Public Theology as Religious Practice

The concept of a public theology must balance emphasis on Christianity's theological grounding with recognition of religious pluralism. Where Christians are in the minority, interreligious encounter frames public presence. This article argues that the basis of both faithful religious identity and substantive encounter with non-Christian traditions lies in forms of religious practice. The point is illustrated with reference to the Anglican encounter with Islam. In Egypt during the first half of the twentieth century, the careers of Temple Gairdner and Constance Padwick opened an emphasis upon prayer as a basis for appreciative encounter. Informed by this example, Kenneth Cragg developed a basis for Christian-Muslim relations. He articulated a Christian public theology that is both faithful and constructive in pluralist settings. Following Gairdner and Padwick, Cragg featured matters of practice as the basis for understanding

Christianity · Constructive · Epistemology · Islam · Pluralism (philosophy) · Prayer · Religious pluralism · Sociology · Theology · Christian Theology and Mission · Philosophy · Religion, Society, and Development · Religious Education and Schools · Religious studies