{"id":15581,"date":"2017-11-30T15:19:03","date_gmt":"2017-11-30T23:19:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=15581"},"modified":"2017-11-30T15:19:03","modified_gmt":"2017-11-30T23:19:03","slug":"contextualizing-theology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/contextualizing-theology\/","title":{"rendered":"Contextualizing Theology"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Stanley Grenz and Roger Olson\u2019s book \u201cWho Needs Theology?\u201d, the question that is asked, is not rhetorical, or unanswerable. The authors set out to show that \u201ceverybody\u201d needs theology. They orient themselves in this helpful, beginner\u2019s guide, by suggesting that \u201ceveryone is a theologian\u201d. They write that, \u201cevery person must at some point in life face and wrestle with the questions that point to the ultimate question of God\u2026 in this sense every thinking person is a theologian.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

From this broad, opening point, the book proceeds to define theology, to defend theology, to share tasks and tools that theologians of every kind can use as we do this \u201cGod-talk\u201d that is an essential part of being human.<\/p>\n

One outcome that the authors hope to see, as people read this book, is to help everyday Christians learn to \u201cthink theologically\u201d. They assert that, \u201cGood theology assists Christians because it grounds their lives in biblically informed, Christian truth.\u201d[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

However, while theology always includes a deep interaction with scripture or biblical texts, it is also always done in some place<\/em>, by some people<\/em>, with some culture<\/em>. Because of this, \u201cour theology must be contextually constructive\u201d[3]<\/a> or to put it another way, we must take into account who we are, where we are, and the cultural context in which we are \u201cdoing\u201d theology.<\/p>\n

This call for a contextualized theology is also really a plea for self-knowledge and the awareness of one\u2019s own natural instincts and biases as we begin to do theology. The authors reference the Athenian philosopher Socrates who held the motto \u201cThe unexamined life is not worth living.\u201d As they explain, \u201cBy \u2018unexamined life\u2019 he meant unreflective living\u2014living moment-to-moment without thinking critically about what one believes and how one behaves.\u201d[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

In other words, part of the process of maturing in Christian faith is examining and reflecting critically on, one\u2019s own context as a step toward seeing more clearly how to speak about God (doing theology) in a particular time and place.<\/p>\n

A local congregation is one of the key centers for this kind of reflection, and can be the locus for doing the kind of theology that Grenz and Olson are suggesting. But, we don\u2019t reflect in a vacuum, or only on our own in some idealized, sealed off space. When we do theology, or when we think about or talk about faith and life with God, we always do it as part of families, tribes, traditions, and cultures.<\/p>\n

In a recent article in Christianity Today, Marcus Dean discussed this nexus between theology and culture. He says that just like the American Express slogan, \u201cdon\u2019t leave home without it\u201d, when it comes to our own culture and cultural assumptions, \u201cwe can\u2019t leave home without it.\u201d[5]<\/a> Whether we are aware of it or not, even our reflections on theology and what it means to follow Christ in the world, is always affected by our cultural outlook.<\/p>\n

As Richard Brislin puts it, culture, \u201cincludes the ideals, values, and assumptions that one\u2019s group has modeled for us and that guide our responses in one way or another.\u201d[6]<\/a><\/p>\n

Recently, in my church, our Session (board of Elders) has taken on a monthly practice of reflecting together on one key aspect of our identity as a church. Over the past year, we have developed these identity markers, and we are now intentionally working through them each month. The questions that we asked were essentially theological questions: who are we? And given who we are, how has God called us to serve in this place?<\/p>\n

Our reflection time each month, is meant to help flesh out the answers, to remind us of who we are as God\u2019s people in this place, and to share together about how we can live out our identity even more.<\/p>\n

This past month, the topic was our growing edge around becoming a more \u201cmulti-cultural\u201d church. We talked about biblical examples, people shared personal stories, and we \u201cnoticed\u201d together the way that our church has already started to engage and involve more Asian-Americans from our local area.<\/p>\n

In a very real sense, our church leaders were doing what Grenz and Olson are talking about. Doing theology together, not in as an academic exercise or cut off from the \u201crealities\u201d of life. But located right where we are. With the people in the room, seeking to tie God\u2019s story to the story of our church and the ways we are learning to do ministry.<\/p>\n

Every context is different, and that\u2019s why \u201ceverybody needs theology\u201d. Because there is no \u201cone size fits all\u201d answer to life\u2019s biggest questions. Grounded in our shared faith, in God\u2019s word, in the gift of reason, and the fruit of honest self-reflection, we are able to be everyday theologians, even as we live our lives as everyday followers of Christ.<\/p>\n

In the end, this book offers both helpful theory and practice. The \u201ctheology\u201d it describes is a living conversation, between people, the witness of scripture and the particular place where these three intersect. This has been referred to as a \u201ctrialogue\u2014the interaction among Bible, heritage and culture\u2014(it) provides theology with a creative edge.\u201d[7]<\/a><\/p>\n

It is that creative edge that the church will need to live faithfully into the future. With theology as a hearty companion and resource, rather than a weight or adversary, there is good and faithful ministry ahead, as we come with faith and seek understanding.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Stanely J. Grenz and Roger E. Olson,\u00a0Who Needs Theology?<\/em>\u00a0(Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 15.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Stanely J. Grenz and Roger E. Olson,\u00a0Who Needs Theology?<\/em>\u00a0(Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 39.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Stanely J. Grenz and Roger E. Olson,\u00a0Who Needs Theology?<\/em>\u00a0(Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 106.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Stanely J. Grenz and Roger E. Olson,\u00a0Who Needs Theology?<\/em>\u00a0(Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 26.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Marcus Dean, \u201cCultural Self-Awareness: A Missing Element in Intercultural Service?,\u201d\u00a0Christianity Today<\/em>, July 23, 2017.\u00a0http:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/edstetzer\/2017\/july\/cultural-self-awareness.html<\/a>\u00a0(accessed November 30, 2017).<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> Brislin, Richard W.\u00a0Understanding Culture’s Influence on Behavior<\/em>. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers, 1993.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Stanely J. Grenz and Roger E. Olson,\u00a0Who Needs Theology?<\/em>\u00a0(Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 113.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Stanley Grenz and Roger Olson\u2019s book \u201cWho Needs Theology?\u201d, the question that is asked, is not rhetorical, or unanswerable. The authors set out to show that \u201ceverybody\u201d needs theology. They orient themselves in this helpful, beginner\u2019s guide, by suggesting that \u201ceveryone is a theologian\u201d. They write that, \u201cevery person must at some point in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"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-15581","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\/15581","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\/103"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15581"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15581\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15582,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15581\/revisions\/15582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}