ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the nature, scope and limits of an intercultural Christian theology, especially within contemporary Western society, which both respects particular commitments and facilitates dialogue between communities of belief and other dimensions of culture in society. It examines the need for an intercultural theology today as a collaborative effort, not least in the light of the continuing challenge of secularization. The book also examines the legacy of liberal theology, and evaluates the success of the recently revived perspectives of Barth and Tillich in relation to culture while avoiding the pitfalls of Kulturprotestantismus. It focuses on the distinctively Christian contribution to the understanding of the human through Christology, and the relation of a postmodern theology to morality. The book considers the collapse and retrieval of the classical hermeneutical tradition, following the explosion of emancipatory theologies and their accompanying new awareness of cultural diversity.
