In the previous two blogs, I cleared the way for defining theology by first explaining what is not and then emphasizing the importance of location. These entries serve as a necessary preamble to the definition provided at the end of the second. In this blog, I will break down this definition to further flesh out what it means. By doing so, I intend to establish some markers of what I think is the key task of public theology for our time.
Let me begin by re-stating the definition:
Public theology is prayerful reflection flowing out of love of God for the world as a way to instill hope and longing for the good planet.
Public Theology
Why add a qualifier to theology? As I demonstrated in the previous blog, the context from which theology emerges is crucial. It will define the audience, concerns and scope of the task. In this case, by calling “public”, it becomes clear that this is speaking beyond the institutional church and even beyond the Christian community. It means that its language must transcend traditional Christian symbols or at least make an attempt to translate them to a common language.
Furthermore, it aims to enhance the common good. In that way, it cannot be sectarian or simply exist to support or strengthen the church’s institutional influence in society. If it extends the Christian church influence as a byproduct, then that is a bonus. It cannot be, however, its primary goal. Yet, it must assume that by working towards the common good, most will benefit, including the Christian community.
Consequently, it should communicate through humble persuasion as one voice in a larger dialogue. The humility means that it must be willing to listen and learn from others believing that God often speaks through those outside the Christian community. That humility should not diminish its desire to persuade. If it is to speak in the public square, the theologian must believe that what they say is worth listening and even following. That is, it must not be void of conviction, but instead should seek to invite others into a new understanding.
Prayerful
Prayer is not a monologue or just speaking to an “imaginary friend”. It is, at its essence, a communal act. While one can pray alone in a room, when the individual prays, they are never alone but are supported by others through a human chain that connects them through time and geography. Beyond that, prayer is about accessing deeper sentiments in silence. It is about a turn inwards and a letting go of thoughts and rationality. It is an invitation to operate below consciousness.
Yet, prayer is not always about quiet reverence. It can also be about pleading loudly with others in lament, protest or even desperation. Many in the North are not accustomed to this type of disruptive prayer yet our brothers and sisters in the South practice that daily. For them, it is simply a way of life.
Moreover, prayer, within the Christian tradition, entails believing in a personal God that is invested in the fate of this world but also transcends it. It is trusting in a God that both suffers with but also rescues his creation. Because of that, prayer also invites us to both suffer with and take action on behalf of the poor, oppressed and the lost. When we act like the God we pray to, we also pray.
Reflection
To develop theology, one must take this prayerful life and engage it in reflection. In age where information flickers in front of us at light speed, reflection is about slowing down and thinking deeply. It is about pondering on intractable questions that plague the community. While it includes personal reflection, it transcends the individual and tends to be others-oriented. Even as we consider our own struggles we do so in the hope that our reflection may help others who are facing similar struggles.
This process of prayerful reflection cannot stay in one’s individual interiority but must flow out through writing, speaking or artistic expression. The reflection is not complete until sincerely and effectively communicated to others in the public commons. The communicator lives in the tension of urgency and limited understanding. There is a constant sense of unfinished task in crafting the message along with a persistent call to speak out. They communicate as they gain clarity and as events call for responses.
Flowing out of Love of God
The animus of the prayerful reflection described above must be love. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, all the work we do without love would be meaningless. Because the word love in English lost its meaning through multiple applications, it is important first to define what it is. Here we borrow the Greek term agape, often translated as charity. Charity is a self-less love that puts other’s benefit before our own. It is actually a higher goal than loving one like oneself. I also believe we humans cannot do this exclusively even as we strive for it continuously. It is, therefore, a transhuman type of love.
Hence why in the definition I speak of “love of God,” using the multiple meanings of the preposition “of” in that sentence. First, it is a love that emanates from God, from a Being that is beyond human limitations. Second, it is love directed to God as a response to God’s love to us humans. It is God loving God in and through us. Just sit and ponder on that. It does not make sense at face value forcing us to go deeper than a logical understanding.
Another point I want to make is that how we do theology matters. We must be often vigilant of our motivations and passions animating our action. This does not mean we must “feel” love every time we do theology only that we often remember why we do what we do. Losing sight of motivations that do not flow out of love is often where we get lost. The how and the what are important in this activity.
Conclusion
Let me end here for part 1. So far, I have reviewed how public theology is prayerful reflection flowing out of love of God. There is so much more that could be said but the paragraphs above act as a starting point to this definition. In the next blog, I’ll go over the remaining parts, summing up a complete sketch of a vision for a non-clerical, Christian, earthly-grounded theology for our time.
