Common Theology is an experiment.
Rumour has it that more and more Australians are venturing into spirituality, searching for the meaning of life, sampling religious disciplines as never before. Meditation has street cred. Yoga is cool with fitness fanatics. The Dalai Lama tops ratings every time he drops into Australia.
At the same time the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches find themselves thrust into the market-place of public scrutiny for less-than-exemplary behaviour. The institutional church can no longer depend on its reputation to attract seekers-after-truth.
But the Church's hidden treasure lies in two thousand years of reflection on the meaning of life, and the time is ripe for the demystification of theology. Several esteemed journals, St Mark's Theological Review and Songlines, to name but two of them, already serve the Anglican community.
Common Theology aims to be a forum where public matters that impinge upon daily life and decision-making can be 'theologised', in language accessible to anyone who can read. The process of theologising on public issues has been given diverse names on other continents - 'liberation theology' in Latin America, 'contextual theology' in Africa.
Australians getting to grips with theology in daily life may, in time, coin a definitive term for thinking about God on this unique continent. In this inaugural edition of Common Theology, the ABC's Margaret Coffey reports on a new approach to ethics and spirituality in schools; Anglican Primate Dr Peter Carnley writes in defence of hierarchy; Brisbane theologian Dr Ray Barraclough contributes a personal snapshot of Middle East politics; and Archbishop Desmond Tutu describes how truth and reconciliation oiled the transition from apartheid.
The mandate of Common Theology will lie in its readership.
The only criteria for contributions are sound theology - however radical or conservative, and plain language.
Its purpose is to become a forum for theological discussion on matters which impact upon our daily lives, including points of dispute in church affairs.

Maggie Helass