Popularization and Autobiography: Towards an Accessible Theology

As research in natural sciences and humanities becomes ever more specialized and technical, and the sword of Damocles – publish or perish – hangs over the head of every scholar, academic publishing proliferates but at the cost of its public relevance. Theology is no exception here, but the consequences are potentially much more disastrous. One need not understand anything about quantum mechanics for PET scan to work, but when nobody outside of academia understands contemporary theology, it is hard to imagine how “faith seeking understanding” makes any sense in the absence of such understanding amongst the believers. In order for a work of theology to make sense, it should be accessible for a wider public and it has to be existentially relevant. The present essay offers a few suggestions how theologians might go about meeting these criteria.