I've been thinking the past few minutes about what the tasks of a theologian are to be. I am giving my list that I have so far, but I am wanting to hear from everyone else too
1) To combine revelation, reason, and experience - Revelation is primarily contained in the Scriptures, however, I think the Bible is a combination of revelation (which comes from God), and reason and experience (which comes from man, though maybe through the agency of God). This synthesis is to go merely beyond a regurgitation of the Biblical texts however, but it is to go into the gaps where the Scriptures due not speak much, or at all, and find meaning. One must tread carefully in this task though because it relies heavily on interpretations of all three things and interpretations can vary drastically in their correctness or the lack thereof.
2) To discern the true meaning or meanings of the Biblical texts - And so exegesis in implied in the work of a theologian. However, it also includes the synthesis of revelation, reason, and experience in order to fully understand the meaning and applications of the texts. However, one must be careful that the do not dictate the writers agrees with or talks about the theologian's own theological synthesis (which is where exegesis can serve as a check from such errors).
3) To explain the meanings of the Biblical texts in modern day understanding for the average person to understand - The Biblical text, while can be understood for the most part by the layman, does have many cryptic parts. Furthermore, for those who are not well read in the Bible, the language can become confusing and as a result lose its meaning when one teaches those people. Therefore, the theologian must know not only the language of the past in the Biblical texts, but the language of the present and put it into ways that the contemporary culture can understand it. One must be careful though in their attempt at "translation," that they do not water down the message.
4) To bring out the the practical applications of our theological understandings - The theologian is merely to set out theological beliefs for the mere sake of beliefs, but they must demonstrate the practical reasons for which one should believe and what the implications are for living and growing in the Christian life.
5) To foster the purpose of the Christian live - That is, to love God with everything, to love our neighbor in the exact same way that we care for our own lives and well-being, and to be joyful in this world, with all three being true completely and without contradiction with the others. If this is not performed, then the theologian has definitely failed, no matter how much they excel in the other areas.
Showing posts with label theologians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label theologians. Show all posts
Friday, November 9, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
I'm a genius! AND Proof that Google is better than Yahoo
According to this site here, my blog reading level is at the undergrad level. However, every separate post that I checked put my posts at the genius level. I am truly baffled by this. Is my profile text so dumb that it brings down my level from genius to undergrad (that would be pretty impressive since my personal info is only two sentences).
Secondly, it proves I am superior that many of those other blogs out there, like Chris Tilling's and Jim West's. Heck, it is even higher than Ben Witherington's. Guys like Myers and Leithart have postgraduate levels though, so expect me to add some 5 and 6 syllable words to my profile info in order to meet their level.
So this clearly means that my blog is superior to many of those other blogs. Either that or no one can read what the heck I write.
Also, if you put in Google.com, it will come out at a genius level. Whereas Yahoo.com comes out at a junior high level. Proof that Google is better. It makes you smarter.
Secondly, it proves I am superior that many of those other blogs out there, like Chris Tilling's and Jim West's. Heck, it is even higher than Ben Witherington's. Guys like Myers and Leithart have postgraduate levels though, so expect me to add some 5 and 6 syllable words to my profile info in order to meet their level.
So this clearly means that my blog is superior to many of those other blogs. Either that or no one can read what the heck I write.
Also, if you put in Google.com, it will come out at a genius level. Whereas Yahoo.com comes out at a junior high level. Proof that Google is better. It makes you smarter.
Monday, April 2, 2007
What is a theologian?
I read "10 Propositions on being a Theologian" by Kim Fabricus of the Faith and Theology blog the other day and it got me to thinking about the topic. What all does it mean to be a theologian? Why should we study theology? What is theology's primary purpose? Where do we derive theology from?
So I am endeavoring to attempt to answer the question of "What is a theologian?" Actually, the more pertinent question is "What should a theologian be?" as the answer to what a theologian is, is a person who studies the topic of God. There is nothing more to it really. But as to what a theologian should be, the answer is not so simple.
What should a theologian be?
1) A theologian serves the Church - He does not study for his own entertainment or curiosity. They may enjoy it and may be curious regarding to truth about God, but if that is their sole or primary motivation then they are as much value to the Church as the scientist who is an atheist.
2) A theologian is to be a holy person - The author of Hebrews in chapter 5 says that the man who discerns good from evil is the one who is to be given the solid food (the deep Christian). Paul proclaims in 1 Corinthians 2-3 that the man who is spiritual (the one who is constantly follow the Spirit) is the one who understands the wisdom of God. A person who claims to be a theologian but lacks a righteous life has little true understanding.
3) A theologian is to be a humble person - Any person who takes pride in who he is and thinks much of his intellect will be extremely prone to stubbornly hold onto their ideas in the face of evidence that suggests differently. He should not think much of his intellect, but instead recognize that he is all too much prone to errors, if not even more so than others due to his heightened chance for pride.
4) A theologian is to be constantly be reforming his thought in all areas - Any person who thinks they are set in their knowledge on a certain topic probably knows very little because in all likelihood they forced their theology to be true and in fact know very little because the truth will probably bring up new questions in the area that contradict his understanding. It is like a psychologist who claims to know all there is about a certain aspect of personality.
5) A theologian is not to be a person who routinely creates new ideas - While he is to reform his thought, to create a new idea is to say that all the people of the past were in error. That isn't to say that there are not times where a theologian uncovers a new teaching, but if one is constantly coming up with something new, they are in all likelihood going to be error. Instead, the theologian express old things in a new way so that the people whom they serve may understand.
6) A theologian is to be a person who would rather be obscure than well-known - Any man who wants to be well-known is a man who faces temptation to be please other people or to conflict other people just to attain attention. They are constantly in conflict when invited to functions that recognize their theological aptitude and accomplishments because they serve as a temptation.
7) A theologian should be one who understands and explains truths in a simple manner - So often times when people think of theologians, they think of people who talk about obscure topics using terminology that competes with the complexity of nuclear physicists. And unfortunately, this is not far from the truth for some theologians. On the other hand, Jesus spoke about the deep things in a more simple manner. For instance, with Nicodemus he used birth to portray a deeper spiritual reality. Now not everyone may understand the deep truths in even the simplest manner, but theologians should not speak in 10 syllable words with thoughts only another theologian could understand, but in a way that a child could begin to grasp it. The writers of the Bible did not make a habit of speaking about things that were complicated, but they instead preferred to address the simple and explain things in a simpler manner.
8) A theologian should focus first on the practical - Too many times, theologians try to tackle the deeper issues, such as predestination, the atonement, the Trinity, etc., etc. primarily. For what purpose does this serve though? Whether the Son was subordinate or co-equal with the Father has no real matter with how a person should live their life. What is more important, the precise relationship between the Father and the Son or how a man can become more holy in their lifestyle?
9) A theologian should be a psychologist - They may not understand the neurotransmitters in the brain or know about the different mental disorders that people suffer from, but they are to understand people in relation to sin, holiness, and humility. If they don't have this, their knowledge does little to serve the church.
10) A theologian should be a counselor - Anyone who tries to understand God and His grace given to humanity needs to understand the needs of those whom God gives grace so that he could be a means of grace. While he can't save anyone, he can give deeper spiritual insight for those who struggle.
11) A theologian is not one who reads or writes many books, but one who spends much of the time they could be writing with thinking, prayer, Bible reading, and meditation - Long one, huh? Solomon says it best; "Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. There is no end to the making of many books, and much study is exhausting to the body" (Ecc 12:12 - NET). Books are pf value, and I do not mean to speak against writing and reading, but these things are wearying, and the tired theologian is the person whose capacity for understanding is weakened.
12) A theologian is to be an exegete - A person who claims to be a theologian and derives their teachings from the Bible should be obsessed with exegesis, to the point that it assumes a higher role than theology itself. In doing that, theological understanding comes naturally and is less likely to be influenced by the subconscious desires of many theologians to create something new and fresh.
If a theologian falls short of these routinely, they are coming to closer to being worthless for the church, if they are not already there.
By no means is this everything, but it is something that many theologians and those who aspire to be (such as me) can fall short of frequently.
So I am endeavoring to attempt to answer the question of "What is a theologian?" Actually, the more pertinent question is "What should a theologian be?" as the answer to what a theologian is, is a person who studies the topic of God. There is nothing more to it really. But as to what a theologian should be, the answer is not so simple.
What should a theologian be?
1) A theologian serves the Church - He does not study for his own entertainment or curiosity. They may enjoy it and may be curious regarding to truth about God, but if that is their sole or primary motivation then they are as much value to the Church as the scientist who is an atheist.
2) A theologian is to be a holy person - The author of Hebrews in chapter 5 says that the man who discerns good from evil is the one who is to be given the solid food (the deep Christian). Paul proclaims in 1 Corinthians 2-3 that the man who is spiritual (the one who is constantly follow the Spirit) is the one who understands the wisdom of God. A person who claims to be a theologian but lacks a righteous life has little true understanding.
3) A theologian is to be a humble person - Any person who takes pride in who he is and thinks much of his intellect will be extremely prone to stubbornly hold onto their ideas in the face of evidence that suggests differently. He should not think much of his intellect, but instead recognize that he is all too much prone to errors, if not even more so than others due to his heightened chance for pride.
4) A theologian is to be constantly be reforming his thought in all areas - Any person who thinks they are set in their knowledge on a certain topic probably knows very little because in all likelihood they forced their theology to be true and in fact know very little because the truth will probably bring up new questions in the area that contradict his understanding. It is like a psychologist who claims to know all there is about a certain aspect of personality.
5) A theologian is not to be a person who routinely creates new ideas - While he is to reform his thought, to create a new idea is to say that all the people of the past were in error. That isn't to say that there are not times where a theologian uncovers a new teaching, but if one is constantly coming up with something new, they are in all likelihood going to be error. Instead, the theologian express old things in a new way so that the people whom they serve may understand.
6) A theologian is to be a person who would rather be obscure than well-known - Any man who wants to be well-known is a man who faces temptation to be please other people or to conflict other people just to attain attention. They are constantly in conflict when invited to functions that recognize their theological aptitude and accomplishments because they serve as a temptation.
7) A theologian should be one who understands and explains truths in a simple manner - So often times when people think of theologians, they think of people who talk about obscure topics using terminology that competes with the complexity of nuclear physicists. And unfortunately, this is not far from the truth for some theologians. On the other hand, Jesus spoke about the deep things in a more simple manner. For instance, with Nicodemus he used birth to portray a deeper spiritual reality. Now not everyone may understand the deep truths in even the simplest manner, but theologians should not speak in 10 syllable words with thoughts only another theologian could understand, but in a way that a child could begin to grasp it. The writers of the Bible did not make a habit of speaking about things that were complicated, but they instead preferred to address the simple and explain things in a simpler manner.
8) A theologian should focus first on the practical - Too many times, theologians try to tackle the deeper issues, such as predestination, the atonement, the Trinity, etc., etc. primarily. For what purpose does this serve though? Whether the Son was subordinate or co-equal with the Father has no real matter with how a person should live their life. What is more important, the precise relationship between the Father and the Son or how a man can become more holy in their lifestyle?
9) A theologian should be a psychologist - They may not understand the neurotransmitters in the brain or know about the different mental disorders that people suffer from, but they are to understand people in relation to sin, holiness, and humility. If they don't have this, their knowledge does little to serve the church.
10) A theologian should be a counselor - Anyone who tries to understand God and His grace given to humanity needs to understand the needs of those whom God gives grace so that he could be a means of grace. While he can't save anyone, he can give deeper spiritual insight for those who struggle.
11) A theologian is not one who reads or writes many books, but one who spends much of the time they could be writing with thinking, prayer, Bible reading, and meditation - Long one, huh? Solomon says it best; "Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. There is no end to the making of many books, and much study is exhausting to the body" (Ecc 12:12 - NET). Books are pf value, and I do not mean to speak against writing and reading, but these things are wearying, and the tired theologian is the person whose capacity for understanding is weakened.
12) A theologian is to be an exegete - A person who claims to be a theologian and derives their teachings from the Bible should be obsessed with exegesis, to the point that it assumes a higher role than theology itself. In doing that, theological understanding comes naturally and is less likely to be influenced by the subconscious desires of many theologians to create something new and fresh.
If a theologian falls short of these routinely, they are coming to closer to being worthless for the church, if they are not already there.
By no means is this everything, but it is something that many theologians and those who aspire to be (such as me) can fall short of frequently.
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