| This thesis argues that Christian theology should incorporate social theory into its methodology if it hopes to bridge the gap between its theory and practice. If theological concepts and beliefs are to respond adequately to human need in contemporary society, then theologians must necessarily employ the methodology of the social sciences, despite the fact that this position implies the negation of theology as an independent, self-sufficient discipline.; The study begins by setting the problem under examination in its context within contemporary society. It demonstrates how what Hans Blumenberg calls human “self-assertion” began to challenge Western society's understanding of itself in relation to its cultural and religious traditions, as it emerged out of the Middle Ages. The resulting tensions between a respect for human freedom and a commitment to religious beliefs have remained largely unresolved in the “modern age.”; The subsequent three chapters explore different responses to this dilemma: the liberation theology of Juan Luis Segundo, the “radical orthodoxy” of John Milbank, and the use of religious discourse in the feminist theories of Luce Irigaray and Helene Cixous. The limitations identified in each of these positions demonstrate why theology must incorporate social theory into its methodology with greater clarity and consistency. The thesis concludes with an analysis of the (so-called) “Positivist Dispute” between Theodor W. Adorno and Karl Popper. This study serves to clarify the nature of “social theory” and to identify how its concerns intersect with those of theology. This examination of the debate over social scientific method, the concept of reason, the place of value judgements in science, serves to identify the implications of theology's use of social theory. It is concluded that such an incorporation of social scientific methodology results in the negation of theology as it has traditionally been understood, as it becomes an act of critical self-reflection on religious discourse, motivated by the “moral attitude” of alleviating human suffering, rather than an apologetic role. At the same time, it is shown that in this role, theological reflection retains a vital role in social theory, providing a way with which to talk about unrealized potentialities contained in social life. |
