I'm working (loose use of that word) on a paper on the medieval rise of the university and the shift towards the university as the dominant context for theology. For starters, the stories behind the roots of the university system was fascinating. Basically you have the formation of guilds-student unions in the literal sense. the guilds of students, and soon after the teachers guilds, rose to fill some of the same functions as what we would be familiar with in the labr union movements...protection and bargaining power, keeping the groups from getting ripped off. That developed a safer context for educational disciplines, and before long the establishment of universities takes on some of the forms that we're familiar with: set curriculae, decree bestowal and requirements, and even some of the structural side of Universities.
What’s interesting for my purposes is how the development of such institutions affected each of the disciplines studied there, and particularly the discipline of theology. It seems theologians in the modern university have to be attentive to both ecclesiological and academic demands and criteria, and the competing voices somehow have to sing together to be helpful to anybody. I’m betting that’ll be enough bait for a little conversation, but if need be I’ll suggest that Theology separated from the church sucks. So, there.
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ok, I'll bite.
Here's my quasi-outsider perception and I'll welcome dante to counter me if needed. Theologians in the modern university have to be attentive to academic demands and criteria, no doubt. That's straightforward enough. The ecclesiological part, however, is something they wink at (not out of disrespect at all; it's just an acceptance of reality at this point). They tip their hat b/c there's nothing else there. A horrifying but actual parallel is how right-wing politicians use the church. Pragmatic, yes. Ethical, not so much. I'll stop this thought with that.
So yeah, theology separated from the church sucks. My question to you (and the journeyplot readers) is: what does theology and/or the church have to say? In my opinion, something. They just haven't got it yet. But keep at it. I'll pitch in what I can too.
Thanks for an update. I was getting tired of the XBOX one. Not that I can't appreciate it; I'm just really behind in the video game world. Don't tell anybody though.
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