Public theology seeks to incorporate a secular approach to religious studies in order to seek truth through religion and scientific discovery, and to benefit society as a whole. It is influenced by Jürgen Habermas’s ideas on critical social theory and aims to counter the rise of fundamentalist Christianity. Proponents analyze modern society and focus on community-oriented actions. The discipline arose as a way to keep the Christian movement moving through a period of Enlightenment.
Public theology is a fairly infantile field of study that is primarily concerned with how religious studies can incorporate a more secular approach to reasonable inquiry. Rather than focusing on proselytizing, this discipline urges an approach that embraces all understanding learned in an attempt to seek truth through religion and scientific discovery as well as to feed the whole of society and not just the faithful flock. This discipline is largely seen as a mainstream Protestant attempt to counter the rise of evangelical and fundamentalist Christianity.
According to the Center for Public Responsibility, which publishes an online Journal of Public Theology, the field of public theology is largely influenced by the secular and society-focused philosophies of German intellectual Jürgen Habermas. It attempts to merge theological approaches with Habermas’s pragmatic ideas on critical social theory, who argued that the discoveries of the Enlightenment, while largely beneficial to society, also overshadowed many of the institutions people hold dear. However, this reality should not be publicly denounced only by the most radical believers, but by those who have a solid foundation in scientific truth.
Proponents of public theology orient themselves in a postmodern way. This means attempting to analyze modern society and discover the ways in which understanding the Enlightenment has changed ordinary human life. Christian supporters of this religious camp criticize the conditions of society in overt and scientifically relevant terms, in an attempt to wrest the reins from more fundamentalist hands. The alternative, according to followers of public theology, is to be judged as a whole for the more tangential beliefs of the religious right and governed only by secular laws created by politicians.
A main focus of this field is the takeover of religious institutions, in terms of social influence, by so-called Enlightenment institutions, such as political organizations and economic entities. It is an attempt to use a scientific basis and a more interpretive approach to the Protestant faith. To most effectively achieve this goal, many advocates advocate the amalgamation of many Protestant sects, such as the Presbyterian, Episcopalian, and Methodist churches, to counteract the slowly dwindling congregations in each and to form a stronger voice in the debate about truth and latest understanding.
Beyond the debate, public theologians attempt to focus their religious studies and actions in community-oriented ways. In this way, they can better position the faith by making it as relevant to society as possible. Some believe the discipline arose, at Habermas’ urging, as a way to keep the Christian movement moving through a period of Enlightenment that continues to amaze and anesthetize.
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