Joshua Cockayne - Böcker

Explorations in Analytic Ecclesiology proposes an account of the nature and practice of the Church that draws from work in contemporary analytic social metaphysics, social epistemology, and social ethics. In the first book-length study of ecclesiology in analytic theology, Joshua Cockayne offers a vision of the Church, according to which the Church is united as the body of Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit, despite the apparent diversity of the Church in its gathered, particular forms. This account of the oneness of the Church in and through the work of the persons of the Trinity is then applied to explore the nature of baptism, the eucharist, and liturgy.

Nicholas Wolterstorff's distinguished career in philosophical theology continues to bear fruit, and here he shares his insight on the concepts of justice, art and liturgy. Although often discussed in isolation, as Wolterstorff masterfully demonstrates, they are bound together by divine love, and follow a common logical framework. Whether oriented towards the dignity of the other, the desire for creative engagement, or the infinite goodness of the creator, in every case unitive love is at their core. Wolterstorff explores all of this with consummate elegance, ultimately showing how each of the three topics find their fulfilment in the worship of God and in the affirmation of the image of God in each of us.

This volume seeks to draw together scholars from biblical studies, systematic and historical theology, and practical theology to reflect on how the concept of participation can help us to think theologically about church planting. Participation promises to offer a unique theological lens through which to see church planting; for the concept of participation is crucial for understanding the relationship between the church and mission of God. As the New Testament writers remind the early church over 130 times, their participation “in Christ” is central to life of the Church. Participation refers not just to the task that Christian disciples are given to do, but something of their identity: it tells us who they are. It is therefore crucial for any one trying to do ecclesiology; the church is not just a community of likeminded believers, but rather, they are those who participate in the mystical body of Christ.BLOGPOST: Read an interview with Joshua Cockayne about the book on the SCM Press blog here.

New Churches: A Theology considers the theological issues and questions that surface from the starting of new churches in the UK context. Offering both a theology for starting new churches (to support, guide, encourage and challenge practitioners to plant fully Christian churches) and a theology from new churches (using new churches as an opportunity to explore vital theological, ecclesiological, and missiological questions we might otherwise miss), the book brings together some of those most significant voices in the conversation today, speaking from a wide spread of perspectives including theologians and practitioners, pioneers and planters, evangelical and Anglo-Catholic.Contributors include Mark Powley, John Valentine, Tina Hodgett, Christian Selvaratnam, Cathy Ross and John Wallace

N.T. Wright has had a significant influence on Christian thought in the past half-century, covering an impressive array of topics throughout his career and engaging with philosophical thinkers and subject matter. This volume brings leading figures in analytic theology and philosophy of religion into conversation with Wright’s corpus. The chapters focus, in particular, on issues concerning the epistemology of religious belief and the role of history in forming such beliefs, two themes that have dominated Wright’s work in the past two decades. In addressing these two areas, the contributors discuss topics from natural theology to disability studies, from ecological ethics to eschatology, and from historiography to the so-called ‘proofs’ of God’s existence. Together, they offer a critical assessment of Wright’s scholarship and a valuable perspective on many of the issues that he has devoted his career to addressing.

The Christian life, concerned with both spirituality and doctrine, aims not at rationally defensible truth but at life-transforming love. Greater understanding of the truth will not settle the restlessness in a human spirit; only the redemptive power of relationship with God can calm the soul. The crux of Kierkegaard's presentation of Christianity is not that doctrine is unimportant, but that it is ultimately insufficient for a life lived in relationship with God.In Contemporary with Christ, Joshua Cockayne explores the Christian spiritual life with Søren Kierkegaard (in the guise of his various pseudonyms) as his guide and analytic theology as his key tool of engagement. Cockayne contends that the Christian life is second-personal: it seeks encounter with a personal God. As Kierkegaard describes, God invites us to "live on the most intimate terms with God". Cockayne argues that this vision of Christian spirituality is deeply practical because it advocates for a certain way of acting and existing. This approach to the Christian life moves from first-reflection, whereby one acquires objective knowledge, to second-reflection, whereby one attains deeper self-understanding, which fortifies one's relationship with God.Individuals encounter Christ through traditional practices: prayer, the Eucharist, and the reading of Scripture. However, experiences of suffering and mortality that mirror Christ's own passion also enliven this life of encounter. Spiritual progress comes through a reorientation of one's will, desire, and self-knowledge. Such progress must ultimately serve the goal of drawing close to God through Christ's presence. Engaging philosophy, theology, and psychology, Cockayne invites us to join in a conversation with Kierkegaard and explore how the spiritual disciplines provide opportunities for relationship with God by becoming contemporary with Christ.

Gathering with other people matters. But what does it mean to gather? When is an experience shared, and when is it something we are doing on our own? These questions have grown more urgent in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, which brought into sharp relief the difference between virtual and in-person interaction. Understanding the nature and limits of shared experience has long been of interest to psychologists and philosophers. Research in developmental psychology has explored the role of social interaction and shared experience in human development, highlighting the capacity for joint attention, the ability to attend to some feature of the world with another person with the awareness that this attention is shared.In Why We Gather, Joshua Cockayne and Gideon Salter focus on gatherings in the context of Christian worship, drawing from several years of grant-funded, collaborative research. They demonstrate that, whether reciting words of formal liturgy, participating in extemporary prayer, or simply sitting in silence with others, we are being asked to attend to something with someone. This is the basis of all liturgy; the shared nature of worship is essential to the Christian tradition.In dialogue with insights from theology and psychology, Cockayne and Salter explore the nature of gathered worship to show why gathering is so important, and to highlight what is lacking from virtual acts of worship. Primarily a theoretical account that contributes to the ongoing discussion of worship in theology and psychology, Why We Gather also aims to encourage leaders of public worship to reflect more deeply on the shared nature of the practice, thereby understanding how vital it is to not give up meeting together (Heb 10:25). This is innovative scholarship with practical application, an appeal to the church at large.