Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Just tell me what I need to know!
To me, faith is something to be wrestled with. I'm suspect of any faith in which everything can be explained and be worked out perfectly. Not that the exercise of seeking to explain God and His works is not beneficial, but let's face it, God didn't exactly spell it out for us. I find Theology fascinating, but I'm reminded that it is not revelation. Which, in itself, I think says a lot about God and the relationship with Him He intended for us. I find Theology fascinating, but even as I read and listen to it, I'm reminded that it's not revelation. God reveals Himself through His Word in paradoxes and narratives, not lists and charts. Growing up I often heard the Bible illustrated as as a textbook or road map for life. I have now added those references to my "Things I learned in Sunday School that I won't Pass Down to my Kids" list. The Bible is both better than and more confusing than any textbook I've read. And as far as maps are concerned, I'd rather the details not be left up to interpretation. The Bible does more than answer questions. It invites us into a lifelong an everlasting conversation with God.
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I think in order to understand Theology you have to look at what it is...Study of God. I agree it is absolutely not revelation it is man's study and reasoning of what he thinks about God. Sure there are going to be some truths found in Theology, but we will also find many more lies. As Men try to reason the scriptures with what they may have erroneously been taught in the past I often see giant leaps from the truth taken in a way that is clearly fantasy. And what does this breed? Strife,Divisions,False Doctrines, and a dwindled light to the world.
ReplyDeleteIt almost sounds like theology is a bad word here. Whose theology are we talking about? If we aren't lovers of theology, we won't be lovers of God, because Theology tells us about God. The only theology that is worth anything though, is the theology based on the text of Scripture. That theology has to grow out of our exegesis of the Scriptures. Any idea about God that starts with, "well I just can't believe that", or "well logic and common sense and church tradition tell me...." doesn't matter. Theology should come from revelation, not our fallen minds. Admittedly we operate with fallen faculties, and we are finite and limited in our understanding of revelation. Because of this, there are areas in theology where we come up to a wall, and we can't go any further. We will never fully understand God. However, we can know him, and that doesn't start with anyone's Systematic theology, it starts with our own study of revelation. Where God has clearly revealed himself in the Scriptures, it's not up for debate. God doesn't always reveal himself in paradoxes and narratives, he also reveals himself in plain statements, and that is the revelation that should guide our interpretation of paradoxes and narratives.
ReplyDeleteWith all of that said, don't misunderstand me. WE will never fully understand God ("who has known the mind of the Lord"), and he has invited us into an everlasting conversation, but in that conversation there is a knowing of him that satisfies our soul, and that comes from our theology. Someone who has all the answers will get a squinty eyed look from me, but while we may not know all the answers, God is gracious that he gave us many.
Karl Barth - who was obviously no hater of theology, judging from his massive Church Dogmatics - describes revelation as an "unveiling in veiling," which, at least in my reading of Barth (with which Barth would probably disagree!), implies that God always remains, to a certain extent, behind a veil. Insofar as the theological enterprise is a human endeavor, trapped in the limitations of human knowledge, culture and language, and insofar as the revelation in scripture is mediated through the trappings of ancient human knowledge, culture and language, we will always, at best, only capture partial glimpses of the divine, a shade or silhouette of an exceedingly magnificent god. In short, our image of god is always in some sense a distorted, incomplete image.
ReplyDeleteTo my mind, this has important implications for ecclesiastical relationships. An awareness of our inevitably limited and distorted grasp of the divine changes how I view other branches of the Christian tradition. In short, rather than dividing the ecclesiastical spectrum into those who are right and those who are wrong, I prefer to see us all as a complex mix of perhaps a little bit right with likely a whole lot wrong. I think a global and ecumenical approach to theology is the way to go ... by which I mean not simply mixing all branches of Christian theology in order to come up with the truth about God, but listening carefully to and learning from other traditions (eastern and western, protestant and catholic). And when disagreeing, doing so with respect and humility, fully aware of the inevitable flaws in our own tradition.
"Theologia a Deo docetur, Deum docet, et ad Deum ducit" – St. Thomas Aquinas
ReplyDeleteI've been listening and enjoying Podcasts from Dr. Maxie Burch's History and Theology Courses - the above quote is at the core of his lessons. Dr. Burch takes the approach that “Theology is taught by God, teaches of God, and leads to God.”
I'm certainly not trying to de-emphasize the importance of Theology. It's just that the "unveiling in veiling" impresses me the most. To me, it says a lot of the relationship God wants to have with us. Yes, God has revealed himself to us, and though we can argue about what that really means, its the glimpses he gives us that leads us to look for more. I tend to think that the conversations we live now are preparing us for heaven, where the conversation won't end, but rather intensifies.
I would agree with Fitzy and krook in the sense that I love theology. There is nothing more tantilizing than a intellectual procurement of truth or a debate into what is real or fantasy? However, that is my flesh and it is important to distinguish from Spirit and Flesh. I can learn more from the Spirit and Word than I can a professor. I can learn more from my struggles and suffering in Christ than I can from a class room. Why Study God When You Can Know Him. Why study election when you can simply evangelize. I say this tounge in cheek because I will be the first one to enter a discussion on things like election, but when it comes down to it none will be proven right until we see Jesus and what will we have to show for it? Fruit or Thought?
ReplyDelete@Bryan - "Why study God when I can know him?"
ReplyDeleteI understand where you're coming from, but we will not know God without rigorous study of who he has revealed himself to be in his Word. Personal experience certainly increases our knowledge of him and is essential, but apart from study in the word, we could be worshipping a God that only exists in our own experience and perception. Personal experience must be consistent with what the Bible says about God. Theology starts, as I said, with study of his word, not with a professor or class room.
As far as election goes, we study it because it is in the Bible, and impetus for evangelism comes from our understanding of it. God has designed it in this way. Producing fruit doesn't mean that we shouldn't think. I think we should have both. We are commanded to think hard over the Scriptures, and do so to the glory of God. With that said, I understand your point, knowing God is more than knowing facts about him!
@krook - Knowing God is certainly something that increases with time, and will, in this life never be complete, but knowledge of him is not something that is impossible to attain. He graciously invites us into the conversation with him, and in that conversation, we won't learn everything, but he tells us many plain statements about who he is.
Do you think that the conversation will continue throughout eternity, God revealing more and more of himself to us forever, or will we know him fully, and therefore be completely satisfied in him? Are there any texts that shed light on this?
As creations, we can never have the mind of God, so we'll always be learning more of Him. I don't see why this would change in heaven. I foresee our satisfaction not coming in a immediate disclosure, but in an eternal revelation.
ReplyDelete@Fitzy-
ReplyDeleteWhat I am really trying to say that I did not make clear on my first post. (my own fault in trying to do a 5 second post) Absolutely the word is our foundation(meditate on it day and night), but I just cringe at these books on theology. I can't stand picking up a book by Ryrie, Scofield, Mcarthur, etc. and seeing the giant leaps from the scriptures on certain issues or topics. Why is it that if there is something unclear that we have to make up an answer for it. I would rather admit that I am not sure than to make up a false conclusion. But what gets me more bothered is when it is clear but doesn't fit into their traditional belief system so in order to reconcile the word with their beliefs they essentially create lies. I don't want to get into all of this issues on here that I see people changing the word in order to fit their beliefs it could possibly take me all day. When I go to the Word I go and search what the Lord wants to teach me, not interpreting it according to my beliefs which really teaches me nothing but instead falsly perpetuates my erroneous belief system.
I'm with you Bryan. The need to satisfy tensions created by scripture often leads to shaky conclusions.
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