It’s 5:30 AM and I don’t know what to call this post….
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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Nice post. Our theology does not have to be rooted in the fall and yet it can be and for many often is. Of course, the best theology can be the worst anti-venom for the world if they see that we are merely parrots on a perch mouthing out claimed truths that we have read and heard–without orthopraxy. Good theology is always practical and Jesus (and Father for that matter) never intended it any other way. On the other hand, many have been betrayed by adhering to bad theology because of the stellar living of its proponents. It is good to have a friend who is concerned with such matters. Many are content to espouse opinions and theologies based on their experiences and wishes. The study of the Scriptures is dismal in our day–even among acclaimed Christians. I hope I can stay clear of such in my own development. Even more, I hope that my life will display more and more the truth of what I proclaim, a proclamation rooted in the reality of what it means to be Christian.
Ha ha. We must be on the same wave length. Great thoughts.
That was an excellent post, Jamie. Thank you!
Jamie, I think you are right that of late our theology has been defined by creation, fall, redemption models where we are bad people saved by grace and have nothing redemptive about us. It is only however one model that christians have used through out time to explain salvation another model would be to look at it as creation - incarnation - new creation - or that God created everything good - therefore there is scope for everything to get better in the sense of good - better -best. In the incarnation Jesus shows us the best of humanity, we as human beings are spiritual beings and through Jesus we discover how to regain the best of humanity [2nd adam and all that] - we join with Jesus in renewing creation, in bringing out the best, in blessing even as that same work goes on within us…
Neither way is wrong and both have been used in christian tradition - so at least we have a choice in which explanation we use
TA-Always so eloquently stated. I too, want my life to be rooted in both good theology AND good orthopraxy.
Rachel-
Thanks so much.
John-get outta my head, dude.
Paul-Thanks for adding such great thoughts. I definitely think that much of the thinking I previously had that I now scorn was rooted in the fall. Somehow I missed the whole redemption/recreation piece. It was the piece I was missing for so long that I didn’t know I was missing.