1. What is your opinion of the New Perspective on Paul?
When I first heard of this, I did not understand why it was unique. It confused me more than anything else... It still does.
I do think it is important not to read your own culture into the culture of the first century, so I like that part of it. The rest of it still confuses me, it is hard for me to see how this "new" perspective is any different than the one we already had.
2. What is your opinion of the Emergent Church?
Once again, I appreciate what this movement was trying to accomplish. Much like the philosophers and theologians we have explored, the emergent church wants to make the gospel palpable. It seeks a gospel that lives in today's culture.
Unfortunately this is at he cost of truth and sound theology. Because the emergent church wants to be real in ta post-modern society they become post modern. Rather than being in the world but not of it they choose to be in and of it.
Ideas like "cosmic child abuse" come from this type of thinking; ideas that degrade God's word in a most disrespectful manner. These are the kinds of things I can't stand hearing and I'm sure give the general public a confusing view of Christianity.
I think the proper way to approach a post-modern culture is in the ways we have explored in this class. The emergent church has blown things way out of proportion; turning Christianity into a motive for activism or degrading God's word into the social gospel.
There are a lot of good things the emergent church is dealing with, but they've sacrificed the most important things to get there.
can you go wrong with Piper?
3. Why was Vatican II important?
With my limited knowledge of Vatican II I found this article interesting.
http://www.chick.com/reading/comics/0112/vaticanii.asp
I think there are a lot of assumptions there, with many being a little ridiculous. Still the article was rather entertaining assuming that Vatican II was the new way of getting rid of Protestants...by reeling them into Catholicism. I suppose it could be .
In reality I think Vatican II was important because it changed the face of Catholicism and Christianity. After it occurred, Catholics began taking part in this world and really reaching out in new ways. Also they admitted that Christians need to be united. I think those are important things...
4. What is Pannenberg's eschatalogical idea of resurrection?
I found this quote "he strongly asserts the Resurrection of Christ as a proleptic revelation of what history is unfolding"
In my understanding, Pannenberg's view of the resurrection is that it has a lot to do with Jesus' teaching on the kingdom and assumes a message within a larger picture. This is normal for eschatology, but what makes Pannenberg's unique is that the resurrection is a picture of history as a whole. I'm not too knowledgeable on this subject and am too tired to do further research. It's real heady stuff.
5. What is your opinion of Open Theism?
My experience with Open Theism is interesting. For a very short period of time there was a person who went to my home church who seemed to believe in open theism. Our pastor denounced open theism in a sermon and in a flustered mess this man stormed out of the sanctuary. He then told me I wasn't a Christian on Facebook because I thought the Bible was clear. An altogether interesting experience.
Open theism is a poor excuse for man to say that God doesn't control him. It says that God does not know the future, rather the possibilities according to what we choose. I think these kind of debates are what get us into trouble. Personally, I believe the Bible when it asserts God as all-knowing and all-powerful. That would mean that God knows the future. Just accept it, He is God after all.
6. Are you more complementarian or egalitarian? Why?
Totally complimentarian. My wife and I are not the same. We have different bodies, roles, and different abilities. We are not equal in that matter. I believe that God created man and woman for each other. After all, God even admitted that it wasn't right for Adam to be alone.
Here's my theme on this subject....
Ephesians 5:22,25
"Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord... Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave
himself up for her..."
I don't know if we can remember this but... Christ died for the church, so when we get all pent up about wives "submitting" we need to remember that the sacrifice of the husband is even more extreme. Men and women complement each other, they do what the other can't and assume the roles they were made for. In a healthy marriage this does not look one-sided, rather it looks sacrificial on both sides.
"No Sacrifice, No Victory." -Sam Witwiki "Transformers"
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
V. Rejecting Schleiermacher/Fundamentalism
1. What is your opinion of Fundamentalism?
Before this class, I was under the impression that fundamentalism was more of the extreme side. I suppose I associated the title with fundamentalist Mormonism where polygamy still exists. Because of my associations I assumed the fundamentalists were the Christians damning gays to hell, not letting their children receive medical assistance, and so on
Now my impression is much different, especially since I realize that I... a fundamentalist. I base this off of the main beliefs of fundamentalism.
BTW, typing "Christian Fundamentalist" does not yield good results on Youtube.
Interestingly, I found this article of a Catholic view of fundamentalism. A side I probably wouldn't have thought of.
http://www.catholic.com/tracts/fundamentalism
2. Why is the Charismatic movement important?
I think the Charismatic movement is important because it brings spiritual life back into Christianity. In many Christian circles, especially Baptist circles, we can get extremely bogged down by heavy theology, programming, and even some legalism. What we often forget is that God has given us the Holy Spirit as our helper. Charismatics realize this and attempt to use it as much as they can. I believe a healthy Christian understands the role of the Holy Spirit and realizes that they can do nothing on their own without Him.
The problem with these fundamentalist circles is that we try so hard to understand the text and live in a way that strictly adheres to it that we forget God is here to help. The Charismatic movement is important (even though it often takes things to extremes) because it reminds us of an important member of Christ's being we often neglect; the Holy Spirit.
good Driscoll Sermon about Charismatic Theology
3. Are you an inerrant? Why or why not?
Here's the deal.
Yes I am an inerrant; I believe the God-breathed word is inerrant. I do not believe the translations of God's word are inerrant. I also understand that there are mistakes or "variances" in the greek and hebrew texts, yet I am still an inerrantist. This is because I believe that the message is without error, not the recording. God wanted to communicate something perfect to us and he had to use imperfect people to do so, so of course the copying process may hit some bumps. Either way, what is being recorded is the Word of God, with or without spellcheck, we get the point. And yes, sometimes there are literature types present like metaphor, poetry, etc
Before this class, I was under the impression that fundamentalism was more of the extreme side. I suppose I associated the title with fundamentalist Mormonism where polygamy still exists. Because of my associations I assumed the fundamentalists were the Christians damning gays to hell, not letting their children receive medical assistance, and so on
Now my impression is much different, especially since I realize that I... a fundamentalist. I base this off of the main beliefs of fundamentalism.
- The inerrancy of the Bible
- The literal nature of the Biblical accounts, especially regarding Christ's miracles, and the Creation account in Genesis
- The Virgin Birth of Christ
- The bodily resurrection and physical return of Christ
- The substitutionary atonement of Christ on the cross
BTW, typing "Christian Fundamentalist" does not yield good results on Youtube.
Interestingly, I found this article of a Catholic view of fundamentalism. A side I probably wouldn't have thought of.
http://www.catholic.com/tracts/fundamentalism
2. Why is the Charismatic movement important?
I think the Charismatic movement is important because it brings spiritual life back into Christianity. In many Christian circles, especially Baptist circles, we can get extremely bogged down by heavy theology, programming, and even some legalism. What we often forget is that God has given us the Holy Spirit as our helper. Charismatics realize this and attempt to use it as much as they can. I believe a healthy Christian understands the role of the Holy Spirit and realizes that they can do nothing on their own without Him.
The problem with these fundamentalist circles is that we try so hard to understand the text and live in a way that strictly adheres to it that we forget God is here to help. The Charismatic movement is important (even though it often takes things to extremes) because it reminds us of an important member of Christ's being we often neglect; the Holy Spirit.
good Driscoll Sermon about Charismatic Theology
3. Are you an inerrant? Why or why not?
Here's the deal.
Yes I am an inerrant; I believe the God-breathed word is inerrant. I do not believe the translations of God's word are inerrant. I also understand that there are mistakes or "variances" in the greek and hebrew texts, yet I am still an inerrantist. This is because I believe that the message is without error, not the recording. God wanted to communicate something perfect to us and he had to use imperfect people to do so, so of course the copying process may hit some bumps. Either way, what is being recorded is the Word of God, with or without spellcheck, we get the point. And yes, sometimes there are literature types present like metaphor, poetry, etc
Saturday, November 12, 2011
IV. Rejecting Schleiermacher/Neo-Orthodoxy
1.What is your opinion of Barth's theology?
It is hard to tell what I think of Barth's theology because it is interpreted so many different ways. Liberal and conservative theologians alike use Barth's works often, which gives guys like me confusing implications.
Barth pioneered "dialectical theology" and began looking at theology from a different perspective. Personally, I think this approach has great merits; always seeing two sides and keeping them in balance with eachother.
Barth's view of the Bible differs from my own, he doesn't hold to inerrancy and it draws a lot of flak from many. I do not think inerrancy is essential to salvation and Barths ideas have proven extremely valuable regardless. I do know that concepts such as inerrancy effect the way you interpret the Bible, so I do keep that in mind.
To me, the most valuable aspect of Barth's theology is his emphasis on Christ. In his commentary on Romans, he insists that God be revealed by the cross. God seen this way trumps God seen through any other lens. That is what I call powerful theology.
2.Why is Bonhoeffer important?
Bonhoeffer is important because he spoke for a real Christianity, one that permeates life in every aspect. He expected Christianity to stand out in the world and become more than mundane. He spoke out against the Nazis and was actually part of an assassination conspiracy of Hitler. He died for his faith by the hand of the Nazis. By dying for the things he stood for Bonhoeffer showed that his ideas were more than ideas and worth everything he had to give.
3.What is the Barmen confession?
Simply, the Barmen declaration was Barth's (along with others) formal rejection of Hitler and the Nazis. He would not let Nazism influence the church and Christianity, so he said so. Barth mailed the letter to Hitler personally.
It is hard to tell what I think of Barth's theology because it is interpreted so many different ways. Liberal and conservative theologians alike use Barth's works often, which gives guys like me confusing implications.
Barth pioneered "dialectical theology" and began looking at theology from a different perspective. Personally, I think this approach has great merits; always seeing two sides and keeping them in balance with eachother.
Barth's view of the Bible differs from my own, he doesn't hold to inerrancy and it draws a lot of flak from many. I do not think inerrancy is essential to salvation and Barths ideas have proven extremely valuable regardless. I do know that concepts such as inerrancy effect the way you interpret the Bible, so I do keep that in mind.
To me, the most valuable aspect of Barth's theology is his emphasis on Christ. In his commentary on Romans, he insists that God be revealed by the cross. God seen this way trumps God seen through any other lens. That is what I call powerful theology.
2.Why is Bonhoeffer important?
Bonhoeffer is important because he spoke for a real Christianity, one that permeates life in every aspect. He expected Christianity to stand out in the world and become more than mundane. He spoke out against the Nazis and was actually part of an assassination conspiracy of Hitler. He died for his faith by the hand of the Nazis. By dying for the things he stood for Bonhoeffer showed that his ideas were more than ideas and worth everything he had to give.
3.What is the Barmen confession?
Simply, the Barmen declaration was Barth's (along with others) formal rejection of Hitler and the Nazis. He would not let Nazism influence the church and Christianity, so he said so. Barth mailed the letter to Hitler personally.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Accepting Schleiermacher/Libralism
1. What is Classical Liberalism?
Classical Liberalism (in theology, not politics), shows the shift in the way theology is done to a more "modern" perspective. It holds some key concepts including the use of modern thought and in-depth examination of what Christians believe. It is a way of approaching and utilizing Scripture or the foundations of what we believe, not necessarily a certain viewpoint or conclusion about God and His people. I think at a start, these concepts are useful in the evaluation of what you believe, but I think the result takes these concepts too far. From it, we see what we will deal with in the rest of the post.
This site was very helpful http://theconnexion.net/wp/?p=2420#ixzz1cWOA38t
When I was doing this study I came across a very helpful blog that not only described theological liberalism and it's history, but the misuse of the term "liberalism" in Christian and theological circles was very frustrating to him. He said that often conservatives use the term liberal when it's something they disagree with, having nothing to do with whether it is actually liberal theology or not. This is something we need to be careful of. If we are so disgusted by the ignorance of others we had better be careful of our own ignorance when it comes to this subject.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2011/07/what-is-theological-liberalism/
2. What is your opinion of the Jesus Seminar?
No Comment...
Ok fine. I really, really don't like the Jesus Seminar. My gut level reaction is something like this...
But in all seriousness, the Jesus seminar uses their own understanding and opinion of the "historical Jesus" to decipher what he most likely said or did. In doing so, they rid the gospel of anything that really makes it The Gospel. Here's what they say about their final version of the Bible.
"Unlike other major translations into English, the Scholars Version is being created free of ecclesiastical and religious control. The language is meant to produce in the reader an experience comparable to that of the first readers—or listeners—of the original."
Seriously? The only people I would trust deciphering and interpreting the Bible are the people that live their life by it.
3. What is your opinion of Liberation Theology?
In my basic understanding, this movement is one characterized by interpreting social justice from the Bible. The people take the teachings of Jesus and other passages and interpret them through a lens of libertation from injustice. This view is often advocated from the viewpoint of the poor and can lead to forms of Marxism.
My opinion is that Liberation Theology holds value but doesn't quite grasp the point of the gospel. It views the gospel as a movement of freedom against oppression. Rather than the oppression of sin, this would lean toward the oppression of social and political contributors. Although I don't think my generalization holds true for all who follow Liberation Theology.
When I think of Liberation theology I think of this song, probably because of the one line in the middle that reads "...freedom fighter dying on the cross for you..."
4. What is your evaluation of "higher criticism"?
Higher criticism is a funny concept because it claims itself as a "better" criticism in it's own name... Or it just gives that impression. Actually the name is not meant in that way, it is just a contrast to "lower" criticism, but who gave "lower" criticism it's name?
The whole process of higher criticism is confusing to me and appears to be a practice advocated mostly by people who evaluate the scriptures from a biased hand. I did find a source that included the main questions about higher criticism and it was very helpful. It shows that not all higher criticism is or was so biased.... here it is.
http://user.xmission.com/~fidelis/volume1/chapter1/hague.php
5. What is the basic idea behind Process Theology?
The basic idea of Process theology is that everything is being processed. Nothing stays the same, not even God.
8 Points of Process Theology
from
http://processandfaith.org/about/what-process-theology
Classical Liberalism (in theology, not politics), shows the shift in the way theology is done to a more "modern" perspective. It holds some key concepts including the use of modern thought and in-depth examination of what Christians believe. It is a way of approaching and utilizing Scripture or the foundations of what we believe, not necessarily a certain viewpoint or conclusion about God and His people. I think at a start, these concepts are useful in the evaluation of what you believe, but I think the result takes these concepts too far. From it, we see what we will deal with in the rest of the post.
This site was very helpful http://theconnexion.net/wp/?p=2420#ixzz1cWOA38t
When I was doing this study I came across a very helpful blog that not only described theological liberalism and it's history, but the misuse of the term "liberalism" in Christian and theological circles was very frustrating to him. He said that often conservatives use the term liberal when it's something they disagree with, having nothing to do with whether it is actually liberal theology or not. This is something we need to be careful of. If we are so disgusted by the ignorance of others we had better be careful of our own ignorance when it comes to this subject.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2011/07/what-is-theological-liberalism/
2. What is your opinion of the Jesus Seminar?
No Comment...
Ok fine. I really, really don't like the Jesus Seminar. My gut level reaction is something like this...
But in all seriousness, the Jesus seminar uses their own understanding and opinion of the "historical Jesus" to decipher what he most likely said or did. In doing so, they rid the gospel of anything that really makes it The Gospel. Here's what they say about their final version of the Bible.
"Unlike other major translations into English, the Scholars Version is being created free of ecclesiastical and religious control. The language is meant to produce in the reader an experience comparable to that of the first readers—or listeners—of the original."
Seriously? The only people I would trust deciphering and interpreting the Bible are the people that live their life by it.
3. What is your opinion of Liberation Theology?
In my basic understanding, this movement is one characterized by interpreting social justice from the Bible. The people take the teachings of Jesus and other passages and interpret them through a lens of libertation from injustice. This view is often advocated from the viewpoint of the poor and can lead to forms of Marxism.
My opinion is that Liberation Theology holds value but doesn't quite grasp the point of the gospel. It views the gospel as a movement of freedom against oppression. Rather than the oppression of sin, this would lean toward the oppression of social and political contributors. Although I don't think my generalization holds true for all who follow Liberation Theology.
When I think of Liberation theology I think of this song, probably because of the one line in the middle that reads "...freedom fighter dying on the cross for you..."
4. What is your evaluation of "higher criticism"?
Higher criticism is a funny concept because it claims itself as a "better" criticism in it's own name... Or it just gives that impression. Actually the name is not meant in that way, it is just a contrast to "lower" criticism, but who gave "lower" criticism it's name?
The whole process of higher criticism is confusing to me and appears to be a practice advocated mostly by people who evaluate the scriptures from a biased hand. I did find a source that included the main questions about higher criticism and it was very helpful. It shows that not all higher criticism is or was so biased.... here it is.
http://user.xmission.com/~fidelis/volume1/chapter1/hague.php
5. What is the basic idea behind Process Theology?
The basic idea of Process theology is that everything is being processed. Nothing stays the same, not even God.
8 Points of Process Theology
- Everything is in process; reality is flowing; nothing ever stays the same.
- All things are interconnected; no human is an island; things are present in one another even as they have their autonomy.
- The whole of nature has value; all live beings deserve respect; human beings are not the sole repository of value.
- Human beings find happiness in sharing experiences with others; there are no isolated egos; all selves are selves-in-relation; humans become whole through reciprocity.
- The essence of the universe is a continuous creativity of which all things are expressions; there is creativity in plants and animals, hills and rivers, trees and stars.
- All beings seek harmony as their guiding ideal; harmony includes differences; the whole of the universe is a harmony of harmonies.
- Thinking and emotion cannot be sharply separated; mind and body are not two; even thinking is a form of feeling; aesthetic wisdom and rational inquiry are complementary.
- Every moment of human experience begins, not with projecting things onto the world or even acting in the world, but with feeling the presence of the world and being affected by it.
http://processandfaith.org/about/what-process-theology
Sunday, October 16, 2011
II: From Beginning to Schleiermacher
1. Who are
the most important church fathers?
In the general collection of early church fathers, it seems that they are broken up into three groups; Ante-Nicene Fathers (Those from the beginning of Christianity to the Nicene Creed in 325AD), Nicene Fathers, and Post Nicene Fathers.
This is a list of top ten church fathers I found on a blog.Top 10 List: Church Fathers
1. Athanasius
2. Ignatius
3. Gregory Nazianzen
4. Irenaeus
5. Tertullian
6. Justin Martyr
7. Gregory of Nyssa
8. Origen
9. Athenagoras
10. Clement of Alexandria
Honorable mentions: Basil, Clement of Rome, Novatian, Polycarp, Hippolytus.
I would also add
Jerome
Augustine
Thomas Aquinas
(helpful chart here)
http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/church_fathers.htm
2. How do these eras deal with "faith": The Early Church, The Medieval Church, The Reformation, The Enlightenment
The Early Church (approx AD 33-325)
The beliefs of this era reflected mostly on apostolic preaching and oral tradition. Irenaeus could be considered the pinnacle of Early church theology. Of course his beliefs were developed from others but his writings in refute to the Gnostics show what the church believed and was fighting. He defended the unity and goodness of God. They had the goal of making faith the standard for the believer.
The Medieval Church
Faith and reason are connected through natural and supernatural revelation; God provides them and connects them. This view was promoted by Thomas Aquinas. They began to connect faith and reason through this process.
The Reformation
Faith hit a huge turning point in the Reformation, a large portion of the Reformation had to with what true faith was. The concept of "Sola Fide" or "by Faith Alone" emerged during the reformation, affirming that salvation was not by works but faith. It was this concept that made faith a personal act and view.
The Enlightenment
Here's where the big shift in faith happens. Because world view is turning toward self-reason, people begin to look away from faith and to what they can reason on their own. Because faith is placed in God not conjured by man and His Word to us, the enlightenment begins to deteriorate faith in the public eye. They took faith and made sure it fit with thier reason.
I wanted to include a video on the enlightenment or the effects of it, but all I found would be boring for this blog or was just plain garbage...
3.Why are the early ecumenical councils important?
The councils were important because they officially established beliefs of the church. They set the standard for what the Christian should believe normally occurring at a time when the beliefs were being challenged by an outside source.
The First Seven Ecumenical Councils
- First Council of Nicaea (325)
- First Council of Constantinople (381)
- Council of Ephesus (431)
- Council of Chalcedon (451)
- Second Council of Constantinople (553)
- Third Council of Constantinople (680)
- Second Council of Nicaea (787)
4. Why is the Medieval Church Important?
Most people say the Medieval Church was important because it provided a base for society. Everything happened through the church and most people were a part of it, the church regulated political authority, community, and provided for those who needed it. However, I think the medieval church was important because it created an environment where many people could study God and His Word. Because of this we see the emergence of many great philosophers and theologians. The general public may not have been as educated, but those who were in the Scriptures, were really in the Scriptures!
5. How did the Reformation move the Church Forward?
The Reformation moved the church forward because it got people thinking about their beliefs. Instead of blindly following Catholic order, they began to seek out Scriptural understanding and support for the religious things they did.
6. Why is Lessing Important?
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (22 January 1729 – 15 February 1781)
Lessing was a reformation period writer of theater and philosophy. He opposed realism and sought out truth in everything. However, his quest for truth encouraged new viewpoints and did not hold to a kind of philosophy that was common. He rejected the cannon and said the "spirit" of Christianity would continue in it's true form without it. He paved the way for new theologians to explore and not follow the "rules" anyone imposes on them. This changed the way theology was being done; gave it freedom to roam wherever it pleased.
http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/clsc96.html
7. Explain Kant's contribution to philosophy and theology
Immanuel Kant (22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804)
Kant could be considered the most influential person int the shape of modern philosophy. He successfully shifted the source of knowledge to one's own person. He really takes faith out of the picture completely, if the mind understands something, it is real... to that mind. Rationality supersedes all, faith could be considered wishful thinking.
In theology, this same concept is applied. God doesn't really fit, at least in the tradition sense, and He definitely doesn't apply to everyone.
I found this quote "(religion) shifted its focus from religion as divinely revealed to religion as a human phenomenon."
...here
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-religion/supplement.html
His work gave way to German idealism, marxism, neo-kantian philosophy, and much of what we see in society today.
8. What did Hegel believe about history?
Hegel believed that history was just a movement of the Spirit of the Age or the Zeitgeist. History is looking back and seeing traces of this spirit, and history is complete when the spirit is fully realized.
9. Why is Kierkegaard important?
Basically, Kierkegaard told the church to wake up. He became sick of Christians who bore the name but not the cross. He reintroduced faith into the picture and challenged people to take a leap.Being a nominal "Christian" doesn't help anyone, in fact it would probably refute one's existence to Kierkegaard. His definition of existence followed this same pattern; you exist when you choose.
10. Who is Schleiermacher?
Friedrich Schleiermacher is the father of Modern Liberal Theology. He takes a subjective approach to Christianity while trying to "defend it against it's critics". He was a German philosopher who focused Christianity on the realm of feelings as he felt it could not hold up to modern sciences and critics.
11. Why is Schleiermacher important to Christian Theology?
He is important because he makes the jump to Christian liberalism. It takes Christianity and tries to make it "reasonable" as the world may define it. Instead of letting Christianity stand on it's own he has to take it and really make it acceptable to the thought of his time. Through his way of doing theology we can grasp a better understanding of how liberal theology works today.
12. What is your personal evaluation of Schleiermacher?
I think that Schleiermacher may have began with good intentions but fell terribly short of "defending the faith". His view doesn't involve faith, rather tries to make Christianity PC. If he could explain it in a way that doesn't offend anyone then his job was completed. There's a point where every Christian gets weak at the knees and has to make a decision to stand firm or give in. Unfortunately, Schleiermacher gave in and robbed Christianity of any power. People need to realize that they cannot hold up the Christian faith on their own power or understanding, but God can. Because Schleiermacher (and others like him) did this, we have this load of garbage called "liberal Christianity", an oxymoron at the fullest extent of the word.
Maybe people will start abolishing hell because it's not cool anymore, oh wait...
Thursday, September 22, 2011
I: Why Does Theology Matter?
In response to this question, I could go a thousand different ways. But down to the core, theology matters because it is literally means "the study of God". We say we know God because we are Christians. Therefore, it is important to study Him and know as much as we can about Him. I really don't think many of us know God that well, or even put out much effort to get to know Him better. Sure, we pray and hopefully read our Bible's... often, but how many of us really delve into the deeper meanings and issues we find in our study of God.
I typed in "Theology" on YouTube and this was the first video that came up.
Joshua Harris made this video as a promo for his book, "Dug Down Deep" which frankly, I want to read now.
Joshua sums it up well when he says, "What we know about God shapes the way we think and live."
Most of the time we would like to think that what we know about ourselves shapes the way we think and live. If we are living for ourselves then yes, that would be true, but as followers of Christ we are living for something much larger. We know that our personal history has shaped us; the things we've seen, heard, and experienced. So in our study of God we can also assume that history has shaped theology. Because of this it is not hard to see how important it is to get a grasp of theology, it's background, and what it has turned into today. If our knowledge of God, or our "theology", shapes the way we think and live then we'd bettered keep learning and seeking so that we can think and live in a way that keeps growing and maturing.
Theology is important because God is... well, I guess you could say... important.
I typed in "Theology" on YouTube and this was the first video that came up.
Joshua Harris made this video as a promo for his book, "Dug Down Deep" which frankly, I want to read now.
Joshua sums it up well when he says, "What we know about God shapes the way we think and live."
Most of the time we would like to think that what we know about ourselves shapes the way we think and live. If we are living for ourselves then yes, that would be true, but as followers of Christ we are living for something much larger. We know that our personal history has shaped us; the things we've seen, heard, and experienced. So in our study of God we can also assume that history has shaped theology. Because of this it is not hard to see how important it is to get a grasp of theology, it's background, and what it has turned into today. If our knowledge of God, or our "theology", shapes the way we think and live then we'd bettered keep learning and seeking so that we can think and live in a way that keeps growing and maturing.
Theology is important because God is... well, I guess you could say... important.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Contemporary Theology
This blog is now in use for my Contemporary Theology class,
So to Start it off, I watched "Walk The Line" last night. I am amazed by the redemption seen in the life of Johnny Cash and June Carter. The film shows how powerful darkness can be in someone's life and how powerful the light is to overpower that darkness.
So to Start it off, I watched "Walk The Line" last night. I am amazed by the redemption seen in the life of Johnny Cash and June Carter. The film shows how powerful darkness can be in someone's life and how powerful the light is to overpower that darkness.
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