Confessions of a Beginning Theologian

A certain anxiety can accompany theological work. Do I really understand the Bible? How do I relate to the Bible and to my heritage as a Christian, whatever it may be? How do I find my own voice as a theologian? And what about those things, those experiences, that shape me as a specific person? How do these things shape my identity as a theologian? These are the questions Elouise Renich Fraser reflects upon in "Confessions of a Beginning Theologian." And while these may be perennial questions theologians face, this is not a book of ivory tower theological expositions or one that outlines a sophisticated theological method. Rather, it is an intensely personal, even autobiographical account of one woman's journey in becoming a theologian. Both honest and probing, Fraser's `confessions' reveal and uncover connections that exist, but often remain unseen, between theological work and personal experience.Throughout Confessions Fraser considers the relationship between her own upbringing to her relationship to the Bible, the nature of her theological commitments, what it means to understand and dialogue with other theologians, and what it means to speak in her own voice. Specifically, for her, this has meant attending to her identity as a female theologian. Raised in a strict, conservative Christian background dominated by male authority, her journey has been punctuated by realizations as to how this particular background impacts her theology. Thus, for Fraser, theological existence has meant discovering how investigating the wholeness of our experience is itself a distinctly theological task. Underlying Fraser's story is the sense that being a theologian means coming to terms with being a human being and the accompanying realization that "God hasn't abandoned the messiness of our lives in favor of less threatening involvement in a world of ideas." While sometimes the difference between being a Christian and being a theologian is not clear in her account, perhaps therein lies the strength of Confessions, that both involve the posture of trust in the reality to which theology refers and that in both cases we are in a sense always beginners. And, as she says, "God loves beginners."

This book is a wonderful account of one woman's search to best utilize the gifts God has given her, despite existing stereotypes inside and outside of the Church. Challenging and inspiring, she shares her struggles to understand how her womanhood and faith go together as she studies in seminary, raises a family, and becomes an academic theologian. A must read for women who struggle with traditional roles and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in how to effectively utilize the natural abilities and passions God has given them.

I throughly enjoyed Fraser's work. I appreciated her openess, her sharing of the process of her growth. It is inciteful and thought-provoking. I found it personally challenging to me, even though written from a woman's perspective there was much to challenge my thoughts and future action. It would be a good text to give out as a gift to graduating high school seniors, as I plan to do for my own daughter.