Faithful Theology (eBook)

Introduction

The case can be made that every Christian is a theologian because every Christian has a theology, whether well thought out or not.1 After all, the word “theology” clearly has to do with God (theos, Greek for “God”), and since the third century at least, theology has been understood to refer to “talking about God” (theos, “God”; logos, “word”).2 When that talk is organized, we have a body of teaching, or doctrine. Some become highly trained in talking about God and in thinking about him in a systematic way. Others, because of calling or life circumstance, never have much chance to develop that level of expertise. Whether trained or not, Christians talk and think about God. In that light, there is a sense in which every Christian is a theologian. The question is, How are we to get better at talking and thinking about God? That question brings us to the matter of method. But what is a method? Theologian Robert W. Jenson explains it well: “A method, of course, is a self-conscious way of going about doing something.”3 This book is about the method to use in doing faithful theology: faithful to God, faithful to God’s word.

When I was a lad, my uncle Gordon showed me how to catch more fish with a rod and reel. Before he tied the hook on the line, he attached a much smaller hook that was free. The big hook was put through the bait or hidden in it. Next, the little hook was placed through the tail of the shrimp or other bait. He called it the keeper hook. Over the years, I have caught some really big fish on that little hook alone. My uncle gave me a way of being better at fishing. He gave me a technique, a better fishing method. He taught me how to improve my fishing success. What he did reminds me of an old piece of wisdom: It is better to teach someone how to fish than simply to give that person a fish. The difference is satisfying the hunger of the day versus having a way to satisfy hunger over a lifetime. Method matters, and not only for practical things like fishing, but also for finding out the truth of things, especially the things of God.4

When it comes to the truth of the things of God, Scripture plays the pivotal role as God’s self-revelation. (I shall argue this at length in chapter 1.) Indeed, faithful theology is a human project that arises from wise reflection on the self-revelation of God.5 Because it is our reflection on God’s revelation, it is always open to be reformed and corrected by that revelation. This is the truth of the Reformers’ slogan semper reformanda (always reforming). However, it is one thing to have an evangelical’s high view of Scripture. It is quite another to know how to derive teaching (doctrine or theology) from Scripture.6

We need guidance just as I needed guidance from Uncle Gordon. The need to do so is easily illustrated. I was taught as a new Christian that when Jesus slept in the boat during the storm on the Sea of Galilee, his human side was showing itself. But when he rose up and commanded the storm to cease, his divine side was expressing itself. It was as though Jesus’s two natures oscillated, first the human and then the divine, taking turns. Later, when I was taught some theology and how to evaluate theological proposals, I saw that this was very much like the ancient heresy of Nestorianism. On this view, Jesus was both a human person and a divine person. The Father had, in effect, two sons in one physical body.7 However, if Scripture is compared with Scripture, and if the witness of the early church fathers is taken into account, then Jesus is clearly one person and not two. As one person, he had both a truly human nature and a truly divine one at all times.

This brief work especially explores how such a move from Scripture to doctrine is made. But why does doctrine matter? The importance of doctrine lies in that it answers three normative questions vital to us all: (1) What ought we to believe (orthodoxy, right opinion)? This is the truth question. (2) What ought we to value (orthokardia, right-heartedness)? This is the spirituality question. (3) How ought we to live (orthopraxy, right practice of life)? This is the existential or practical question. Put another way, the head (orthodoxy), the heart (orthokardia), and the hands (orthopraxy) all count as concerns of theology. For example, what ought we to believe about the identity of Jesus? Does our answer matter? How are we to live in the light of Jesus’s identity? If you believed, as many do, that Jesus was merely human, then worshiping him would be idolatry. But if Jesus is a member of the Holy Trinity, then worship is entirely fitting.8

To answer thoroughly the above questions, five key elements are involved.9 In this work, a chapter is devoted to each. Chapter 1 explores the foundation of theology in the self-witness of God in Scripture. This element is “The Word of Revelation.” However, God has been providentially at work in the history of theological debate and discussion. As German theologian Gerhard Ebeling says, Scripture construed as the word of God has been central to that conversation. He argues that the history of the church is the history of the exposition of the Bible in the church.10 Knowledge of that conversation is another important element in doing theology, as chapter 2, “The Witness of Christian Thought and Practice,” seeks to show. The third chapter recognizes that we do theology in a context. We live outside of Eden in the new normal, or abnormal. There is brokenness about us and in us. This element is “The World of Human Brokenness.” Bringing these elements together requires wisdom from God. Chapter 4 investigates the role of wisdom in doing theology. This element is “The Work of Wisdom.”11 Finally, chapter 5 tackles the question of how the various elements are to be put together. It summarizes the discussion and affirms the doxological dimension in doing theology. This element can be summed up as “The Way of Worship.” That is to say, our doing theology ought to be an offering to God.

Is it worth the effort? Does method matter? Gregory Boyd and Paul Eddy rightly state: “A central debate among evangelical theologians concerns the question of theological method. In other words, how should we ‘do’ theology?”12 To get our idea of God right we need the right method of doing theology. As we have seen, “theology” is a term made up of two others: theos (for “God”) and logos (for “word” or “discourse”).

Doing theology aright matters. But that does not mean that this work is written to the academic guild. I write as a church scholar. Such a work may be of use to the guild, but in the first instance it is addressed to pastors, theological students, college students, and interested layfolk. I have written simply but, I hope, not simplistically. What’s the difference? A simple work is more accessible for a wider readership than a highly technical one would be. Yet the technically proficient may still be able to flesh out its ideas and run with them. A simplistic work keeps breaking down in logic and usefulness the more one knows about the field and, above all, the text of Scripture.