David W Congdon
Biographic Data
| ID | 1694532 |
|---|---|
| NAME | David W Congdon |
| GIVEN NAMES | David W |
| FAMILY NAME | Congdon |
| SIGNATURE | CONGDON D W |
| AFFILIATIONS | University Press of Kansas |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6142-5032 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 9 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 3 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 9 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2012 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
The Historian and the Theologian
Two recent works of Christology attempt to bridge the gap between systematic theology and biblical studies by engaging historical research about the Bible in a constructive way: Bruce L. McCormack’s The Humility of the Eternal Son: Reformed Kenoticism and the Repair of Chalcedon and Paul J. DeHart’s Unspeakable Cults: An Essay in Christology . McCormack seeks to repair Chalcedon by drawing on what he takes to be the correct reading of Paul’s Chri…
The polyamorous Christ
This article aims to initiate ‘polyamorous theology’ as a field of study. Toward this end, it begins by addressing some of the principal objections, both general and theological, to polyamory, pointing out how theologically thin even the supposedly ‘theological’ objections are. In an effort to find a positive basis for polyamory in Christian theology, some have turned to the doctrine of the trinity, understanding the godhead as a divine ‘throuple…
What Has New Haven to Do with Hungary? On Theological and Political Postliberalism
Deworlded within the World
Rudolf Bultmann has long been criticized for failing to reflect theologically on political life, and even for developing an apolitical theology that many consider to be supportive of the political status quo. This article challenges that reading by examining Bultmann's account of eschatological existence as a form of social identity set in contrast to what he regarded as the gnostic form of identity: an apocalyptic mode of existence that separate…
Apocalypse as Perpetual Advent
The apocalyptic interpretation of the New Testament was developed in the mid-twentieth century in explicit opposition to the work of Rudolf Bultmann, and this conflict has persisted despite the changes that have taken place within the field of apocalyptic theology. This article interrogates the relation between Bultmann and apocalyptic in two ways. First, it takes a second look at the history of twentieth-century theology and shows that the work …
Demystifying the Program of Demythologizing
More than seventy years after Rudolf Bultmann delivered his famous lecture on the topic of “New Testament and Mythology” in 1941—initially on April 21 in Frankfurt am Main and again on June 4 in Alpirsbach—the program of demythologizing is still widely misunderstood, perhaps more so now than ever. Erroneous views have gradually accreted around Bultmann's original hermeneutic, so that now what is generally criticized under the name of “demythologi…
Emancipatory Intercultural Hermeneutics
This article introduces and assesses Sundermeier’s “hermeneutic of difference” ( Differenzhermeneutik ). Though he is not well-known in English-speaking circles, the pioneering work of Theo Sundermeier has contributed to a hermeneutical and intercultural turn within the field of missiology, as well as a missiological and practical turn within hermeneutics. He criticizes the western hermeneutical tradition for being text-centric and egocentric, an…
The Mission of Demythologizing
"Rudolf Bultmann's controversial program of demythologizing has been the subject of constant debate since it was first announced in 1941. It is widely held that this program indicates Bultmann's departure from the dialectical theology he once shared with Karl Barth. In the 1950s, Barth thus referred to their relationship as that of a whale and an elephant: incapable of meaningful communication. This study proposes a contrary reading of demytholog…
Reconsidering Apocalyptic Cinema
Apocalypticism has been a consistent theme in modern culture. In recent religious studies, the definition of "apocalyptic" has undergone extensive revision and expansion, resulting in the articulation of a distinctively "Pauline" apocalyptic theology. This new conception of apocalypticism offers a new way to interpret works of popular culture, especially film. This paper argues that Paul Thomas Anderson's 1999 movie, Magnolia , is properly viewed…
The Mission of Demythologizing
"Rudolf Bultmann's controversial program of demythologizing has been the subject of constant debate since it was first announced in 1941. It is widely held that this program indicates Bultmann's departure from the dialectical theology he once shared with Karl Barth. In the 1950s, Barth thus referred to their relationship as that of a whale and an elephant: incapable of meaningful communication. This study proposes a contrary reading of demytholog…
Reconsidering Apocalyptic Cinema
Apocalypticism has been a consistent theme in modern culture. In recent religious studies, the definition of "apocalyptic" has undergone extensive revision and expansion, resulting in the articulation of a distinctively "Pauline" apocalyptic theology. This new conception of apocalypticism offers a new way to interpret works of popular culture, especially film. This paper argues that Paul Thomas Anderson's 1999 movie, Magnolia , is properly viewed…
The Mission of Demythologizing
"Rudolf Bultmann's controversial program of demythologizing has been the subject of constant debate since it was first announced in 1941. It is widely held that this program indicates Bultmann's departure from the dialectical theology he once shared with Karl Barth. In the 1950s, Barth thus referred to their relationship as that of a whale and an elephant: incapable of meaningful communication. This study proposes a contrary reading of demytholog…
Emancipatory Intercultural Hermeneutics
This article introduces and assesses Sundermeier’s “hermeneutic of difference” ( Differenzhermeneutik ). Though he is not well-known in English-speaking circles, the pioneering work of Theo Sundermeier has contributed to a hermeneutical and intercultural turn within the field of missiology, as well as a missiological and practical turn within hermeneutics. He criticizes the western hermeneutical tradition for being text-centric and egocentric, an…
Demystifying the Program of Demythologizing
More than seventy years after Rudolf Bultmann delivered his famous lecture on the topic of “New Testament and Mythology” in 1941—initially on April 21 in Frankfurt am Main and again on June 4 in Alpirsbach—the program of demythologizing is still widely misunderstood, perhaps more so now than ever. Erroneous views have gradually accreted around Bultmann's original hermeneutic, so that now what is generally criticized under the name of “demythologi…
Apocalypse as Perpetual Advent
The apocalyptic interpretation of the New Testament was developed in the mid-twentieth century in explicit opposition to the work of Rudolf Bultmann, and this conflict has persisted despite the changes that have taken place within the field of apocalyptic theology. This article interrogates the relation between Bultmann and apocalyptic in two ways. First, it takes a second look at the history of twentieth-century theology and shows that the work …
Deworlded within the World
Rudolf Bultmann has long been criticized for failing to reflect theologically on political life, and even for developing an apolitical theology that many consider to be supportive of the political status quo. This article challenges that reading by examining Bultmann's account of eschatological existence as a form of social identity set in contrast to what he regarded as the gnostic form of identity: an apocalyptic mode of existence that separate…
The polyamorous Christ
This article aims to initiate ‘polyamorous theology’ as a field of study. Toward this end, it begins by addressing some of the principal objections, both general and theological, to polyamory, pointing out how theologically thin even the supposedly ‘theological’ objections are. In an effort to find a positive basis for polyamory in Christian theology, some have turned to the doctrine of the trinity, understanding the godhead as a divine ‘throuple…
What Has New Haven to Do with Hungary? On Theological and Political Postliberalism
The Historian and the Theologian
Two recent works of Christology attempt to bridge the gap between systematic theology and biblical studies by engaging historical research about the Bible in a constructive way: Bruce L. McCormack’s The Humility of the Eternal Son: Reformed Kenoticism and the Repair of Chalcedon and Paul J. DeHart’s Unspeakable Cults: An Essay in Christology . McCormack seeks to repair Chalcedon by drawing on what he takes to be the correct reading of Paul’s Chri…
Philosophy (6 works) · Theology (5 works) · Biblical Studies and Interpretation (4 works) · New Testament (3 works) · Aesthetics (2 works) · Christian Theology and Mission (2 works) · Constructive (2 works) · Epistemology (2 works) · Hermeneutics (2 works) · Incarnation (2 works)