{"id":15551,"date":"2017-11-30T05:39:29","date_gmt":"2017-11-30T13:39:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=15551"},"modified":"2017-11-30T05:39:29","modified_gmt":"2017-11-30T13:39:29","slug":"i-am-a-theologian-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/i-am-a-theologian-2\/","title":{"rendered":"I am a theologian!"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am a theologian!\u00a0 Or at least that\u2019s what Grenz and Olson will try to convince the reader of in Who Needs Theology.\u00a0 <\/em>\u201cAnyone who reflects on life\u2019s ultimate questions \u2013 including questions about God and our relationship with God \u2013 is a theologian.\u201d[1]<\/a>\u00a0 Most reviewers found the text to be a worthwhile, albeit a simplistic read.\u00a0 Grenz and Olson describe tasks of theology which include examining and evaluating Christian beliefs and categorizing them as dogma, doctrine, or opinion.[2]<\/a>\u00a0 While the \u201ctheologian\u201d label never seemed to fit my relentless pursuit of understanding the world, God\u2019s hand in the world, and Christian response, I\u2019m going to claim that role and take you on a theological journey of history, scripture, and questioning\u2026<\/p>\n

In The Story of Christian Theology, <\/em>Roger Olson writes about the conflict in the theological debate over the \u201cperson of Jesus Christ\u201d,[3]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 I\u2019m perplexed by the challenge in \u201cexplaining and expressing\u201d Christ\u2019s humanity and divinity.\u00a0 It seems like this concept, which is the foundation to my Christian belief system, should have been easier to accept and acknowledge in the early church \u2013 especially because the early church was privileged to experience miracles and Christ\u2019s earthly work in a way different than we do today.\u00a0 The title hypostatic union (Jesus as a divine being and fully human) was given as the doctrine of the person of Christ at the Council of Chalcedon in 451. [4]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 Apparently, this conflict regarding the person of Christ became so volatile that \u201cpolitics and theology became tangled with one another in a way never seen or anticipated before\u201d. [5]<\/sup><\/a> \u00a0I find this statement fascinating \u2013 in that there are still political and theological entanglements in the twenty first century.\u00a0 According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy[6]<\/a>, the current political and theology conflicts include:\u00a0 establishment of a church or faith versus complete separation of church and state; toleration versus coercion of religious belief; current conflicts between religious practice and political authority; liberal citizenship and its demands on private self-understanding; and the role of religion in public deliberation.\u00a0 Most of these same conflicts existed in the fourth and fifth centuries.\u00a0 Perhaps the take away from this revelation is that we will never live in a time when there isn\u2019t a natural tension between religion and politics.\u00a0 Could this be by design?\u00a0 Did God know that we, as humans, need this tension to create conversation and to have an opportunity to live out our faith vs. just existing with biblical knowledge and understanding?\u00a0 If this is the case, how does a Christian navigate life without constant frustration relating to the \u201cworld\u2019s state of being\u201d?<\/p>\n

When I dig deeper into understanding differing approaches (Alexandrians vs. Antioch) to Biblical interpretation (Hermeneutics), Soteriologies (Salvation) and Christology (Person of Jesus), I\u2019m amazed by the deep study and intention of these communities to truly understand Biblical writings and use it with intentionality in their lives.\u00a0 Both of these communities\/cultures were important and vibrant and played a significant role in \u201ctheological brilliance\u201d in their own time. [7]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s interesting to note that the theologian Philo (who Olson states happened \u201cin the time of Christ\u201d) [8]<\/sup><\/a> believed that Hebrew scriptures were \u201cleast important\u201d and sought to discover \u201callegorical or spiritual meaning\u201d to scripture instead. [9]<\/sup><\/a> \u00a0This belief was the influencing factor on the Alexandrian belief system.\u00a0 Anabaptists also believed in Biblical interpretation \u2013 however they were more conservative and attempted to \u201cview scripture through Jesus\u201d.\u00a0 Most likely, the Anabaptist belief system would align more closely with the Antiochs.\u00a0 The Antioch\u2019s professed a more literal and historical method of interpretation. [10]<\/sup><\/a> \u00a0Further similarities between Antiochs and Anabaptists include:\u00a0 belief by both in the separation of church and state; fidelity to the scriptures; baptism as a choice; and influence in the Baptist denomination.\u00a0 It is interesting to note that while both Anabaptists and Antiochs believed in the fidelity of scripture, they interpreted the concept of peace and persecution differently.\u00a0 Anabaptists were pacifists and refused to engage in violent conflict.\u00a0 Antiochs were willing to engage in conflict (and even lying, manipulative, sneaky behavior) [11]<\/sup><\/a> to ensure those in leadership followed their doctrine.\u00a0 Antiochs did face persecution but were willing to retaliate with persecution.\u00a0 Anabaptists were very different in their pacifist beliefs.\u00a0 They did not persecute others, no matter the level of persecution that they were targeted with.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is easy to wish that the leaders of Christianity in late fourth and early fifth centuries had all taken deep breaths and stepped back from the brink of all-out theological warfare and simply allowed one another to explain the mystery of Jesus\u2019 humanity and divinity in different ways.\u201d [12]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 I take this quote by Olson and apply it in a slightly different way to my life and values \u2013 I wish our people (in the United States) would take deep breaths and step back from all out hatred and condemnation and allow one another to explain their own faith (Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, etc.) in their own ways \u2013 listening and trying to understand each other.\u00a0 Our humanness in judgement, anger, war, and self-righteousness has not served us well personally, or globally.\u00a0 In that regard, Anabaptists had a deep, spiritual ability to view issues and people differently (peacefully, lovingly) \u2013 and I hold them in high regard for that reason.\u00a0 My hope and dream is that we can view others \u2013 including and especially refugees – with openness, love, and concern for the lives they are leaving behind, and the future they are hoping for.\u00a0 Let us be \u201csalt and light in a world that desperately needs bright, articulate Christians.\u201d[13]<\/a><\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Grenz, Stanley J. & Roger Olson. Who\u00a0 Needs Theology?: An Invitation to the Study of God. <\/em>(Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1996) loc.56<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Grenz and Olson, Who Needs Theology?<\/em><\/p>\n

[3]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Olson, Roger E. The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries of Tradition and Reform.<\/em> (Downers Grove: InterVarsity. 1999). pg.199<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Olson, Story of Christian Theology,<\/em> pg.199<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Olson, Story of Christian Theology,<\/em> pg.199<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> http:\/\/www.iep.utm.edu\/<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Olson, Story of Christian Theology<\/em><\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> Olson, Story of Christian Theology,<\/em> pg.202<\/p>\n

[9]<\/a> Olson, Story of Christian Theology<\/em><\/p>\n

[10]<\/a> Olson, Story of Christian Theology,<\/em> pg.203<\/p>\n

[11]<\/a> Olson, Story of Christian Theology<\/em><\/p>\n

[12]<\/a> Olson, Story of Christian Theology,<\/em> pg.198<\/p>\n

[13]<\/a> Grenz & Olson, Who Needs Theology? Loc.42<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am a theologian!\u00a0 Or at least that\u2019s what Grenz and Olson will try to convince the reader of in Who Needs Theology.\u00a0 \u201cAnyone who reflects on life\u2019s ultimate questions \u2013 including questions about God and our relationship with God \u2013 is a theologian.\u201d[1]\u00a0 Most reviewers found the text to be a worthwhile, albeit a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[198,532],"class_list":["post-15551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-grenz","tag-olson","cohort-lgp8"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/99"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15551"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15551\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15552,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15551\/revisions\/15552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}