Disrupting Secularising Potential: Negative & Positive Theology

Should we be worried that we currently have areas that are opening the potential for secularisation (disassociation from Religion) in our school?

• Yes.

• No.

Answer explanation

No, potential secularisation can provide opportunities for guiding students towards Recontextualisation (looking at our Catholic faith in a way that is meaningful within our everyday life/experiences) and school members towards Post-Critical Belief - which is where we are working towards.

A way to help stifle Secularisation in our school is by emphasising . . .

• Negative theology

  (negative statements as primary in expressing our knowledge of God).

• Positive theology

  (positive statements as primary in expressing our knowledge of God).

• Negative theology, alongside a more conventional positive theology.

Negative theology is the study of what we cannot know about God. In a classroom, this may look like . . .

• Reading difficult passages of scripture, not just the happy ones.

• Discussing the problem of how a Good God allows evil in the world.

• Studying God's love for the enemy.

• Examining biases in the community, such as towards the poor.

• Listening to and discussing a song that emphasises peoples' struggles in the Old Testament.

If you are seeking inspiration when faced with challenges, what do you specifically look to for guidance?

• your heritage/charism

• Scripture

• Catholic tradition

Catholic religious education's role is to . . .

• Teach children about how to be unforgiving.

• Prepare our students to make a difference in the world and not to hide away from it (or worse: be ill-equipped to handle it).

• Leave out those who do not have the same beliefs.

Is it important to share one's own struggles (within reason) with the children we are working with?

• Yes

• No

Answer explanation

Yes. By discussing both the positive and challenging moments with our children, it is demonstrating the normality of hardships, alongside positive situations. We are there as guiding companions.

Should a Catholic school always paint itself as 'joy' and 'cheer'?

• Yes

• No

Answer explanation

No. This is painting the outside world as 'despair'. Creating a robust and mature negative theology (alongside the positive theology) for our school will go a long way to ensure Secularising will remain as potentials.