The role of appreciative inquiry in social theology

FORMAT | Presented paper

LANGUAGE |English

HOW TO CITE| SANDU, Antonio, & Necula, R. (2012). The role of appreciative inquiry in social theology. Prezentată la International Conference Unity and Diversity in Knowledge Society, Academia Română, 27-30 Septembrie 2012, Iaşi.

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ABSTRACT

The relationship between theology and appreciative inquiry is explored in the literature from the per- spective of theology of vocation patterns, specific to Protestantism and neo-Protestantism, trends from America. The relationship between success and salvation highlighted by Weber makes in fact the the- ologies of evangelical nature to be theologies of success at the same time. Success is seen as a sign of Divine Grace and is therefore desirable for a Protestant or evangelical Christian. Orthodox theology of salvation is essentially a theology of success as the highest success that human beings can gain access to, is to partake of the mystery of the Godhead. But success is not worldly, but one headed toward eternity. Christian message replaces the prohibition manifestation of the type “you shall not” and the image of a “jealous and prohibitive God” to reverberate in the Decalogue, with a God who loves pe- ople, which guarantees the obtaining of the “ultimate success” of the Christian, which is the eternal happiness made possible by the divine assuming of all human sins. Happiness is guaranteed under the condition of spiritual cleanliness. Happiness theology does not exclude anyone from its share of happiness if one does not exclude themselves. Orthodox theology is essentially positive, but positivity is based on “success salvation” which is more of a “emptying of passions”.

KEYWORDS:

The Role, Appreciative Inquiry, Social Theology.