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Coffeehouse Theology: Reflecting on God in Everyday Life

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This is a book about theology, but it's not a big, fat, scary one. Rather, it's a book that explains how to "do" theology in simple, straightforward ways. As an M.Div student myself, I first began to read this book thinking that it would be a book for new Christians, or Christians who may not want higher theological training or perhaps that new fangled "emerging church" group. And I do think it's a great book for those audiences. But I also think that it's a good read for those with a theological background, because Cyzewski writes this book for now, for this time, for this culture in America, and for this generation that is just emerging into the faith.

Christians must be able to speak about their faith clearly and with their audience in mind and this book is a great aid for that. The audience is front and center at all times for Cyzewski - and the audience is just whoever happens to amble on into any given coffeehouse. In other words, no matter where one is at in their Christian walk or search for truth, this book will be a useful aid at teasing out the right questions to consider and think through. Cyzewski's `contextual theology' provides a way of thinking about the Christian faith that is not just academic, but takes into account our culture and our relationships.

Cyzewski has clear views about the Bible and the person of Jesus and the church. But he also understands the enormous influence that our culture plays in the search for truth. He is not merely dismissive of other ideas and faiths but seeks way to talk about Christianity within that context - - all the while pointing to Christ from wherever ones starting point may be.

For those who read this book and want to dig into some of the ideas at a deeper level each chapter has a great list of further reading full of all the standard big, fat, theology books. But Coffeehouse Theology is exactly what the title implies - it's the sort of book to spur on discussion among friends hanging out.

In addition, the two guides that go along with the book are each useful. The Bible Study guide is perhaps slightly better for personal use, whereas the Discussion Guide is, as the tile implies, better suited for group discussion. Each veers slightly away from the book and offer new insights, topics and questions to tackle.

Coffeehouse Theology is a book that is written to people today, to people searching for truth, and to people trying to understand how our culture and our faith can inform each other and not create more divisions.

Many of the theology books that I've read over the years have been either too academic or too simplistic. Coffehouse Theology is neither of these. The author does a good job of balancing the theoretical with the practical. You can tell that he has spent a good deal of time reading academic books, but he is able to explain what he's learned in a simple and uncomplicated way. In fact, Cyzewski's conversational way of writing makes learning about theology not only accessible but also fun! This is a great book for those who are new in their Christian faith, who are established Christians wanting to learn about how our culture relates to how we understand God and the Christian life, or even for agnostics who are willing to enter a dialogue with an author who is knowledgeable yet humble and not afraid to ask difficult questions. So, next time you are at Starbucks or at your favorite coffeehouse (or teahouse for those of you like me!), I recommend that you read this book.

I initially thought this book was going to be about sharing the Christian faith in the ordinary moments and everyday places in which we live our lives (like The Coffeehouse Gospel by Matthew Paul Turner). I was wrong. But it still seems there's a slight obsession with Christians and Coffeehouses! I, personally, have NEVER referred to any place as a "coffeehouse" so neither of those titles even fit with my vernacular...but I digress.

In Coffeehouse Theology, Ed Cyzewski unpacks some complicated topics in simple ways. I'm not using "simple" pejoratively either. He brings some complicated theological issues down to the level of the common reader.

The subject of this book is not evangelism, but contextual theology. This is a subject that acknowledges the limitations of living and learning in a certain place at a certain time. Our time and place comprise our culture, which, in turn, affects our interpretation of Scripture and, ultimately, our thoughts about God.

Contextual theology seeks to avoid the two extremes of syncretism on the one hand, and sectarianism on the other. That said, what Cyzewski has written is a basic introduction to this type of theology. The introductory nature of this book can be seen by the "Further Reading" section included at the end of each chapter. Those sections include a list of books that expand on the points he made throughout the chapter, but I would have liked to see a brief summary of the books included in those lists (it's not likely that the popular-level - non-academic - reader is going to purchase all those books!).

The thing I appreciate most about this book is the author's insistence that both theology and culture matter. This is a healthy corrective to people and churches who emphasize one at the expense of the other.

On the whole, this book isn't great but it's a decent introduction to the ways that culture and theology intersect and shape one another.

Disclosure: This book was provided by TheOoze for the purpose of review. @viralbloggers

Coffeehouse Theology may best be described as an introduction to, and argument for, doing theology. More specifically, for doing 'contextual theology.' In it Ed argues that we need to understand our culture in order to understand, teach, or practice theology. We are ourselves culturally conditioned and, consequently, need to understand our culture in order to understand our own biases. The same goes for living it or spreading it.

In order to take this position Ed spends five chapters exploring our culture; how it has changed, how it affects us, and so on. He then goes on to place the center of theology in God, and the central practices of theology as prayer and reflection. Next come three chapters examining theology in light of the bible, church tradition, and the global church, before he concludes by commenting on our mutual love of God as the unifying factor for the diverse theologies encouraged and experienced within postmodernity.

This book provides a clear and concise treatment of theology; what it is, why we do it, and how. This is incredibly rare, making this book, in some senses, a gem. Ed does many things right. From his focus on God to his frank acknowledgement of our own limitations, from his desire for diversity and exploration to his insistence that we take seriously the heritage we stand upon, Ed consistently demonstrates a balanced viewpoint and encourages the same in the reader.

On the other hand, this book places too much emphasis on the up-to-date nature of cultural engagement and the affect this has on theology. Part of the beauty of theology is that through it we can not only learn to engage our culture, but step outside of it. Not, obviously, to some kind of complete objectivity, but still as a way of seeing ourselves differently. Ed gives his nod in this direction, but it seems to have not penetrated the message of the book.

This book is very introductory. I say that mostly as a compliment; we need readable and well written introductions to theology. At times, however, it was too much, as Ed spent more time than necessary on several points as well as on repetition.

Overall, a very good book. A great place to start if your interested in theology but lacking in background, otherwise you may find it to be simple. 4 out of 5 stars, conditionally recommended.

Great resource guide for how Christians can respond to today's hot topics. We used it for an Adult Bible Study group on Sunday mornings at our church - purchased a copy for each person/couple. Each topic includes viewpoints from 3-4 resources, including biblical references, followed by the author's perspective, and some good discussion questions. Perfect for small group discussions or a mid-sized group to generate an exchange from various viewpoints, linking current social and political issues with the bible.

I was really prepared not to like Ed Cyzewski's Coffeehouse Theology, Reflecting on God in Everyday Life. I don't even really know why. I guess I just wasn't in the mood to read a theology book. Theology literally means "words about God." Theology books come in two main types: books that tell you words about God and books that help you with a framework for your own words about God. This is the latter. I wasn't expecting that and I have to say I was pretty impressed. The author has not broken any new ground in this book, but he does a pretty amazing job of introducing the concept of contextual theology in a way that I believe is understandable to the average lay person.

Contextual Theology makes some people nervous. They believe that it has to do with changing the message of the gospel and scripture to match the current context. Cyzewski clearly points out that we can't help but contextualize our understanding of God. We all see God through some "cultural lens" and if we better understand that lens, we are better equipped to understanding how it shapes and/or distorts our image of God.

Many of us want to read and trust scripture as it is, but we fool ourselves if we don't believe that our understanding of God and our reading of scripture is affected by the fact that we are Americans living in 2009. If we truly want to do justice to what God is trying to teach us; if we really want to do theology, we need to come to terms with what we bring to the table. We can't just expect to leave who we are behind while we enter God's presence and then pick it up on the way out. "Christians who claim to be separated from culture face the danger of not noticing its influence on their thinking." (p.122)

I don't know if the author would agree, but I see his methodology as very Wesleyan. As United Methodists, we believe that we bring three things to the table when we study scripture: tradition, experience and reason. Cyzewski speaks instead of a "web of beliefs." (p 104.) He mostly focuses on the tradition part and experience and reason, in his model, become context. The main point of agreement here is that we never do theology or study scripture in a vacuum. Theology is a conversation with voices past and voices present.

There is a discussion guide available for the book. I think that would be a fantastic group study. Theology is a conversation. This would be a great conversation starter.

You can read Coffeehouse Theology and never fully understand what the title has to do with the content. And you can read it and wonder why author Ed Cyzewski spent so much space restating points he'd already made. But don't miss what the book really is: A welcomed addition to the discussions about Christian theology in a postmodern world. The talk about the "emergent" church in the "postmodern" era often drifts into heretical, anything goes, all roads lead the heaven belief systems that, in the end, have little to do with Jesus. Cyzewski brings much-needed balance by arguing that students of God can practice contextual theology without abandoning certain fundamental beliefs. So what if he never establishes the "coffeehouse" metaphor and doesn't use the analogy as a thread to bring the reader along? And so what if he beats a few horses to death? Perhaps a few overly rigid theologians will read this work and approach God with more of an open mind in light of other viewpoints. And perhaps those who are sliding down the slippery slope of relativism will read it and recognize the value of dropping a few anchors. There are dangers to Cyzewski's approach, primarily that personal experience will edge out the Bible and the Holy Spirit as the ultimate authority on understanding God. But there's much to be gained by listening to theologians from different cultures and different points in history and from acknowledging our own biases. Cyzewski's sees this never strays from the most important aspect of theology, to know God and make Him known. We can never hear that too often.

"Coffeehouse Theology" represents an attempt to bring knowledge of and perspective on the study of God to the marketplace, for use by the average person. For the reader short on time, I will say briefly that the attempt was not successful and I would suggest you find another book to read. For those interested in why I have this impression, read on.
It took me a long time to read this book because it did not seem to be written for me. From the outset, it is not clear who the intended audience is. The author shows little insight into the needs or perspective of the average reader. The plethora of seminary jargon and failure to translate the need for the information presented into the context of the average person makes this read like a term paper that only others taking the class could understand or appreciate. There is some useful information buried deep within its pages, but honestly, I would never have made it that far without obligation. "Coffeehouse" implies information of interest to the average person. "Theology" is a topic primarily of interest to those in seminary. The title fits this book which fails to connect the two.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

I picked this book by Ed Cyzewski (published by Navpress) to review because I like the title, which intrigued me, and I am very interested in the subject. After all, the purpose of my blog is using contextual theology to reflect on God in everyday life. It is my main purpose in writing Bible studies. Unfortunately however, his theology is better than his organizational skills.

While the book is worth reading completely to cull out the theological gems, it is cumbersome to do so. The first four chapters are more like a synopsis of the last seven chapters, with the last seven chapters retelling the synopsis in different words with different examples. The author states at times that "we will cover this in chapter..." and will go into to that exact subject for several pages, covering it quite thoroughly - potentially eliminating the need for the chapter. Then the chapter itself restates the same ideas.

Examples of theologians with the significance of their contextual view are sprinkled throughout. His original premise is a solid one. "All theology serves the mission of God. It is the reason we do theology." "God is at the center of theology." Delving into contextual theology requires looking at theology from our own cultural context, at scripture in its context, tradition and its context, as well as the global church (churches of different cultures) and the different contexts.

The premise is distinctly relevant. But it does not take an entire book to examine the premise itself. As a practitioner of cultural theology, I was hoping Coffeehouse Theology would expand the boundaries of my own journey. Not merely a justification of my study of cultural theology. Chapters four and five on modern and postmodern ages, respectively, are interesting summaries of the ages, the former more so than the latter. The comparison of The Andy Griffith Show to The Real World show is extraneous and leaves the reader scratching his/her head.

All that being said, Coffeehouse Theology is worth reading for the insights it contains.

Coffeehouse theology takes us on a journey of understanding ourselves - our history, philosophical underpinnings, context, culture, traditions, etc. that make up our worldview and our "God view" and then it goes on to explore how we can appropriately and fully use those things to enrich our God reflections and ultimately our lives as Christians.

Whether you are a lifelong student of theology or think theology is only for academia, this book will revitalize your reflections on God, get one for you a few for friends and start talking about God - because the truth is, we are all theologians.