Sanders Fred - Theology and California: Theological Refractions on Californias Culture

THEOLOGY AND CALIFORNIA

Providential thinking clearly shapes ideas about California. Does the opposite
also take place? Does California shape religion and theology too? Is there perhaps
a unique California theology, call it Californianity? In a state where religious
adherence is increasing rather than decliningunlike the rest of the country
these questions have an unexpected purchase. And the theologians and scholars
in this volume, following Josiah Royces call for a higher provincialism, bring
welcome new light to the connections between place and faith.

Jon Christensen, Editor: Boom: A Journal of California

Theology is faith seeking understandingyes, but of California? As a theologian
and native Californian, I am delighted to recommend this collection of essays that
seek to understand the spirit of the place that shaped my childhood (and millions of
others), and how the Holy Spirit may be active in that place. The Church, after all,
is always local, and a theology of California will undoubtedly serve Christs body
in California by fostering understanding and enabling her to continue her ongoing
mission of witnessing both to the lordship of Jesus Christ over all things and to the
renewal of all things in Christ.

Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, USA

This volume is an ambitious undertaking to bring theology into the conversation
of Californiawhat it was, what it is, and what it will become. To the degree
that co-editors Sanders and Sexton have raised pertinent questions to interrogate
our states spiritual situation, as well as have offered clear examples of Californian
theological reflection, they have succeeded admirably. Theology and California is
an excellent launching point for further theological work about California and the
diversity of Californian experiences. It heads us in the right direction by asking the right questions.

Russell M. Jeung, San Francisco State University

Arranged to encourage debate and discussion, their organization of the material
drives their theme from the start with a series of poignant efforts to clarify the
meaning of California as a theological subject, followed by a solid core of empirical
contributions that extend from the historic role of the California missions to
the theological efficacy of Californias persisting surf culture and the theological
implications of Silicon Valleys innovation proclivities. Ending with instructive
speculations by a theologian, sociologist and historian on the books overriding
motifs, Theology and California squarely puts its concerns on the academic and
cultural map.

Josef Chytry, University of California, Berkeley and California College of the Arts, USA

Theological Refractions on Californias Culture

Edited by

FRED SANDERS
Biola University, California, USA

JASON S. SEXTON
California State University, Fullerton, USA

ASHGATE

Fred Sanders and Jason S. Sexton 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.

Fred Sanders and Jason S. Sexton have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the editors of this work.

Published by
Ashgate Publishing Limited
Wey Court East
Union Road
Farnham
Surrey, GU9 7PT
England

Ashgate Publishing Company
110 Cherry Street
Suite 3-1
Burlington, VT 05401-3818
USA

www.ashgate.com

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:
Theology and California : theological refractions on Californias culture / edited by Fred Sanders and Jason S. Sexton.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4724-0946-1 (hardcover : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-4724-0947-8 (pbk. : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-4724-0948-5 (ebook) -- ISBN 978-1-4724-0949-2 (epub) 1. Christianity and culture--California. 2. Theology--California. 3. California--Civilization--21st century. I. Sanders, Fred (Fred R.), editor.

BR115.C8T4735 2014

261.09794--dc23

2014006021

ISBN: 978-1-4724-0946-1 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-4724-0947-8 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-4724-0948-5 (ebk-PDF)
ISBN 978-1-4724-0949-2 (ebk-ePUB)

To

Joseph T. (193299) and Barbara Ann Sexton

Gary D. and Lynn Sexton

Paul J. and Wendy K. Dixon

who came out to work, have better lives, and found strange things in this

extraordinary place.

To my parents

Fred E. Sanders (194098) and Carol Lee Hedrick

who came out West, looked around for about 15 years, and went back home.

Jason S. Sexton

Richard J. Mouw

Fred Sanders

Jason S. Sexton

Allen Yeh

Monica Ganas

Matthew S. Farlow

Robert S. Covolo

Bruce Baker

Paul Louis Metzger

Fred Sanders

Richard Flory

Richard Pointer

Bruce Baker is Assistant Professor of Business Ethics at Seattle Pacific Universitys School of Business and Economics. Growing up in Los Angeles, he earned the BS in Physics from California Institute of Technology, and the MBA from Stanford. His research explores the intersection of the modern moral imaginary with todays business-driven culture. He was for many years in business management and scientific innovation: he co-founded Four Pi Systems Corporation in 1986; earned five patents for his inventions in X-ray physics, computer software, and machine vision; and was a general manager at Microsoft before earning the PhD in theology from the University of St Andrews.

Brian Brock has degrees in Medical Ethics (Loma Linda University), Christian Ethics (Kings College, London) and Theology (Oxford University) and is Reader in Moral and Practical Theology at the University of Aberdeen. He is an advisor to the TECC Project and author of Singing the Ethos of God: On the Place of Christian Ethics in Scripture (Eerdmans, 2007) and Christian Ethics in a Technological Age (Eerdmans, 2010), and editor of Theology, Disability and the New Genetics: Why Science Needs the Church (T&T Clark, 2007) and Disability in the Christian Tradition: A Reader (Eerdmans, 2012), both with John Swinton.

Robert S. Covolo is a surfer, native Californian and dual doctoral candidate in Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, exploring the relationship between theology and the emerging discipline of fashion theory. He has contributed to a number of scholarly publications including Cultural Encounters, European Journal of Theology, Journal of Reformed Theology and The International Journal of Public Theology.

Matthew S. Farlow holds the BA from University of California, Davis in English and History, holds a California Professional Teaching Credential, and a PhD from the University of St Andrews. He has served as lecturer in Ethics at the University of St Andrews, and has taught adjunct at William Jessup University in Rocklin, California, while serving on pastoral staff at a megachurch in Folsom. He has recently become Associate Pastor of Grace Church of Mahomet (Illinois) where he serves as chaplain for the University of Illinois wrestling team.