When I studied theology in preparation for ordination, there were two basic approaches to the subject. One, ‘from above’, began with revelation—what God had chosen to reveal to us—above all in scripture. The other, ‘from below’, started with human experience, for instance in prayer or in the encounter with the natural world, to discover what could be learnt about God in that way. In fact, most developed theologies draw on elements of both approaches, even if the proportions of each vary. But typically individuals, groups and even whole Churches show a preference for one over the other. As a journal, The Way more frequently starts from ‘below’ than ‘above’. Its mission statement, found inside the front cover of each issue, presents it as ‘a forum in which thoughtful Christians … can reflect on God’s continuing action in human experience’.
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