We Are Theologians

Book excerpt: We are all by nature theologians, able to think through questions of belief and relate the insights of theology to our public and private lives. Thompsett offers in five chapters both a theology of the laity and a short but solid grounding in the history, theology, spirituality, and biblical foundations of Anglicanism, particularly the Episcopal Church. Beginning with the Bible and what it reveals to us about the distinct calling of the people of God, Thompsett goes on to consider the insights of the Reformation about the importance of the laity and the particular contribution of laypeople, particularly women, to the expansive mission of the nineteenth century in education and social work. She explores different aspects of Anglican identity that are particularly important to the lay calling, as well as lay movements of liberation in the global South. The final chapter, "Ideas to Grow On," points the way to strengthening the laity of the future. Book jacket.