Page 207 - THE ARMENIAN CHURCH_Neat

208 The Armenian Church

A relevant theology
Within the framework of God's revelation,
theology, as the mind of the church, is called
to address issues and questions pertaining
to church's faith, self-understanding, and
its relations with society and the world at
large. An authentic Christian theology, while
driven by the core values and basic teachings
of the church, should be relevant and con-
textual, and it should be responsive to the
realities of its context. Theology cannot act as
the credible mind of the church if it is not
accompanied by critical thinking, fresh ap-
proaches, and broader perspectives. A huge
task lies before the Armenian Church's
theology:
First of all, Armenian theology must un-
dergo a comprehensive scrutiny. There are
vital areas and controversial issues that
require deeper exploration and analytical
study. It must undertake a systematic and
systemic treatment of the thought of the
Armenian Church in its multiple dimensions
and articulations.
Armenian theology should endeavor to
create a dynamic dialogical interaction
between the major themes of ancient theo-
logy and the basic topics of contemporary
theology. The problems of ancient theology
and their relevance to present-day realities
must be spelled out.