Today, I am starting something that I have been thinking about for a long time. At the beginning of my seminary education, I invested a considerable period of my life researching and trying to understand the undercurrent of anti-intellectualism in evangelical life (here’s an old bibliography). Shortly thereafter I wrote a little essay called “Never Mind” in which I attempted to provide an historical summary together with some contemporary analysis. Within a couple of months, I was introduced to the world of blogging, entering in with “Provocations and Pantings.” The title represents the false dichotomy of head (provocations) and heart (pantings), a product of Western thought which I hoped to reconcile. My goal was twofold: to use this blog to develop my thoughts and affections in knowing Christ, and secondly to attempt to bridge the gap between the academic high-brow’s and the everyday layperson in the pew with content that would appeal to both groups. I had become discouraged with both groups: academicians who were writing only to one another, and pop-Christianity in which anti-intellectualism had become a bragging point.
Over the course of the past year, I became more and more convinced that theological education was to take place in the context of the local church, not the seminary (you can see some of my thoughts here). While I have been incredibly blessed by what I have learned from both the seminary and the blogosphere, it is the church where theological education must find its home. Therefore, I am starting a series called “Blue Collar Theology” through which I hope to provide tangible ways for churches and leaders to become more theologically driven as well as excerpts from books, resources I find, and anything else that will assist local churches to advance the cause of theological education in their respective contexts. I had originally planned on calling this series, “To Be a Pillar of Truth: Theological Education and the Local Church,” but I thought it was too bulky. So I have settled with “Blue Collar Theology” instead.
Whether we admit it or not, theology has become relegated to “white collar Christians.” You know, seminary professors, students, and full-time vocational ministers. We have come to accept the idea that the 19 year-old Bubba who is just entering a technical college to be a plumber would never be interested in understanding the penal substitutionary atonement, or the 14 year-old daughter named Emma would be interested in Biblical womanhood, or the 67 year-old grandfather named Charles would be interested taking his extra time during retirement to take theological courses in redemptive history to be better equipped to teach his Sunday School class.
It should not be that the most theological book “blue collar Christians” read is The Purpose Driven Life or The Prayer of Jabez or anything else on the “best-seller” list at their local Christian bookstore. It should not be that their intellectual and spiritual pursuit of God be underchallenged and held in contempt as though God has not provided them the means and motivation for doing so. It should not be that provision for theological education be made only for those who are in full-time ministry. While I am in no way seeking to diminish the efforts or successes of seminary education, they were never intended to replace theological education in the local church, and it is there that I want to focus my time and attention.
So as I think about in the future weeks and months, I ask that you join me in thinking about theological education in the local church–answering the questions of “why,” “how,” and “so what,” fueling the much-needed discussion, and offering helps and resources for pastors and church members.
amen Timmy…I dig it.
Intriguing notion. May I suggest that a definition of “church” be derived. Or at least help identify how churches that are biblical can be identified for purposes of joining like minded believers and hence receive a proper education in “blue collar theology.”
Scott,
The purpose of my series “Blue Collar Theology” is an attempt to emphasize and promote theological education in the local church context. By that I mean a local community of believers who are covenantally committed to one another and to reaching their world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that is not a comprehensive definition, but I think it makes the point that the local church should be the primary center for theological education, and we should not be satisfied with surrogates or substitutes. I hope to hash this out more in the future, but I think at this point it is suffice to say that the local church and her leaders should be the progenitors of this worthy (and biblical) cause.
Unfortunately, due to pragmatism and a programmatic style of church growth, theology has taken a bad wrap and is considered only to divide or breed arrogance. It has also been considered a poor waste of time because it does not bring the results (efficiency) that some church practitioners are looking for. In any case, my humble attempt is to see the reality come about in my generation that the church live out its purpose of being “the pillar and buttress of truth.”
Timmy,
Thanks for your thoughts in this post. I have come to many of the same conclusions during my past couple of years of seminary education. This summer I posted some free educational resources online for people to use and I know that several people at our church have taken advantage of them. I pray that Christians in our church will desire to know the Lord better. I hope that our generation of seminary students will strive to teach fervently and educate those they are called to shepard in knowing Christ better. I look forward to future posts!–Dirk
Dude (affectionately wielded here) –
The nail hit the head. This won’t take place without a commitment in our local churches to make it so. Two thoughts come to mind:
(1) Is there any substitute for biblically-rooted, lively preaching and teaching?
(2) From the broader perspective, we’re going to be playing catch-up for some time to adjust ecclesiological mindsets (revivalistic methodology begets programs; programs beget the mixed church growth movement, etc.). What about basic book recommends in the church? I’d like to see The Prayer of Jabez jettisoned for The Enemy Within and The Purpose-Driven life for Living the Cross-Centered Life…or Stop Dating the Church…or The Holiness of God (I could go on).
I think a missing link has been the foundational question, ‘What is the church in everyday life?’ because it puts doctrine where it belongs, viz. in the life. Blue collar indeed! Keep at it. This is THE issue. (Did I overstate?)
Dirk,
That’s great to hear. I checked out your recommended resources on your blog. Somewhere down the line, I plan on bringing many of those to the fore. In the meantime, thanks for tuning in. I hope this series will resonate with many people.
SGaylord,
I appreciate being affectionately called “dude”. 🙂 I think that’s a first. Usually it’s “man.”
I think you are right. We could be on the brink of undoing much of the past 200+ years of theological education by bringing it back into the local church and having it buttressed by confessional accountability and an ecclesiological matrix. Lest we forget, “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” is still a part of the Great Commission.
Thanks for sharing.
Timmy,
To a very large degree I agree with your conviction that the ideal place for theological education is the local church. However, I wonder if there are some particular theological and biblical subjects most suitable for a seminary or another institution of higher education. The most obvious example I can think of are the biblical languages. Is the local church the ideal place to study Greek and Hebrew? And in addition, what about a man like Dr. Gentry as SBTS, who is crazily awesome and efficient when it comes to learning ancient languages?
I am interested in your thoughts on this, although I realize this may be slightly off the main focus of your post.
Timmy:
I am jacked about this upcoming series you are contemplating! This issue is what motivated me to leave my practice and come to seminary. I found in my own life and in those around me an absolute lack of anything that remotely resembled an understanding of God much below the Prayer of Jabez level, I am ashamed to say. This issue is what I find I am most passionate about, helping the church get to know Her Lord even deeper! Thanks for putting “pen to paper”, so to speak, on this matter!
I couldn’t agree with you more! As a matter of fact, last fall I began blogging about theology–primarily for women–because there are so few Christian women who are able or willing to discuss their theology. I first noticed it while my husband was in seminary, many seminary wives were unable/uninterested to discuss theology with others, much less with their own husbands. Now I see it among Christian home school moms who are unable/unwilling to apply sound theology to their own life and family.
Sadly, many women don’t even realize that they HAVE a theology–good, bad, or otherwise–much less how it impacts their thinking and actions. I’m looking forward to your series on this. Blessings!
connie I so agree with you about women and their view of theology. I am a lover of theology – to study about God is the most wonderful thing we as children of God can do. I love digging deep and seeing God reveal himself to me. The past 10 years have be sweet with my heart being shown the truths of reformed theology found throughout scripture. As a ministers wife, with no children, I have found this to be my hearts cry – to have the women in our church to see the importants of knowing God in all of his glory. I am hoping to attend the Together for the Gospel conference in the spring with my husband. I know that it is mostly a pastorial conference but as the wife of a pastor who also wants to be equipped to handle the issues of the truth with the women in our church I find conferences such as this most helpful plus I love hearing godly men preach, and preach, and preach. Many of my favorites are going to be there. Just want to encourage you to press on with the place the Lord has planted you. Timmy I look forward to your series too.
Timmy (aka dude),
I’ve been anxiously waiting for this series since you teased about it in the spring sometime. I pray God’s blessing and divine guidance upon you as you develop this series.
Whoa! Thanks for all the great feedback. I hope to not disappoint(!).
Joseph,
It was nice being able to catch up with you on the tram last night. As I stated and attempted to nuance in my post, I do not believe that higher education should be done away with; rather, I don’t want it to become a surrogate or substitute for theological education in the local church. Ideally, it should be a both/and not an either/or scenario. In our desire to provide theological training for the “low brow” culture, we should not abandon academia and pursue rigorous Christian scholarship (although that should also be done in the local church as well).
Perhaps my post reflecting on Dr. Mohler’s seminary report would be applicable here. Here’s the link:
http://timmybrister.com/2007/05/02/boyces-vision-mohlers-report-and-my-reflection-on-reform/
Last year at T4G, Dr. Mohler made the appeal to put him out of business. While that is not necessarily my ambition, his point has been well-received and taken seriously.
Jeff,
Great to hear from you man! Hope you are doing well my friend. It has been my experience of never having been brought up around a theologically-minded church. I hope to write on this more in the days to come. In fact, I did not read my first book until I was 19 years old. I had very little if any doctrinal understanding; rather, the most theological thing I had before that was going through a series on eschatology in a Dawson McAlister workbook–and that only because I was fascinated with Y2K.
Connie and KK,
Your interest and investment in theological pursuit (i.e. knowing God better) is incredibly encouraging. Thank you for sharing and tuning in. I would love to hear more from you in the days to come!
Mark,
Yeah, it has been a long time coming! A lot of it had to do with this summer being way busier than I had ever planned. But alas, I am happy to finally get this deal going. I am really excited about it. It’s really cool that someone remembers me mentioning that (and kind of scary too!).
Sounds great! My expectations for this series are high. Don’t disappoint me!
Seriously, though, you’re absolutely right. This is exceedingly important.