Gordon Kaufman and a Theology for the Seeker

• Main Author: Hans le Grand
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-08-01
• Series: Religions
• Subjects: pluralism; (religious) seekers; Unitarian Universalism; religious liberalism; Gordon Kaufman; constructive theology; pragmatic truth; spiritual growth; multiple religious belonging; Unitarian Universalist principles
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/8/480

This article begins to develop a theology for the multi-worldview seeker, based on the constructive theological work of Gordon Kaufman. Seeking, as discussed in this article, is an attitude of life, characterized by interest in more than one theological, philosophical, or spiritual worldview, without any short or mid-term intention to commit oneself to one of them. In the United States, the Unitarian Universalist Association is a denomination that houses many theological seekers. The principles and sources of faith of that denomination offer an interesting foundation for the attitude of seeking. Constructing a theology for the seeker based on these principles should include a coherent account of concepts such as truth, God, spiritual growth, and ethics as they might follow from those principles. This article identifies possible incoherencies in the use of these concepts by seekers and proposes ways to escape them.