Wisdom

Paul's exercises of care for a commercialized Corinth

pp. 45-68

in: , Exercises in new creation from Paul to Kierkegaard, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018

Abstract

This chapter unfolds an account of wisdom that is tied up in exercises and engaged with critiquing and transforming the social fabric. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians is framed in terms of the ancient philosophical practices of the care of the self and the city—in which pedagogy is seen not just as informative but as curative. This account of wisdom positions philosophical theology to be more directly engaged in issues of everyday conduct and the transformation of social norms. This approach holds promise for contemporary problems—especially the ecological crisis—where educational models of informing the ignorant often fail in yielding transformed lives and communities.