Accidental Theologians

Here's an excerpt from the book Accidental Theologians by Elizabeth Dreyer that our community is reading for Advent (and will continue reading in Lent). We will also have one gathering together and share our reflections, reactions and ideas from our reading. It's starting out to be a really great read.

"Along with other Christian denominations, Roman Catholicism has worked to unite head and heart, knowledge and faith, reason and love. The mystery of Christ is best entered into and plumbed for meaning in ways that engage the whole person. In this sense, we can think of full theological knowledge as wisdom. Wisdom weds the work of reason, study and intellect with a life of passionate commitment to Christ and virtuous love. In the case of the four women Doctors of the Church who had no access to formal advanced education, we have theologies that reveal their significant native intellectual gifts, but which are notably grounded in graced experiential knowledge linked to their intense engagement with God."

The book is about Hildegard of Bingen, Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila and Therese of Lisieux, the four women doctors of the church and how they shaped Christianity.