THE CONTEXTUALIZATION OF THEOLOGY

Karl B arth has written about theology as a function o f the church. H e distinguishes between theology as a testimony o f faith and life, as w orship, and as a science3. As a scholarly endeavour theology is distinct from other form s o f scholarship, but not in principle — only in a practical sense — because theology does no t have a basis of knowledge which is Histinct from o ther forms o f science, nor does it have a field of investigation different from o ther fields4. Theology exists because there is grace, which justifies. It exists because there is talk about G od in the church5.


THE CONTEXTUALIZATION OF THEOLOGY H e n k van d e r L a a n *
T he answ er to the question concerning th e possibility, necessity an d legitim ation of a con textu alization o f theology, depends on the answ er to the questio n regarding theology itself.
T he answ er to the questio n " W hat is theology?" is n o t an easy one, because different answ ers, which som etim es exclude each other, can lead to confusion.B arth gives theology a position over against philo so p h y , Which, as philosophy, is n o t C hristian, and if it is C hristian is n o t philosophy any m ore.T here is no philosophical basis for theology, because theology receives its ow n presuppositions from outside the realm o f science, philosophy an d h u m an endeavours, i.e. from G od w ho reveals him self in Jesus C hrist6.
A ugustine, follow ing the R om an a u th o r T erentius V arro , defined theology as " de d ivinitate ratio sive serro" , i.e. a ratio n al discourse o r a ta lk ab o u t divinity7.In this definition a th eoretical an d a n o n -theoretical elem ent are connected w ith each oth er.It is " ra tio " , i.e. theoretical, system atic, scientific know ledge.As a talk it is a practical explanation , which should be believed.T he subject m atter o f inves tig ation is " divin itas" o r divinity.T h e ab ove-m entioned p ositio n s m ake it clear to us th a t the ch aracter an d con ten t o f co n tex tu alization o f theology depends on th e idea o f theology th a t undergirds th e sch o larly activity o f a theolo g ian .Besides, several issues com e to the fore; the term " theology" is used fo r no n -th eo retical an d fo r theoretical activities an d their results.
In We can formulate it in another way, too.Theologizing presupposes a subject who theologizes, a norm according to which one theologizes, the theologizing activity, its field of investigation and its results.As a theoretical reflection it presupposes man who believes, the content of faith, its origin and direction.The subject of faith and of theology is man who stands before the face of God, who believes in God, and subjects himself to God in accepting the Word of G od as it has been documentated in the Old and New Testament as it has been revealed in G od's creation, and as it is incarnate in Jesus Christ.
This should not be understood in an individualistic sense.Man who theologizes stands in a community of scholars, who form a part of the community of believers and who participate in the same God -, world -and life -view, rooted in Jesus Christ, going in the direction of the fulfilment of the Kingdom of G od in the struggle between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Darkness.
Although man's religion, world-and life-view, life of faith and theology form a coherent totality, they are nevertheless distinct from each other.One is not allowed to elevate a theological statement to the status of an article of a confession of faith, or relegate a faithful surrender to G od to the status of a theoretical concept which can be disputed, accepted or rejected in a theoretical way.
Theology does not give faith, or provide the norms for faith.The norms for faith can only be known via Scripture.The activity o f faith itself is a positive answer to the Word of G od in Scripture.It is obedience to the norms given by G od, and finding certainty concerning man's life, the creation in which he lives, the history in which he participates and the future which is promised to him by God.The basis is self-surrender to God.Theology as a theoretical reflection upon the norms of faith, the faith-response of the believing community and the interaction between these two, should be qualified as pistology.There is no " logos" , and no theoretical reflection possible upon the Being o f G od or upon the divinity of God.Only within a pagan framework is theology, as theo-ontology, possible.However this idea should be rejected because it includes the idea o f the rationality of being and the legitimation of theology as a science concerning being as being.
The whole idea o f being is a mythical idea, created by man, who has made reason the sovereign ruler o f the universe.This does not mean that the idea o f being as we find it in the philosohy o f M artin Heidegger and, following him, in the theology of Rudolf Bultmann is a legitimate alternative, because both scholars to a certain extent accept the presuppositions of rationalism.To it they add a higher and more profound level, which is only accessible by participating in it in an existential experience; o f this an existentialistic interpretation gives a preliminary insight via an existentialistic philosophy or theology, which clarifies the predicament of man in his freedom14.The acknowledgment o f these facts makes contextualization even more complex, because it is not only contextualization of Christian theology but also of every non-Christian theology, and a contextualization between theologies in dialogue with a missionary perspective from any possible religious conviction.
It has a religious starting point -because man finds his foundations in the religious surrender to the living G od, or to other Gods.It exists within the fram ework of a world-and life-view which is rooted in man's religion.It finds its expression in the attitude offaith via which man directs himself in certainty to God, or to his own gods.It is guided by the God-given norms for faith rooted in the central com m andm ent o f love, or by man-m ade norms.It is the way in which the theoretical reflection upon the aspect of faith, as a mode of created reality, takes place.Keeping the above-mentioned aspects in mind, come to the following characteristics o f the contextualization of theology, and of contextual theology.
Firstly, it is a tim e-bound human activity with its limitations within the boundaries of the God-given order for creation.It is not a divine activity, nor a participation in divine life, nor a formulatioin of a set of eternal truths.
Secondly, it has a historical character.I take history in its broadest and deepest sense: the development of the covenant o f G od with mankind in the context of the development of the Kingdom of God, which embraces heaven and earth, according to G od's plan for his creation.The turningpoints in this hi tory are Adam's fall into sin, and the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection and elevation of Jesus Christ.Both events are decisive for the whole course of history; also for theology.
O rienting ourselves to the root of our existence, and to G od as the origin of our existence (and of the existence of the cosmos) we can live with the certainty in our hearts that contextualization of theology is possible, because God has previously oriented himself to mankind and to this world.He still penetrates this world with the power of his Word of grace in Jesus Christ.It is im portant to maintain and to stress this reality.After the realities of Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen and Mathausen, and in today's realities of torture, oppression, famine and ABC weapons, life with G od and theology with God is not only a possibility, but also a reality, because God is not the self-concealing G od, or a hidden God.This makes contextual theology also a theology of hope in the context of racial oppression, the poverty of nations and a secular way of life.
Thirdly, contextual theology is characterized by a specific culture or civilization.Theology in the European-American civilization cannot be repeated in the civilizations of Asia, Africa and Southern America.There is a difference in history, social life, religious convictions, political realities and ecclesiastical developments.
Lastly, contextualization of theology always has a communal character, as it develops in a community with ecclesiastical, confessional, economic, social, ethnic and other aspects.

The Context of Theology in History
For practical reasons I want to limit myself to the development of theology in Western civilization.Keeping in mind that theology cannot be identified with Christian theology, we discover that the beginning of theology did not take place in the Christian era, but in the Greek world before Christ.Even the term and the concept are not part of a Christian heritage.They are derived from the Greek philosophical world, which existed in its own context outside the realm of G od's revelation in the Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament.Its content is determined by the intertwining of pagan religions, rational philosophy and political-religious guidance and expectation.It gave birth to a triple concept of theology: the mythological theology of pagan polytheism; the physical theology of the philosophers, who gave a rational doctrine about the nature of the gods-and the political theology of the state, which gave the Greek states -and, later onthe Roman empire -their religious basis.In the context of antagonism between physical or philosophical theology and mythical theology, the idea of theology as a scientific discourse about being as being has been developed.In this sense Aristotle understood theology as the highest branch of philosophy, working according to logical laws and giving scientific evidence about the archê, or principle of all beings.In this sense theology was a divine activity and a part o f the divine life of man.It was rooted in the nature of the perfect, immobile and intellectual being.It was a logos about the being of the divine.This logos is a divine logos and gives man a divine way of life15.This philosophical theology had a redemptive function: to lead man out of the bondage o f the world of the gods -the world of illusion -and out of the uncertainty and anxiety of daily life, in the direction of true human life, which is theoretical life as divine life.It found its expression in educatioin and in the idea o f " encyclopedia" , which had an enormous influence in the world of the educated leaders16.
This idea of theology has been contextualized in the Christian era.On the one hand, it stood in the context of the hellenistic-Roman culture against all forms of mythological thinking and polytheistic belief in the gods of the ancient world.On the other hand, it stood in the context of the biblical message.A transform ation took place.However this transform ation was a synthesis between the gospel and ancient philosophical thinking.Hence, it was a blend of pagan philosophy and Christian belief via the theory of the Logos under Stoic influence, allergorical exegesis under influence o f Philo Alexandrinus, the idea of revelation and universal education by G od and the idea of nature and the supernatural.The basic idea which undergirded these forms of syntesis was the idea that G od had brought himself into a m ultiform context with man, which opened the door for human contextualization both in practical life and in theoretical discourses.The identifi cation of the Stoic idea of the divine Logos with the biblical notion of the Logos (in John 1) led to the conception o f the revelation of the Logos in the history of Greek philosophy.In this way Christians defended the unity of truth between pagan philosophy and biblical revelation17; however, in a critical sense, because not every philosophy or philosophical idea was acceptable.Materialism and skepsis were excluded.With this approach the Apologists tried to create a place for the Christian believer and the Christian faith in the ancient world.
As for the church o f that period, an unacceptable form of contextualization took place, where Christians were absorbed by the gnostic movement with its syncretistic theology, world-view and religion; this movement was based upon a dualistic theology in which the way of salvation was the way of " gnosis" , via which the divine spark of the hum an soul returned to its heavenly dwelling-place in the " plerom a" as the divine reality u nd erth e highest and hidden G od.The person and work of Jesus Christ was understood in the context of gnostic mythology.
Here again we discover the idea of mythical theology.
The Catechetical school of Alexandria stressed the idea of G od as the educator of m ankind1*.This school came to another form of contextualization: G od educated the G reeks via philosophy, the Jews via the Old Testament and the Christians via the whole Bible.
Philosophical reason and scriptural authority were the two sources of truth.Clemens and his school aimed at a theoretical understanding of the content of the Bible with the help of philosophical categories borrowed from the Greeks; to justify this concept he used an allegorical exegesis o f the Bible.In this school the leaders made a distinction between three kinds o f people: the " hylici" , or materialistic people, who accepted mythical theology, the " psychici" , or common believers, w ho accepted the Bible in faith; and the " pneum atici", or theologians, who understood that we have to reason and to justify our faith with the help of reason, so that we achieve gnosis as theoretical insight in the content of revelation19.
From this wc could conclude thát theoretical reflection gives us a deeper insight into G od and his dealings with this world, than does a faithful surrender to the living God; All aristocratic and elitist group should give guidance to the Christian community.The pre-Christian idea that theoretical knowledge makes man truly human gave Christianity a feature which it has almost never lost.
A last and most influential form of contextualization was developed with the basic motive of nature and the supernatural.It found its mature and well balanced formulation in the thought of Thomas Aquinas.In his " Summa Theologica" and his " iim m a contra Gentiles" he investigates the problem of salvation -nd destination.Both aspects, according to Thomas, depend on knowledge of the truth concerning God.We need a holy doctrine based upon revelation.For this reason man has received the light of natural reason which has its climax in philosophy.
The highest branch of philosophy is natural theology.Man has also received the light of divine revelation in Scripture.Supernatural theology investigates the content of Scripture and the doctrine of the church.Both are accepted by faith.The idea of salvation for man determines the idea of revelation and the idea of rational knowledge.Its context is the situation of the whole of mankind.Muslims and pagans who do not have Holy Scripture have the possibility of using the means of natural reason; Jews have the Old Testament and Christians both Old and New Testament.Although natural reason and supernatural faith are distinct from each other, both are coherent and serve the divine purpose o f the salvation of mankind.In the context of " nature and the supernatural" , the church can bring the Gospel of salvation to man20.
The basic motive o f " nature and the supernatural" is not a theoretical one, but a religious motive which embraces the h o n .on of human experience and pervades the whole of life.Its purpose is to create a unity of religious life, world-view and theoretical endeavours tor all who stand in the same faith.It also opens the door for a dialogue with the world outside the church.
However, what in fact happened is the formation of a synthesis between Greek philosophy and the content of Scripture, so that Scripture is interpreted in the light of Greek philosophy and Greek philosophy in the light of Scripture.It gave birth to the problem o f reason and faith, philosophy and supernatural theology.It opened the door for a rationalisation of faith, because G od as Intellect is a rational being, the order for this world is a rational order and Scripture can only be understood in its deepest sense via speculative theology.Because of the relative autonomy and neutrality of the realm of nature and reason it was possible to accept other forms.ofphilosophy besides the Aristotelian philosophy.For this reason Maurice Blondel could give a modern form of apologetics in his philosophy o f action, and Gabriel Marcel, Michael Marlet and others could use a form of existentialistic philosophy as a basis and preparation for Christian faith and Christian theology21.However, during the period o f the Reform ation and afterwards, especially in the 17th century, theology moved out of context.Theologians went back to the old idea of synthesis.Clear examples are Olevianus' commentary on the Catechism of Heidelberg22, M elanchton's Loci Communes23 and Theodoor Beza's theological publications.Also the organization and curricula of theological seminaries and faculties show us the scholastic mind of the theologians in the second half of the 16th and in the 17th century24.This way o f thinking found its ecclesiastical expression in the Canons of D ort and the Westminister Confession, which are in fact not confessions of faith but a mixture f confessional statements and theoretical expositions of a theological-philosophical character25.The result was that theology stood in the context of Platonic-Aristotelian philosophy.With the weapons of Plato and Aristotle, theologians confronted modern Western philosophy.It is well known that Gisbertus Voetius using the philosophy of Aristotle26, tried to prove that Descartes' ideas about soul and body were in conflict with Scripture.Behind this mode of theologizing is hidden a world-view which is in fact unbiblical, because these theologicans thought that they could face the problems o f their age with a theoretical-logical approach, which was conservative, too.They did not see that Scripture is not a theoretical treatise in which the W ord o f G od is framed.Their contextualization distorted the W ord of G od and gave no answer to the religious problems of their age.

The Context of Theology in our Age
Theologizing does not merely take place in the context of theological schools and faculties with their communities o f scholars.Theology does not exist in an esoteric com munity which lives detached from man in society.Theology and theologizing are part and parcel of hum an society.This context is characterized by seveal features.The first one is that of secularization, which, after a period of preparation during the 17th century -in which natural religion rooted in nature and reason come into existence27, via the critique on religion of Kant,Hegel and Feuerbachmanifested itself in the critique o f Karl M arx as a critique of heaven, and a critique of earth2'.
From it has developed, in the 19th and 20th centuries a critique on religion which spread amongst millions of people in all the realms of Western civilization.Its religious roots and its world-view had developed in the course o f several centuries.Philosophers have expressed it in a systematic and all-embracing way.It colours Western science, technology, economics, organizations, politics, art and literature.
It is not a theological problem, which can be solved via theological reflection, but a religious problem and a question of world-view; this needs to be answered in such a way that it is clear that it concerns the roots o f human existence.M an's heart is at stake.Anther aspect of our society is the meeting o f civilizations during the last 1 SO years.It has happened to such an extent that Western society is shaken.Western society became involved in other civilizations, other religions, and other political entities via the process o f colonialisation and imperialism and its subsequent destruction in the 20th century; also in the mission enterprise of churches and missionary societies of private Christians, and further, in international political coherence and interdependence as it is realized in the UNO and its organizations, and the migration of millions of people -especially during the last 3S yearsbringing millions of guest labourers from Africa and Asia to Europe.Isolationism is. an imnossibility.
There has not only been an encounter o f civilizations, but also a meeting of the churches, during our century.
Ecumenical movements of confessional, regional and world-character in and outside the W .C.C. have influenced the attitude of many church people.They have changed confessional and theological convictions, and given the churches a new view of their calling and task in this world.They have also caused changes in the Roman Catholic Church.Australia, as a part o f Western civilization, participates in this development.However its character is influenced by several factors which make this continent different from other continents.I mention just a few.* D estruction of the aboriginal society has taken place, which puts the Aborigines in the position of foreigners in their own country.It gives some (or manvt white Australians a feeling of guilt.* Further, Australian society, both in its Christian and non-Christian aspects, cannot be understood apart from its Anglo-Saxon heritage.This affects the ecclesiastical and theological scene in Roman Catholicism.Anelicanism, Presbyterianism, methodism and Congregationalism.* A third factor is the non-Anglo-Saxon migration after the second World War.
People from European countries with their own culture, language and churchlife came to Australia.They formed their own communities or blended with the Anglo-Saxon community.Eastern orthodox Christianity and theology form a part o f Australia today, although it is limited to ethnic groups.* Lastly, there is the continuation o f Humanistic secularization in a Liberal, Socialistic and Marxist setting.This is the guiding force in today's society.
I want to sketch the contextualization of theology today in a few statements.
A Christian theologian has to take into account that he stands in the context of the 20th century as a human being.His theological existence is only one of the many aspects of his humanness.It includes the context of the communication and confrontation of his own civilization with other civilizations.
As a theologian he stands in the context of a scholarly world with a specific character, and with specific limitations.His activity is characterized by a theoretical approach.Only a scholarly task has been given him by God.This scholarly task is of a specific nature: it is a theological one.This implies that a theologian does not possess the answers to all the questions of life, and that he is not the source of all knowledge and wisdom.Besides, he does not have the calling to justify his taking this position.There are other approaches and answers, tooboth theoretical and non-theoretical; political, socio-economical, ethical, artistic, journalistic and other endeavours.A theologian can only fulfil his task in co operation with others who work in different fields.He has to acknowledge, and to use, the expertise and experience of others, because both theologians and nonthcologians are members of the Body o f Christ -members who have received different gifts.
As a Christian theologian he stands in the context o f the authority of the Word of God recorded in Scripture.In this context he is neither higher qualified nor less rewarded than his fellow Christians, who stand in the same context and under the same authorty.As members of the community which forms the Body of Christ, we are all called out of the darkness of rebellion, unrighteousness, slavery o f sin, and corruptness of mind to the freedom o f the children o f G od in Christ.O ur common pu rpose is to serve God with o u r whole heart, and to express love to our fellowman in all our activities within the societal forms in which G od has placed us.The whole of life is religion.
Further, we have to keep in mind that Scripture itself stands in the context of a Semitic culture and of the history o f the Middle East in a period of 2000 to 3000 years ago.The Word of G od received its inscripturation in a specific historical context.This should be recognized.Because the W ord o f G o a is normative for our life it should receive its concretization in a cultural context, where people listen with other ears, speak a different language and have a different history.There is identity with, and difference from, the past: identity, insofar as it is the same Word of God with the same message for mankind in the past and today; difference, because circumstances, culture, society and position in history are different.
This does not imply a programme of demythologizing, as Bultmann and his school try to insist.Scripture should not be geared to modern rationalist or irrationalist Humanism.For Bultmann, following Heidegger, the central question is the human predicament in an existentialist pattern of life and thought29.If one accepts this way of thinking, one is not different from those Christian theologians in the past, who The contextual task of Theology today read Scripture in the framework of Platonic or Aristotelian philosophy, instead of judging contemporary thought in the light of Scripture.If this way o f thinking is acceptable A riarajah's criticism is correct, in that he rejects the critical remarks of those missionaries who refuse to accept th at Hindu and Buddhist cultural ideas can be used to express the context of the Gospel, but at the same time have no problems with the Greek-Hellenistic framework in which a great part o f Western theology has been moulded30.
This approach has practical implications for theologizing activity in Western civilization.It means that theology has to be biblical.A systematic theologian has to work in the community o f believers, who respond in faith to the Word o f G od given in Scripture.He has to wholeheartedly accept the support of biblical scholarship, which assists in helping to understand Scripture with all the means available today.He can no longer find support in Scripture for the idea that G od is the " Supreme Being" and the " Highest Intellect" 31.Ex. 3:14 has a total different meaning; it speaks of the G od of the Covenant, who can be trusted because he is the living G od of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.He works in history according to his covenant with his people.A theologian today cannot maintain the opinion that Paul (in Romans 9-11) deals with the doctrine of double predestination: in his lptter to the Romans Paul puts G od's work of salvation in a redemptive-historical perspective in which the people of Israel also finds its place32.
A further implication is that a theologian should recognize that the last theoretical answers concerning theology are not given by theology itself.They are o f a philosophical nature.Theology or pistology reflects, in a theoretical sense, on the faith aspect o f reality.It is one of the tasks of a philosopher to reflect theoretically on the nature of theology and all its branches.Philosophical answers influence theology, as the history of theology shows us.If we are not aware of this state of affairs or deny it, as Karl Barth has done, we will encounter great difficulties.Hence, we should see the necessity o f a critical attitude towards Western philosophy, which never had an integral and radical Christian character.This philosophy claimed to function as a way o f salvation for Western man.
Mutual understanding and co-operation between philosophers and theologians, who both christianly try to fulfil their task, is a necessary condition.Both philosophers and theologians have to listen to the W ord o f God.
Further, biblical orientation of theology makes it impossible to automatically refer to the confessional standards, which have an ecclesiastical background and character.These confessions have to be reconsidered and valued anew in the light o f Scripture.They do not repeat the content o f Scripture, but are the result o f a struggle in which philosophical, theological, ecclesiastical, political and biblical motives played their part.If we are not aware o f this situation we have frozen the dogmatic development, put Scripture in the straightjacket o f human formulations and have eternalized the confessional answers of imperfect and sinful human beings.
We also have to keep in mind that theology cannot be an ecclesiastically limited endeavour, in which only a small part of a church or of a group of churches is involved.Theology should be ecumenical, practised together with al the believers who have a theological calling.The playground of theology is the world and not the fenced background of only one church.
There has to be a critical evaluation of our theological and ecclesiastical tradition, in terms o f continuity and discontinuity.In continuity, in so far as we stand on the shoulders of our ancestors -we ought to theologize biblically together with them.
In discontinuity, where they did not theologize biblically but were wrongly guided by ideas and conceptions which are foreign to the Word of God.We also have to be critical regarding ourselves, because we are no better than previous generations.
Theology should not be open only to the W ord of G od in Scripture as its norm, but also to the communities of believers who have understood this Word both in theological issues and in other matters regarding G od's revelation to man in the totality of G od's creation.There is no such thing as " pure" theology.Nothing in creation is " pure" ; all things are related to each other.There is a coherence and interdependence which should be recognized.
This brings us to the next issue.Theology not only has to function in the context of the Christian community with its broad variety, disagreements, conflicts and antagonisms, but also in the context of Western society at large.The fulfilling of its task is only possible in interaction with this society.A few examples may clarify this.Theology, as a theoretical reflection on the aspect of faith in our temporal reality, has to execute its mandate in conversation and confrontation with Marxism.If theologians desire to speak about the structure of human faith and its content directed tow ard G od in Jesus Christ, they have to render an account of their endeavour in an encounter with the Marxist critique of heaven and of earth, and do so without any hesitation.This is not possible without a dialogue with Ludwig Feuerbach, whose thesis that theology is anthropology should be subjected to a serious discussion, centering on the predicament of man.Theologians -and not only they -should become more and more aware of the antithetical alternative which the Marxist movement offers, and realized, all over the world.They have to come to grips with this Humanistic gospel in confrontation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.A dogmatic study which does not deal with this ideology is no longer contextual" .
Theological thinking in Western society, and in Australia especially, should also take notice of the faiths of minority groups, and not only those within the Christian community.A theoretical reflection on the religions of the Aboriginess, with all its implications, is a necessary part of theology today; not for the sake of the white m an's curiosity, but for the understanding o f and communication with our neigh bours, who live with us in this society.
In the society of our age we speak about contact between continents, encounter of cultures, dialogue and the growth of a world culture.Basic powers in these cultures are the religions of mankind.They reveal m an's origin, tell him about his history, clarify the character of the world in which he lives and give him hope for the future.
As Christians we are confronted with these religions, especially during the last 200 years.The adherents of these religions make an appeal to us to listen to them, and to follow them.After their awakening and liberation from Western supremacy, they have become more and more assured of their own position.Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism have an enormous cultural, political and religious heritage.Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists challenge us because they are aware of their own rich history and power, which are no less im portant than that which the Western world, including Christianity, has contributed34.Adherents of these religions live amongst us.In many countries Muslims live as guest labourers, and ask for a recognized position with all the rights that go with it.
On the other hand, Australia's place is in the South East Asian world.There are contacts with China and Japan.The nearest neighbour, Indonesia, has a population of which the majority is Muslim.G reat minority groups in Indonesia are Hindu-believers or followers of tribal religions.Buddhism and Confucianism are a part of the Indonesian scene too.
If theology in Australia is to be contextual, it cannot ignore these religions or avoid a dialogue with the adherents of these living faiths35.
However, apart from some specialists in the field of missions, students of non-Christian religions and those who are already involved in a dialogue with men of other faiths, Western theologians ignore the existence of the living power of these religions, and are not concerned about the faith and theology of others.The theological treatises and handbooks of Karl Barth, Emil Brunner, Gerrit Berkouwer, Louis Berkhof, O tto Weber and Hendrik Berkhof have not lead to a conversation with the theological and religious world outside the Christian faith; they do not give an answer to the challenge of these religions.There is a need for com munication and confrontation.The content of the Christian faith, and the dogmatic reflection on this content, are challenged by Islam.Over against Scripture, which according to Muslims has been falsified by Jews and Christians, stands the Q ur'an, the true and last word of G od, which reveals G od's goodness and G od's will to man.In distinction from what has been written in Scripture about the history of G od's covenant with man, Islam proclaims the history of G od's revelation via a continuous line of prophets from Adam to the prophet Muhammed.
In this history Jesus finds his place as the nabi Isa, a prophet on the same level as other prophets, a man who escaped the suffering of the cross, a man of G od who could not suffer and die, for this would mean that God was not with him.Any Christian dogmatic reflection on the person and work of Jesus Christ, in the history of G od's redemption, has to confront this biblical message with the teachings of the Q ur'an.
Concerning other religions, we can make the same remarks.W hat have G od's commandments, laws and ordinances for the whole of creation to do with Tao, or world order in Taoism?
Buddhism, as a way of life, is a way of salvation connected with the person of the Buddha.It developed into a theology of Buddhahood in Mahayana Buddhism.It is concerned about life with its misery, suffering and sin.How is it possible to come to grips with this faith and theology in the light of Scripture?Thousands of tourists from the Western world each year visit Borobudur on the island of Java.Many of them are Christians.Shouldn't it also be necessary to engage in a religious and theological reflection on the teaching and doctrine of Buddhism, as we see it expressed in this old Javanese monument of art?
We have to understand man in his religious life in Africa and Asia.Although it is true that Christians in Africa and Asia are responsible for their task in the field of theology in their continents, it is also true that the Body of Christ is one.Christians such as Kosuke Koyama, Kitamori, M.M. Thomas, Abineno, Fridolin Ukur, H arun Hadiwiyono and many others have to find the open ears and open hearts of their fellow brethren in Christ in order to fulfil their task in the world of the living faiths of men.

Theological Education in Australia
O ur exposition concerning the contextualization of theology is a programme which has consequences for theological education too.Apart from the Bible Colleges, there are now more than SO theological colleges, seminars and faculties in Australia.This is partly because o f the geographical situation.However, if contextualization is to have an ecumenical character, we may well ask if the existence of such a large number of theological institutions is justified.One gets the idea that this situation is also the expression o f an attitude of separatism and isolationism; if this is the case, a theology of separation would be the result.A survey of the whole field of theological education is needed to achieve insight into the diversity o f theological institutions, and to assess the possibilities of co operation and amalgamation.It is one o f the things that will strengthen the study of theology; com bination o f resources will give better opportunities for the develop ment of theology.A nother factor of importance is a reflection on the philosophical foundations of theology.This does not involve the composition of a list of theological subjects.It is concerned with an investigation about the nature of theology, and its distinction from and its coherence with other forms of theoretical investigation.This involves the renewal of the old idea of Encyclopedia, in casu the Encyclopedia of theology, or a philosophy concerning theology.This study is needed for achieving a proper insight into the nature of theology and the character o f its contextualization.The relationship o f theology to the Bible, the church, the confession o f a church and the life o f faith of the Christ believers will come more clearly ioto focus.Neglect o f this scholarly endeavour not only leads to vague concepts and misunderstandings, but it also creates a situation in which theology and theologians receive an authority which cannot be indicated in the light of the nature of theology.A further aspect is the acknowledgement that theological education has a dual purpose: training people for the scholarly world of theology, and preparation for the ministry.Ministerial work is not a theoretical activity.It is a practical form of activity in the church, which is an institution qualified by faith and regulated by the authority of Scripture.In this community man stands in the light of faith in his relationship with G od and with his fellowman.This implies an understanding of m an's religion, his world-view, his philosophies, his ideologies and ways of life in today's world in continuity with the past.An understanding of the Australian society with its ideologies, religions, churches and social life is needed; not only for people who go into the ministry of one of the churches, but also for theologians.Theology cannot be developed in an ivory tower.It has to be developed in the fulness of life.
This has consequences for a subject such as ethics, too.Ethics, as a theoretical reflection on the understanding o f the will of God according to Scripture, forms a part of dogmatics.In this sense it is a theological subject.However, ethics is also understood in a broader sense as a scholarly reflection on the structure of human normative life, its norms and the subjective realization of these norms.We can give this subject the name praxeology.It deals with marriage and family life, socio economic problems, political ethics, race and nation and technological, scientific and organizational responsibilities.This goes far beyond theology.It is important for every Christian who will be in a position of leadership.
This brings us to the last question.If what has been mentioned here is viewed as a necessity, is there then not a need for a multipurpose and multiform institute for Christian scholarly activities and practical reflections and endeavours on behalf of the Australian society?Theology would form only a part of it.In such an institute we could perhaps better serve the whole Christian community, and our continent.10.This idea is developed in the Synopsis Purioris Theologiae, the dogm atic handbook of the 17th century, written by Antoinius Walaeus, Antoinius Thysius, Johannes Polyander and A ndreas Rivetus in 1625.The authors were all professors at the Theological Faculty o f the University of Leiden.It is the classical Reformed handbook for systematic theology in the 17th century.Its basic distinction is between archetypical theology, which is G od's selfknowledge in a theoretical way, and ectypical theology, which is the knowledge creatures (both angels and hum an beings) have about G od and the divine things.In a modern form we meet this idea o f theology in the writings o f Cornelius Van Til.The basis of his theology is God as the absolute, selfconscious Being who is completely theoretical and in practical life aiming at a higher level of hum an existence.The G reeks and Rom ans tried to achieve the fullness o f life via the study o f philosophy as the way to wisdom on the basis o f " encyclopedic" education.
Som etim es one speaks a b o u t the theology o f the O ld T estam ent o r o f the New _ T estam ent; a theology o f P au l1, J o h n an d o f th e o th er apostles.Even Jesus C hrist has been called a theo log ian 2. O thers speak a b o u t a theological ap p ro ach to m atters o f politics, econom ics, culture, a rt a n d race, because their pu rpose is to ap proach C hristianly the issues in these realms.K arl B arth has w ritten a b o u t theology as a function o f the church.H e distinguishes betw een theology as a testim ony o f faith an d life, as w orship, an d as a science3.As a scholarly end eavou r theology is distinct from o th er form s o f scholarship, b ut not in principle -only in a practical sense -because theology does n o t have a basis o f know ledge w hich is Histinct from o th er form s o f science, n o r does it have a field of investigation different from o th er fields4.T heology exists because there is grace, which justifies.It exists because there is talk a b o u t G o d in the church5.
his im plies a discourse a b o u t th e stru cture of th e divine, o f G o d , his possibilities in th e difference, coherence and unity o f his attribu tes.* Dr. Van der Laan was a missionary in Indonesia and later a professor at the Reformed Theological College in Geelong, Australia.At the moment he is minister of religion in Gorcum, the Netherlands.T his idea o f th eo logy is b ased o n th e one h a n d u p o n revelation in S cripture, a n d on th e o th e r h a n d u p o n th e ratio n ality o f th e divine Being, w ho is open to ratio n a l investigatioin by theoretical th o u g h t o r reason.T his idea has its source in G reek philosophy: in Parm enides, P lato a n d Aristotle*.U n d e r th e influence of P h ilippus M elanchton a n d T h eo d o o r Beza a form o f P ro testan t Scholasticism was developed, w hich has been influential in o rth od ox P ro te sta n t C h ristian ity u p to the present day*.T heologians have draw n a line from G o d as a suprem e, intellectual o r ra tio n a l being, to S cripture, w hich is seen as a divine revelation o f a system o f tru th s o r p ro p o sitio n s, a n d from there to the confessions o f th e church as ecclesiastical reflections on th e tru th o f S cripture.F inally, theology has been seen as a ratio n al acco u n t o f the co ntent o f the confessions a n d o f S criptu re.G o d is ra tio n a l, his creatio n is ra tio n a l a n d his W ord in Scripture is ra tio n a l10.
a n o n-theoretical sense it involves the act o f faith , a n d th e w hole life o f faith in its ram ifications regarding th e aspects o f C hristian life.It is belief in G od , tru stin g him u p o n his W o rd in S cripture a n d living C hristianly.In a theoretical sense it m eans, according to K arl B arth, an account o f the content o f the p ro c lam atio n o f th e c h u rch in an a tte m p t a t co m p rehen sio n and exposition, a t investigation a n d instruction.T he " S ub ject" is th e C hristian church as a c o m m u n ity ".A ugustine an d P ro te sta n t Scholasticism in all its shades assum e th a t G o d is th e object o f theological th o u g h t via S crip ture, because G o d is a rational Being, w hose divinity can be analysed in a theoretical m ode o f th in k in g 12.This assum ption brings G o d u n d er the sovereignty o f h u m an theoretical thin king an d places him in fact in th e sam e fram ew ork as his creatio n , o f w hich the structures can be investigated, an d its em pirical reality clarified.It is ta n ta m o u n t to shap in g a god in m an 's ow n im age, in stead o f subjecting oneself to G o d -in awe an d a sto nishm en t.O ne does n o t u n d erstan d th a t the form ula " fides quaerens intellectum " should be replaced by th e expression " fides quaerens d eum " .W e sh o uld go in a n o th e r direction.O u r thesis is th a t theology is a scholarly discipline co ncerning the aspect o f faith as o f th e aspects o f created reality, w ithin th e w hole o rd e r o f creation a n d o f societal form s. It is based o n a G o d -and w orldview , a n d ro o te d in religion.Its origin an d direction are d eterm ined by religion an d m an's worldview.Its activity is a theoretical-lo g ical o n e, i.e. a critical investigation o f the life o f faith in com m unal relationships, its co nten t, object and norm .As a theoretical reflection it tries to co m p reh en d a n d to clarify the stru c tu re o f faith in a logical-analytical way13.
At the end of the Middle Ages this form o f contextualization became more and more questionable.It resulted in a new development, which made clear that reason and faith, as two authorities in connection with each other, could not be maintained.On the one hand, modern man with his belief in reason came into existence and determined the development in Western civilization; on the other hand, the movement o f the Reformation developed in the context of the decline of Medieval culture and the coming into being o f a new culture.Its context was a double one.In the line of pedagogical Hum anism it went back to the sources: Scripture written in the original languages, from which translations were made into the native languages o f Europe.Regarding Scripture itself, it went back to the Jewish Canon and rejected the Apocrypha.A new understanding of Scripture brought not only theology in another context, but shaped other contextual societal forms in which theological activity took place: the churches of the Reformation.

NOTES 8 .
The concept of rational theology, based upon the idea of the rationality of the divine being, goes back to the beginning o f W estern theology and philosophy.The first aspects of this theology were developed by Xenophanes (about 565-470), who criticized the anthropo m orphic mythical theology.He advocated the statem ent that there is one god who always remains in the same place, does not move, but shakes all things by the thought o f his mind, cf.H. Diels and W. Kranz, Fragmentc der Vorsokratiker, 6th ed.W eidmannsche Verlagsbuchhandlung. Berlin 1951, vol.I fragment 23, 24, 25, p. 135.See also G.S. Kirk and J.E. Raven, The Presocratic Philosohers, C.U.P., Cambridge 1975, p. 168-170.
9. Philippus Melancton (1497-1560) was a friend of Luther, but he went his own way.He tried to create a synthesis between the ideals o f the Reformation and his humanistic ideals.He held Aristotle in great esteem.His philosophy and theology have an Aristotelian character.In his Loci Communes of 1522 and in his comm entary on Rom ans of 1532 he gives 9 proofs of the existence of G od, based upon Plato, Aristotle, Stoa, Rom.1:20, Acts 17:28.T heodoor Beza (1519-1605) succeeded Calvin at the Theological Academy in Geneva, where he held the chair o f systematic theology.He wanted to justify theology by way of reason, he m ade the content of Scripture a system in a textbook o f rational character.The purpose is the certainty of theology as a science.Between the revelation in Scripture and faith stands theology as a science.The certainty of faith depends on the certainty o f theology.Beza uses the Aristotelian-Scholastic philosophy for the following reasons: firstly, Aristotle makes possible a clearly philosophical propedeutics for theology; secondly, Aristotle's ethics, psychology and political theory are not in great contradition with Christianity; thirdly the Aristotelian cosmology and explanation of nature can be brought into agreement with the biblical one.The term Scholasticism is used here in the sense of a synthesis between biblical motives and non-Christian philosophy; it uses the method o f nature and grace; it makes a typical distinction between faith and science, theology and philosophy.Theology uses philosophy as a servant.Cf.B.J. van der W alt, Die natuurlike Teologie, Potchefstroom 1974, vol.II p. 532 (transl." Natural Theology" ).