What is model theology?
Model Theology
is a method of questioning a person's explanation of a personal religion
or ideology, and setting out its inner logic. It can be used by people
of any religion or no religion. But it should be done with respect and
sympathy. If the analysis is successful the other person will accept the
resulting explanation and be able to say "Yes, you have expressed exactly
the vision which I have in mind." When we construct
or offer a model by way of explanation we do not assume we have arrived
at a final conclusion. And a model is never a proof that such and such
a person's faith, way of life, morality, or goal is exactly like that.
What we say is "Let's try looking at it this way." Which leaves our tentative
model open to dialogue, correction, or replacement by a better model. In
addition to clarifying with sympathy the faith commitment of another person,
Model Theology is used to set out variants of our own model, which in our
case is Trinitarian Theism. The method is set out in
God
of Many Names. In Go
Make Learners we use Model Theology to set out an alternative explanation
of the meaning and purpose of Christian Baptism.
Advent- Coming of the
lord of many nations gives an alternative to other
models of the
Second Coming.
The book on Creative Love sets
out an explanatory model of God's creative activity. In
Word
Thoughts we are interested in the history and explanations of many
different kinds of religion and ideology, and in each case try to see how
they relate to our own Christian vision.
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