Notes from the Margin: doing theology at the edges of culture, society, church

[Matte Downey]

Abstract:

Those who live in the mainstream segment of society do theology differently than those who exist on the margins. In my own experience, living as a minority has changed how I think about God, how I read the Bible, and how I view the world. This paper includes three stories from the margins: Hannah Clark, a female historian and pastor living in a remote locale, Chad Lucas, a black Nova Scotian working in mainly white contexts, and Hagar, the Egyptian slave in the household of Abram. When we deliberately sidestep the majority voices, we find that our emphasis on a powerful, Almighty God is challenged. Instead, we find a God who hears the cry of the outsider and who sees the plight of the powerless. In other words, we see Jesus.

The full paper is attached to this post.