In a context in which the church is tearing itself apart and facing schism, might not the act of stepping back from a focused attention on the disputed theological doctrines, in order to attend to those forces and dynamics that may be fueling the crisis, serve in some sense as an act of reflexive confession on the part of the theologian? If so, then there is a rather strong argument for suggesting that ethnography may serve an important role in ecclesiology. It contributes to the presentation before God of the church’s present reality.
