The Unexamined Faith isn’t worth beliving or Who needs theology?
We all could use a little sound theology right now
In the wake of the US presidential election yesterday, I have found it incredibly hard to untangle my thoughts – let alone my emotions – about theology, it’s purpose and usefulness in our lives and our world. [Warning: political opinion] One of the questions that I have been wrestling with is: how in the world did the overwhelming majority of self-identified ‘evangelical Christians’ vote for someone like Donald Trump?
Several weeks ago, as we worked through the topic of critical thinking, several members of this cohort, myself included, drew connections between critical thinking – or the lack there of – and our countries political discourse. It is an apt and important discussion: we need to engage in thinking critically about the important topics of our day and the political choices that we face. It also strikes me that the exact same arguments can – and should be made brought to our engagement with theology.
If all of us that endeavor to think rationally and critically about our lives, world and the decisions we face are critical thinkers, then in much the same way, all of us that claim to have faith in God – or as Grenz and Olsen argue really all of us that have any thought of God at all – are theologians.
It strikes me that maybe the need to engage seriously and work towards deeper engagement is even more important when thinking of theology, however one might argue that serious engagement in theology involves critical thinking by default.
In the words of the writer of Hebrews 5:12:In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
and again, this time from Paul, 1 Corinthians 3:2 – I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.
This is why theology is important – good theology is what moves us from the milk of our spiritual infancy to the meat of spiritual maturity. We are not supposed to stay on formula, God gave us teeth (curiosity, intellect, reasoning) for a reason – so that we might ‘continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12).
Why theology? is really only half the question, as Grenz and Olson make clear, the more important question is what kind of theology will you have, because not all theology is created equal!
Many of us – and certainly many of the Christians sitting in the pews of our churches each Sunday think that theology is something for the pastor or the seminary professor but not for them and when you confront them with the idea that we are all theologians, they might respond with something like this:
‘The populist mindset says, “Why can’t all theologies be equal? Who needs professional theology and theologians? If all ordinary Christians are theologians, why are people with doctorates writing volumes and volumes of formal theological works and teaching a discipline that we all already ready know so much about?” (Grenz/Olson Kindle Locations 185-186)
On days like today what I want to do is scream at everyone enamored with their folk theology or populist mindset and tell them to simply listen to me (as I obviously have everything figured out……wait, that can’t be right :(….. ) But as Grenz and Olson relate later on, all of our theology is contextual, and so the point isn’t for everyone to necessarily agree with us or for their theology to lead them to the same conclusions as ours leads us to.
Rather, I believe we are called to use our ministerial theology to invite those around us to move past the un-examined life of folk theology and into the rich beauty and depth that comes with a faith that is accompanied with reasoned thought and even deep struggle with the questions we have about God, our world and ourselves.
One thing for sure, today more than ever, I need theology. Don’t you?
About the Author
Chip Stapleton
Follower of Jesus Christ. Husband to Traci. Dad to Charlie, Jack, Ian and Henry. Preacher of Sermons, eater of ice cream, supporter of Arsenal. I love to talk about what God is doing in the world & in and through us & create space and opportunity for others to use their gifts to serve God and God's people.7 responses to “The Unexamined Faith isn’t worth beliving or Who needs theology?”
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Yep- theology grows us up. Good correlation with scripture and I enjoyed that visual. Getting back to the meat analogy again… Yes, moving past the folk theology and into the richness of relationship where we can discuss, disagree, and grow in our awareness of who God is. That’s church. How does a pastor move it’s congregation into reflective theology and out of folk theology? Sounds like a tough job.
Chip I share your sentiments. I too have asked the same questions. I loved this “good theology is what moves us from the milk of our spiritual infancy to the meat of spiritual maturity.”
Unfortunately their is a lot of spiritual infancy in our American evangelical church. Folk theology is the theology of choice. Many of us are challenging the convictions of the church and saying where is the meat? Where is the maturity that rises above popular ideals? It reminds me of the old school Wendy’s commercial where the lady asks “Where’s the beef?”
Chip, well, let’s get the politics over first.
This is the worst election I can remember (I have voted in 12 so far) for dirt and negativity. No, I can’t understand how Christian leaders (I won’t mention any names but we all know who they are) could lead the people who trust them to vote for a less than morally stellar candidate. (Is that good British understatement?)
Like Christal and Jen and Katy and the others I am disappointed that our culture seems to be slipping downward. I know that people are not the critical thinkers that they should be. Given that, I really wasn’t surprised at the vote.
What I really want to know is how in the world well-known and respected Christian leaders, leaders that people think are the great theologians, could not see how their actions contradict the things they say they stand for?
I know I’m just a dumb farmer from Podunksville, OR, but I think even I could see the inconsistency. (So I voted for a third party guy from Utah.)
Back to your insightful post. My prayer is that more and more Christians will be willing to study and grow and look forward to eating strong meat. Pablum does get boring eventually.
Loved your cartoons!
That’s the sadness among our Christian brethren and sisters. They are pew taught, mannequin dressed, and have a puppet life.
They have made little efforts to seek God and meditate on his word day and night – at least it appears. We need to know when to hold and when to fold – We need to give this mess to God – its bigger than us.
“I believe we are called to use our ministerial theology to invite those around us to move past the un-examined life of folk theology and into the rich beauty and depth that comes with a faith that is accompanied with reasoned thought and even deep struggle with the questions we have about God, our world and ourselves.”
Great sentiment Chip, and good follow-up comments from Mary.
We need more “reasonable enthusiasts”!
I will concur that writing our response to this text on the eve of the election results was very trying. I’d be curious how our posts would have emerged if we’d been writing at a different time.
The role of a pastor is long and challenging. You are in a tough place and I admire your steadfastness. As a mom, I can remember being so excited to offer my toddler boys their first table food, all mushed up! And each time I introduced some new food, it got written in the baby book. I made sure what I was giving them was healthy, unprocessed, without added ingredients. Now that they’re teenagers, they both often choose what to eat, where, and with whom. Though I’ve modeled well and fed them delicious healthy food and talked about why this food is better than that, they still seem to prefer junk food and fast food! It makes me want to kick them sometimes! Don’t they know butternut bisque with homemade bread is better than bacon burgers or french fries?!?
Thinking about Emma Percy’s lecture on mothering the church, I wonder if, when we cook up a good home-cooked meal of meat, our teenagers opt for the milk of junk theology.
“Rather, I believe we are called to use our ministerial theology to invite those around us to move past the un-examined life of folk theology and into the rich beauty and depth that comes with a faith that is accompanied with reasoned thought and even deep struggle with the questions we have about God, our world and ourselves.”
Well said, Chip. I’ve been thinking quite a bit about folk theology this week. There is a lot of unexamined stuff out there (and probably in me as well), but sometimes the simplest of theologies can lead us to incredible depths. My mom asked me what I would boil all of my theological training down to if asked and I told her, “Matthew 22:36-40.” (“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”) I knew this was the essence of my theology going into Seminary, but the more I study, the more I realize the depth of these simple statements. If my Bible was taken away, and I could set my course by this passage. It started out as “milk” and, as I examined my life in light of Christ and Scripture, it has become bread and meat.