Political Theology

1. The joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the people of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts. Gaudium et Spes 1, 1965 Political Theology Metz Moltmann Liberation Theology Boffs Gutierrez

2. Analysis of Culture Engaging the Tradition Praxis Tools of Social Sciences Habermas Marx Liberation Hermeneutic Context Domination Issues Questions

3. Analysis of Culture Engaging Biblical story Praxis Tools of Feminist Studies Gender Power Difference Herm. Of Suspicion Women Theorists Herm. Of Reclamation Feminist Hermeneutic New Theology New Spirituality Context Women's Issues Transformation Questions Experience

4. Analysis of Culture Engaging the Tradition Praxis Ecological Sciences Voice Interconnectedness Worth Herm. Of Suspicion Environmentalists Herm. Of Reclamation Ecological Hermeneutic New Theology New Spirituality Context Earth's Issues Transformation Questions Oppression

5. Analysis of Culture/Context Engaging the Tradition Praxis *Hybridity * Diaspora * Native *Sources/Resources * Critical Tools Contextual/Postcolonial Hermeneutics Context Postcolonial Colonial Gendered Indigenous

6. Is it possible that theology may have a modest butconstructive and questioning contribution to makeboth to the theoretical discussions which undergirdpolicy and to policy-making itself? Forrester, 1997, 31 What does theology have to contribute to the de-christianising of society: post-christian/religiously plural/secular state in a globalised world? Public Theology

7. Public Spirit: God and Society Professor William Storrar New College - University of Edinburgh [Director of Centre for Theology and Public Issues]

8. Setting the Context: • Political Prisoners - Who? • Emancipatory Theologies of second half of 20th century • 21st century - new challenge - Connection between citizenship & discipleship

9. Task: To map the 2 spaces: Citizenship Discipleship

10. Theorist - Habermas Government Market Economy Public Sphere Civil Society Life World [Citizens] Co-habitants

11. Gary Simpson’s Categories: 1. Sectarian - Christian movements in the public sphere - conflictual/aonistic model 2. Liberal - Religion does not belong in the public sphere 3. Communicative - Thick moral traditions have their place - articulated in a way which recognises that others are listening. Respectful and open dialogue.

12. Theorist - Habermas Government Market Economy Public Sphere Civil Society Life World [Citizens] Co-habitants Communicative Agonistic Liberal

13. Citizenship: 1. Legal and Political status - rights and duties [Exclusive and contested status] 2. Centuries of Struggle toward: civil citzenship, political citizenship and social citizenship 3. Contested and contingent nature---> a practice 4. Citizenship and sense of identity can be in conflict and tension - multiple and hyphenated identities 5. Citizenship always includes the excluded other, the co-habitant

14. PoliticalGlobalisation Communications Globalisation Economic Globalisation Government Market Economy [rights & duties] Public Sphere [practice of citizenship] Trade UnionsChurchesOrganisationsFriendships Civil Society Life World [Citizens] Civic Globalisation Co-habitants [with multiple identities] Communicative Agonistic Liberal Ecological/Environmental Globalisation

15. Discipleship? PoliticalGlobalisation Communications Globalisation Economic Globalisation Government Market Economy [rights & duties] Public Sphere [practice of citizenship] Trade UnionsChurchesOrganisationsFriendships Civil Society Life World [Citizens] Civic Globalisation Co-habitants [with multiple identities] Communicative Agonistic Liberal Ecological/Environmental Globalisation

16. Discipleship? * Pentecost Story - wait for Spirit, speak in tongues, heard in own language - bilingual * Model/s of discipleship in public sphere: - resident alien - Hauerwas - neighbourhood saint - Storrar * Binary identities and bilinguals - co-habiting citizens and neighbourhood saints - how? - middle axioms? Contextualize in the local.

17. Government Market Economy Public Sphere Civil Society Life World [Citizens] Co-habitants Communicative Agonistic Liberal

18. Some strengths and weaknesses? • Strengths: • Public theology in the academy can address the poor theology represented in church and society. • May help raise the tone or style of debate in the public sphere if theoretical and ‘apologetic’ done well • Can keep the church from talking to itself • Potential to be proactive rather than reactive. Prepared to be there in a sustained way • Restoration of role of theology - right to be there: in relation to economy and political - common good [include marginal] • New but not new. Doing it in a different context. Refocussing reclaiming of place of religion in society • Developing new communcative strategies. • Interdisciplinarity. Requires humility. No one discipline.

19. Assumes a particular understanding of theology • Language of challenge and respect - society and christian community • Assumption - moving away from dualism of 2-world. Holistic • Is citizenship and discipleship dualistic or holistic? - 2 interconnected • Multidimensionality - who do we engage with? Why? Do own work as well as public theology. Engagement and dis-engagement • Definition of ‘public’ or publics. Is it only the domain of the academy? How to access the voices of the ‘excluded others’? • Must move to praxis • Nothing beyond our/God’s concern - need to listen much more than • speaking. • Need to listen within the christian communities as well as outside • Intentionally bringing theology into the public debate - distinct public partner without lapsing into other discourses

20. Weaknesses: • Use of the term ‘excluded other’ • Theology being done from point of power. Danger of tokenism • What is the nature of the ‘spirituality’ that will undergird or motivate public theology - realist/non-realist? Is it Christian? • Might it dissolve theology into socio-political agenda? • Label problematic - a strategy, an agenda, an intentional communicative strategy. • Languaging - who defines ‘public’. How is the language being accessible to the public. • Place where public theology is located - variety of places? • Different arenas. Formulation of a language in the political arena. • Challenge - need to undertake the political engagement in the ongoing conversation. Engagement with the various disciplines. • Challenge - care with which we do this. What do we expect our role to be in the public arena?

21. This is demanding - interdisciplinary, listening and long-term • Conflict of interest - theologian/academy - PBRF, compliance ethical responsibility to represent Christian theology • Critical conscience of the society, serving the public etc. • Compliance and its challenge - how are we participating? Do we teach our students that? Taking a stand is difficult? • Two-sided aspect of both strengths and weaknesses

22. What are some of the implications of the rise of Public Theology for Aotearoa New Zealand/for doing theology in New Zealand? • Public Sphere? • If it is not done in a systematic way it will be done in a reactive way • Places where it is happening: Social and Parliamentary Unit Disciplined Conversation. Where are some of the models? • Don’t assume it is not being done • Need to be done at a variety of levels - public theologies • Importance of the interfacing with the local context - local church communities learning to do the theology in NZ rather than done by academy and specialist units • Communication demands - academy, networking with theologians with congregations, public policy makers etc.

23. How to keep citizenship and discipleship as central for the churches of NZ? Keeps in the arena. • Working at a variety of levels and variety of languages • NZ churches- common language but different dialects! How to do that? • One of cares - agreed base [who works at it and where?] - Is it a challenge to NZATS? • Concerns come from individuals - who initiates what and how? - indiv? Passion and priority? • What is it about NZ context that makes public theologising from other contexts: people, history, identity, land, treaty etc. Migrant/OE • Networks. With whom? How? At parish level, who is interested? • Parish/theological networks • “Glocalisation?” • Identity and theology - an important coming together in public theology • Importance of voice, of speaking, of saying where they come from….

24. Theological Colleges? • Partnership between theological colleges and the public • Academies trapped by the bureaucracy • Consciously need to train theologians and others so that it impacts back into the churches • Where is the engagement? Who is the public? • Implications for theological training - to think in terms of public theology. How will we relate to ‘this’ community? • Not just ways of thinking but ways of being • This is more than just a course. It is an approach. • Using the language of mission - part of mission is to the/in the world. Context of discipleship is the world. • Public theology not just another subject to be studied!!