Szabó Árpád (szerk.): Isten és ember szolgálatában. Erdő János emlékezete (Kolozsvár, 2007)
John A. Buehrens: A House for Hope. Liberal Theology and the Challenges of the 21st Century
John A. Buehrens A House for Hope* Liberal Theology and the Challenges of the 21st Century All theological reflection is contextual. That is, it reflects its time, place and social circumstance. Each of us represents a people who dwell in a theological house reflecting a particular history and cultural heritage. The first time that the ICUU sponsored a theological symposium, the presentations focused on describing the historical and architectural differences between our various theological houses. Today my goal is to promote dialogue about the international theological house that we all occupy together. Dialogue as Method, or, Why the Stork Stands on One Leg Authentic dialogue is rarely easy; much of the time we„mis-meet,” said Buber. We talk past each other. Authentic dialogue, where I and Thou are truly open to one another, able to be transformed by the encounter, must be grounded. But it is like walking a narrow ridge, in his memorable metaphor. On the one hand lies the danger of remaining only in the lowlands of our own experience, our own subjectivity; while on the lies the abyss that opens up whenever we pretend to a premature objectivity. In my book, Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals, I’ve argued that progressive Biblical interpretation must similarly balance historical truth about Biblical origins with a literary approach focused on human equality and liberation, and thus challenge the perpetuation of oppressive readings. But I digress already. When dialogue is cross-cultural or inter-religious, it’s often even more difficult. I'm reminded of an amusing incident during a visit to Japan some years ago. My hosts were leaders of the Rissho Kosei-kai, important partners with the UUA in promoting international, interfaith cooperation for
