Does Theology Matter?

For some, theology is a daunting word, evoking images of mahogany bookcases and thick volumes of archaic books filled with unfamiliar terms which bear no meaning to the situations faced by modern people.  Others embrace theology, not in a loving embrace, but more like a Viking gripping a broadsword. These individuals view theology as a weapon slaying the evil in this world along with anyone who would dare challenge their views on certain biblical or cultural topics.  I admit I have encountered both and have made my home in both camps.  In my early days of ministry, I viewed theology as a by-product of irrelevant people, focused more on their knowledge of a subject instead of the issue itself. I viewed theology as a “take it or leave it” part of my faith and as unneeded or non-essential to my growth and the growth of others. My opinion changed in my seminary years. I gladly grabbed my theological broadsword and started hacking away at the world as well as the belief systems of others, probably causing more confusion and hurt along the way. Maybe you have been in one, or both, of these camps with similar experiences. 

The church is often split into two camps; those who believe theology is everything and are ready for a fight and those who think the Christian life is all about an experience and encounter with God, putting theology on the back burner.  The truth is, everyone is a theologian, but not everyone is a good theologian.  We all have thoughts regarding the Divine, but not all of our assumptions are accurate. So, does theology matter? Does it need to be avoided, so there is less division in a world already plagued by division? Or, should theology be something we talk about more in the local church? I would suggest we need a better grasp of theology rather than less. I have two reasons why I believe theology is important for the local church and the individual.

Pragmatic solutions are not always the best answer for the church.

The world is complex, and as believers, we face varying views on navigating the complex issues of the day. How should the church engage this complex culture in which we find ourselves living and working? One solution is to make our faith as simple as possible for the unbeliever. We take our faith and strip it of any unfamiliar word and replace it with a more suitable and understandable word. This pragmatic or practical approach attempts to make the faith assessable to more people as we carry out the instructions of our Lord, found in Matthew 28:18-20:

And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

It is a huge task to teach all that Jesus has commanded and go to all the nations, and often God doesn’t move at our pace. In our desire to move ministry along as quickly and efficiently as possible, we often don’t take the time to explain what it means to embrace Christ fully.  I like what Jeff Myers from Focus on the Family writes about reducing Christianity to bite-size morsels of truth. “Thoughtlessness is an epidemic in churches today. I call this disease ‘simplicism’- the belief that something is truer if it can be summarized as a cliché and reproduced in memes, posters, and bumper stickers.” Suppose we strip our faith of words like redemption, repentance, righteousness, sanctification, covenant, and a host of other words chosen by God to reveal Himself and His plan for redemption. In doing so, we neglect one of the principal duties of church leadership. Paul addresses this practice when he writes these words to Timothy, his son in the faith, in 2 Timothy 4:2-4:

Preach the word; be ready in season; and out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Pragmatic thought is not a bad thing for certain aspects of our faith life, but we can not shortcut the faith to see growth or vision accomplished. Teaching and studying theology takes time, but it is time spent well.

Theology helps us understand how to love Christ well.

Jen Wilkin writes the following in her book, Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds, “Our heart cannot love what the mind does not know.” This statement is profound and useful when we think about the role of theology in the church. To love something, we must know something of its makeup and character. Our affections grow as we grow in understanding. The connection between the heart and mind need not be severed when it comes to faith. We must learn to love Christ with both our minds and our heart.  What does this mean for the local church? It means we must aim for the heart and the mind; if we miss one, we miss the mark. Paul understood the importance of knowing Christ. He writes the following in Philippians 3:10, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” Paul’s knowledge of Christ was not dead and archaic; rather, his knowledge of Christ fueled his love and devotion to Christ. Again, Wilkin is helpful as she writes the following, “If we want to feel deeply about God, we must learn to think deeply about God.” There are no shortcuts here; pursuing God involves seeking Him with our hearts and minds. 

A good robust understanding of God’s theological nature is not boring or non-essential; quite the opposite, it is one of the critical ways we get to know our Lord. So, embrace the Word, embrace the complexities of our faith, search Him and find that He is worth the time.  Take the time to be the best theologian you can.