
Contents
Cite
Extract
The place of theology within institutions of higher education has once again become controversial in recent years. The receding social and cultural dominance of Christianity in most Western countries has inevitably and unsurprisingly raised questions about the continuing presence of the sometime Queen of Sciences in the academy. Less predictably perhaps but equally challenging has been the contribution of those within the Christian community who have voiced their concern that within a secular university theology must necessarily lose its ability to offer intellectual guidance to the faith that seeks understanding. The price theologians have to pay for the ticket that grants them entry into the world of academic respectability, some have urged, is too high as it robs their work of its specifically theological character.
While these debates are not lacking their political dimension, it would be wrong to reduce them to an extension of contemporary identity politics. The issues they raise touch the heart of what theology is and what role it can, and ought to, play in churches, in the academy, and in society in general. Theology has always been a precarious intellectual exercise. The place it occupies within the totality of human learning and the role it plays in the university have been controversial ever since that great European institution was founded in the Middle Ages. In their attempt to discern theological answers to today’s challenges, therefore, theologians are well advised to reflect on the peculiar character of their own discipline. Whatever the changing conditions of the world around them, without a proper understanding of the purpose and the nature of their own enterprise, the theologians’ voice cannot be expected to be heard, respected or even discerned.
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
October 2022 | 1 |
November 2022 | 3 |
December 2022 | 2 |
March 2023 | 2 |
June 2023 | 5 |
July 2023 | 2 |
December 2023 | 2 |
April 2024 | 2 |
May 2024 | 5 |
June 2024 | 1 |
November 2024 | 3 |
December 2024 | 2 |
April 2025 | 5 |
May 2025 | 2 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.