{"id":{"repo_id":"middlesex","oai_identifier":"oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:8q201"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/middlesex/oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:8q201","repository":{"repo_id":"middlesex","name":"Middlesex University","base_url":"https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/oai2"},"display":{"title":"Towards a theology of relationship: Emil Brunner’s Truth as Encounter in light of relationship science","abstract":"We live in an era of relationality and relationships that might be considered a unique point in history as relations are of utmost importance in almost every field of science and society. For theology, however, this is nothing new. Having a personal relationship with God is a common Christian expression and has even become an evangelical ‘shibboleth’. While this notion of relationship with God usually lacks a clear definition and its explication is often deeply flawed, this thesis argues nevertheless for a theology of relationship. Based on Emil Brunner’s seminal work Truth as Encounter, it is boldly proposed that relationship must be the prime leitmotif for the whole of theology. By re-introducing Brunner as a relational theologian that should be preferred over so-called relational theologies, trinitarian theologies and Karl Barth, he is suggested as a solid foundation that should be rediscovered for future investigations. Brunner’s basic category of personal correspondence or I-You relationship is summarised as reciprocal, asymmetric, free and marked by self-disclosure and responsiveness. Based on this taxonomy, the analogy of relationships is under scrutiny (is it accurate to speak of a relationship with God?) by investigating it in light of relationship science leading to the final analogical argument proposing that God-human interaction is indeed categorically a relationship and existentially intended to be intimate. Consequently, theologically this relationship needs to be the leitmotif leading to a theology of relationship rather than a relational theology. Finally, ten propositions for further research towards a theology of relationship are made to integrate the material, existential and formal dimensions of the leitmotif of relationship.","abstract_html":"We live in an era of relationality and relationships that might be considered a unique point in history as relations are of utmost importance in almost every field of science and society. For theology, however, this is nothing new. Having a personal relationship with God is a common Christian expression and has even become an evangelical ‘shibboleth’. While this notion of relationship with God usually lacks a clear definition and its explication is often deeply flawed, this thesis argues nevertheless for a theology of relationship. Based on Emil Brunner’s seminal work Truth as Encounter, it is boldly proposed that relationship must be the prime leitmotif for the whole of theology. By re-introducing Brunner as a relational theologian that should be preferred over so-called relational theologies, trinitarian theologies and Karl Barth, he is suggested as a solid foundation that should be rediscovered for future investigations. Brunner’s basic category of personal correspondence or I-You relationship is summarised as reciprocal, asymmetric, free and marked by self-disclosure and responsiveness. Based on this taxonomy, the analogy of relationships is under scrutiny (is it accurate to speak of a relationship with God?) by investigating it in light of relationship science leading to the final analogical argument proposing that God-human interaction is indeed categorically a relationship and existentially intended to be intimate. Consequently, theologically this relationship needs to be the leitmotif leading to a theology of relationship rather than a relational theology. Finally, ten propositions for further research towards a theology of relationship are made to integrate the material, existential and formal dimensions of the leitmotif of relationship.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Berra, M."],"institution":"Middlesex University / London School of Theology (LST)","degree_name":null,"degree_level":"PhD thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2021,"date_issued":"2021","date_published":"2021","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:04:06Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:8q201"],"render_values":[{"text":"oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:8q201","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Berra, M."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2021"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2021"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["School of Law"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["Middlesex University / London School of Theology (LST)"]},{"key":"dc:relation","label":"Dc Relation","values":["https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/8q201"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby","values":["https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/8q201"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis or dissertation"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["PhD thesis"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:8q201"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["We live in an era of relationality and relationships that might be considered a unique point in history as relations are of utmost importance in almost every field of science and society. For theology, however, this is nothing new. Having a personal relationship with God is a common Christian expression and has even become an evangelical ‘shibboleth’. While this notion of relationship with God usually lacks a clear definition and its explication is often deeply flawed, this thesis argues nevertheless for a theology of relationship. Based on Emil Brunner’s seminal work Truth as Encounter, it is boldly proposed that relationship must be the prime leitmotif for the whole of theology. By re-introducing Brunner as a relational theologian that should be preferred over so-called relational theologies, trinitarian theologies and Karl Barth, he is suggested as a solid foundation that should be rediscovered for future investigations. Brunner’s basic category of personal correspondence or I-You relationship is summarised as reciprocal, asymmetric, free and marked by self-disclosure and responsiveness. Based on this taxonomy, the analogy of relationships is under scrutiny (is it accurate to speak of a relationship with God?) by investigating it in light of relationship science leading to the final analogical argument proposing that God-human interaction is indeed categorically a relationship and existentially intended to be intimate. Consequently, theologically this relationship needs to be the leitmotif leading to a theology of relationship rather than a relational theology. Finally, ten propositions for further research towards a theology of relationship are made to integrate the material, existential and formal dimensions of the leitmotif of relationship."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["We live in an era of relationality and relationships that might be considered a unique point in history as relations are of utmost importance in almost every field of science and society. For theology, however, this is nothing new. Having a personal relationship with God is a common Christian expression and has even become an evangelical ‘shibboleth’. While this notion of relationship with God usually lacks a clear definition and its explication is often deeply flawed, this thesis argues nevertheless for a theology of relationship. Based on Emil Brunner’s seminal work Truth as Encounter, it is boldly proposed that relationship must be the prime leitmotif for the whole of theology. By re-introducing Brunner as a relational theologian that should be preferred over so-called relational theologies, trinitarian theologies and Karl Barth, he is suggested as a solid foundation that should be rediscovered for future investigations. Brunner’s basic category of personal correspondence or I-You relationship is summarised as reciprocal, asymmetric, free and marked by self-disclosure and responsiveness. Based on this taxonomy, the analogy of relationships is under scrutiny (is it accurate to speak of a relationship with God?) by investigating it in light of relationship science leading to the final analogical argument proposing that God-human interaction is indeed categorically a relationship and existentially intended to be intimate. Consequently, theologically this relationship needs to be the leitmotif leading to a theology of relationship rather than a relational theology. Finally, ten propositions for further research towards a theology of relationship are made to integrate the material, existential and formal dimensions of the leitmotif of relationship."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Towards a theology of relationship: Emil Brunner’s Truth as Encounter in light of relationship science"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Berra, M."],"dc:date":["2021"],"dc:date.issued":["2021"],"dc:description":["We live in an era of relationality and relationships that might be considered a unique point in history as relations are of utmost importance in almost every field of science and society. For theology, however, this is nothing new. Having a personal relationship with God is a common Christian expression and has even become an evangelical ‘shibboleth’. While this notion of relationship with God usually lacks a clear definition and its explication is often deeply flawed, this thesis argues nevertheless for a theology of relationship. Based on Emil Brunner’s seminal work Truth as Encounter, it is boldly proposed that relationship must be the prime leitmotif for the whole of theology. By re-introducing Brunner as a relational theologian that should be preferred over so-called relational theologies, trinitarian theologies and Karl Barth, he is suggested as a solid foundation that should be rediscovered for future investigations. Brunner’s basic category of personal correspondence or I-You relationship is summarised as reciprocal, asymmetric, free and marked by self-disclosure and responsiveness. Based on this taxonomy, the analogy of relationships is under scrutiny (is it accurate to speak of a relationship with God?) by investigating it in light of relationship science leading to the final analogical argument proposing that God-human interaction is indeed categorically a relationship and existentially intended to be intimate. Consequently, theologically this relationship needs to be the leitmotif leading to a theology of relationship rather than a relational theology. Finally, ten propositions for further research towards a theology of relationship are made to integrate the material, existential and formal dimensions of the leitmotif of relationship."],"dc:description.abstract":["We live in an era of relationality and relationships that might be considered a unique point in history as relations are of utmost importance in almost every field of science and society. For theology, however, this is nothing new. Having a personal relationship with God is a common Christian expression and has even become an evangelical ‘shibboleth’. While this notion of relationship with God usually lacks a clear definition and its explication is often deeply flawed, this thesis argues nevertheless for a theology of relationship. Based on Emil Brunner’s seminal work Truth as Encounter, it is boldly proposed that relationship must be the prime leitmotif for the whole of theology. By re-introducing Brunner as a relational theologian that should be preferred over so-called relational theologies, trinitarian theologies and Karl Barth, he is suggested as a solid foundation that should be rediscovered for future investigations. Brunner’s basic category of personal correspondence or I-You relationship is summarised as reciprocal, asymmetric, free and marked by self-disclosure and responsiveness. Based on this taxonomy, the analogy of relationships is under scrutiny (is it accurate to speak of a relationship with God?) by investigating it in light of relationship science leading to the final analogical argument proposing that God-human interaction is indeed categorically a relationship and existentially intended to be intimate. Consequently, theologically this relationship needs to be the leitmotif leading to a theology of relationship rather than a relational theology. Finally, ten propositions for further research towards a theology of relationship are made to integrate the material, existential and formal dimensions of the leitmotif of relationship."],"dc:identifier":["oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:8q201"],"dc:publisher.department":["School of Law"],"dc:publisher.institution":["Middlesex University / London School of Theology (LST)"],"dc:relation":["https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/8q201"],"dc:relation.isreferencedby":["https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/8q201"],"dc:title":["Towards a theology of relationship: Emil Brunner’s Truth as Encounter in light of relationship science"],"dc:type":["Thesis or dissertation"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["PhD thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:04:06Z"}