Voices from the Past

Thoughts from Church History, by John Spano

It is always encouraging and helpful to take a look at what past authors of the Church have said about certain topics. As we offer this initial issue discussing the place of theology and practice, we thought it would be good to see what others in the church have said about theology. Though there remains many works untouched in this inquiry, the following are exemplary theologians for our project, for they never saw theology apart from ministry.

On the Object, Author and End of Theology – Jacobus Arminius

Jacob Arminius offers a reminder of what theology truly is. The sole object of theology is God. Though we cannot fully understand all of God because He is infinite, we still must press on, learning all we can, with the result of worshipping Him. But God is not only the object of true theology. He is also the Author of theology. It is from God’s word that we learn about who He is. Arminius does not stop here, but proceeds to describe God as the end of theology also. The purpose of discussing God is to know God. Therefore, the Object, the Author, and the End of our theology is God Himself. That is what makes theology so crucial to ministry. We are not offering philosophical inquiry, but attempting to help explain who God is and how that affects our lives. (Orations I and II, Volume 1, Works of Jacobus Arminius, http://ccel.org/ccel/arminius/works1.ii.i.html)

On the Theologian – Gregory Nazianzus

Gregory Nazianzus, a tremendous pastor and teacher of the fourth century, offers great wisdom on the person who thinks about theology. He warns us that “the Subject is not so cheap and low,” and not for all people nor at all times. He is not saying do not remember God, “For we ought to think of God even more often than we draw our breath.” But there is a manner of speech about God that is guarded and reserved for special times. Talking about God is not for just anyone either. It is for the examined person who is pure. (Oration 27, NPNF II, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf207.iii.xiii.html)

On the Progress of Theology – Vincent of Lerins

Vincent of Lerins, who is used often by Thomas Oden, discusses an important topic for theology and practice. How do we apply truths written in the past to the present ministry in which we find ourselves? He agrees there must be progress in religious knowledge but without any alteration of the faith. There must be the same doctrine, sense and meaning as was found in the early church while expressing it in different ways. He compares the progress to the growth of the human body. There is a difference between a person when he or she was a youth and when that person grows up. But, the person is the same person when adult or child. In the same way, the ways we talk about God may expand and we may use different imagery, but never do we deviate from what we find in the Bible and the Apostles Creed.(Chapter 23 of A Commonitory, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf211.iii.xxiv.html)

The Case of Reason Impartially Considered – John Wesley

Often when we are considering uniting theology and ministry there is a concern for overemphasizing reason. Wesley directly addresses this issue of reason in one of his sermons. There he addresses both extremes one can take. The first possible extreme is to discard reason altogether as unprofitable. To this he explains that it is by reason (assisted by the Holy Spirit) that we come to understand Scripture, faith, the new birth and repentance. Reason even can help us in understanding the very being of God. The other extreme is to overemphasize reason. To these, Wesley reminds us that reason by itself cannot produce faith, hope or love. Reason is not a bad thing, but it is not everything. God is the Object, Author and End of all our theology. (Sermon 70, The Case of Reason Impartially Considered. http://ccel.org/ccel/wesley/sermons.vi.xvii.html#vi.xvii-p0.2)

These four men of God have much to offer us in considering what it means to bring our ministry and theology together. These reminders - that our knowledge is finite, that theology must progress without changing, that our sole object of theology is God and that the one who brings theology to the table must do so with a pure heart – are as relevant for our churches as they were for them. (Sermon 69, The Imperfections of Human Knowledge)