Learning to Speak

Keith Clements questions the present preoccupation with making 'statements', which not only pre-supposes that a Church has ready-made 'answers', but is also symptomatic of modern western society's obsession with publicity and instant 'solutions' to what are often complex problems.Clements examines such historically famous statements as the German Barmen Confession of 1934 and the South African Kairos Document of 1985, before exploring the biblical and theological roots of the key motifs of prophecy and discipleship. He suggests that western Churches must continue to listen and learn, not least from the way Churches in regions such as South Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe are re-learning their role.Clements concludes that western Churches must be prepared to talk modestly. They must be prepared to be both more disciplined and more imaginative. They must also be prepared to be more theological.