The Future of Theology in the University: Christian Theology, Normativity, and Religious Studies

This panel convenes scholars situated in different contexts—private universities, public universities, and divinity schools—with the goal of reflecting on an urgent cluster of questions. How ought one to think about Christian theology as a normative mode of inquiry? What kinds of commitments do Christian theologians bring to their academic work, what constituencies and communities do they serve (and, perhaps, abjure), and what responsibilities do they have? Is a particular kind of normativity peculiar to Christian theology, one that bears comparison to the normativities found in other disciplines? How do other modes of inquiry/fields/disciplines shape Christian theology, and how do Christian theologians position themselves within and/or in relation to the broad world of religious studies? Now that a quarter of a century has elapsed since the differentiation of “critics” and “caretakers,” are there new models for thinking about Christian theology in relation to religious studies?