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Does Anyone Care About TheologyAnymore?

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am concerne!" Tro#ble!$ act#ally$ by the American ch#rch%s &rowin& lack of interest in Theolo&ical

thin&s" Formal seminary trainin&$ classes at the local ch#rch an! frien!ly Theolo&ical !isc#ssion seems

to brin& a collecti'e yawn from the ch#rch masses"

(ee! a few e)am*les+

One *astor frien! has com*letely &i'en #* offerin& Theolo&ical co#rses to his con&re&ation for

lack of interest" Ser'ice *ro,ects+ -reat" Theolo&ical offerin&s+ (ot so m#ch"

n the s*irit of the nklin&s$ another ch#rch lea!er hol!s what he refers to as .Theolo&y P#b/ to

rea! an! en&a&e with the tho#&hts an! i!eas of *rominent Theolo&ians" He fin!s interest

minimal at best"

Another *astor re&#larly offers Theolo&ical classes in an ei&ht0week format in his me&ach#rch

conte)t" A &ran! total of 12 re&#larly *artici*ate"

These sna*shots are real$ not fabricate! to stir #* some false blo& tension" An!$ sa!ly$ they are

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becomin& the norm in ch#rches across the Unite! States" As talk with *astor frien!s from a wi!e

swath of !enominations$ hear a consistent malaise e)*resse! when it comes to Theolo&y"

How can this be acce*table+

Theolo&y is$ in it%s sim*lest !efine! form$ the st#!y of -o!" This sho#l! be a re&#lar *art of ch#rch

ministry$ re&ar!less of yo#r !enomination$ network or tribe" -o!%s *eo*le m#st know who -o! is3His

attrib#tes$ His character$ etc"3if we are to li'e o#t a 4hristian faith that is biblical"

nstea!$ we seem more intereste! in creatin& -o! in o#r ima&e" 5e !e'elo* caricat#res of a &o! thatwe%! like to han& o#t with" A &o! who$ c#rio#sly eno#&h$ wears the same ,eans an! listens to the

same t#nes that yo# an! !o" Let%s consi!er a few of the *rominent caricat#res in o#r c#lt#re to!ay6

Hipster Jesus3This 7es#s is so cool$ so 'an&#ar!$ so com*ellin&$ that e'eryone wants to follow

him an! be ,#st like him"

Tough-Guy Jesus3This 7es#s li'es #* to a b#m*er sticker saw on my comm#te recently" t

rea! .7es#s 8icks 9 !onkey ima&e"/ 4learly$ his !eity is not to be messe! with:

Touchy, Feely Jesus3This is the 7es#s that lo'es e'eryone$ an! more im*ortant$ everything

that his creat#res !o3e'en when it contra!icts Scri*t#re"

Helping Hand Jesus3This is the 7es#s that rolls #* his slee'es an! ser'es the *hysical tan&ible

nee!s of *eo*le" ;et$ #nlike the 7es#s we rea! abo#t in the Bible$ ne'er talks abo#t the 8in&!om$

or sin$ or for&i'eness"

5e can all make a &o! in o#r ima&e if we !on%t ha'e the fo#n!ational #n!erstan!in& of the -o! of the

Scri*t#res" 5e can create a &o! who we like if we !on%t wrestle with the One whose attrib#tes we are

thankf#l for3yet make #s #ncomfortable" <-race$ anyone+=

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5

5hen the ch#rch loses its ca*acity to interact with the -o! of the Holy Scri*t#res$ we are !an&ero#sly

close to becomin& little more than an ol! ci'ic or&anization with fancy b#il!in&s who !oes kin! thin&s"

5hen o#r c#lt#re is wrestlin& with com*le) iss#es of the !efinition of marria&e$ racism an! 'iolence$an! terrorism an! n#clear treaties$ the ch#rch3an! the in!i'i!#al 4hristian3m#st ha'e a biblically

acc#rate$ Theolo&ically rich worl!'iew" (ot sim*ly roote! in the thinkin& of o#r fa'orite *olitical

commentator or *o!cast *reacher" nstea!$ it m#st come from o#r own st#!y of -o!%s 5or! an! the

rich Theolo&ical tr#ths that ha'e been han!e! !own from &eneration to &eneration of ch#rch history"

Biblical tr#th abo#t -o!$ His will an! His character m#st &#i!e o#r thinkin& an! the way we en&a&ewith the challen&es facin& o#r c#lt#re to!ay3as the ch#rch has !one thro#&h many !ark *erio!s of 

h#man history"

Theolo&y is as im*ortant to!ay as it was 2>> years a&o" t%s im*ortant for ch#rch lea!ers to teach" t%s

im*ortant for 4hrist followers to rea!" An! it%s im*ortant for e'eryone to talk abo#t with each other"

Theolo&y is what !ri'es the ch#rch to ha'e an! *ractice a hi&h0'iew of -o! instea! of bein& le! by

c#lt#ral tren!s"

?oes anyone care abo#t Theolo&y+ The ch#rch m#st contin#ally remin! itself of its im*ortance"

Print @ersion

Rob Bentz$ is a *astor at 5oo!men @alley 4ha*el in 4olora!o S*rin&s$ 4O an! the a#thor of The

Unfinishe! 4h#rch6 -o!%s Broken an! Re!eeme! 5ork0n0Pro&ress a recent release by 4rossway"

ore from Rob Bentz or 'isit Rob at htt*6www"RobBentz"com

4o*yri&ht C 1>D 4h#rchLea!ers"com Pri'acy Terms of Use A!'ertise Abo#t Us (ewsletter Si&n#*

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Please (ote6 5e reser'e the ri&ht to !elete comments that are offensi'e$ #nci'il an!

off0to*ic" Rea! a !etaile! !escri*tion of o#r 4omments Policy"

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