churrasco: A Theological Feast in Honor of Vitor
Westhelle
Mary Philip, John Arthur Nunes, and Charles
M. Collier (eds)
Eugene,
Oregon: PICKWICK Publications, 2013
Reviewed by Yahu Vinayaraj
This
book is a collection of articles written in honor of Vitor Westhelle, the well
known Latin American liberation theologian and the professor of systematic
theology at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC). The contributors are
either his colleagues or students. In his thirty years of teaching ministry Dr.
Westhelle has mentored about one hundred and fifty students from various parts
of the globe. churrasco is a
Brazilian barbeque of variety of meets. By this title to his book, the editors meant
to attend the eclectic ground of Dr. Westhelle’s theological world.
Oswald
Bayer initiates a discussion on the theology of cross. Robert Kolb traces five components
of the cross: 1) as a burden to help crucify the flesh, 2) as eschatological battle
evidenced in the suffering of church, 3) as the means of atonement through
Jesus death and resurrection, 4) exhibiting a weak and foolish epistemology as
contrasted with human wisdom, 5) as distinguishing the hidden God and the
revealed God. Antje Jackelen, the bishop of Lund offers an ecclesial-theological
consideration of faith in the public sphere. Ted Peters and Kathleen Billman
engage Westhelle’s conceptual framework of spatiality. Else Marie Wiberg
Pederson is inspired by the powerful concluding pages of The Scandalous God (Westhelle’s book on the theology of cross), in
which Westhelle ponders the “mad economy” of an empty tomb filled with women
bearing gifts of fragrant spices.
John
Arthur Nunes is moved by Westhelle’s work to attend to the questions at the
intersection of theology and postcolonial studies. Philip Hefner’s article analyzes Westhelle’s
theology of creation. Claudia Jahnel offers a treatise on “The Flavor of the Other.”
She argues for the reality of a “cultural interviewing… full of transgressions,
exchange processes, and syncretism.” Roberto Zwetsch engages with Westhelle’s
translation of what NRSV calls “to the ends of the world” (Romans 10:18). Mary
Philip writes on remembrance through which she tries to analyze the theological
fecundity of Westhelle’s works. Luis Dreher tries to unearth the influence of
Luther in Westhelle’s theology. Kathlen Luana De Oliveira comments that
Westhelle’s work is nothing but the “knowledge transfigured by love.” In an
essay most explicitly engendering the place of women, Musimbi Kanyoro
elucidates three considerations for our global engagement:1) be prepared to be disturbed
by the chasmic socio-economic gap that divides humanity globally; 2) be ready
to be in conversation concerning the place of privilege and power those in the
North experience; 3) claiming God’s hope and refusing fear will lead to risk-taking
for the sake of celebrating diversity. Walter Altmann’s contribution is a
sermon on Psalm 90.
Reinhard
Hutter offers a careful consideration of the nature and universality of human
experience. Kathleen Billman reflects on the narratological dimensions of
faith. Jose Rodriguez writes about the prophetic alternative to human
dividedness. Barbara Rossing’s essay registers an eschatological dimension of
the Oikumene. Towards the end, Deanna
A. Thompson offers a prayer for the hope of an eco-living in this world of
adversity. Of course, it is a theological churrasco
from those who love to do theology passionately. The reviewer joins in this
chorus of the well-wishers of Vitor Westhelle to thank God for the meaningful words
and the challenging life of Vitor Westhelle-a passionate theologian, teacher,
and a friend.
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