The Three Worlds of Christian Doctrine

Abstract

Abstract This chapter focuses on the nature of doctrine, noting its theoretical, objective, and subjective aspects, while setting out a theoretical framework that enables these to be seen as different aspects of the same thing. Karl Popper’s famous concept of the ‘Three Worlds’ is used as a framework for affirming and exploring this complex unity of Christian doctrine. Charles Taylor’s notion of ‘Articulation’ is used to make the point that doctrine is a verbal expression of something that itself lies beyond words. Other topics considered in this chapter include the problem of abstraction in doctrine; the ways in which doctrine can be interpreted affectively (as in the case of the poetry of George Herbert), and the objective and subjective aspects of the doctrine of the incarnation.