Comparative theology
Comparative theology is a theological practice which builds on a comparative study of religion. This should not be confused with the academic discipline of comparative religion, which examines the similarities and differences between a variety of religious traditions. Rather, it is focused on the theological reflection of one's own religion in light of the insights from another religious tradition. Francis X. Clooney explains:[1]
Comparative theology – comparative and theological beginning to end – marks acts of faith seeking understanding which are rooted in a particular faith tradition but which, from that foundation, venture into learning from one or more other faith traditions. This learning is sought for the sake of fresh theological insights that are indebted to the newly encountered tradition/s as well as the home tradition.
Comparative theology arose through the growing impact of Alan Race's three-fold understanding of theology of religions, that resulted in various arguments about the benefits of the models of theology of religions.[2]
Comparative theology is introduced by Francis X. Clooney and James L. Fredericks, and is a methodology used by individuals such as David Tracy, Keith Ward, and Robert C. Neville.[3]
References
- ^ Clooney, Francis X. (2010). Comparative Theology: Deep Learning Across Religious Borders. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-4051-7973-7.
- ^ Knitter, Paul F. (2005). Introducing to Theologies of Religions. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.
- ^ Clooney, Comparative Theology, 41-53.