2010-03-182010-03-182003Buitendag, J 2003, 'Die wêreld as gelykenis: ’n Trajek om die middelterm van die “teologie” te vind : The world as likeness: A trajectory to find the middle term of “theology”', HTS Teologiese Studies/ Theological Studies, vol. 59, no. 3, pp. 1063-1080.[http://www.hts.org.za/index.php/HTS/issue/archive]0259-9422 (print)http://hdl.handle.net/2263/13535Spine cut of Journal binding and pages scanned on flatbed EPSON Expression 10000 XL; 400dpi; text/lineart - black and white - stored to Tiff Derivation: Abbyy Fine Reader v.9 work with PNG-format (black and white); Photoshop CS3; Adobe Acrobat v.9 Web display format PDFIn this article the different ways of bridging the gap between the concepts theos + logos in the word “theology” are investigated. This could either be done from above or from below. In order to conceive a workable definition of theology, both directions of departure are rather important. A meaningful way of doing so is to apply the concept of analogy. In the exposition of the article, this cue is followed from the classical Greek philosophers up to Barth with his unequivocal “no” to natural theology. The solution, however, is pursued along the line of the analogy of grace of Thomas Torrance. Against this backdrop, certain indispensable trends for our understanding of church in a postmodern society are designated, for example socio-cultural niches, identity-involvement dilemma, market orientation, public theology and service. Friedrich Mildenberger’s concept of basic God-talk (“einfache Gottesrede”) plays a decisive role in this enterprise.AfrikaansFaculty of Theology, University of PretoriaPhilosophical theologyAnalogy (Religion)Church and the worldArticle