Stroup, George W. 1944-

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Stroup, George W. 1944-

PERSONAL:

Born August 12, 1944; married; wife's name Donna (a mathematical statistician); children: Lucille Elizabeth, Andrew Wells. Education: Rice University, B.A., 1966; Yale University, B.D., 1969, S.T.M., 1970; Vanderbilt University, M.A., 1972, Ph.D., 1973.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Columbia Theological Seminary, 701 Columbia Dr., P.O. Box 520, Decatur, GA 20031-0520; fax: 404-377-9696. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer, theologian, and educator. University of the South, Sewanee, TN, assistant professor of religion, 1973-74; Princeton Theology Seminary, Princeton, NJ, assistant professor, 1974-80; Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Austin, TX, associate professor of theology, 1980-86; Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA, J.B. Green Professor of Theology, 1986—. Ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament, 1973. Member of Cherokee Presbytery.

WRITINGS:

The Promise of Narrative Theology: Recovering the Gospel in the Church, John Knox Press (Atlanta, GA), 1981.

Jesus Christ for Today, Westminster Press (Philadelphia, PA), 1982.

Reformed Reader: A Sourcebook in Christian Theology, edited by William Stacy Johnson and John M. Leith, Westminster John Knox Press (Louisville, KY), 1993.

(Editor, with Walter Brueggemann) Many Voices, One God: Being Faithful in a Pluralistic World: In Honor of Shirley Guthrie, Westminster John Knox Press (Louisville, KY), 1998.

Before God, Eerdmans (Grand Rapids, MI), 2004.

Contributor to books, including Handbook of Themes for Preaching, edited by James W. Cox, Westminster John Knox Press (Louisville, KY), 1991; Christian Theology: An Introduction to Its Traditions and Tasks, edited by Peter C. Hodgson and Robert H. King, Fortress Press (Philadelphia, PA), 1982; A New Handbook of Christian Theology, edited by Donald W. Musser and Joseph L. Price, Abington Press (Nashville, TN), 1992; and Biblical Theology: Problems and Perspectives, edited by Steven J. Kraftchick, Charles D. Myers, Jr., and Ben C. Ollenburger, Abingdon Press (Nashville, TN), 1995.

Contributor to periodicals and journals, including Interpretation, Journal for Preachers, Mission, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary Bulletin, Presbyterian Outlook, Homiletic, Theology Today, and Reformed Liturgy and Music. "Columbia Series in Reformed Theology," Westminster John Knox Press, member of editorial board.

SIDELIGHTS:

Writer, theologian, and educator George W. Stroup is the J.B. Green Professor of Theology at Columbia Theological Seminary. He conducts research in areas such as constructive theology, hermeneutics, and the role of narrative in theology, noted a biographer on the Columbia Theological Seminary Web site. Stroup is also an ordained Presbyterian Minister of Word and Sacrament.

In the book Before God, Stroup "laments that Christian life has become indistinguishable from other forms of life in the United States," observed Gregory Anderson Love in Interpretation. Stroup believes that ordinary Americans have forgotten what is meant by living their lives "before God," infusing all of their thoughts, activities, and aspirations with the knowledge that what they do is seen and appreciated by God, and done within his constant presence. It is the role of human beings to live before God, Stroup states. Yet even if humans commit sin or turn away from God, or turn elsewhere, such as within themselves, God still approaches us and offers his grace, Stroup says, for which our proper response should be a life lived in gratitude to God for this grace. Stroup "calls for a return to practices that would emphasize doxology and gratitude, foundational aspects of life before God," commented Library Journal reviewer Sheila B. Peiffer. In his book Stroup "provides a clear and easy-to-grasp description of human sin, divine grace, and a life of gratitude," Love remarked.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Christian Century, November 17, 1982, William C. Salzmann, review of The Promise of Narrative Theology: Recovering the Gospel in the Church, p. 1178.

Interpretation, July, 2006, Gregory Anderson Love, review of Before God, p. 350.

Library Journal, June 1, 2004, Sheila B. Peiffer, review of Before God, p. 146.

Theology Today, April, 2006, Sarah Heaner Lancaster, review of Before God, p. 125.