The Next Word: Tutu and Bakhtin on Dialogical Disagreement.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said, "There is no final theology," by which he meant that every theology is partial, possibly expressing a valuable truth but never encompassing the totality of the truth. For Tutu, the way we go about navigating conflicts, in theology and beyond, involves a recognition...

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Published in:Journal of Ecumenical Studies Vol. 60; no. 3; pp. 413 - 428
Main Author: Johnson, Russell P.
Format: Article
Published: University of Pennsylvania Press Summer2025
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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        atl: The Next Word: Tutu and Bakhtin on Dialogical Disagreement.
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        Bakhtin, M. M. (Mikhail Mikhaĭlovich), 1895-1975
        Nonviolence
        Theology
        Christianity
        Metaphor
        Reconciliation
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          Bakhtin, M. M. (Mikhail Mikhaĭlovich), 1895-1975
          Nonviolence
          Theology
          Christianity
          Metaphor
          Reconciliation
      keyword:
        conflict
        Desmond Tutu
        dialogue
        Mikhail Bakhtin
        nonviolence
        reconciliation
      ab: Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said, "There is no final theology," by which he meant that every theology is partial, possibly expressing a valuable truth but never encompassing the totality of the truth. For Tutu, the way we go about navigating conflicts, in theology and beyond, involves a recognition that we have neither the first word nor the last word. We are always already participating in an ongoing dialogical interaction. By comparing Tutu's ideas with the work of Mikhail Bakhtin, this essay argues that the metaphor of "not having the last word" provides a framework for responsibly engaging in disagreements about ethics, politics, and theology.
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