Connected at the Roots: A Preface to Practical Theology in Bloomington, MN

Written for beginning seminary students, this interdisciplinary study argues that recent advances in the social and cognitive sciences demonstrate that knowing involves not only our physical bodies but also our tools, our communities, and our social institutions. As important as these discoveries are for understanding general cognition, they are even more important for understanding the nature of faith. The Bible is rich with metaphors that emphasize the living church as a source of wisdom and spiritual depth. We always need other Christians if our faith is to be both rich and deep. We are like groves of aspen trees—individual trees that are connected at the roots.