Theology of the New Testament, by Rudolf Bultmann

I finished reading volume one of this book, which I mentioned being in the middle of a few weeks ago. It was quite hard work, but enjoyable and illuminating. I definitely feel as though I have a better understanding of what Paul thought (or at least what Bultmann thought Paul thought, but I did find most of his arguments fairly convincing, if not quite as convincing as he clearly did). I also feel as though it has helped my understanding of what is actually true about God to progress a little further and deeper.

Frustratingly though, I am struggling to articulate what this deeper understanding entails in a way that would allow me to convey it to someone else. Every time I try to put it into words it seems to sound either facile and obvious, or self-contradictory. I guess that a big part of that is that a lot of theology seems to be about figuring out how things that appear contradictory on the surface can be reconciled, and that exactly what makes it click is going to vary from person to person.

I am now reading Soul Friend - Spiritual Direction in the Modern World, by Kenneth Leech, and he spends a while talking about theology being a part of prayer and vice versa, which feels pertinent to the experience I discuss in the prior paragraph. I do want to come back to volume two of the Bultmann (which covers Johannine theology and the development towards the ancient church) but I think I'm going to some slightly lighter works first.