An interview with William Anderson

Fortress Press: In what way is your new book—A Journey through Christian Theology—a “journey”? In what way does your text help a novice theologian understand and appreciate the meaning and value of theology?

William Anderson: The first edition of this book was originally titled A Cartoon History of Theology. Somewhere in the process, however, the title changed to A Journey through Christian Theology. This is a more accurate title, indicative of what we are doing in this work. Indeed, the book is not really a “history” in the standard sense of the term; it is a journey. Hans Küng has suggested that theologies are like streams flowing in different directions, each with its own uniqueness, different from but also similar to many others, none of which are capable of grasping the vastness of the ocean into which they all may flow. I agree wholeheartedly with Küng. I have used a similar analogy arguing there are differing pathways up to the top of the mountain of life, each arriving in its own distinctive, unique way but achieving the same ultimate goal. And so it is with theology: we seek God (in our own ways) and as Augustine put it so eloquently, “our hearts are restless, O Lord, until they find their rest in you.” In a similar fashion Anselm described the process as fides quarens intellectum (“faith seeking understanding”). If we seek faith, and if our hearts and spirits are restless, do we not find ourselves on a journey? It is a journey we can take many times, finding new avenues of exploration, new moments of enlightenment. So yes indeed, we are on a journey—always! In a modest manner, this is what we have tried to capture with this volume—a journey in, through, and with some of the greatest minds in Christian religious thought; a journey of new horizons—viewing life resplendent in meaning and significance—which is the very essence of theology.

We have attempted to present this material simply, clearly, with introductions, sources, and some reflections so that the beginner or the novice may be successful in building her own foundation for future journeys. Theology, which seeks God and seeks to discover God’s essence in this world, can never be exhausted. It will take a “lifetime of journeys” as we climb the mountain many times, or as we travel the streams to an ocean of infinite meaning.

FP: In the history of the university, theology served as one of the foundational disciplines but is today rarely a required course in a student’s core curriculum. Most theology courses are largely reserved for graduate programs, divinity schools, and theological seminaries. Can you explain this phenomenon and talk about its implications for education and for society generally?

WA: The thrust of the question is true for most public colleges and universities. However, for colleges and universities with a religious affiliation, there is often a core requirement in the area of theology or religious studies or their equivalent. For example, I taught for over thirty years at the University of Dayton, where there has always been a core requirement in the areas of theology and philosophy. Midway through my tenure at the university, we renamed the core courses for theology to read “religious studies.” This was done to reflect more accurately what we were doing. We also changed the name of our department from a department of Theological Studies to a department of Religious Studies—for the very same reasons, that is, we fundamentally widened the scope of our inquiries allowing us to explore not only traditional religions but other more secular religious venues as well.

At private and public universities, however, there has been a significant change in course requirements, beginning perhaps even with the Enlightenment, at the very least. Historically, the church developed the universities, originally known as “cathedral” schools. The church developed the curriculum, and therefore it is understandable that theology would play a major critical role. In the Middle Ages, theology was known as the “Queen of the Sciences” (using science in the broad sense of knowledge) and all disciplines were subject to the review, critique, and final authority of theology as determined by the church. Nevertheless, as the pursuit of knowledge and truth advanced and as scholars began to explore their various disciplines, inevitable conflicts arose between the discipline of theology, the authority of the church, and the growing independence of academic disciplines. Probably the most famous case and illustration of this type of conflict was the trial of Galileo. Here the church and the academy were clearly at odds.

Over the years, the academy became more independent and theology moved to the periphery in terms of the adjudication of issues. Today the authority of the church and the role of theology and religious studies is significantly different but no less important. For example, each academic discipline has its own methodology, its own criteria for evaluation, and draws its own conclusions. It is an on-going process, but the process is contained within the boundaries of the particular discipline. On the other hand, theology (and philosophy as well) looks at the human person, the world, the universe across disciplines and plays a significant and critical role in dialogue with all major academic disciplines. In this regard, I sometimes refer to theology as a coordinating discipline that examines the issues from a holistic perspective, whereas the academy looks at issues from a narrower and perhaps reductionist perspective. Hence, they need each other; there is no real conflict between the academy and theology. The task of the university and the task of theology is to seek truth from whatever source, to respect each other’s inquiries and questions, as well as solutions.

FP: Current controversies in religion—as played out in popular bestsellers, weekly magazines, and daily blogs—focus largely on whether religion, and especially theism, even makes sense or is defensible. Did similar questions emerge in the history of theology that you present, and if so, how were they debated or resolved?

WA: I agree, there is debate in popular bestsellers and so on about these issues, sometimes explicitly. I think for example of the writings of John Updike; many of his writings have significant critiques implicitly flowing through his pages, and to read his works one really benefits if one has a sound foundation in theological development and history. Furthermore, other works like To Kill a Mockingbird have a theological-ethical nature. The same may be said for the cinematic world, with films like Gentleman’s Agreement, To Kill A Mockingbird, Romero, Jesus of Montreal, and The Last Temptation of Christ, to cite just a few.

The issue of theism or the relevance of religious thought or theology has always been present in the development of Christianity (as it is in other religious traditions as well). In the early church, Origen of Alexandria addressed the issue of atheism in his work against Celsus, the Neoplatonic philosopher. In the Middle Ages, Thomas Aquinas wrote his Summa Contra Gentiles in defense of Christianity. In the modern period, there has been much discussion, especially since the beginning of the twentieth century and arrival of the linguistic philosophers, among the logical positivists, people like Antony Flew (who later converted to Christianity) and Bertrand Russell and existentialists of the stature of a Jean Paul Satre, Albert Camus, and among others. These discussions are beneficial, for faith seeking understanding must be fashioned in the fire of conflict both within and outside the church to be strong; faith and doubt are not “antitheses” but coordinates. The questions, criticisms, and challenges that come to theology must be addressed with integrity, honesty, and openness.

FP: Although your text contains only the works of Christian theologians, are other religious traditions of interest? What are some of the more important questions being argued in theology broadly conceived across religious traditions, and are there any particular insights that you believe are important for Christians to learn—or to share?

WA: Let me begin with the final part of the question. Indeed, I strongly believe that there is much for us to learn from other religious traditions. Personally, I have a strong interest in some of the religions of the East, such as Taoism and Buddhism, but also in Judaism—which is very much a part of our Christian heritage. I strongly believe we need to approach these religions with an open mind, with the goal of understanding the fundamentals of these religions in order to develop a base for constructive dialogue. I have long thought it arrogant for any religio” to presume that God can disclose Godness—if you will— only in the manner revealed to that particular religion. There is much for us to learn from all sides.

From a Christian point of view, it is interesting to see if and how Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, may or may not fit into thought patterns of other religions. Christianity, more than any other faith, is founded on a “person.” It is important, therefore, for us to understand other religions’ perspectives on him. Another fundamental issue is the worldview of other religious traditions. For example, many of the eastern religions are monistic in their understanding of the world and God, whereas Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are monotheistic and see the God-human-world relationship in subject-object terms. This has significance for understanding our perspectives on the world, God or the World-Soul, anthropology, and the end-times as well as morality and ethics. Religion in many places plays a unique role in politics, which poses a problem for those of us in the West who see a relationship between religion and politcs but not an identity.

Finally, the world is shrinking rapidly due to communication technologies. Consequently, we no longer can ignore or avoid other religious traditions—if the world is to continue not only to exist but to evolve or develop constructively. The scenario is difficult and often dangerous but at the same time presents marvelous opportunities.

To answer the very first part of this question then: Yes! All other religions are not only of interest; it is critical that we learn from one another. In order to achieve this (and this is another reason for this text), it is important for a person to have a foundation and understanding of her own religious tradition. We hope this modest attempt in A Journey through Christian Theology is a helpful tool in this process.