WENDY SWAN
Canadian by birth, global citizen by choice, I have had the privilege to serve as a Salvation Army officer on four continents in both pastoral and educational contexts. While some may engage with transformational theology at the beginning of their careers, this pastoral theologian is engaged with the academy ‘midstream’ in her service path.
When a person comes to faith, they are redeemed for a divine purpose – not for self gratification, glorification or even preservation but rather for self sacrifice to the Lordship of Christ. We are saved – to serve others. By taking the incarnation seriously and by the Spirit’s empowerment, one is freed to become the hands and feet of Jesus in the crowded places in this world that are often messy and disruptive. This embodiment is both a living protest against humanity’s sinful condition and resultant social evils as well as a living proclamation of the salvation and transformation that comes from a redeemed life in Christ.
When searching for a doctoral program in 2009, I was invited to read Transformation Theology (Davies, Janz & Sedmak) and upon completion, intuitively recognized a potential fruitful partnership was at hand. The development of TT as a new orientation of how Christians critically think about the ‘where’ of the living and exalted Christ in present space and time resonates with my research as I work to provide potentially rich theological language to articulate a theology of act for The Salvation Army, with particular reference to its work of social justice on behalf of and with, the marginalized and outcast of society.
Wendy Swan CV
When a person comes to faith, they are redeemed for a divine purpose – not for self gratification, glorification or even preservation but rather for self sacrifice to the Lordship of Christ. We are saved – to serve others. By taking the incarnation seriously and by the Spirit’s empowerment, one is freed to become the hands and feet of Jesus in the crowded places in this world that are often messy and disruptive. This embodiment is both a living protest against humanity’s sinful condition and resultant social evils as well as a living proclamation of the salvation and transformation that comes from a redeemed life in Christ.
When searching for a doctoral program in 2009, I was invited to read Transformation Theology (Davies, Janz & Sedmak) and upon completion, intuitively recognized a potential fruitful partnership was at hand. The development of TT as a new orientation of how Christians critically think about the ‘where’ of the living and exalted Christ in present space and time resonates with my research as I work to provide potentially rich theological language to articulate a theology of act for The Salvation Army, with particular reference to its work of social justice on behalf of and with, the marginalized and outcast of society.
Wendy Swan CV