Theology in Public

The Need for a Modern Marketplace

Personal relationships are wonderful contexts for deep conversations. But to see San Jose discipled, we need to engage with people beyond our immediate circles. How? When the apostle Paul was in Athens, “he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there” (Acts 17:17, ESV). Today, places where ideas can be freely exchanged, like ancient synagogues and marketplaces, are uncommon. Over the years, CCC has tried various ways to connect with people outside the church, including a regular presence at our community farmer’s market. While we had many interactions and opportunities to talk about the good news with our neighbors, these were often brief exchanges and less than ideal for thoughtfully reasoning about matters of faith. These conversations rarely resulted in further dialogue for deeper discussion or understanding. We wanted a modern marketplace—a place where we could have meaningful conversations with people in our city. Theology in Public represents one attempt to create that.

Making a Market: Bringing Theology to the Public Square

We go to public spaces with an attractive sign posing a controversial or thought-provoking question, inviting people to join us for on-camera discussions. Our questions cover religious topics (e.g., "Does God exist?"), moral issues (e.g., "Eating animals: right or wrong?"), and existential topics (e.g., "What’s the key to happiness?"). Our goal is not to debate or embarrass people, but to have warm, respectful conversations. We explore how our answers to life's biggest questions come back to our beliefs about God and we reason about those beliefs together. Contrary to the notion that politics or religion shouldn't be discussed, we believe theological beliefs are among the most crucial topics for public discourse. Our dialogues often encourage critical thinking about our beliefs, examine evidence for Christian truth claims, or showcase the goodness and beauty of Christianity. CCC has hosted Theology in Public at college campuses and shopping malls in San Jose, focusing especially on San Jose State University. Dozens of participants have shared their contact information following our initial conversations, and some have continued the discussions or joined us for a Bible study. At times these connections have even extended to others in their lives. We praise God for the many opportunities He has given us to have important conversations with the wonderful people in our city!

A Media Ministry for Believers and Unbelievers

Theology in Public has been a fruitful way to engage the world and equip our church. Occasionally, we share these discussions online with the desire to bless other Christians and skeptics. We hope that people outside the church will benefit from critical dialogues about Christianity, while those inside the church will be encouraged and empowered to have meaningful conversations with people in their own lives. We are currently rebooting our online show, so several of our previous episodes are unavailable on YouTube.

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