Experience, Culture and Religion in Systematic Theology: An Integrative and Pluriform Methodology [Paperback]

A dramatic new approach to systematics, placing Christian theology firmly in the context of humans' experiential understanding of life.

Most systematicians take as their starting point the nature of God, and scripture as the means by which God's nature is revealed, but what would a systematic theology look like that began with an experiential knowledge of God? Here, Edmond Chua offers a method for just such an approach. Beginning with realms of human experience including psychology, cultural diversity and religious plurality, he builds the framework of a systematic theology that is inclusive and pluriform, while retaining the core tenets of a Christian doctrine of God.
Notwithstanding his novel methodology, Chua's argument remains biblically rooted and appreciative of the Christian tradition. In the latter half of the book he returns to the classical doctrines of the Trinity, Christology, evil, sin and salvation, allowing his inclusive view of the human religious experience to shed new light on the wisdom bequeathed by Paul, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Barth, and others. The result is a bold Christian vision that is culturally engaged and globally applicable, of interest to systematic theologians while contributing to interreligious dialogue.GBEdmond Chua rethinks systematic theology within a global context that engages religious diversity from a conservative Christian framework. Far from a liberal and pluralist account, Chua takes a conservative Evangelical approach, with a literalist biblical hermeneutics, to meaningfully engage interreligious dialogue and learn from other religions. A refreshing voice in the conversation.Chua offers a stimulating combination of a solid grasp of the Christian tradition with a capacity to proffer novel ideas that may yet resolve theological conundrums, or at least open up the possibility of fresh theological thinking actually making a difference. This is an exciting, must-have book.In his book Experience, Culture al³.