Freddy Lam’s Reviews > Slow Theology: Eight Practices for Resilient Faith in a Turbulent World > Status Update

On the chapter with perseverance, the one quote that’s best is the slowest person reveals the theology of the church. They may lead us to Jesus and slow us down enough to hear the pain and sufferings we would otherwise miss when we focus on programs and plans. Can we slow down? Can we avoid suffering or should we embrace and not pray for comfort, because Jesus longs to form us together, and together is slow.

On theology together, the authors focus on the church and how it is better to be a community wrestling together the uncertainties and mysteries of faith (heresy is often a reduction into simplicity), how churches embrace the creed and its history, how Paul contemporarized in his time Ekklesia from civic Townhall to a gathering of mutual faith, and so much more. Again, a bit of an info dump.

The chapter on lament describes the escapism of the digital world and its trappings compared to a God who wants to bear our pain, anger, hurt through the poetry of lament. The digital persona allows us to be someone else and demands immediacy, while lament is slow and raw, gritty with no pretending or hiding. Learning how to fight fair with God becomes an invitation to his gracious and loving presence, not answers.

I love this chapter on secret vs mystery and God’s revelation of himself, and how it is not exhaustive yet also not impenetrable. God’s own self-disclosure and the theologians and saints provide a rich tapestry. The fourth gospel conversation is wonderful, probably my favourite chapter so far. Neither domesticate God nor unreachable, the Spirit reveals Christ, the hope of glory. Four reasons also compelling.

The current pace of church is unsustainable, and we need to slow down. I love how God is proven to be slow in Genesis, takes his time with us. I also love the point about all words of slowness tend to be negative, because we crave so much about speed, efficiency. Also, the point about anti fragile by Taleb and how we need an anti fragile faith that can face the current moment of despair and despondency.