Experience (As source of Theology)
Tuesday, August 29, 2023
2:29 PM
The Wesleyan Quadrilateral cites 4 factors to form theology, and one of the factors is Experience.
Experiential formation of theology is knowledge deriving from direct perception or apprehension of reality, gained either externally or internally and presenting itself immediately to either the natural sense or the inner world of the spirit.
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Reflection is complementary to experience and helps us to understand our experiences.
Experiential theology has "arisen historically within Christianity to combat sterile intellectualism and/or rote traditionalism. Moreover, emphasizing the Spirit helps the church attain a more balanced trinitarian perspective. But there are also dangers: (1) Christian experience must never be viewed individualistically but instead must be nurtured and evaluated within the Christian community past and present. 
(2) Experience and reflection must not become isolated. Rather, Word and Spirit must remain complementary expressions of the Trinity. 
(3) The Spirit who is experienced cannot be reduced to only the Spirit in creation. Attempts to do so run the risk of Christianity degenerating into psychology (cf. Feuerbach's critique). Nor can Christian theology be concerned only with the Spirit of redemption, for then Christianity risks isolationism and mysticism."
From <[link]> 