Philip Arthur Bence PhD Thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText

160
left (leaning toward 'subjectivity' in their theology of
preaching), the four on the right (leaning toward
'objectivity' in theology of preaching), and the large
gap separating the two groups.
(For other observations based on these numerical
comparisons, see appendix two.)
It is now appropriate to restate an earlier premise
and apply it to the teaching of preaching. Theologies
which lean toward man's knowledge of objective
theological truth emphasize the timeless answers to the
basic questions. Those which believe that man's
theological knowledge comes from subjective experience
give priority to the continual re—asking of the
questions, and the search for answers appropriate to the
contemporary human situation.
Following that, there should be similar broad
divisions in the teaching of preaching: education which
seeks primarily to give answers, as opposed to that which
seeks to enable the student to ask seriously the
appropriate questions.
(In the pages which follow, theologies which lean
toward man's knowledge of revealed, unchanging
theological truth are called 'objective' theologies.
Colleges or lecturers who teach such theology are also
called 'objective'. Conversely, theologies which believe
that man's theological knowledge comes through experience
are called 'subjective' theologies. Colleges or
lecturers who teach this theology are also called