Written by: Richard Volzke on October 10, 2013

Krish Kandiah, Executive Director: Evangelical Alliance London, United Kingdom, made a faculty presentation on “Holistic Disciple Making” at the “Leadership Global Perspective Advance” conducted by George Fox Evangelical Seminary in London. In challenging the students and faculty to the task of Christian disciple making, Kandiah advocated that spiritual formation is essentially the church’s primary task and central   purpose.[1]   In a quotation from the book by Alan Hirsch, The Forgotten Ways Handbook, Kandiah notes that disciple making is more than “an intellectual assimilation of theological ideas;” but rather, spiritual formation involves the heart, mind and strength of a disciple. Discipleship relates to emotional, intellectual, and active participation. It is the intellectually confirmation of what one believes with their heart and expresses in Christian living. Kandiah adds the caveat that wholeness requires all three areas, although a disciple might tend to relate to only one or two areas. Each area has significant vulnerabilities, and without wholeness discipleship, Christian living will fall short of the constructive and productive potential that is possible.

In their book, Who Needs Theology?: An Invitation to the Study of God, Stanley Grenz and Roger Olsen bare out the same thesis. They state, “Good theology always moves from the head to the heart and finally to the hand.”[2] I liked what I understood to be a primary thesis for the book: A Christian by seeking God and formulating ones faith in God is developing a theology of belief and practice; every Christian is a theologian. In asking the question, “Who needs theology?” the authors are indicating the universal fact/truth, all creation needs God, consequently, theology is an invitation to study God. To seek God is to find God; to study God is to know God which is the promise in scripture (Deut. 4:29); to know God is to have eternal life (John 17:3).

Understanding the importance of theology (knowing God) and the application of applying what we learn and discover about God to everyday Christian experience is the core of who we are and what we ought to be about in life. I am reminded of similar words by Philip Clayton in his book, Transforming Christian Theology: For Church and Society.  He states. “Genuine theologies are embodied; they have implications for life. And everything we do hints at what our real theology is. The goal is to make implicit beliefs about God conscious, explicit, and intentional.” You accomplish this, according to Clayton, when “you put your thought where your heart is” (70, 85).[1]

Grenz and Olsen inspire us to consider what it means to be reflective about our theology. They refer to the “spectrum of reflection” (kindle, loc.189); a concept which adds dimension or context to the concept and practice of reflection. I like to think that reflection brings depth and breadth to our theology; reflection creates content that is substantive. Although the authors portray the “levels” of theology as linear, I prefer to see it from the perspective of a horizon – where the complete spectrum is significant and contributes to how one knows God. As Clayton notes, it is a continuum, “everything a Christian does already expresses a theology” (69).

Reflection is what we do when we think deeply and critically about what we believe. Grenz and Olsen see the failure to reflect at all as resulting in a “folk theology.” They state, “folk theology completely rejects reflection in the sphere of religion” (loc. 205). I tend to disagree with this assertion.  Unquestioning belief is not always a bad thing; often it is the highest elevation of faith and many times one does not question because there is no reason to do so. Perhaps I view this from the perspective of a child’s faith rather than “unsubstantial oral traditions” without “grounds for believing.”

I prefer the concept of “embedded” faith as those beliefs that we have received; we believe; and there is no reason to question. Howard Stone and James Duke  contrast or parallel the concepts of “embedded” and “deliberative” theology in their book How to Think Theologically.[2] Both have a place in Christian living. One moves from the embedded (those things received without question from parents, pastors, mentors and the Spirit) to the deliberative (belief/faith that has been questioned and thought through and studied at a deep level) as a result of need or opportunity. On the one hand, difficulties in life, tragedy, brokenness, failure and many things can cause one to question; these things are real and push one to question, “Why?” and move to a deliberative theology. On the other hand, opportunity through career choice, education, spiritual gifting, calling, placement in the Body and other things provide opportunity to pursue a deeper engendered theology.

Theology is more than intellectual assent; it is what grounds our faith as we reflect on our beliefs, our purpose as disciples of Jesus Christ and what it “means for the sake of Christian living.”

About the Author

Richard Volzke