Theological Method

The course introduces the students to the ways in which contemporary theologians have appropriated different themes (such as inculturation and liberation) or streams of thought (like reflective philosophy or critical theory) in their own theological work. This introduction is meant to pave the way for the process of theological reflection on a particular question which the students will undertake in smaller groups. Theology has often been limited to the study of biblical and magisterial texts with minimal regard for context. The course demonstrates (a) that all theological accounts are integrally shaped by their contexts, and (b) how recent theologies deliberately employ context or aspects of it in doing theology. Using theological work from Asia as primary examples, it proposes that the link between theology and context makes doing theology open to other disciplines and oriented to pastoral practice. Thus students will learn how to read various theologies with a critical sense of its context and to locate theological efforts within the life of the Church.