Public Theology as Cultural Witness: Christological Contours for “Times That Are A’Changin’”
Churches in Europe are being faced with a transformation that can be described as a seismic shift. In order to face the challenge of cultural witness in this context, this contribution proposes a Christologically contoured public theology. This will be spelt out in four consecutive steps. After a br...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Religions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/4/485 |
| _version_ | 1797603674173734912 |
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| author | Christine Schliesser |
| author_facet | Christine Schliesser |
| author_sort | Christine Schliesser |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Churches in Europe are being faced with a transformation that can be described as a seismic shift. In order to face the challenge of cultural witness in this context, this contribution proposes a Christologically contoured public theology. This will be spelt out in four consecutive steps. After a brief introduction on the paradigm of public theology, the second part tackles the question of addressees. Is the witness of public theology directed at the church or at the world? Making use of the insights of German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, this contribution argues for going beyond the binary and understanding the one Christ-reality as the frame of reference for public theology and cultural witness. The third part seeks to uncover the transformative power of Christology for public witness by making use of the traditional dogmatic figure of the <i>munus triplex</i> for the task of witnessing to the “public Christ” (Michael Welker). In the final part, three theses sketch out the implications of public witness in “times that are a-changin’.” (1) Public witness needs religious literacy and bilinguality. (2) For public witness, diaspora existence and missional existence are sisters. (3) Public witness is ecumenical, practical, and spiritual. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:35:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cf68c4e4a8dd4472af298a2d4e9e184d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:35:19Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-cf68c4e4a8dd4472af298a2d4e9e184d2023-11-17T21:08:56ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442023-04-0114448510.3390/rel14040485Public Theology as Cultural Witness: Christological Contours for “Times That Are A’Changin’”Christine Schliesser0Center for Faith & Society, Fribourg University, 1700 Fribourg, SwitzerlandChurches in Europe are being faced with a transformation that can be described as a seismic shift. In order to face the challenge of cultural witness in this context, this contribution proposes a Christologically contoured public theology. This will be spelt out in four consecutive steps. After a brief introduction on the paradigm of public theology, the second part tackles the question of addressees. Is the witness of public theology directed at the church or at the world? Making use of the insights of German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, this contribution argues for going beyond the binary and understanding the one Christ-reality as the frame of reference for public theology and cultural witness. The third part seeks to uncover the transformative power of Christology for public witness by making use of the traditional dogmatic figure of the <i>munus triplex</i> for the task of witnessing to the “public Christ” (Michael Welker). In the final part, three theses sketch out the implications of public witness in “times that are a-changin’.” (1) Public witness needs religious literacy and bilinguality. (2) For public witness, diaspora existence and missional existence are sisters. (3) Public witness is ecumenical, practical, and spiritual.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/4/485public theologycultural witnessreligionchurchsecularizationreligious literacy |
| spellingShingle | Christine Schliesser Public Theology as Cultural Witness: Christological Contours for “Times That Are A’Changin’” Religions public theology cultural witness religion church secularization religious literacy |
| title | Public Theology as Cultural Witness: Christological Contours for “Times That Are A’Changin’” |
| title_full | Public Theology as Cultural Witness: Christological Contours for “Times That Are A’Changin’” |
| title_fullStr | Public Theology as Cultural Witness: Christological Contours for “Times That Are A’Changin’” |
| title_full_unstemmed | Public Theology as Cultural Witness: Christological Contours for “Times That Are A’Changin’” |
| title_short | Public Theology as Cultural Witness: Christological Contours for “Times That Are A’Changin’” |
| title_sort | public theology as cultural witness christological contours for times that are a changin |
| topic | public theology cultural witness religion church secularization religious literacy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/4/485 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christineschliesser publictheologyasculturalwitnesschristologicalcontoursfortimesthatareachangin |