📘Lexicon: Relational Receptivity

Apr 08, 2025

Theological Alternatives | April 8, 2025

Definition

Relational receptivity is the theological posture of remaining open and attentive to others in their full particularity without attempting to control, convert, or categorize them. It refers to a stance of undetermined presence that allows genuine encounter across differences while maintaining one's own identity and convictions.

Key Characteristics

Non-competitive presence: Maintaining relationship without seeing the other as threat to one's own identity or beliefs
Capacity to accept the other as other: Allowing others to maintain their distinctiveness without requiring conformity
Sympathetic openness: Being attentive to what is happening in the world without predetermined judgment
Absence of contempt and mistrust: Engaging with those who differ without suspicion or derision
Vulnerability: Willingness to be changed through encounter rather than maintaining rigid boundaries

Theological Context

Relational receptivity emerges from trinitarian understanding of God's nature as fundamentally relational. Just as the persons of the Trinity maintain distinct identities while existing in perfect communion, humans are called to engage with others in ways that honor both unity and difference. This contrasts with the impulse toward either assimilation (erasing difference) or isolation (rejecting relationship across difference).

Unlike authoritarian approaches that seek to control or dominate others, relational receptivity operates from a position of freedom and mutual respect. It stands against the theological mutation of tribal epistemology by refusing to make group identity the basis for determining truth or value.

Practical Application

Think of relational receptivity like a gardener who creates optimal conditions for growth but does not control every aspect of how plants develop. The gardener respects the inherent nature of each plant while providing what it needs to flourish. Similarly, relational receptivity creates space for others to be authentically themselves while remaining engaged in genuine relationship.

In concrete terms, this might look like:

Listening attentively to those with different political or theological perspectives
Engaging with cultural or religious traditions outside your own without appropriation or dismissal
Creating communities that balance shared commitments with space for diverse expressions
Approaching questions about God, truth, and meaning with both conviction and humility