Constructive theology is the redefinition of what historically has been known as

systematic theology Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topics ...

Purpose

The reason for this reevaluation stems from the idea that, in systematic theology, the

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

attempts to develop a coherent theory running through the various doctrines within the tradition (

Christology In Christianity, Christology is a branch of Christian theology, theology that concerns Jesus. Different denominations have different opinions on questions such as whether Jesus was human, divine, or both, and as a messiah what his role would b ...

eschatology Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of Contemporary era, present age, human history, or the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic and non-Abrah ...

pneumatology Pneumatology refers to a particular discipline within Christian theology that focuses on the study of the Holy Spirit in Christianity, Holy Spirit. The term is derived from the Greek language, Greek word ''Pneuma'' (wikt:πνεῦμα, πνε� ...

, etc.). A potential problem underlying such study is that in constructing a system of theology, certain elements may be "forced" into a presupposed structure, or left out altogether, in order to maintain the coherence of the overall system.

Use of the term and relevant publications

In response to these perceived problems, some modern theologians, especially Christian feminists such as Sallie McFague, Catherine Keller, and Sharon V. Betcher, feel that the term ''systematic'' is no longer accurate in reference to theology, and prefer the language of constructive theology. However, constructive theologians vary as to whether they reject the term ''systematic'' altogether, with the term ''systematic'' continuing to be preferred especially by

Roman Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

. While not a proponent of the language of ''constructive theology'',

Karl Barth Karl Barth (; ; – ) was a Swiss Reformed theologian. Barth is best known for his commentary '' The Epistle to the Romans'', his involvement in the Confessing Church, including his authorship (except for a single phrase) of the Barmen Decl ...

frequently criticized the practice of systematizing theology or structuring a coherent system upon a philosophical foundation external to theology's own internal commitments. Constructive theology tends to be interdisciplinary, imaginative, open-ended, public facing, lay-led, and practical. The term ''constructive theology'' has been in use mostly since the 1980s. ''Constructive Theology'' is also the title of a journal on the subject. A Bloomsbury book series on constructive theology, titled Rethinking Theologies, Constructing Alternatives, is edited by Marion Grau, Susannah Cornwall, Steed Davidson, and Hyo-Dong Lee. This has included Cornwall's ''Un/familiar Theology'', Jan-Olav Henriksen's ''Christianity as Distinct Practices'', an edited volume entitled ''What is Constructive Theology?'' by Marion Grau and Jason Wyman, and Shelli M. Poe's ''The Constructive Promise of Schleiermacher's Theology''.

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Purpose

Use of the term and relevant publications

See also

References

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Further reading