Theology is all about seeking the face of God, that we might live in his countenance. It is knowing God and knowing all things in relation to him, to paraphrase one of the greats. We all do theology at a very ordinary level whenever we reflect upon who God is, or respond in any way to what we read in the bible. For the Evangelical, theology is our reflection upon the gospel which God has revealed through Scripture and the implications that it has for all areas of life.
Academic theology helps us wrestle with the more challenging questions that arise when we respond to God’s revelation in Scripture, giving the intellectual tools and time needed to untangle complex issues. It is as old as the university itself (and older).
However, the current form in academia is characterised by the basic distinction between ‘biblical studies’ and ‘systematic/dogmatic theology’ and an accompanying narrative of conflict between the two.[1] This makes it difficult to see the insights of academic theology (especially biblical studies) having any impact on the ordinary Christian life. Academia, so it seems, is focussed purely on the ‘historical’ and ‘objective’, quite at odds from the ‘spiritual’ needs of the Church.
A Christian approach to theology is drastically different, holding together the historical and spiritual, the textual and the dogmatic. So, how do we study theology faithfully in the secular academy where these distinctions and divisions are prominent? Part of the answer begins by seeing what theology is for as we live out our place in the Mission of God.
Our place in the mission of God
God’s mission is to bring about the flourishing of creation for his glory. This he began in his act of creation, calling what he had made ‘good’. He created humans both to represent him in stewarding and cultivating that goodness and to represent creation in worship of the Creator. This mission of God continues in response to Sin and the fall, taking on a redemptive and restorative character brought into sharp focus in the person and work of Jesus. And so too, our two-fold representation takes on a sharp focus as follower of Jesus.
Our place in that mission of God is as stewards, ambassadors, ‘in-his-image’ and ‘body-of-Christ’ representatives. We continue to carry a responsibility to work in ordinary ways towards the good of creation (shaped by a Christ-centred vision of flourishing), yet we also carry a special call to declare the good news of redemption in Jesus and the eschatological hope of creation restored because of his work on the cross. So we not only bring the worship of creation back to God in a general way, but bring the worship of the nations in particular through the drawing of new worshippers to God in evangelism.
Thus the New Testament can express this two-fold task, calling us both “to lead a quiet life” (1 Thessalonians 4:11) and to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15) without contradiction.
These are not two separable tasks that we switch between so much as integrated layers that are more or less in the foreground at different times as we move from Christ to our academic theology and from our academic theology back to Christ. We will consider this two directional movement under these three headings: Working for the wellbeing of creation, worshipping the God we work for, and witnessing to the world.
Working for the wellbeing of creation (From Christ to academic theology)
Theology was once known as the ‘Queen of the sciences,’ indicating the way that the knowledge of God sheds light on all areas of human inquiry. As theology students we’re interested first and foremost in what God has revealed about himself in Scripture. Yet, who God is has implications for the entirety of human life.
Scripture teaches that human wellbeing and flourishing only comes when we gaze upon the face of God in Christ. This vision of God (the beatific vision in classical theology) is the true end to which Scripture is written to bring us. When we read Scripture in light of this ultimate end, mediated by Christ alone, our work in any area of theology serves the common good of humanity since all goodness is found in God alone.
Whatever the immediate purpose of a given piece of work (historical, social, ethical, political, etc), attention to this ultimate purpose will serve the good of academic theology. The greatest good that theology can offer is not useful insights into ethics, society, history or politics (though it does have these), but a saving knowledge of God in Jesus which is held out in the gospel.
Yet, understanding God’s self-disclosure in Scripture involves wrestling with difficult textual, historical, and interpretative questions for which the academic discipline is suited. Far from undermining academia, this ultimate goal is the fuel for Christians to engage wholeheartedly with it.
In theology we can work for the wellbeing of creation by seeking a better and truer vision of God in the face of the risen Christ. It is to this ‘spiritual’ end that all Christian academic theology should be oriented.
Worshipping the God we work for (From academic theology to Christ pt.1)
Theology approached in this way is naturally ordered towards worship.
Properly reflecting upon God’s revelation involves offering praise and worship to God. It is not merely an intellectual exercise but part of our discipleship to Christ. Our knowledge of God in and through academic theology should not be divorced from our relational knowing of him. We do his revelation a disservice and deny our very nature as creatures when we try and separate ‘head knowledge’ of God from a deepening relationship with him.
Worship is therefore not something that you can do as theology students but is an inseparable part of being transformed by the contemplation of the face of God in Christ. This integrated approach is no doubt challenging to maintain in the secular academy. But no narrative of conflict between the historical and spiritual or direct attack on the trustworthiness of Scripture or the truth of the gospel can succeed to undermine what Scripture really is and the way that reflection upon it leads to worship of the Triune God.
As we get to know Scripture better, both in class and outside of it, our discoveries about the character of God and the nature of our salvation in Christ can and should lead us deeper into worship of God.
Witnessing to the world (From academic theology to Christ pt. 2)
Our reflection upon Scripture in theology which leads to worship also flows into our witness to those who have not yet heard the gospel. Studying theology is an opportunity to develop theological depth in your evangelism. Any challenge you face to your own faith is a chance to get better at answering questions others may have about Christianity. And any depth of understanding gained that feeds into your own spiritual life will also add depth and colour to your witness.
But even the mere fact that you study theology is itself an incredible springboard from which to start conversations about the gospel. The classic fresher’s week question, “so, what are you studying?” is an opportunity to very quickly get to the heart of the gospel.
On top of that, the theology classroom can be a fruitful context. Seminars where you get to discuss the bible, historical theologians, or theological and philosophical concepts which touch on God and our need for a saviour are opportunities to display how Jesus shapes your thinking and is good news for the world.
Beyond that, anything you find fascinating in your studies is an opportunity to start a conversation about the gospel with coursemates. This doesn’t end when you graduate. Whatever you go on to do beyond university, the fact that you studied a theology degree will forever be an opening for sharing the gospel.
Seek his face always young theologian
The secular academy is a challenging context in which to pursue faithful Christian theology. As a Christian, you will have to wrestle with the anti-supernaturalistic assumptions which pervade the methods of biblical studies and the sharp distinctions asserted between the study of the bible and faith in Christ. Nevertheless, study in the secular academy sharpens the intellect for reading the bible well, puts you through a ‘trial-by-fire’ of spiritual resilience, and gives a context in which Scripture may still speak directly to the university.
What is theology for? Theology is for reflecting upon and responding to the knowledge of God revealed in Scripture. Seek his face always young theologian.
Notes:
[1] originating in the 18th century with an address from J. P. Gabler
