The point of religion is to encourage human flourishing in communion with the divine.

Theology is about communicating that. If it doesn’t, it is missing the point.

Theology has a reputation for being dense. It is, after all, philosophy bent toward God. And it usually reads like that.

But its true purpose is communicating, not definitive truths about God, but how we connect with God and experience flourishing.

When we consider its purpose, so much that we hold as necessary and true becomes hollow. Fights over doctrine become anathema. As do shunning, torment, or conversion therapies. Legal rights to condemn, restrict healthcare, or promote violence have no place. Because it all inhibits flourishing and communions with the divine.

Theology would have a lot to say to us if we focused on what it is for.