Living theologically – Towards a theology of Christian practice in terms of the theological triad of orthodoxy, orthopraxy and orthopathy as portrayed in Isaiah 6:1–8: A narrative approach

Abstract

This article explores the connection between life and theology. Today, many people do not understand the connection between theology and everyday life. In particular, many of today’s theological students are leaving theological institutions and entering the ministry with a fragmented theology instead of an integrated theology. A brief historical and literature review indicates that there are three perspectives in contemporary theology, namely the theological triad of orthodoxy, orthopathy and orthopraxy. A brief analysis of the three perspectives indicates a close connection between theology and everyday life: theology and life are linked in praise (orthodoxy), action (orthopraxy) and passion (orthopathy). This article focuses on the paradigm of narrative theology and shows that, when used correctly, narrative theology provides the building blocks for systematic theology and biblical theology. Narrative theology also provides helpful insights when it takes into account legitimate literary concerns, such as the historical background of the Bible passage and the author’s theology and purpose. The close connection between theology and everyday life is clearly portrayed in a narrative approach to Isaiah 6:1–8, especially when it illustrates how the story (narrative) shapes each of the three perspectives of the theological triad.