Old, New, Bold, Awkward, Embarrassing 3.14.2024

     Many people are afraid of theology. It is a big word describing what most think is a big topic. Like most of those terms that end in “-ology” the prefix helps to put it into perspective. “Theo” is a transliteration of the common Greek term for God. The suffix “ology” commonly means “the study of”. In its simplest form Theology is the study of God. That is, of course, not how we use the word. And much of our mutual Christian experience in worship, devotion, preaching, or other spiritual practices is not so formalized as implied in such a noble term. 

    The primary reason people are afraid of theology is that they so rarely encounter it. Ultimately it is not their fault, it is the fault of those who have preached the shallow sermons they have heard or taught the hollow lessons which have slowly defrauded them of their birthright as Christians. 

`My contention is very simple. Good preaching is always Theological. Always. Good preaching and teaching provide Biblical exegesis, set in a comprehensible framework of History (in exegetical work this is called the “history of effects” or Wirkungsgeschichte, to use the German term.)  As we discussed last week, the confluence of the Bible and History is Theology. Good or bad, this is how the process is played out. But in a world populated by what has been called “the play-preachers” whose only measure of success is audience size and the entertainment value of their messages this kind of disciplined approach has no place. No Theology, in the long run, is bad theology. Error can be corrected. Apathy must be cured. 

    Theology is the necessary, ordered response to the confluence of Biblical teaching and human culture. It is an attempt to apply what God wants us to know in the real world. This is what makes our reluctance to engage in theological thinking so odd. Again, the absence of critical thinking about the intersection of Biblical truth is still a theology of sorts—A theology of abdication. When the Church lacks a sound theological core it is vulnerable to the cultural enticements of compromise and entertainment. Proper theology helps keep both at bay. This week I want to discuss some characteristics of sound theological thinking. 

Old

    Contemporary theological thinking extends and enlarges a conversation that has been going on since the incarnation. Its essence is the great conversation described by Jude as “…the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 1:3 ESV) Paul calls this “sound doctrine” in 1 Timothy 1.10. This is the beginning of Christian Theology, and the conversation has been going on for 2,000 or so years since. You are a part of it whether you want to be or not. 

    Preaching means accurately exegeting Scripture and participating in this ongoing theological dialogue. This is what happens when we read the Apostolic Fathers or consider the thoughts of such luminaries as Augustine, Luther, or Johnathan Edwards. We may agree or disagree with their methods or conclusions, but if we pay attention and thoughtfully engage in the conversation we will always learn. 

New

    Theology did not end with the turn of the 19th century. The conversation has been continuing and will continue. There will be new thinkers whose words are added to the conversation. They will build upon the past and challenge the conclusions of the greats, perhaps your own theological heroes. They will drink from new wells like critical theory and social-cultural analysis. If you are like me, you will find much of this reading exasperating, tiring, and at times sophomoric. We don’t read things because we like them, we read them because we need to participate in conversations where what we already know, and think is not the center of intellectual attention. 

    The current theological conversation does not, at first glance seem to even be theological. The tools of analysis are largely imported from the social sciences, the language is more scientific, and the approach is man-centered rather than God-centered. Whenever you live, that is your context for ongoing cultural conversation. History will have something to say about how productive, informative, or durable contemporary theology will prove to be. Our job is to engage what is contemporary and new for the sake of engagement. 

Bold

    There are two kinds of theological encounters where boldness is necessary. Internal encounters and external encounters. We will need to think boldly if we are to understand what is Biblically accurate and theologically sound. I won’t dwell much on the external encounters because many other voices are shouting their solutions into the void.

     Suffice it to say the Church has never been a majority in any nation anytime, anywhere. Christians have always been alienated from their culture. The Bible says this is normal (in places like 1 Peter 1.1 where the word commonly translated as “exiles” can also be rendered “aliens”), History teaches that this is typical, and Theology teaches that this is reasonable. Proper Theology is a polite engagement with a culture that disagrees with us. 

    More important are the internal encounters which require us to be just as bold.  Different tribes of Christianity (denominations) largely evolved either from theological or organizational differences. Some of these differences are minimal. Some more grave. Some fall into the category of heresy, which means that they are so wrong that they cannot be reconciled with the Bible. 

    Some of these theological struggles rage across denominational battles. The current debate about what constitutes an “Evangelical” is a case in point. Many who claim this title do not show evidence of any intellectual, emotional, spiritual, or institutional impact of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It has become for them, a political label.  For authentic Christians using a historic descriptor for Biblical faithfulness in such an unbiblical and unhistorical fashion discloses underlying theological consequences. It takes a bold voice to say “Hey, the emperor is not wearing any clothes!” That is the job of theology.  

Awkward

    Theology can be awkward because we don’t like to have hard conversations about complicated topics. Again, ignorance, inattention, and apathy are still theological commitments. It is necessary for hard topics to be covered systematically, from the pulpit in transparent, cumulative preaching of Scripture. It is far more awkward to have these kinds of discussions one-on-one or in small groups. If we defer theology to these seemingly simpler environments they simply won’t be taken up. 

    Won’t that “take all the fun out of Church?” I mean “Do we really want to talk about the divinity of Christ, perseverance of the Saints, and the nature of human life from the pulpit? Shouldn’t we stick to some feel-good pabulum that makes everyone feel good?” No. No. NO. An ignorant Church that won’t have the hard conversations, whose preachers will not preach challenging sermons, whose leaders refuse to act with theological candor, will not be equipped to either win the lost or disciple the Saints. It will abandon engagement for either surrender or entertainment—or both. 

Conclusions.  

    The Church has always been a thinking institution. On the stage of world history, God’s plan in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament is God’s revelation of Himself and His will. Christian faith fuses behavior and belief into a system that transcends culture, language, nationality, race, and religion.                Theology is the great conversation humans have been having with one another about God’s Word and God's will in the world. Many parts of the conversation have been difficult. Old ideas, new perspectives, bold initiatives, and awkward encounters have been a part of this conversation and the very process by which the Church has strengthened itself so that it might speak to the fallen culture words of life.