Public Theology in a U.S. Context
Craig L. Nessan and Paul S. Chung
In the United States, public theology encompasses civil society, communicative consensus, and the democratic politics of recognition, all grounded in justice for the common good, religious pluralism, and the integrity of the lifeworld. Research in the natural and biological sciences plays a critical role in advancing public theology by contributing to the conservation of the living world and the protection of ecological rights. In our introduction to public theology within the U.S. context, we focus on several eminent scholars affiliated with the International Public Theology Forum-Center (IPTFC) in Berkeley.
Ted Peters: Public Theology for the Global Common Good
In light of the current political and ecological situation in America, Ted Peters offers a practical definition of public theology oriented toward the global common good: “Public theology is conceived in the church, critically sharpened in the academy, and offered to the wider culture for the sake of the common good.”[1] The church theologian becomes one voice among many in a larger public choir that chants the common good shared by both humanity and nature in a just, sustainable, participatory, and planetary society.
Peters’ method takes up two tasks: discourse clarification and worldview construction.[2] In America at the present time, discourse clarification dons the prophetic mantle to render judgment against regnant political discourse that sounds lofty yet hypocritically justifies corruption and cruelty. Worldview construction consists of lifting a meaningful vision of a future world that orients social change and transformation.
Public theology is political, to be sure. But it also conscripts science and technology into a sharable theology of nature. For example, recently Peters has offered theologically informed ethical reflections on the projected impact of artificial intelligence as well as CRISPR gene editing.[3] He asks: how can the advancing frontier of scientific research and innovative technology escape the clutches of private profiteers and serve the wellbeing of all living creatures in God’s precious yet delicate creation? Such public thinking aims to influence public policy.[4]
In his method, Peters makes considerable use of the Lutheran emphasis on the Law-Gospel dialectic. God’s law along with humanly legislated law lift up a vision of a just society and provide judgment when empirical society falls short. The primary purpose of the law in worldview construction is to construct, preserve, or establish a community in the form of the polis or civitas. This first function is traditionally referred to as either the “political use” (usus politicus) or the “civil use” (usus civilis) of the law. Yet, the same law in its second use (usus pedagogicus or theological use) condemns the body politic when it fosters injustice. The public theologian employs the law in both its uses.
What about the gospel? What about the story of Jesus? What about forgiveness and the promise of eternal life? What about the good news of God’s grace? When it comes to the public context rather than the ecclesial context of theology, it is the law that is offered as God’s gracious gift.
The public theologian thanks both John Calvin and Martin Luther for viewing the law as God’s gift with multiple applications—civil, political, theological, and spiritual. While both reformers agreed on the political-civil and theological-spiritual dimensions, the Calvinistic or Reformed tradition places special emphasis on a third use of the law. What is the third use? For one who has heard the gospel and experienced total forgiveness with the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit, the law becomes a guide for expression in neighbor love and the pursuit of holiness. The law in its third use promotes personal and social sanctification. Even though the community of the faithful will grasp the relationship between the gospel of forgiveness and the law’s third use, this is not likely to obtain in the extra-ecclesial body politic.
Within the framework of the first use of the law, a Hindu, an agnostic, and a Christian can all agree that the law bears moral significance—namely, to protect human life. There is a shared recognition that the universe possesses a transcendent moral structure. Therefore, the law reflects this transcendent moral order. The Bible’s Ten Commandments along with Jesus’s Golden Rule are authoritative precisely because they affirm the widespread intuition that humanity exists within a moral universe.[5]
That said, Martin E. Marty is widely regarded as a pioneer of the Chicago school in public theology. Marty has influenced Ted Peters, among others. Marty’s work, in particular, emphasizes the value of religion’s public role in serving the broader society, even within diverse cultural and religious contexts. Today, the Martin Marty Center at the University of Chicago Divinity School continues his legacy.
Reinforcing this legacy, Katie Day, Professor of Religion and Society at Gettysburg Seminary, writes: “Public theology is thus theologically informed public discourse about public issues, addressed to the church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or other religious body, as well as the larger public or publics, argued in ways that can be evaluated and judged by publicly available warrants and criteria.”[6]
Craig L. Nessan: Public Theology for a Public Church
Craig L. Nessan occupies a distinctive position in public theology, particularly in relation to political theology (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jürgen Moltmann), liberation theology in Latin America, and Black theology in the U.S.[7] One of his major contributions to the strengthening of public theology as a critical project has been his original research on the history of genocide in America. Using the criteria from the United Nations’ “Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,” Nessan argues that the histories of the indigenous tribes and enslaved African peoples in the U.S. constitute “American genocides.”[8]
While Peters and Marty have made important contributions to public theological discourse in the U.S., Nessan, Professor of Contextual Theology and Ethics at Wartburg Theological Seminary, is especially noted for developing a public theology of ecclesia. Nessan argues that the church as the body of Christ is formed through Scripture and worship practices to become a shalom church that works for the repair of creation (tikkun olam).
Following the lead of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Nessan argues that the church lives out its public vocation as “Christ existing as community” by enacting God’s shalom through life-giving relationships between the Triune God, humanity, and all of creation. The “collective person” Jesus Christ embodies four marks of character through the church’s engagement in peacemaking, social justice, ecojustice, and defending human dignity.[9] This interpretation of the public church is especially relevant as a prophetic and critical response to 1) the scientific and technological advancements in the use of weapons of mass destruction that have intensified the human and economic toll of wars in Ukraine and Palestine and 2) the immigration crackdowns and racial injustice in the wake of MAGA politics in the U.S.
Nessan underscores the unique role of the public church to pursue the restoration of peace and prophetic diakonia within the public sphere.[10] One distinctive contribution involves his call for a “diaconate of all believers” as a contemporary reinterpretation of Luther’s universal priesthood.[11] The church’s public calling has practical implications for the revitalized mission of the Christian community through the transformation of local church structures, partnerships committed to the common good, interreligious cooperation, and public witness.
In addition to these and other ecumenical contributions, Nessan affirms that public theology serves as a paradigm to expand both political theology and liberation theology in response to the evolving contextual realities. One original contribution has been Nessan’s articulation of “child liberation theology” to advocate the protection of children from multiple forms of oppression.[12] Particular attention has been given to addressing the scandal of child abuse in church and society through advocacy scholarship, church policies, and protective measures in local churches that safeguard the wellbeing of children.[13]
Public Theology and the Social Scientific Framework
Amid ongoing debates and varied emphases among U.S. scholars, Paul S. Chung, Director of the Forum-Center at Berkeley, seeks to redefine public theology from a distinct perspective while maintaining a critical and emancipatory stance. Specifically, Chung engages with sociological studies of religion and politics, assesses the public role of natural science, and promotes comparative religion across social and cultural stratifications.
He applies this framework to the complex global realities that persist in the wake of colonialism. In doing so, Chung addresses the postcolonial condition as it manifests in a range of global concerns, including the Russia–Ukraine war, the Palestinian conflict, scientific racism, immigration, and religious tensions.
At the core of his work, Chung argues that colonialism is far from over, despite the attainment of political independence in many regions. He contends that public sphere issues within local civil societies are inextricably linked to global realities. Consequently, public theology must encompass both the internal and external dimensions of society on a global scale.
Furthermore, Chung addresses sociobiological pathologies and consilience—such as the revival of outdated forms of social Darwinism—with a particular focus on the public sphere in his native South Korea. In light of the postcolonial condition, he writes: “Public theology is a theological and philosophical endeavor designed to provide a more complex frame of reference aimed at facilitating the church in its cultural, sociopolitical, and ethical responsibilities.”[14]
Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen: Constructive Public Theology
In this regard, we highlight the significance of Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, a Finnish theologian and Professor of Systematic Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. Remarkably, in 2017, he completed the fifth volume of his projected five-volume systematic theology series titled A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World (Eerdmans, 2013–2017).
He engages with questions of science and religion, global contextual theology, and dialogue with other religions through the lens of comparative theology. In his seminal work Doing the Work of Comparative Theology (Eerdmans, 2020), he seeks to understand the parallels, similarities, and differences between Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
There are several academic mentors who have influenced his theological trajectory, including his late Doktorvater, Professor Tuomo Mannermaa, a leading Luther scholar at the University of Helsinki. The late Lutheran systematician Wolfhart Pannenberg advanced the idea of theology as public theology, while Jürgen Moltmann contributed groundbreaking and creative work in constructive theology.
Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen began his theological journey as a creative and inspiring public theologian, developing his systematic theology by combining Pannenberg’s methodological rigor with Moltmann’s contextual and global contributions across various theological topics.
Serving on the committee at the Forum-Center, he advances public theology through a constructive lens, particularly in the comparative study of world religions. For him, Christian systematic theology entails a comprehensive, world-embracing vision of God and the world—capturing a life-affirming and hopeful perspective and applying it to all aspects of life.
Reminiscent of Thomas Aquinas, the object of theology is God—thus, everything is related to God. All things come from God (exitus) and return to Him (reditus). This dynamic of exitus and reditus closely echoes St. Paul: “O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! … For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:34–36).
This universal vision leads Kärkkäinen to advocate for a broader and more complex understanding of theology within a constructive comparative framework, engaging other faith traditions through the principle of recognition. His approach to comparative theology remains a vital undercurrent in integrating other religious traditions into meaningful theological discourse.
Having said that, comparative theology does not necessarily diminish the significance of doctrinal issues; rather, it repositions their identity and meaning within the broader context of God’s love and reconciliation through the power of the Holy Spirit. This perspective engages with issues such as justice, equality, gender equity, environmental concerns, and postcolonial realities for the sake of the third millennium. Thus, comparative theology becomes an indispensable component of public theology, especially in its engagement with world religions—their wisdom, spirituality, and life-affirming ethical traditions.
Public Theology: Discourse Clarification and Common Good Governance
Thus, public theology involves clarifying discourse and the politics of recognition in pursuit of the global common good, through the social scientific investigation of power relations and material interests within a framework of problematization. All of this is undertaken with a commitment to world-building in light of God’s prolepsis in Christ and the prophetic ministry of reconciliation.
As a result, Chung strengthens an effective historical approach (Bonhoeffer-Walter Benjamin) to those who have been silenced, excluded, and victimized—drawing on the scapegoat mechanism (René Girard), which Ted Peters further develops in his public theological critique of immigration repression.
This effective historical approach is empirically demonstrated in Craig Nessan’s critical research on the history of Indigenous genocide. It is also deeply engaged with the social sciences and the governance of technology, particularly focusing on biopolitics and bureaucracy—both of which seek to regulate civil society and the natural environment.
Previously, Chung defined public theology as social ethics applied to the public sphere within civil society. Through collaboration with global scholars, he has worked through the Forum-Center to broaden public theology, encompassing a wide range of international relationships and emphasizing a social scientific framework, comparative studies of public religion, and the postcolonial condition.
International Public Theology at the Forum-Center
The Forum-Center in Berkeley collaborates with partners in Germany and the Lutheran World Federation–World Council of Churches (LWF–WCC), with the distinguished scholar Heinrich Bedford-Strohm—Chair of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and Chair of the World Council of Churches—serving as a European advisory representative.
The Berkeley Forum-Center is a member of the Global Network for Public Theology and functions as both a research and educational institution. It fosters interdisciplinary collaboration among theologians, natural scientists, and social scientists from Berkeley and Stanford universities. This cooperative network emphasizes the importance of eco-systemic inquiry in supporting the flourishing of the community of life through scientific and theological dialogue on civil society, climate change, and public policy.
In this light, Raymond Carr deserves mention. He is a research associate at the Moses Mesoamerican Archive at Harvard University, director of the Codex Charles H. Long Papers Project, and president of the Society for the Study of Black Religion (SSBR). Carr contributes to international public theology by employing the radical legacies of Karl Barth—particularly in the tradition of Helmut Gollwitzer and F.W. Marquardt—as well as the Black theology of James Cone and the Black religious contributions of Charles H. Long, the historian of religions. Carr specializes in recomposing, to use a jazz term, the dogmatic interpretation of Karl Barth seen in his political resistance to Nazism and the more existential participation of James Cone in the white racist bluesground of American experience.
Methodologically, Carr casts a theopoetic vision that appeals to the Black aesthetic mode of religious apprehension in order to pensively attend to church tradition(s), on one hand, and openly, joyfully and spontaneously attune to extra-church realities, on the other. This critical, creative, and constructive turn to aural aesthetics troubles the categories and discursive practices that have become so culturally hegemonic in Western modes of thought. Moreover, according to Carr, if the churches “hear the light” of the religious imagination, they can cultivate a more radical appreciation for humanity and the world in light of the historical impulse or charismata of the Black church in America. In this way, churches can turn from a cultural heritage where we merely aim to think, know, and see, and embrace a grander perception where we hear, believe, and dance to the musicality of the divine.
Given the comprehensive nature of such scholarly collaborations, the Forum-Center emphasizes the significance of eco-systemic inquiry through rigorous scientific and theological debates that address aesthetic orientations, civil society, climate change, and public policy, aiming to ensure the flourishing of our shared life on Earth.
Summarizing this vision, Chung states: “In a nutshell, public theology (theologia publica) is concerned with the public affairs or institutions of society (res publica) to promote the common good of society.”[15] The prioritization of the common good engages both civil society and the global constellation of the politics of recognition, comparative religion, postcolonial theology of God’s mission beyond empire, and the prophetic diakonia of reconciliation. This common quest forms the foundation for civil and global solidarity in pursuit of emancipation, authentic democracy, and governance oriented toward the common good.
In conclusion, the relationship between theology and the church in the U.S. context is increasingly confronted with a range of issues that are becoming more public and interdisciplinary in nature. Notably, during the second term of the Trump administration, MAGA policies have already encroached upon the domain of civil society and the common good, while the oppression of immigrants has reached deeply troubling levels. Furthermore, the Trump administration’s tariff war with China serves as a barometer for the urgency with which public theology must stand alongside the church of peace and resist the rise of fascism and the naturalization of war.
In North America, the persistence of Christian racism and the rise of far-right Christian fascism demand serious reflection on the Barmen Declaration of the Confessing Church in 1930s Germany and its prophetic legacy. Ted Peters’ critical engagement with these issues represents a highly significant contribution. In this context, public theology offers a vital path for the church to engage theologically with the world, cultivating discipleship that follows the risen and living Jesus Christ—Lord of both the church and the world.
[1] Ted Peters, “Public Theology: Its Pastoral, Apologetic, Scientific, Political, and Prophetic Tasks,” International Journal of Public Theology 12 (2018), 153-177.
[2] Ted Peters, The Voice of Public Theology: Addressing Politics, Science and Technology (Adelaide: ATF, 2023).
[3] See: Ted Peters, ed., The Promise and Peril of AI and IA: New Technology Meets Science, Religion, and Ethics (Adelaide: ATF, 2025) and Arvin Gouw and Ted Peters, eds., The CRISPR Revolution in Science, Religion, and Ethics (London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2025).
[4] See online resources: (1) Books on Public Systematic Theology; (2) Public Theology Resources; (3) Patheos on Public Theology; (4) Substack on The Voice of Public Theology Newsletter; and (5) Public Theology Debates.
[5] Ted Peters, “Walz and Lutheran Public Theology,” Patheos, August 8, 2024, https://www.patheos.com/blogs/publictheology/2024/08/walz-and-lutheran-public-theology/
[6] Katie Day and Sebastian Kim, “Introduction,” in A Companion to Public Theology, eds. Katie Day and Sebastian Kim (Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2017), 4.
[7] Craig L. Nessan, “My Journey with Liberation Theology,” Currents in Theology and Mission 52 (Jan 2025): 43-51.
[8] Craig L. Nessan, “Calling a Thing What It Is: Confronting the American Genocide of Indigenous Peoples,” Currents in Theology and Mission 47 (January 2020): 23-28 and Craig L. Nessan, “Disposable People and the Death of Whitegod,” Dialog 60 (Fall 2021): 177-184.
[9] Craig Nessan, Shalom Church: The Body of Christ as Ministering Community (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2010).
[10] Craig L. Nessan, “Establishing Diaconal Studies in North America,” in Craig L. Nessan and Darryl W. Stephens, eds., Diaconal Studies: Lived Theology for the Church in North America (Oxford: Regnum Books, 2024), 15-28.
[11] Craig L. Nessan, “Diaconate of All Believers: Theology, Formation, Practice,” Religions 14 (Spring 2023): 1-13. 741. https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/6/741.
[12] Craig L. Nessan, “Attending to the Cries of Children in Liberation Theologies,” in Marcia J. Bunge, ed., Child Theology: Diverse Methods and Global Perspectives (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2021), 1-20.
[13] Craig L. Nessan and Victor I. Vieth, eds, Here We Stand: A Lutheran Response to Child Abuse (Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2025).
[14] Paul S. Chung, Postcolonial Public Theology: Faith, Scientific Rationality, and Prophetic Dialogue (Origen: Wipf & Stock, 2016), 1.
[15] Chung, Public Theology and Civil Society: Constructive Formation (Madris: EBL, 2022), 11.