Ok, now I know that John Smulo is listening in on my conversations. (Hey, John…stop it!)
My husband and I were talking last night about…well…I guess in the broadest sense…God. And our theology. And where our theology comes from. And how often we don’t think about where our theology comes from. Many Christians wouldn’t categorize their beliefs as theology or doctrine… but it is.
Though I never would have categorized it as such, up until a few years ago, my doctrine was something like this:
- I believe in penal substitution. (OH-and if you can’t name the exact time that the substitution took place, well….perhaps you had better think again)
- I believe in voting Republican. (GET behind me, DEMOCRAT!)
- I believe in voting anti-abortion.
- I believe that homosexuality is wrong. (Remember the SODOMITES!)
- I believe in Quiet Time. (Insert angelic choir sounds here)
- I believe moralism=good Christianity.
- I believe in avoiding hell at all costs.
- I believe that Scripture is the AUTHORITATIVE WORD OF GOD. (And useful for teaching and beating people with.)
I know this seems ridiculous, and frankly, asinine. However, it’s the truth. Much of my belief system was rooted in the NO’s, as John points out in his post. Could it be that much of the negativity that we see in Christianity, the focus on behavior modification is because our theology is rooted in the fall? I’ve been mulling this over for a couple of months now, and at least for me, it has some traction. If my theology ceases to be rooted in the fall and is now rooted in redemption, doesn’t that change everything? It does for me. Though I’m still working things out in my mind (just ask my good friend TA), I think my doctrinal statement would look a little more like this:
- I believe that Jesus died for my personal sins, but the gospel is SO much more than Jesus coming to die for my sins. It was the inauguration of the redemption of the whole world.
- I believe that the Church should NOT be partisan. We should be purple. We should be calling both sides to justice, honesty and morality.
- I believe that as a citizen of the new Kingdom, I cannot withdraw from society, huddled into a bible-study bunker. We, as citizens of the new Kingdom, are to live in a way so as to work alongside of God to achieve that redemption.
- I believe that how I live is as important as what I believe. The power of my life is my best apologetic.
- I believe that I have no business talking about hell in the life while ignoring hell in the here and now.
- I believe that all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
Many thanks to both Scot McKnight and N. T. Wright for my burgeoning suppositions.
Oh, and to the aforementioned TA, for so graciously listening to my rantings and being patient, loving and NON-judgemental when I go off track. TA-it ain’t over yet.
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