The continuous dialectic between Theology and Culture: the critical function of hermeneutics and spirituality in this dynamic discourse

Abstract

Throughout the history of Christianity, a dialectic existed in the relation between theology and culture. This resulted in continuous conflicts among Christian scholars and among churches. This research tends to participate in this dialectic and debate to end up with some cognition for wellbeing. A distinction is made between “world culture” and “ethnic culture”. Under world culture this research focuses on post-modernism and post-secularism and, under ethnic culture, on the dangers of syncretism and fundamentalism. The dialectic increases where any one of these two components – culture and theology – takes the dominant stance. The objective of this research is to attend to these matters by proposing an en route forward to enhance wellbeing. This research consists of three main parts. The first part spells out the dialectic between theology and culture. The second part investigates some hermeneutical principles to be considered when dealing with text and theology through which spiritualities are roused and continuous controlled change is proposed. The last part proposes “two aspects of Christian spirituality to be considered as a matrix for a believer’s wellbeing”.