Thoughts on Theologizing
There have been complaints – which I think are not entirely undeserved, toward theologizing and it tendency to send theologians spiraling towards a dualism which leaves them removed and disconnected from the hard realities of living as we know them. As mentioned, I think this reservation is not without credence; however I find that this should not amount to neglecting theology. And find that at the point where theology comes from a theologian’s life on earth but in God, we see a beautiful and valuable practice which could be called simply, knowing God. Who is a theologian only, and not a christian? How great it is to see a desire for God in ones life. As this is seen it should be no surprise that one should dwell on the nature of God, that one should hanker for Jesus’ words; and it should be no surprise nor should it draw criticism that out of the overflow of God in someone’s life things of God should be expressed- sometimes the expression is called theology.
In Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Shane Claiborne, we see the intersection of a Chirstian living with a desire to fellowship with God, and theology. And with both of them we see lives which are different from their contemporaries, the difference is described by their theology. And we also see theology that cannot easily be dismissed as otherworldly, and this is because it is theology introduced by life on earth. It should be noted that their lives are driven by a desire to know God, this is the premiss for godly living also godly theology.
