Beyond Confessional Boundaries: Januarius Asongu and the Reconstruction of Theology in Historical and Global Perspective

Abstract

George Alberto Gonzalez

This article assesses the emerging theological contribution of Januarius Asongu within the long history of theological synthesis and contestation. It argues that his Critical Synthetic Realism (CSR), Synthetic Theological Realism (STR), and critical-liberative theology propose a mutually corrective relationship among ontological realism, historically mediated knowledge, ecclesial reform, epistemic agency, and human flourishing. The analysis situates these proposals alongside patristic and scholastic theology, the Reformation, modern Protestant and Catholic theology, Eastern Christianity, liberationist and African traditions, feminist and womanist theology, and Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist interlocutors. Rather than equating conceptual comparison with historical influence, the article distinguishes documented claims from constructive extrapolation, identifies methodological affinities and irreducible disagreements, and considers whether Asongu offers a genuinely transferable procedure for adjudicating doctrinal change. It concludes that his contribution is best understood as an emerging research program, whose promise depends on more precise rules for cross-disciplinary synthesis, sustained interreligious encounter, and independent critical reception.

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