Intercultural Theology: An Introduction in Ten Steps

Abstract

Intercultural theology is not an ‘exotic’ discipline or a stylish supplement to the classic canon of theological disciplines, but a discourse which is motivated by the cultural diversity inside Christianity and the religious pluralism outside Christianity. It reflects the mutual influence and relations between culture/society and Christian faith (contextual theology), the meaning of basic terms and concepts like culture, context, mission, interdisciplinarity and so on (intercultural theological epistemology), the relations between different religious traditions (theology of interreligious dialogue, comparative theology) and the way different religious claims of truth and salvation can be understood (theology of religions). Moreover, intercultural theology, even if it understands itself as a theological discipline, likes to work interdisciplinary to understand the life and challenges of Christianity in today’s world, which is inevitably multicultural, multireligious, secular, post- and neocolonial. Thus, intercultural theology is the intellectual tool of global Christianity.