Don’t say theology is hip. Or cool. Or whatever you call it. You know: belonging to the stuff that is hotly debated; fast on the tracks of the latest developments; culturally and politically informed. Contemporary theology is many things, but being ahead of the crowd is not one of them. Theology is what you see in the rearview mirror. While everything else is racing in hot pursuit of the crucial topics, theology has a hard time keeping up. The old boiler is steeming, the engine is coughing … but don’t kid yourself. Among the Porsches and Ferraris of today’s scene, theology simply puts on the parking brake.
Now, we can excuse theology’s delay in catching up by pointing out that theology is not designed to be a formula one vehicle. Theology is more like a truck that runs a little more slowly but is nonetheless steady; not the winner of the race but nonetheless the king of the highway. Or perhaps you are thinking of the old faithful steamengine locomotive. Somewhat temperamental but always reliable. It takes time to do anything in theology, but once things have been done they are solid.
This image of theology is true–and to some extent necessary. At the same time, there are times that require the fast-racing ambulance, the quick availablity of the emergency vehicle. Theology cannot afford to arrive at the scene when all the debris is already cleaned up. Theology needs to be available when traffic has stopped and nobody knows what to do next.
What I am suggesting is that theology changes vehicles. Modes of communication, that is. You know, the things that get accross what we have to say. Scholarly books read only by scholars (and only those who are interested) are a necessary but not a sufficienct vehicle. Sermons preached only in church (and only to those who have already heard them) are not a sufficient vehicle. Theologians need to let go of the parking brake. Who am I talking about, you say? Anyone who reflects on the nature of their faith in God is a theologian. Christian theology belongs back in everyday conversation, in newspapers, schools, on websites, blogs, movies, text messages, family dinners, games, sports, and play. What Christians have to say belongs in every place and every situation. Who needs to let go of the parking brake? Don’t we all?
Tags: culture, relevance, renewal, Theology
What of the classroom? When we teach we must engage the student and the student’s contemporary situation and questions (or perhaps question both their history and assumptions). Where else can we deal with the challenge of an environmentally sensitive Wicca which also sacralizes things we do not think one should worship, or discuss the advisability of having conferences with angels? How would this fit into your metaphor?
Thank you, Jim. You are making a great point here. Yes, the classroom is perhaps the greatest place of opportunity. The scholastic model is a good example of how things used to be. But the separation of church and academy, to say the least, has removed the theology of the classroom from much of the everyday life of Christians. If your proposal is to work (and I am all for it) then we need to get the classroom into churches and the church folks into the classrooms. Until then, I think we are stil holding on to the parking break.
I agree that more theologians from the academy should be involved in writing on a popular level (blogs, non-academic magazines, books etc). It seems (at least to me) there is still a condescension toward those who are involved in these popular media.
I wonder also if, in the Pentecostal academy, there is an additional hesitance to venture back into the “general population”. Many Pentecostal academics had to work extra hard to be taken serious as scholars and now we see there is a big need for many of them to return the discussion to everyday life and everyday people.
Great post. It will be interesting to see how academics will engage the mountains of theology already being done on the internet and in contemporary media.