The Charismanglican <\/a>blog (June 2010).<\/strong><\/p>\nThe question of why theology\u00a0 matters is an interesting one.\u00a0 On one\u00a0 hand, it could be said that\u00a0 knowing Jesus through the Spirit is what\u00a0 actually matters and theology\u00a0 actually gets in the way of such a\u00a0 relationship.\u00a0 On the other hand, it\u00a0 could just as easily be said that\u00a0 all we need is the right set of\u00a0 theology (doctrine) and our\u00a0 relationship with God will not be a\u00a0 \u2018feeling\u2019 but will be from the\u00a0 knowledge of the \u2018right answers.\u2019\u00a0 I\u00a0 personally think that both of\u00a0 these extremes demonstrate much of what is\u00a0 wrong with the church in\u00a0 America today.<\/p>\n
For those who think\u00a0 that theology leads to intellectualism and away\u00a0 from relationship I\u00a0 would say\u2014no matter what, we all form theology in\u00a0 one way or another.\u00a0\u00a0 And if we are not thinking for ourselves and\u00a0 wrestling with the tough\u00a0 issues, then pop-theology will lead us astray\u00a0 (which is why we see so\u00a0 many passionate Christians with weird views of\u00a0 heaven, the end times,\u00a0 salvation, science, ethics, etc.).\u00a0 This is true\u00a0 not merely in regards\u00a0 to cognitive beliefs, but in how we attempt to\u00a0 implement the reality of\u00a0 our relationship to God.\u00a0 Our poorly reflected\u00a0 upon theology can\u00a0 actually be detrimental to the relationship we seek\u00a0 and can cause us to\u00a0 show the world a Jesus that is contrary to the\u00a0 Scriptures.\u00a0 Now, on the\u00a0 other end of the spectrum (those who want to\u00a0 demonstrate that they have\u00a0 all the \u2018right answers\u2019) the risk is that\u00a0 they are never open to new\u00a0 ideas or a move of the Spirit.\u00a0 These folks\u00a0 are the ones who get into\u00a0 culture wars and get so tied up in their\u00a0 fundamentalist dogma, that they\u00a0 end up looking as anti-intellectual as\u00a0 the other group that was\u00a0 described.\u00a0 This anti-intellectualism\u00a0 discredits Christianity as an\u00a0 outdated and possibly harmful religion\u00a0 that ought to just simply die\u00a0 out.<\/p>\n
My belief is that another way is possible.\u00a0 I think that our\u00a0\u00a0 theology can point us toward God in a relational way while also living\u00a0\u00a0 in pursuit of the truth.\u00a0 Except, in this perspective, truth is not\u00a0\u00a0 something that is ever captured, but is always a few paces in front of\u00a0\u00a0 us, inviting us to keep recklessly chasing after it.\u00a0 The harder we run,\u00a0\u00a0 the further we seem from it; because we begin to develop a healthy\u00a0\u00a0 respect for how large and uncontainable truth actually is.\u00a0 And although\u00a0\u00a0 truth seems far off in many ways; the surprise of it all is that our\u00a0\u00a0 relationship to the truth simultaneously seems to become more and more\u00a0\u00a0 intimate, as though we were jogging side-by-side.\u00a0 This\u00a0\u00a0 close-yet-distant approach to truth is one that allows our theology and\u00a0\u00a0 our relationships to God to come together in a beautiful unity.\u00a0 Such a\u00a0\u00a0 relationship with God, who is truth, informs our theology which then\u00a0\u00a0 informs our praxis.<\/p>\n
So, with this understanding of theology and\u00a0 connection to God; why\u00a0 does theology matter today?\u00a0 Well, it seems that\u00a0 as we do theology, we\u00a0 can do so without many of the culture wars of the\u00a0 past.\u00a0 Lots of the\u00a0 presumed \u2018right answers\u2019 now become the wrong ones,\u00a0 for the sake of biblical integrity and the\u00a0 mission of God in the world.\u00a0 We can approach\u00a0 dialogues about truth\u00a0 with great humility, rather than militancy.\u00a0 We\u00a0 can reflect Christianly\u00a0 in new ways about ethical issues that prior had\u00a0 seemed as though they\u00a0 were closed cases.\u00a0 We can show our culture that a\u00a0 relationship to God\u00a0 that is informed by this kind of truth-pursuit will\u00a0 actually lead to\u00a0 their benefit.\u00a0 And in doing all of these things, I\u00a0 believe that we\u00a0 will find that the reign of God will be reflected on the\u00a0 earth in new\u00a0 and exciting ways.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
*This post is old\u2026 like from the beginning of blogging old. I might nuance this differently if asked the same question today, but the essence remains the same. It originally appeared at The Charismanglican blog (June 2010). The question of why theology\u00a0 matters is an interesting one.\u00a0 On one\u00a0 hand, it could be said that\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[92],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-theology"],"yoast_head":"\n
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