Why Talk about Theology?

As we began our study last night each of the co-leaders presented on the question: Why Talk about Theology? Each answer will be posted here soon...

We talk about theology because theology is talking at its core. The word comes from the Greek--theos meaning God, and logos meaning word. So theology is literally: God-talk. The question is what kind of talking are we talking about here? Are we talking about God as if God is distant or absent, are we talking with God as in God being close to us, perhaps we are speaking of God to someone who does not yet know of God, or, quite honestly, sometimes when we do theology we talk around God, because the stuff we are thinking about is too much for us to accept.

Every one of us has a theology, even if we could not articulate it when asked. We call this latent theology or gut instinct theology. You can attempt to understand what your gut theology is by answering the questions, who is God? or who is the Holy Spirit, or why go to church? (Without the help of a book, pastor, or wikipedia!) Whatever you have within you to answer those questions is your latent theology, and, honestly, it is how you think about and act out your faith, whether you like it or not.

Latent theology does not need to remain latent and subconscious, and this is the first reason to talk about theology--to get all this stuff that is within us to the surface so we can examine it, think about it, and decide what to do with it. For some ideas this will be difficult, for others healing, and for others it will be joyfully freeing. At some point everyone who undertakes a study of theology has a crisis of faith, throws the book across the room and storms away furious at how seemingly ignorant other people can be, or (the on the other side of this coin) how seemingly ignorant you were. For this reason talking about theology is not something we teach our young directly, rather theology is for those who have found a level of maturity in their faith and are willing to go deeper into the love and joy of God, even if it requires a bit of struggle along the way.

That is ultimately why we talk about theology, so that our faith becomes even more rich, deep, and (hopefully) joyful. Many will come to theology looking for answers that are complete and finished, tidy and neat little boxes into which we can put God. Most, however, will encounter theology as a study that leads not to simple answers, but wonderful mysteries. Many will find that theology offers not answers to guide one through life, but questions to illumine the path each step of the way. For this reason I like to think of theology as a great mystery novel, you know the kind. The end was a complete surprise, but you feel that you should have seen it coming all along. All the pieces you had been holding on to, wondering how they all connected kept driving you forward in your search deeper and deeper into the mystery. Along the way there is risk, struggle, meeting of new friends and allies, and probably some thrilling adventure, but it is the seeking that keeps you going. Because honestly, we do not know how this story of God and humanity will find its end, completion, and fulfillment, but along the way we have been given clues, glimpses of truth that are intriguing enough that people talk about them for their whole lives.

We talk about theology because it helps us understand and find peace with life’s big questions remaining as big questions. And yet we find that we are not alone in asking the questions anyway, for faith seeks understanding, and we have a great number of faith-full traveling companions with whom to talk along the way.
Peace,
Adam