Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Christianity
Why should Christian theology be contextual? Explore this by referring to four important issues such as culture, liberation theology, feminist theology, and queer theology.
Christian theology should be contextual because religious expression is dependent on culture. Historical and cultural context have continually impacted the development of Christian theology. Biblical allegories and the gospels are contextual in that they refer to the life and times of Christ, with additional references to Hebraic culture and values. Paul's subsequent neoplatonic stamp on Christianity likewise must be appreciated within its cultural and historical context. The artifice of papal doctrine is in the preposterous assumption that Christian theology is somehow absolute. In fact, theology shifts according to the semiotics of culture and the language used to cloak the Christian vision in terms understandable to the audience.
Christian theology has essential, core elements, which do not lend themselves to contextualization. For example, fundamental issues like monotheism and concepts of salvation and grace remain central to Christian worldview regardless of historical epoch or culture. However, Christian theology is both malleable and meaningful in a variety of contexts. The majority of growth within the religion currently takes place outside of the European continent. The prevailing assumption that Christianity is immutably rooted in Church doctrine is understandable given that centuries of gestation in Europe has formed and shaped Christian theology into a uniquely European product. However, the presence of the Eastern traditions in...
One of the central challenges now for Christian theologians is recognizing the power and strength inherent in non-European Christian theology.
Liberation theology has provided some of the most meaningful methods by which Christian theology can be viewed in fresh contexts. By incorporating political ideals into Christian doctrine, liberation theology has a clear social and political context every bit as meaningful and accurate as the papacy. Solidarity with the poor, which is a core component of liberation theology, returns Christianity to its Biblical roots. As Boff & Boff (2004) point out, the key themes of liberation theology are grounded in scripture and yet cannot be distinguished from the socio-cultural context in which they arose. For example, stories of oppression abound in the Old Testament. These same stories bear parallels in the realities of post-colonial South America. The spiritual liberation promised in Christ is therefore directly pertinent to the daily lives of South American believers. "The kingdom is God's project in history and eternity. Jesus Christ, second person of the blessed trinity, incarnated in our misery, revealed the divine plan that is to be realized through the course of history," (Boff & Boff, 2004, p. 52). Thus, historical context is direct and implicit in Christian theology.
Feminist theology also offers clues to the ways Christian theology must necessarily be contextual. Unlike liberation theology, feminist theology often asks for a re-vision of the Christian gospel. The gospel itself is to be taken as a historical artifact that…
References
Althaus-Reid, M., 2005. From the Goddess to Queer Theology: the state we are in now. Feminist Theology 13(2): 265-272.
Boff, L. & Boff, C., 2004. Introducing Liberation Theology. Translated by P. Burns. New York: Maryknoll.
Cheng, P.S. 2011. Radical Love: An Introduction to Queer Theology. New York: Seabury/Church.
"Liberation Theology." [Online]. Accessed: http://www.globalchristians.org/politics/2/Liberation%20Theology.pdf
Theology Carlo, I.A. "Toward An Evangelical Global Theology Amidst World Christianity." Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Bakke Graduate University, Seattle, WA, 2009. Once the reader moves beyond the messy, shallow writing in Carlo's "Toward An Evangelical Global Theology Amidst World Christianity," a few gems of research emerge. The problem is how hard it is to find those specks of value in this terribly written doctoral dissertation. The muddled and oblique writing aside, there is
Liberation theology is critical reflection on praxis and uses the Exodus biblical experience as a springboard for dealing with questions raised by the poor and the oppressed Liberation theology has been described as the "decolonization of Christianity," (Bediako, 1995, p. 76). For one, the decolonization process involves the empowerment of previously oppressed people and the renewal of social and cultural pride. Second, liberation theology liberates Christianity from a European sphere of
Liberation Theology as an Analytical Reflection on Praxis, and Where Theology and Humankind Embrace One among the most important Christian theological developments within the past 100 years is liberation theology. The doctrine's advocates regard it as a novel means to 'do theology', rather than a subfield of theology. The method aims to view the universe with regard to being involved with disadvantaged and subjugated individuals. It also endeavors to discover, within
Pastoral Theology: Context And Crisis According to Bevans (2002:4), theology has three sources -- "scripture, tradition and context." What this means is that there are the sacred writings (in Christianity, scripture refers to the Old and New Testaments), the traditions that the religious communities have hallowed over time, and then there is the cultural or regional or social significance -- that which makes the religious community and its theology unique. In today's
Race is there, it's a constant. You're tired of hearing about it? Imagine living with it as a constant." Jon Stewart concludes his deft analysis of the Ferguson shooting and its implications for race relations in America. Addressed to a primarily white, liberal audience, Stewart's comments raise poignant questions. One of those questions is raised by racialized police shootings like the one in Ferguson. As Seitz puts it, "different rules
Soul: Why Only Christian Psychologists Can Practice "True Psychology" Today, there are more than one hundred thousand licensed psychologists practicing in the United States. These mental health professionals are in a unique position to provide individuals, groups, and American society with valuable counseling services for a wide range of mental health issues and mental disorders. This study uses a triangulated research approach to demonstrate that true psychology can be done