Religious Family Systems

Abstract

Is one religion better than others? This is the sort of question one might try to avoid in polite company. However polite they may be, sacerdotal theologians committed to and working within a particular Supranatural Agent Coalition find it difficult to escape such questions, especially when they begin to probe into alien traditions. Those within their home tradition—or religious “family of origin”—usually want the theologian to send clear and costly signals that he or she believes their religion is superior to others. In the context of dialogue with those from other religious families, of course, such signaling only intensifies the alienation between in-groups. These are some of the challenges faced by scholars in the subdisciplines of “theology of religion” or “comparative theology,” who engage in theoretical reflection on, and sometimes offer practical guidance for, participation in interreligious dialogue.¹ In this chapter I will explore the affective dimension of encounters with religious others in light of “family systems theory.”