Thesis - Everyone's got some of these too

Yeah, so even though I like antithesis, I still have to write a thesis for my M.Div. It's actually due at the end of March and I have yet to start writing, though I have done a fair amount of preparatory research and writing. Here's something of the premise:

Many theologies have emerged from the non-western world in the last half-century.  Most famously one might think of Liberation theologies of Latin America, Black Theology in South Africa and Feminist /Womanist Theology (the latter two being also found in the West but among socially marginalized populations).  Also Asian and Post-Colonial theologies come to mind.  So there is an exciting production of original theological articulation going on, not only in the West, but all around the world.  

The response in the West has been typically western: namely, we've decided to study it.  That is, there have been all sorts of conversations about contextualization and mission, reforming mission, describing and documenting the growth of Christianity around the world and so on.  But what we don't have so much is western theologians engaging non-western theologians in normative conversations, asking questions about what it would mean to say something is normatively Christian "for us."  

One reason for this that immediately springs to mind is that we in the west have an unfortunate track record of dominating the rest - defiling Christian faith, destroying culture and deleting histories in the process.  So maybe theologians in the West have been a little gun-shy.  I respect this hesitation, if that's what it is. But in so doing, we risk ignoring others in the name of respecting them.  What is called for in this situation is not isolationism; no, I think we've actually got to listen to what the world's emerging theologians are telling us.  The argument will simply be that in order to understand who we really are as Christian requires understanding of who others are as Christian.  One's own Christian self-understanding is always a function of the Christian self-understanding of others.  

The goal of the thesis, then, will be to make some claims about what kinds of needs there are for constructive theological exchange between different theological expressions and then to describe the nature of that exchange.  I won't be proposing a model for unity (cf. ecumenism in the 20th century).  I will be proposing a model for pluralism that, by prioritizing self-understanding, forges cross-cultural relationships and partnerships.

Simplified model - 3 Stages

1) Historical theology. Where do I come from theologically?  (With the idea that I understand best the theological terms and definitions that formed my understanding to begin with.)

2) Anthropological theology. How have others answered question #1? (With the idea that others understand best the theological terms and definitions that formed their understandings to begin with.)

3) Systematic theology. How do answers to question #2 change my answer to question #1?