Telling the Story. But How?

Abstract

AbstractJames C. Livingston (1930–2011) was a longtime participant in the Nineteenth Century Theology Group of the American Academy of Religion and author and editor of numerous books includingDividing history into centuries remains arbitrary. Therefore the boundaries must remain fluid. Both to names and movements to be included in the narrative, they must have made some impact beyond their own denominational and/or geographical boundaries. While the marginalized should not be forgotten, intellectual honesty requires to note that the nineteenth century allowed little or no space for them. The same is true with the global scene. The purpose of writing history of the nineteenth century should be to remind us that without being rooted in the past, we have little grounding in the present. We are simply adrift on the waves of the present. Moreover, our own theology would hang suspended in midair without regard to its inception and development.