The “Why?” and “How?” of Theological Education in the Local Church

Dry. Disorienting. Divisive. Dead-end. Defeating. Distracting. When I teach adult classes on theology in the local church, these are common responses to questions I ask early on — questions like “Why don’t people study theology?” and “What negative connotations are often associated with Christian theology?” The sad reality is that the students who offer these responses will almost always have personal stories that back up their negative reactions. Theology can be done poorly, leaving damaged relationships, confused thinking, and calloused hearts in its wake.

Is the right path forward, then, to abandon (or at least minimize) theology? Must we uncritically embrace a pragmatic Christianity — one that sneezes at biblical discernment and careful thought and is formed more by strictly secular pursuits than by the story of God’s Word and the substance of Christian theology? If theology can lead to detrimental consequences, should theology be avoided or contained as much as possible?

By no means! The church must not abandon or minimize theology. The reason for a steadfast commitment to theology – as so many have said — is that everyone is a theologian. C.S. Lewis states this point memorably in his Mere Christianity: “Everyone reads, everyone hears things discussed. Consequently, if you do not listen to Theology, that will not mean that you have no ideas about God. It will mean that you have a lot of wrong ones – bad, muddled, out-of-date ideas.”1

In other words, if we avoid theology, it won’t mean we’re cured of theology’s misuses and abuses. If we avoid theology, we will instead just add to the sad reality of doing theology poorly. To summarize: Avoiding theology doesn’t solve the problem but instead adds to the problem.

But what if there was another time-tested, life-giving, God-glorifying way forward? I believe there is. The solution to bad theology isn’t no theology but rather good theology — helping people see and “live into” the story of God’s activity and the substance of His truth, as revealed in God’s written Word. Here is the thesis I’d like to reinforce and advance: Vibrant theology is vital for the life of the church. What makes theology vibrant and vital, such that the value theology offers overpowers its negative stereotypes? If theology is vital, how can churches take practical steps to demonstrate this priority and experience the benefits it brings?

To answer these questions,  I will first advocate for five benefits that theology offers. My goal here is to instill vision for why theology matters: what makes it both “vibrant” and “vital”? Second, I will suggest three ways an emphasis on theology can take shape practically in the life of the church. My goal is to give you actionable steps for how theological education can translate into the life of your local church in identifiable ways.

Five benefits theology offers

Five concrete images depict the value theology offers.

1. 1. Theology as foundation. Talk with any home builder or structural engineer, and they’ll affirm that the foundation of a house sets its shape and stability. If the foundation isn’t strong, whatever is built on top of it will come crashing down when the foundation experiences pressure. In the same way, theology is the foundation on which the church rests. The church does not invent truth or change it to suit the times. The church must “keep the pattern of sound teaching” (see 2 Tim 1:13, NIV — a passage referring to a body of content we have received and to which we must remain faithful). The church devotes itself to apostolic teaching (Acts 2:42), which we have access to in God’s written Word. We rely on what we’ve been taught, and we entrust the message to others who can continue to faithfully teach it (2 Tim 2:2). In all of these ways, we see that theology is necessary as an important foundation on which the church may rest and grow.
   2. Theology as fence. This image reminds us that there are boundaries to the Christian faith that should not be crossed. Questions like “Is Jesus fully God and fully man?” “Will Jesus return again?” and “Is sin a real problem that separates me from God?” are all questions that should be answered a certain way if someone is to fall within the boundaries of orthodox Christian theology. Jude 3 reminds us of “theology as fence” when Jude writes for his readers (and us) to “contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.” This faith needs to be contended for — there are markers of the faith that can be threatened and must be protected (see also Acts 20:28-30; Gal 1:6-9). In other words, theology has a “fence” component that we should not overlook.
      Just to be clear, though, the space within this fence is not as small as some suggest. Nor is the fence a prison made of barbed wire and brick. Rather, the fence is more like a fence of wooden posts around a large and abundant pasture. We can see through it enough to know that the space in which we roam is best; the space outside the fence is fraught with peril. The fence is not primarily restrictive — forcing us to live small lives or think small thoughts. The fence is protective — helping us know when intruders have entered and keeping us in safe territory.
   3. Theology as filter. Throughout our lives, there will be times we are overcome by feelings and introduced to new experiences. To be sure, feelings and experiences can be good! But they are not ultimate. Feelings can be misleading, and experiences can be misunderstood (see Job 4:12-19). Likewise, arguments can be made that appear to challenge Christian truth and that advance the spirit of the age (Col 2:4, 8, 18-19). A growing knowledge of theology serves as a sort of “filter” — helping us know how to interpret certain feelings and experiences or helping us to proceed with discernment when considering arguments for another worldview.
   4. Theology as fountain. Theology doesn’t shrivel our hearts or shut down our brains. Rather, theology is a key way we renew our minds (Rom 12:2), and it directs us toward loving God (loving God with our minds in Matt 22:37). In other words, vibrant theology is life-giving. So many life-giving truths are theological at their core: our assurance that sin has been dealt with (2 Cor 5:21; 1 John 1:9), our confidence in approaching God as adopted sons and daughters (Rom 5:1; Gal 4:6-7; Heb 4:16), our ability to persevere through suffering (Rom 8:28; 1 Pet 4:19), and our anticipation for a bright future (Rom 8:18; 1 Cor 15:51-58; Rev 21:1-5).
   5. Theology as fuel. Theology isn’t just a fountain that gives us life; it’s fuel that propels us forward. Theology should fuel our faith — our faith should be grounded in “nutrient-rich” truths that nourish us repeatedly (which we’ve already seen in the “theology as fountain” section above).
      Theology should fuel our worship — the great truths in the Bible should overflow in responding to God in praise and adoration. N.T. Wright reminds us of this connection between theology and worship:

      If your idea of God, if your idea of salvation offered in Christ, is vague or remote, your idea of worship will be fuzzy and ill-informed. The closer you get to the truth, the clearer becomes the beauty, and the more you will find worship welling up within you. That’s why theology and worship belong together.2
      Finally, theology should fuel our obedience and mission — who God is and what He is doing in the world have tremendous implications for the people we should be and for the way we live.

      These five images belong together. If we focus only on theology as “fence” and neglect its value as “fuel” or “fountain,” for example, we can become imbalanced very quickly. But when we keep all of these pictures of theology firmly in place, we will want to keep returning to the great truths of God’s Word because of the stability, protection, discernment, life, and motivation they offer.

   Now that we’ve discussed why theology matters, how might theological education take practical shape in the life of a local church? It is to this necessary question that we now turn as we continue reinforcing our primary thesis that vibrant theology is vital for the life of the church.

   Theology “Taking Shape” in the life of the local church

   Practically speaking, how might theological education happen in the life of the church in ways that are accessible to people of varying levels of theological proficiency and help challenge them to grow? Three actionable ideas are included here.

   First, churches should find intentional ways to infuse theology into what they’re already doing. My wife will often “sneak” cauliflower rice into meals to get our family extra nutrients; likewise, theology can be infused into the church’s life in quiet—yet real—ways. For example, as preachers faithfully exposit God’s Word, sermons can infuse theology in bite-sized pieces by introducing and defining theological terms in a couple of sentences. The preacher may also provide a quick orientation to evangelical views on a topic. Pastoral counseling should be demonstrably rooted in biblical and theological truth. Songs can be introduced by a worship leader with a “theological riff” on the substance of the lyrics. Small groups should be encouraged to study theological books and provided with a short list of accessible recommendations. Parents can be encouraged and equipped to work through a catechism with their children. (A great resource here is the New City Catechism.) Membership classes should emphasize and explain a Statement of Faith. I’m confident there are steps you can take within the next week that meaningfully infuse ministry areas in which you serve with vibrant theology.

   Second, churches should expect certain leaders to have an appropriate level of theological education. (To be clear: This does not need to be formal education, though formal education has value. The goal-to-meet is for someone’s theological competency to be aligned with the local church and appropriate to the area in which they serve.) Priscilla and Aquilla knew that Apollos needed some extra training before he continued teaching (Acts 18:24-26). Paul urged Timothy to rightly handle the word of truth (2 Tim 3:15). When placing elders in churches, the Pastorals demonstrate the importance of these elders “giving instruction in sound doctrine” and being able to “rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9; see also 1 Tim 3:2). Each of these examples shows us that leaders in churches need a certain level of theological equipping to prepare them to serve effectively and faithfully.

   A third practical step is to offer a variety of groups, classes, and/or resource options that help “raise the bar” on theological study and to offer opportunities for those who would benefit from such study to receive it. In addition to the important content people hear in sermons or gathered as a small group with their peers, a reading group through a systematic theology can be offered (using Grudem’s Bible Doctrine or Wellum’s Systematic Theology, for example), or a class surveying Christian doctrine using active learning techniques can be taught.3 Some seminaries offer certificate programs that provide an opportunity to receive advanced instruction more accessibly.4 The goal is to have clear places to point people where they can receive further theological training in a way that serves the local church.

   Conclusion

   Theology can be done poorly. But that sad reality doesn’t erase the need for theology; rather, it establishes the need for good theology. In this article, we have seen clear benefits that theology offers, driving home why we must champion theology. We have seen practical ways theology can take shape in the life of the church, providing a vision for how theological education can happen in the church where you serve. Vibrant theology is vital for the life of the church.

   1C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Touchstone, 1980), 136-37. Italics added.

   2N. T. Wright, For All God’s Worth: True Worship and the Calling of the Church (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2014), 10.

   3On an approach to such classes, see especially J. T. English, Deep Discipleship: How the Church Can Make Whole Disciples of Jesus (Nashville: B&H, 2020). At the church where I serve, we have been trying to embody a similar approach through our Brookside Institute. You can find out more at https://www.thebrooksideinstitute.net/

   5See for example Trinity Evangelical Divinity School’s certificates..