On Doxological Theology

"God does not become a religion, so that man participates in him by corresponding religious thoughts and feelings. God does not become a law, so that man participates in him through obedience to a law. God does not become an ideal, so that man achieves community with him through constant striving. He humbles himself and takes upon himself the eternal death of the godless and the godforsaken, so that all the godless and the godforsaken can experience communion with him." -Jürgen Moltmann

Theology can sometimes feel like an exercise in moralism, a set of rules to follow in order to "be good." Or it can become an exercise in dogmatic certitude, a rigid system of correct beliefs to which we must subscribe in order to belong. Both of these distortions—reducing faith to ethics or to doctrinal correctness—risk making Christian faith more about us than about God. But Jürgen Moltmann offers us a different way, a doxological theology, which invites us beyond moralism and dogma into the very life of God through worship and wonder.

What Is Doxological Theology?

Moltmann’s theology is deeply shaped by the conviction that theology is not merely an intellectual exercise but an act of worship (doxology). Rather than treating theology as an abstract system of knowledge or a collection of moral imperatives, Moltmann argues that all true theology is done in response to the beauty, love, and presence of God. Theology, then, is not just about explaining God—it is about being drawn into God's life with gratitude and praise.

This means that the goal of theology is not to achieve absolute certainty or moral perfection. Instead, it is to participate in the joy of God’s love, which has been revealed in Jesus Christ. Theology should inspire wonder and gratitude, drawing us deeper into communion with God and into the mission of God’s kingdom.

Why We Need Doxological Theology

1. It Rescues Us from Moralism
   If our faith is only about following moral principles, we will inevitably fall into self-righteousness or despair. We may pride ourselves on our obedience, or we may collapse under the weight of our failures. But doxological theology reminds us that Christian life is not about moral achievement—it is about living in the joy of God's presence. Moral transformation happens, but not as a prerequisite for faith. It happens as a response to grace.

2. It Rescues Us from Dogmatic Certitude
   Theological certainty can become an idol. We can become so obsessed with having the "right" beliefs that we lose sight of the mystery and beauty of God. When theology is treated as a closed system of doctrines, it ceases to be an act of worship and becomes an act of control. But Moltmann’s doxological theology reminds us that God is not an object to be mastered—God is the living, loving One who calls us into relationship. Theology is never finished because worship is never finished.

3. It Calls Us into a Lived Theology
   Doxological theology is not passive—it moves us into action. True worship is not an escape from the world but an engagement with it. When we recognize God’s presence in all things, we are moved to live in ways that reflect God’s justice, love, and peace. This is why Moltmann’s theology has always been deeply engaged with suffering and hope. According to Moltmann, "[Christian theology] awakens pain over the present internal and external enslavements of human beings" (On Human Dignity, 16). Worship and discipleship are inseparable; to praise God is to join in God's liberating mission.

Living into a Doxological Faith

Moltmann’s doxological theology challenges us to see our faith as something more than morality or doctrine. It is an invitation to delight in God, to be shaped by gratitude, and to enter into the mystery of God's love. This does not mean rejecting ethical responsibility or theological reflection, but it does mean holding them within a larger posture of wonder.

To be a disciple of Christ, then, is not merely to believe rightly or to act rightly, but to worship rightly. And right worship is not about getting the rituals perfect—it is about being drawn ever deeper into the life of God, the source of all joy.

Let us, then, be theologians not in the sense of mastering God, but in the sense of being grasped by the love of God. Let us be disciples who do not merely know about God but who are enraptured by the presence of God. "Believing in Christ's resurrection therefore does not mean affirming a fact. It means being possessed by the life-giving Spirit and participating in the powers of the age to come." Let us live our theology as worship, and let our worship become our way of life.