| Global theology means a systematic theory of religions that can embrace religions' diverse truth-claims and ends. In the current discourse of religious pluralism, this idea of global theology is regarded as a version of religious pluralism. But such a global theology has been sought by religious thinkers throughout history. Both religious pluralism and global theology may need to be pursued concomitantly. However, criticizing Wilfred Cantwell Smith's vision of global theology, S. Mark Heim, based on orientational pluralism, argues that global theology is unachievable and undesirable because it is impossible in principle and would inevitably override each religion's unique truths and ends.; Heim's conclusion, however, is a hasty one. The weaknesses of Smith's vision of global theology do not mean that global theology in a general sense is impossible and undesirable. Some visions of global theology avoid the weaknesses contained in Smith's vision. Moreover, orientational pluralism does not seem to provide credible criteria by which to disprove global theology as such, because it also has flaws.; Envisioning an adequate global theology in harmony with religious pluralism seems to be impossible when it is pursued in the context of the modern paradigm. It requires looking beyond the modern paradigm. Process philosophy seems to provide a plausible postmodern paradigm, called constructive postmodernism, in which we can pursue both a global theology and religious pluralism. Complementary religious pluralism formulated on the basis of this constructive postmodern paradigm resolves the four major issues in religious pluralism, and offers a philosophical foundation that is consistent with its arguments.; Complementary pluralism, by way of mutual transformation, will naturally and gradually lead each religion's belief to a confessional global theology, such as Christian or Buddhist global theology, in which diverse religions' unique truths are incorporated to form a consistent system. Confessional global theology does not have imperialistic implications, because it legitimates the various religions' unique truths without claiming any alleged neutral perspective among religions. Diverse confessional global theologies that increasingly resemble each other may, in the future, merge into one global theology, in which the various religions' unique truths continue to contribute harmoniously to humankind. |
