Residence at the Church of the Savior in Wichita. He is the author of The God Who Believes: Faith, Doubt, and the Vicarious Humanity of Christ (Cascade, 2005), The Vicarious Humanity of Christ and the Reality of Salvation (1991), and coeditor (with Todd H. Speidell) of Incarnational Ministry: The Presence of Christ in Church, Society, and Family: Essays in Honor of Ray S. Anderson (Wipf and Stock, 2009). Kettler earned his PhD under the supervision of Ray S. Anderson.