Symphonic theology: the validity of multiple perspectives in theology - vern s. poythress

The truth of God is rich and multifaceted.

Though a coherent body of revelation, the Bible comes to us through a variety of inspired authors, metaphors, and themes, highlighting the many facets of Gods truth.

Likewise, our theological formulations capture manifold emphases--distinct perspectives on the whole--which collectively enable us to gain a fuller understanding of the truth.

Poythress explains, We use what we have gained from one perspective to reinforce, correct, or improve what we understood through another.

I call this procedure symphonic theology because it is analogous to a blending of various musical instruments to express the variation of a symphonic theme.