As a foundation for subsequent essays on the different viewpoints in Christian theology, I would like to begin by addressing the attitude among many Christians that theology and doctrine are not important for the Christian life. Many Christians (and I'm sure many adherents in other faith communities as well) believe that theology and doctrine are non-relevant to the Christian experience. There are those who believe that theology does not really define who is and who is not a Christian. There are various reasons why some Christians do not see the importance of theology at all. The reasons listed below are not exhaustive, by any stretch of the imagination, but it does point to some general attitudes of the average person sitting in the pew on Sunday morning or whatever other day of the week the congregation has decided to gather for fellowship and worship:
1. Lack of time- The attitude is that their time is so consumed and taken up by other priorities, i.e survival ("getting the cheese off the truck"), working, spending time with the family and friends, working, playing, vacation, etc.
2. Lack of interest- The mindset here is that theology is a "hobby" which only elicits the interest of people who have "nothing better to do" with their time.
3. Perceived irrelevance of theology- There are those who believe that theological pursuits are irrelevant to life issues such as crime, environmental issues, mental and physical illness, terrorism, war, etc. There are, in fact, those who believe that theological pursuits are an attempt to escape the realities of life by engaging in platitudes and ivory tower speculation.
4. The syndrome of delegation- There are many ( I suspect the vast majority of people sitting in the pew) who prefer not to think for themselves, and in fact, not to think at all. They prefer to let the "experts" think for them and tell them what to believe and what not to believe. They prefer for others to give them the "correct" answers rather than seek out the answers themselves. They delegate this responsibility to others because they "don't want to do all that work."
5. The syndrome of insecurity- There are those who are already convinced that what they believe is true, and that no matter what facts fly in their face, they are determined not to question the basis of their pre-conceived notions, or the assumptions behind those notions. They are afraid that if they engage in the study of theology, that their pre-conceived notions may be shattered, and their beliefs may be proven wrong. Some of them are afraid that if they abandon their beliefs and ideas, that they will be guilty of deviating from the "faith which was once delivered to the saints," and they will then, in effect, be turning their backs on God with the consequence that God will relegate them to eternal condemnation, and most specifically, to "roasting and toasting in hell forever and ever." They are, in essence afraid of God, and dare not question God, or the doctrines that God supposedly established and laid down. They believe that "right doctrine" is a prerequisite for a relationship with God.
As I said, these reasons do not constitute an exhaustive list for people not wanting to engage in theology, but they do point to some wide-spread attitudes and dispositions among many Christians.
Prior to my brief summary coverage of different schools (perspectives and viewpoints) of theological persuasions, I will invite you to determine for yourself if you fit in any of these categories, and if so which ones. Please share where you stand on these issues. Grace and peace,
Dr. Juan A. Ayala-Carmona
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