At this point in working through a Blue Collar Theology (BCT), I want to provide some excerpts from Richard Lints as he elaborates on the disjunction of theology and the local church (Richard Lints, The Fabric of Theology: A Prolegomenon to Evangelical Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993, 81, 318-21). I have provided these excepts with subheadings, and I will post a few reflections in conclusion. Central to these excerpts (and the theme of BCT) is that theology belongs to the local church, not any other institution or parachurch organization. Consider these words by Lints (all emphasis mine).
Shriveling Theology
Theology is not simply a list of dogmas to be believed; it encompasses a framework for thinking about the world and a vision for living in it. It seeks to capture the minds and hearts of believers so that they might think Christianly and act Christianly. Theology is the most noble and impassioned of disciplines, and if confined to the classroom, it will shrivel and die. (81)
Contextual Theology and Personal Transformation
Theology must be lived in the life of the church, in the lives of those whom God has called out from a rebellious world. It must be lived in the midst of the world, not in isolation from it. The church is composed of fallen creatures who live in a fallen world and whose theological vision is inevitably influenced by the profound impact of sin on their hearts and minds. Yet the fundamental hope of Christians is the hope that the Holy Spirit brings in the power of God’s word to transform their minds and hearts in accord with God’s purposes. (81)
Church Usurped by Seminary Enterprise
Until the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth centuries, the church was the prime recipient of theological endeavors and was the prime context in which theological visions were constructed. . . .The growing professionalization of theological education has placed most seminaries in the hands not of churches but of private enterprise. And finally the breakdown of ecclesiology as a significant category of the theological framework has contributed to shifting the prime context of theology from church to popular culture. (318)
Theology Disconnected from Worship and Mission
Evangelicals have broken the fundamental connections between theology and worship and mission. As the primary context of theological construction has moved outside the church, it has lost sight of the God who called out a people for his own, that they might worship him and proclaim his name in all the world. It is God who grants to his people a theological vision, and the church is the fundamental context he has chosen to carry forth that vision. The church was not a nebulous entity in the New Testament, nor were the people of God left without a vision in those days. The church had particular shape, structure, and spiritual location. Its privileges and responsibilities were spelled out in great detail. As the apostles addressed particular churches or groups of churches, they delivered a common theological framework that was meant to infuse the people with a new way-of-looking-at-the-world-a theological vision. (318)
Church’s Work to Build Framework of and Boundaries to the Praise of God
Undoubtedly the focus of the church ought to be the God who has brought her forth and through whom and unto whom are all things. But the church must wrestle with how this praise of God is to go forth. She must constantly be on guard against allowing her proclamation to become self-praise instead the praise of God. If the church is the context for the praise of God, it is also the proper context for the protection of that praise. Theology likewise reflects two purposes when it functions with a church identity: it sets forth a framework for the praise of God, and it declares the boundaries of that praise. (319)
Peril of Theological and/or Ecclesiological Abandonment
The church abandons theology only at great peril to herself, but likewise theology abandons the church only at great peril to itself. Theology lost the most important forum for the praise of God and thereby lost the means to apply the Bible’s theological framework in the contemporary world. When it lost its church identity, theology also lost its accountability structures. And as theology becomes less accountable to the church, it lost sight of the boundaries of the praise of God. (319-20)
Theology Belongs to the Church
Theology belongs to the church, and it is only to the extent that theology is grounded in the identity of the church that it will effectively own the tasks to which it has been called. (320)
Result of Theological Abandonment
As things now stand, evangelicals have lost not only a church identity for their theology but also theological identity for their church. The church inevitably lost a taste for theology as theology lost a taste for the church. Evangelical churches are now enamored with the management of the people of God not by a theological vision but by a vision of success maximization. (320)
Theological Wastelands
Evangelical theology . . . finds itself alienated from . . . the church whose habits of mind and interests now lie substantially elsewhere. . . . This is most unexpected, most grievous and most damaging. A Church which is neither interested in theology nor has the capacity to think theologically is a Church that will be rapidly submerged beneath the waves of modernity. It is a Church for whom Christian faith will rapidly lose its point and this is already well under way within evangelicalism. And a Church whose interests are thus adrift is the one that no longer is an audience for whom theologians can think. They are on the point of becoming artists whose work no one bothers to view. (320-21)
(David F. Wells, “The Theologian’s Craft,” in Doing Theology in Today’s World: Essays in Honor of Kenneth S. Kantzer, eds. Thomas E. McComiskey and John D. Woodbridge. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991, 193-94)
Personal Reflections:
In both the evangelical world and Southern Baptist life, theology in the local church desperately needs to be reconciled. Previous years of liberal theology has lead many a lay person to hold theologians in suspicion; on the other hand, many theologians feel more at home in academia than in the local church because of the pervasive anti-intellectualism and unrestrained pragmatism which values technique over truth. Richard Lints nails it when he says that theology belongs in the local church. To have a vibrant fellowship rich in theology and united in gospel mission is not impossible. Perhaps we have a little too much of the Mama Boucher complex which says that everything, including theology “is of the devil.”
God has not promised to build an parachurch organization, college or seminary. He has promised to build His Church. It is in this context that theology must once again find its home. When the only audience theologians have today is academia and fellow colleagues, something has gone terribly wrong. Furthermore, when the task of theology is divorced from the practical outworking of the truth of God among the people of God, then we have failed as servants and stewards (1 Cor. 4:1) of the mysteries of God. It is my hope and prayer that my generation can once again have a passion for God’s truth-a passion that is manifested neither in a well-decorated wall or initials but in transformative knowledge of the Most High God.
Ἀμήν.
Ephesians 3:10 is such a stunning verse.
Thanks for the quotes Timmy. If you are in Stillman Valley, IL – — I’d be pleased to buy you a cup of coffee and breakfast at the Royal Blue. You’re posting good stuff. We could have a nice chat.
CDB.
It is sad the number of Christians who believe that church is for preaching the Bible, and seminary is for theology. Many Christians have a distrust for seminaries. I think it may be because in seminary, twisted views are systematized and marketed to the masses. I don’t mean all the time of course. But I’ve heard so many stories of “good preachers” who go to seminary and “come back a mess” by especially older Christians. I believe churches are the place where theology is learned, taught and lived. There is no biblical spiritual authority beyond the church, yet we have delegated what isn’t ours to delegate to institutions outside of the church. We’ve even gone out of our way to ensure these institutions are so normal they’re accredited by non-Christians. And we seek this, and all it good.
Church Usurped by Seminary Enterprise
Until the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth centuries, the church was the prime recipient of theological endeavors and was the prime context in which theological visions were constructed. . . .The growing professionalization of theological education has placed most seminaries in the hands not of churches but of private enterprise. And finally the breakdown of ecclesiology as a significant category of the theological framework has contributed to shifting the prime context of theology from church to popular culture. (318)
Does he have particular seminaries in mind here? How would he view Southern?
Danny
Chris,
I would love to get together some time. Is Stillman Valley close to Chicagoland?
Darby and Danny,
Because you both spoke to the same issue, allow me to address you both in the same comment. SBC seminaries cannot be spoken of with a 1:1 correspondence with other seminaries because they are accountable to a convention of churches, or at least they are supposed to be. You see, there was a period where that was not the case, where there was no confessional accountability, academic integrity, or seminary/church continuity. A professor, for instance, could sign the Abstract of Principles and teach contrary to what it means and what the churches believes so long as they can adopt the postmodern hermeneutic of determining what exactly the document means *for them*. Since the Conservative Resurgence, much of that has changed, thanks to the efforts of many seminary presidents.
The early to mid 90’s were crucial years for seminary education in SBC life. While it is rare that ever a higher education institution goes from liberal to conservative, this happened in all six of the SBC seminaries. This cannot go unnoted or unappreciated. Through these efforts, lost trust and regained continuity between local churches and seminaries has developed.
However, I do believe that there is still a disconnect between SBC seminaries and SBC churches. Evidence of this can be seen when local churches are pre-selecting their prospective ministers who have a theological education (or lack thereof) that accords with traditional beliefs (not taught in seminaries). By traditional, I do not mean historic baptist beliefs but what they have believed for most their lives. In the past few years, we heard the frequent talking points of denominational heads warning seminarians and pastors to not go in and seek to reform a church. I find this peculiar and alarming on a number of fronts, not the least of which is the implicit hierarchy being manifested in how churches are governed in the SBC. But alas, I digress.
My point is simply this. Other seminaries usually are not directly related or accountable to the local church. SBC seminaries are. Other seminaries usually are not confessional or demand accountability along confessional documents. SBC seminaries do. Be that as it may, this still is not what Scripture has prescribed for theological education. I do believe that seminaries and other institutions of higher education should exist, but that they should not the primary and natural context or setting for training ministers for ministry. It should be in the local church. Seminaries provide an avenue for scholarship and academic studies that do serve noble and necessary purposes. I just fear that we are coming to a day where some of the most gifted men and women would rather use their gifts and abilities outside the local church.
Yes. Well said. Thank you for the follow up.
We’re about an 1.5-2hrs west of Chicago. We consider ourselves close, but your average suburbs person would see us as a 100 miles west of oblivion.
Still the Royal Blue (our diner) serves a quality hamburger. It used to be a grocery store and when the current owner changed it to a diner, what with the price of signs and all, he kept the name.
It is a town of 1000 people. . .
Ah, okay. I am hoping to take my wife and spend a weekend up in Chicagoland before we leave Louisville. Both Joe (Thorn) and Steve (McCoy) are up there. Joe is in Dekalb/Geneva, and Steve is in Woodstock. I know Geneva and Dekalb is west/northwest of Chicago, but I am not sure where Woodstock is.
I am all about some quality hamburgers. My hometown has the greasiest hamburgers in the world. 😉