Philip Arthur Bence PhD Thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText

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entire theological education and relate it to the church
and world they are preparing to serve.
II. 'Objective'/'Subjective' Groupings of Theologies
All academic preparation for preaching shares the
task of discussing the same questions. As chapters two
and three document, the seven theologians (and those who
follow in their traditions) would offer diverse answers
even to the most basic questions.
Besides variation in the answers, we find an equal
divergence in the certainty with which specific answers
are given. Some preaching theologies focus on timeless
answers to the questions, while others emphasize the need
to continually ask the questions, seeking ever new
answers appropriate for the contemporary human situation.
This latter divergence--the matter of the objectivity (or
permanence) of man's knowledge of truth--influences the
teaching of preaching just as does the obvious matter of
the different answers given to the basic theological
questions.
Let us examine this issue further. Chapter three
presented six theological spectrums. The first two of
these deal with questions relating to God. (What did God
do for man, or for himself, at the cross? In what ways
has God revealed himself in Scripture?) The second two
deal primarily with questions relating to man. (What is
the primary need man faces? What must man do, or
receive, in order to have his need met?) The third pair