On Wednesday 19th March Alison Webster was asking us to think about these questions:
Is theological non-realism simply a ‘brain-on-a-stick’, abstract philosophical position, or does it have real-life consequences? In her input, Alison outlined and explored a key shift in theology that has taken place over the past 40 years or so – that is, the move towards embodied theologies which take human experience seriously.
Such embodied theologies recognise that individuals are subject to systemic forces, where power circulates to oppress some and privilege others on the basis of race, gender, sexuality, social class, and economic means (not an exhaustive list).
Alison wondered whether and how Don Cupitt’s theological approach should be considered as part of this shift, or separate from it. Can non-realist theology be deployed as a tool of liberation, or is it a politically quietist endeavour?