Slow Theology
Eight Practices for Resilient Faith in a Turbulent World
Where to Purchase
About
Outrageous headlines grab our attention. Social media offers us immediate satisfaction. Knee-jerk reactions reign supreme. And despite our constant connectivity, our lives increasingly lack true connection. In this insightful volume, A. J. Swoboda and Nijay Gupta show us how to discern God's voice amid the noise of modern life.
Addressing deconstruction and doubt with honesty and humility, Swoboda and Gupta explore how we can fortify our faith to withstand the challenges of our culture. They offer readers everyday practices for slowing down amid the frenetic pace of life: Take your time making decisions. Don't settle for easy answers. Ponder mystery. Cultivate communal faith. Embrace the long road following Jesus.
Theologically rich and broadly approachable, Slow Theology will help those weary of today's turmoil reconnect with God and neighbor. The book includes a foreword by Glenn Packiam.
Contents
Foreword by Glenn Packiam
Introduction
1. Take Your Time: Learn to Linger with God
2. Embrace the Theological Journey: Take the Long View of Faith
3. Think Slowly: Applying Sabbath to Our Theology
4. Ponder the Mysteries: Answers Aren't Always the Answer
5. Go to the Problems: Challenge Yourself to Not Run from the Difficulties
6. Let Pain Be the Altar: Talking to God Through Our Difficulties
7. Believe Together: One Faith, One Body, and Communal Theology
8. Don't Ever Give Up: Those Who Make It to the End Will Win
Conclusion
Endorsements
"This book is a breath of fresh air--humble and thoughtful but full of conviction that the way of Jesus is worth pursuing. Slow Theology does not merely affirm important theological conclusions, it articulates a way of thinking--and living--theologically. Whether you are skeptical about Christianity or exhausted with theological bickering, A. J. and Nijay present a vision of Christian theology that just might inspire you to greater study of and relationship with God."
Kaitlyn Schiess, senior editor, Holy Post Media; author of The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here
"Swoboda and Gupta offer us a way to do theology that is slow in a 24/7 world, focused in a distracted age, thoughtful in judgmental places, and contemplative instead of taking the clickbait. They urge us to find rest in Christ from our worries and labors. A great invitation to slow down, breathe, and believe afresh."
Michael F. Bird, deputy principal, Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia
"This book reminded me that sometimes we will get to where we are going quicker if we are willing to slow down. A. J. and Nijay are calm voices of leadership in a time of great chaos. Slow Theology will help you endure."
Heather Thompson Day, author of What If I'm Wrong?
"T. S. Eliot once asked, 'Where is the life we have lost in living?' Today, many are asking the same question. We are living at a pace that is unsustainable, doing violence to our souls. In Slow Theology, A. J. Swoboda and Nijay Gupta paint a beautiful, compelling, and deeply theological vision of living and walking with God at a pace that humanizes, nourishes, and leads to the flourishing of our souls."
Jon Tyson, author and pastor of Church of the City New York (jontyson.org)
"Ours is an age that prizes quick takes, sharp certainties, and tidy solutions. But faith doesn't rush. Slow Theology invites us to pause--really pause--to dwell with God in the questions, to make peace with mystery, and to journey through the rugged terrain of belief with resilience and hope. A. J. Swoboda and Nijay Gupta offer not only profound theological insight but also pastoral wisdom shaped by suffering, beauty, and a trust in the slow, redemptive work of God. This book does not shy away from the chaos of our time; instead, it dares to suggest that chaos might be the very compost from which Christlikeness can grow. Every page pulses with grace, truth, and an unflinching belief in the God who never rushes but always redeems. I will be recommending this book to pastors, students, and weary saints everywhere."
Tara Beth Leach, author of The Great Morning Revolution
The Authors
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A. J. Swoboda
A. J. Swoboda (PhD, University of Birmingham) is assistant professor of Bible, theology, and world Christianity at Bushnell University. He also leads a doctor of ministry program around Christian formation and soul care at Friends University. He is the author...
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© Adam McGuffie Nijay K. Gupta
Nijay K. Gupta (PhD, Durham University) is Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. He is cohost of the Slow Theology podcast, founder of the popular Engaging Scripture (Substack), and author of numerous books, including...
Continue reading about Nijay K. Gupta