Dancing in the Dark Revised Edition: The Privilege of Participating in God's Ministry in the World

Christians are often tempted to encapsulate God in their own little boxes as if God could be tied down to our finite way of thinking. But we can neither domesticate nor fully understand God for theology has a lot to do with coming to terms with the mystery of God. This revised edition of Dancing in the Dark--shaped as in the first edition by the two overarching themes of God as Trinity and a theology of participation--embraces the notion of mystery in presenting a compelling vision of seeing all things finally united within the inner life of God. As we engage in Christian ministry we are summoned to participate as grace-filled faith communities in the triune Gods immeasurably loving and healing work in the world leading those who are in darkness into an awareness of the God who imparts life in all its glorious abundance that which is so . . . and a journey into the mystery of that which is to come. The liberating ministry of the gospel is both a declaration and an invitation--an invitation to the dance! Ministry can be reduced to the pragmatics of what works or to best practices as easily as church can be reduced to a brick building or a local outpost of a historic denomination and preaching too can be reduced to a formula a plan and mechanics. In Dancing in the Dark Graham Buxton reverses these all too common reductionisms in the church by turning all we do in ministry toward God toward Gods mission toward Gods gospel and toward the church as designed to get swept into the joyous gracious adventurous and unending dance of the Trinity in Gods very self. What a breath of fresh grace this book is. --Scot McKnight Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament Northern Seminary The best guides to ministry have theological depth an openness to learning from many disciplines a pastoral heart and an honesty about its joys and frustrations. This book encapsulates those qualities because it is written by a practitioner and theologian who has lived and embodied such qualities. --David Wilkinson Principal St. Johns College Durham University You need to know that this is a good book. A really good book. With a breadth of knowledge and wisdom which draws on insights from history scripture literature and experience Graham Buxton brings together ministry trinitarianism creativity incarnation and mission. In doing so he is not merely linking interesting themes but showing how they are actually related dimensions and expressions of the divine nature. Dancing in the Dark is an eminently readable soundly theological and always practical look at Christian ministry. --Brian Edgar Professor of Theological Studies Asbury Theological Seminary; Author of God is Friendship and The Message of the Trinity This welcome second edition of Graham Buxtons Dancing in the Dark deepens the themes of the first. Buxton creatively explores what it means to participate in Gods ministry in the world developing a helpful paradigm for ministry exploring its implications in practice and closing with a portrait of listening leadership and living in hope. Informed by significant ministry experience and rich and wide reading it is a treasure not to be missed. --Brian Harris Principal Vose Seminary Perth Australia Graham Buxton is Affiliate Professor in the School of Theology at Fuller Seminary USA; Senior Lecturer in Theology at Flinders University Australia; and Visiting Fellow at St. Johns College Durham University UK. He is the author of a number of books including The Trinity Creation and Pastoral Ministry (2005) Celebrating Life (2007) and An Uncertain Certainty (2014).