Theological Worlds

Part 3, Paul Jones' Five Theological Worlds

Whenever I have used Paul Jones' notion of theological worlds, I've tended to discuss the content of the first two posts of this series. That is, I describe the obsessio and epiphania, noting that we locate these experiences in different places. But I don't get overly specific about where these locations might be, allowing people the space and freedom to describe their own experiences however they would like.

But in his work, Paul Jones does name and describe specific theological worlds, five worlds in particular.

Now, let me confess that one of the reasons I've never dug too deeply into these five descriptions is that I haven't found Jones' scheme wholly satisfactory. You might like it, or you might not. Regardless, one of the reasons I'm doing this series is to, perhaps, improve upon Jones' description of the theological worlds. But to do that work we first need to walk through his five worlds. Here they are:

1. Separation and Reunion

2. Conflict and Vindication

3. Emptiness and Fulfillment

4. Condemnation and Forgiveness

5. Suffering and Endurance

Let's unpack these.

Separation and Reunion

The obsessio of the first world is an experience of "separation," a felt sense of alienation and homelessness in the cosmos. As Jones describes:

For inhabitants of this World, there is often a sense of abandonment. Within this huge cosmos, we feel isolated, small, lonely--a speck in a vast and staggering space. At times we seem to be aliens, or orphans. Life tends to be a quest to understand the mystery of this Whole. Our longing is to find our way home, as it were.

The epiphania for this experience of separation is "reunion," coming to feel "at home" and "welcomed" by the cosmos and life. Jones:

Resolution as the promise of homecoming can begin through experiencing the fact of our existence as itself a gift. In sensing this mystery of being, one can be touched with awe. Such sensitivity often comes in sacramental moments in which we are grasped in oneness with the Ground of our being. It is as if a veil is lifted, if only for a moment, and we know that we truly do belong.

Conflict and Vindication

The obsessio of the second world is "conflict." I think Jones muddies the description here by conflating injustice and oppression with death, but the basic idea is that the world is not "right" and is beset by strife. The theme seems to be oriented around social justice concerns. Jones:

In this World, history and its various institutions are tainted with self-interest. Conflict seems to be at the heart of life, even of nature, with many persons deprived of the means needed for living. Wherever one turns, the scene is a drama of winners and losers. Death is the final enemy, symbolizing the hostility which resists the crucial goal of humanizing this world. The foe is widespread, for even the cosmos is beset by entropy, so that such hemorrhaging seems to give to each part a sense of being violated. Thus threatened by the possibility of chaos, persons are tempted to grasp for power...Our reaction to often one of anger, sometimes even of rage. Reform is called for, even rebellion. Yet even though one is determined to change the world, such efforts sometimes feel like a never-ending defeat.

The epiphania for conflict is "vindication," a just, whole, peaceful, and liberated world:

Hope for resolution is rooted in the vision of a new heaven and a new earth, to be realized as liberation within history...In behalf of that goal, God takes sides, being committed to the poor, the captive, the blind, and the oppressed--and so must we. God calls us to be co-creators in this completion of creation. History will be vindicated by its completion, flowing back to give meaning to each part as means to that end. "Thy Kingdom come on earth, as it already is in heaven."

Emptiness and Fulfillment

The obsessio of the third world is "emptiness," a sense of self-estrangement and self-alienation. Again, I think Jones muddies the waters here by mixing existential angst with self-esteem and a desire to belong:

Those who inhabit this World are concerned with the self, for the dilemma that has taken hold of them is self-estrangement. One is uneasy that if people really knew me, they wouldn't like me. It isn't so much that I'm bad; it's as if there may not be much there. If my mask were to slip, it would be all over. But perhaps that wouldn't change things much after all, since often no one seems to care. The problem for many of us in this World is that often we are made to feel invisible, impotent, unheard, or insignificant. We are afterthoughts, like outcasts, as it were. And inside there is this emptiness, a void, an ache that resides in one’s midsection--the fear of being nobody, which in turn hinders action for fear of being rejected.

The experience of epiphania for emptiness is still unclear, in my opinion, due to mixing feeling loved with realizing one's potential. Jones calls this epiphania "fulfillment":

Resolution begins by being awakened to one's possibilities, usually by the support and promise of a caring friend or group. In being accepted, one is lured toward wholeness and fulfillment...In being loved for who I am, I can be and become my true self. Knowing from within that real selfhood means to love and be loved, I am empowered to realize my potential.

Condemnation and Forgiveness

The obsessio of the fourth world is "condemnation," struggles with shame and guilt, a failure to conform to moral ideals. Jones:

This world is characterized by the struggle with temptation and sin...In the quiet hours, it is hard to quiet a sense of guilt, evoked often by fear of judgment. We can feel like fugitives. This condition has to do not simply with what we do, but with an inner disposition. In trying to change, we experience an impotence to be otherwise, as if we are diseased.

The epiphania for this experience of guilt and shame is "forgiveness":

Since I cannot get out of my own way, resolution becomes possible only through God's intervention, centering in the gift of forgiveness. Repentance, leading to conversion, exhibits faith as trust that we have received reprieve, even though in no way do we deserve it. In spite of our unacceptability, God adopts us, not simply as children, but as heirs of life eternal.

Suffering and Endurance

The obsessio of the fifth and final world is "suffering." Again, because of how I think Jones conflates things which should be kept separate, it's unclear to me if Jones is describing the suffering of the world, as a whole, as a theodicy concern, or a personal sense of suffering with our struggles to carry it. For example, my life might be going just fine but my obsessio might concern the suffering of others. Jones describing the obsessio of "suffering":

The dilemma which focuses life for citizens of this World is life itself, the way things are. There is a heaviness to daily living, so that it seems that whatever can go wrong will. And whatever was troublesome yesterday will surely happen again, and again. while the characters and settings change, the plot remains basically the same--as variations on the theme of "victim." Whether the examples are a poor person who knows deprivation from without, or a successful one who is being eaten by cancer from within, there is the same sense of being engulfed, controlled, wronged, as if a refugee. Suffering is the one constant, the sign of living near the edge. Unable to exist without being scarred, life often feels like a predator. So one is tempted not to feel anymore, to trade in. trying for a cynical fatigue. Worn down in one's courageous fortitude, distrust is often the best defense against being done in. This is a hard world, one not readily chosen, for sadness edges even the joys.

The epiphania of suffering is "endurance," the ability to carry on with integrity and perseverance:

Although one cannot really change the way things are, one does have a choice as how to live it. Resolution, ironically, can come through suffering, as a refining fire, as it were. Travail, rightly faced, can bring healing, in which integrity is birthed. Integrity is a determined willingness to outlast, to persevere, no matter what. Spirit is that strange power which strengthens one to press on, even when one can think of no better reason than just keeping on keeping on... What matters is not the quantity of life but the quality of living. Thus life is to be drunk to the dregs, for one only goes around once. This can be done if one takes “one day at a time."

So, those are the five theological worlds as described by W. Paul Jones. My apologies for quibbling as I walked through these five obsessios, but those quibbles speak to why I've never presented these five worlds to audiences. Things are mixed in these descriptions that, I think, should be separated. Plus, I don't like every epiphania. For example, I don't know if "endurance" is the epiphania people with the "suffering" obsessio are looking for, at least not in an ultimate sense.

That said, Jones' descriptions of these five worlds gets us started. And I do think he names some legitimate obsessios and epiphanias that we can carry forward.