The Transgression of the Integrity of God

by Craig Keen

"In this dark, when we all talk at once, some of us must learn to whistle" In this comprehensive collection of his work, Craig Keen's voice emerges as that of a theologian who has indeed learned to whistle. In a day when much of what passes for academic "theology" is careful to maintain a safe distance from any determinate act of faith or work of praise, Keen evinces a single-minded determination to think and to speak, to write and to live doxologically. And whether writing or lecturing, teaching or conversing, Keen understands theology to be nothing less than an invitation to work out one's faith with fear and trembling. Throughout this volume Keen argues that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus disrupt all metaphysical attempts to determine the reality of "God" and suggests instead that theology is to be done liturgically and eucharistically-as the work of a people whose labor is carried out with open hands, free from all attempts to grasp and control. Keen discusses doctrinal issues-the Trinity, incarnation, creation-as well as a number of critical theological concerns-church and culture, justice, holiness, Christian education-in this light. The result is a profound set of reflections on the ways in which the word of the cross simultaneously transgresses our constructions of "God" and gives us to live transgressively in love.

Genres: Nonfiction

308 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Craig Keen, Ph.D., is Professor of Systematic Theology at Azusa Pacific University. He has held various offices in the Wesleyan Theological Society, including Promotional Secretary, Program Chair, and President. Keen has published several articles in the Wesleyan Theological Journal, has a chapter in the book, Embodied Holiness: Toward a Corporate Theology of Spiritual Growth, and is under contract with Cascade Books to publish two books: The Transcendence of the Integrity of God and Other Essays and After Crucifixion: The Promise of Theology. He served as Co-Chair of the Systematic Theology Working Group of the Twelfth Oxford Institute of Methodist Theological Studies. In 2002, he served on an eight-member committee that envisaged, planned, and implemented the first Global Theology Conference of the Church of the Nazarene in Guatemala City, Guatemala.