Theology excels in critical thinking. That's what theologians since time immemorial have done best. Compare all new ideas against the established orthodoxy. Find reasons why a new idea cannot be true or is 'dangerous' or is harmful to soul and church.

Defenders of ideas do not make good innovators. We are too busy explaining the exclusivity of our view of God.

I am Right. You are Wrong.

Edward de Bono said that argument and criticism are very inefficient ways of producing new ideas. Critical thinking is only one wheel of a car: Important, but far from the most important and impotent without the other three wheels which would include exploratory thinking (scanning the mental terrain), design thinking (producing new alternatives altogether) and, I think[!], analytical thinking (synthesizing and breaking ideas up into recognisable comparable parts).

I find Sweet's counsel refreshing:

"First, I have no right to critique anyone if I can't first celebrate him. Celebration comes before critique. There is a musician's motto: three strokes for each poke. If I can't say three positive things about someone and lift her up with prayer and thanksgiving to God, I have no warrant for complaint.

Second, I should not argue with anybody until I can state their position back to them in such a way that they approve. I never cease to be amazed at how many times this little habit forces my mouth shut.

My third habit is to listen to friends for confidence and courage but listen to enemies for wisdom and information…our enemies are people too, with ideas of their own that we can learn from."

(SoulSalsa: 17 Surprising Steps for Godly Living, Leonard Sweet, p.109)

Theology needs to infuse its thinking with more heart. Not just with more "passion for the truth" - may I be so bold as to suggest that we have more than enough of this? - but passion for the thought, for the event, for the dance of new thinking.

Of course, we shouldn't condone lies (defined for now as deliberate deception - why do we ascribe such dubious motives to our neighbour?). Neither am I condoning 'sloppy' or lazy thinking. On the contrary, the fresh-est ideas/views usually requires the most work, research, trial-and-errors, refinement, testing, (re)-thinking, etc.

Holy eureka.