Theology is the dialogue between the tradition, and an individual’s experience of the faith.

This is a slightly altered summary of Berger, Questions of Faith. It is nothing new – but gave me a moments thought yesterday. Those following on Twitter/Facebook will know about this.

Today – however, I was struck by the idea of what happens when that dialogue is broken, or misaligned? It is very easy to become caught up in the entropy of the status quo where theology is the technical conversation, the “science” of God, the exclusive domain of “technicians” like me. One need only read through a random selection of contemporary theological books and essays to see how incomprehensible “theology” might be to the outsider – that is the inquisitive Christian!

It is sometimes observed that there is a divide, a chasm between, what is often called the religion of the elite, and popular religion. It seems to me that this is what happens when the dialogue ceases to be an activity of the community and becomes an exclusive preserve of a few.

Nestorius attempted to re-align the technicalities of theology with the devotional fervor for Mary he observed in fifth century Constantinople. He failed in part because the gap was too substantive, and he tried to impose a solution rather than participate in the dialogue. Eighteenth and Nineteenth century Roman Catholicism made this chasm a point of doctrine, proscribing free enquiry, and limiting the access of the laity to education and scholarship. A number of individuals such as Loisy and Dollinger opposed this calcification of the results of such a misalignment; giving rise to what we now celebrate as our shared OC/IC heritage.

We owe it to ourselves to become more aware of that dialogue, to participate in it, and to contribute to bringing it back into the heart of the community of believers – giving voice to our faith.