Public Theology Hub

This KLC hub is dedicated to clarifying the meaning of “public theology”, and promoting its significant features for the benefit of Christian communities across the globe.

The Kirby Laing Centre has given as its full title the designation “for public theology.” As the term in current thinking has received a number of interpretations, it is incumbent on the Centre to explain its own understanding of the relevance of the phrase. The Centre has, therefore, convened a hub as a focal point for considering its own particular description of what is intended by the expression in accordance with its own stated vision and mission.

People who are expressly interested in engaging in a discussion of this concept are warmly invited to contribute to the forum’s reflection. One of the main aims of the hub is to produce a handbook that will offer a well-rounded introduction to the theme, that can be used as an educational tool in many different Christian learning institutions, wherever they are located. A publisher has already shown interest in such a project.

Dr. Andrew Kirk, one of the Centre’s trustees, is the present convenor of this hub. As a first step, he is producing a preliminary draft of the issues to be considered in such a handbook. He is inviting the members of the hub to add, subtract and refine the subject-matter and to construct a design that fulfils the requirement of being a text-book.

The hub is also engaged in encouraging its members to share their own reflections on public theology, according to their particular contexts and interests, and to make known important and interesting additional material on the subject from outside its own circle. So far, there have been a number of fascinating examples that have opened up new horizons on the scope of the matter under consideration, stimulating an ongoing dialogue.

The hub intends to meet virtually twice a year for a more intimate personal engagement among its members.

KLC requests people who would like to be involved in this hub to make themselves known by writing to the hub’s convenor, giving an indication of why they would be interested and any previous engagement they have had with the topic.