Flemming Rutledge on Advent

Last updated on: October 15, 2019 at 5:46 am by Michael F. Bird

Flemming Rutledge on Advent 2019-06-04T21:49:04-04:00 Michael F. Bird

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Fleming Rutledge

Advent: The Once & Future Coming of Jesus Christ
Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 2018.
Available at Eerdmans and Koorong

By Laura Thierry

Perhaps one of the most delightful, if curious, ‘church trends’ over the last few decades, amongst a broad range of Christian traditions and denominations, is the turn back to the treasure trove of formational goodness that is the Church’s liturgical life. It is into this movement that Fleming Rutledge’s delectable Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ presents itself. As an introduction and companion to the first (and last – depending from which angle you look at it) season of the Church year, this substantial volume offers the Church a much needed vision for living as God’s peculiar people in the now-and-not yet Kingdom of God. For, as she states, “Of all the seasons of the church year, Advent most closely mirrors the daily lives of Christians and of the church, asks the most important ethical questions, presents the most accurate picture of the human condition, and above all, orients us to the future of the God who will come again” (p. 1). In order to explore this extensive and ambitious concept of Advent, Rutledge’s volume begins with a series of essays and writings on the historical, theological, and pastoral background to the season – an excellent introduction to the less-initiated liturgist. The second, and largest, section presents a collection of her Advent sermons from many years of preaching practice. While these are “arranged in a carefully planned sequence” they are also “meant to be minded as needed; [as] each individual contribution stands on its own” (31).

In true Rutledge-like form, one of the greatest gifts of this book is its richness. It abounds in references to Dostoyevsky, W. H. Auden, and T. S. Eliot, not to mention a veritable army of Anglican Advent anthems. And yet, these are employed in such a way as to point away from themselves to the richness of the Scriptures to which they bear witness. This utilization springs from her overt ‘Scripture-centric’ philosophy of preaching, as she notes, “If the preacher has not been sized by the text, the sermon will be a collection of merely human thoughts. However well these reflections may be put together, they will lead the hearers away from the Word of God unless the preacher can get herself out of the way” (26).

Another central element of her approach also originates in her commitment to “being seized by the text”, namely, her unapologetic apology for the apocalyptic aspect of Advent. Indeed, she (along with the majority of Church History) contends for the primacy of Advent as a season looking to and preparing for the second coming of Christ. While acknowledging the unpopularity and absence of this position in many traditions today, her winsome defense thereof is winning in its ability to take seriously the darkness and brokenness of the world in light of the justice and restoration to come. But this focus brings us to a final element of this work, namely, as she states, it “is not for the squeamish… a certain amount of mental and emotional stamina will be required to pursue these themes” (31). But the effort is truly worth it.

Rutledge envisages three primary audiences for this book: “(1) preachers and teachers of the faith; (2) people who plan liturgies; and (3) laypeople who want to live more deeply out of the gospel as it is dramatized in the church’s year” (31). As such, this is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to think with fecundity about how to mine the treasure troves of the Church’s liturgical tradition for all its pastoral and formational goodness.

Laura Thierry a PhD student at Ridley College, researching medieval hagiography, Christology, and theology of the body.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

October 14, 2019

The New Testament in Its World for the Classroom

Next Post

October 17, 2019 Communicating Climate Change to Evangelicals

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Lands Blogosphere Book Review Calvinism Colleges & Universities Ecclesiology Emerging Adulthood Evangelicalism Foreign Affairs Gospel of John Greco-Roman World Humor Just War N. T. Wright Old Testament Resurrection Terrorism Theological Education Travel Uncategorized Writing

Select a Month September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Peter see in his vision on the rooftop in Joppa?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A large sheet with unclean animals A burning bush An angel with a sword A ladder reaching to heaven

Books by This Author Books by Mike Bird

See All Titles »