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| Open Theism Discussion Board > Public Forums > Theological Q&A > any struggles on staying humble during intellecuta | Forum Quick Jump
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Modes of Thought
Registered Member
Date Joined Jun 2001
Total Posts : 817
| Posted 12/21/2001 7:37 AM (GMT -6) |   | I have learned that being a good theologian has a lot less to do with being a faithful Christain than you might imagine. The Holy Spirit has a way of leveling the playing field. To date, one of the most profound impacts on my life in terms of spiritual faithfulness was a person who was a camper of mine with Down Syndrome. The fact that faithfulness has more to do with life than acedemics insures that intellectuals have no advantage in this arena. In fact, what you described and what I have experienced through the process of education sometimes amounts to a disadvantage spiritually. It's harder to admit what you don't know when you think you know a lot. Faith is precisely about what you don't know. Though faith does seek understanding, it does not result in it during this lifetime.
"Christianly understood, truth is obviously not to know the truth but to be the truth. Despite all modern philosophy, there is an infinite difference here..." SK | | Back to Top | | |
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n/a
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 218
| Posted 12/22/2001 10:23 AM (GMT -6) | | Could you please clarify what you are saying? I am really confused. I would like some clarification on what you mean in this post, because, I don't want to misinterperet your statement.
Peace Modes
Paul
Our natural greatness is seen as part of God's image, and that natural greatness has been conferred on us to enable us to achieve our supernatural destiny:to be related to God and to obey him freely.---Diogenes Allen
Edited by - faithfullservent on 12/22/2001 3:24:06 PM | | Back to Top | | |
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GregBoyd
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Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 1818
| Posted 12/22/2001 3:15 PM (GMT -6) | | I agree that intellectual learning is of no advantage in terms of having faith. But I don't know what Modes can possibly mean when he says, "Faith is precisely about what you don't know." I know why I have faith in Christ. And there are many I things I "don't know" about which I have no faith. So Mode's statement seems erroneous.
Also, when he says "Though faith does seek understanding, it does not result in it during this lifetime." So what's the point of seeking? And if it never results in understanding, does this not mean that theology is utterly futile? Is faith as incoherent as it could possibly be from start to finish?
I suspect (I hope) Modes spoke hyperbolically here. And I ALSO suspect that his proclivity to speak this way about these matters is due to a rare virus he's contract called Kierkegaarditus. It's really really nasty and causes people to take bizzare leaps of irrationality in the name of faith. 
I love Modes
doc
"Three is the magic number, oh yes it is, it's the Magic Number" - De La Soul | | Back to Top | | |
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Tom
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 10353
| Posted 12/23/2001 2:44 AM (GMT -6) | | Whenever I begin feeling proud over what I think are intellectual gains I've made, I just turn to this discussion board. There are always enough threads to consult which will make me feel totally ignorant! 
Tom
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n/a
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 218
| Posted 12/23/2001 7:54 AM (GMT -6) | |
Our natural greatness is seen as part of God's image, and that natural greatness has been conferred on us to enable us to achieve our supernatural destiny:to be related to God and to obey him freely.---Diogenes Allen | | Back to Top | | |
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Lee Merrill
booted
Date Joined Jun 2001
Total Posts : 723
| Posted 12/23/2001 9:12 AM (GMT -6) | | "I have sometimes (not always) been thankful not to have been a theologian. One might so easily mistake it for being a good Christian" (C.S. Lewis, my quote from memory)
God bless you,
Lee
==================================================
"Even now we seem to have dim glimpses into regions
from which we receive no word to bring away" (George MacDonald) | | Back to Top | | |
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Jewgrass
Registered Member
Date Joined Sep 2001
Total Posts : 113
| Posted 12/24/2001 6:10 AM (GMT -6) | | When it comes to humility and head knowledge, I think it is useful to observe the Christian groups at my college in Austin. There are many Christian groups. Some have no experience in apologetics or even witnessing for that matter. They yell out "FAITH" and, in truth, come across as dogmatic, closed-minded, simple-minded, dreamy, idiots. The exact opposite can be found in another group that regularly meets at the PROBE center (a Christian apologetic resource library). There are many cool people here, but there's a problem: PRIDE! I've been to a couple of bible studies there and they spend the whole time discussing Greek vocabulary, lapsarian systems, etc. Although this discussion is not necessarily wrong, the small handful of people that regularly attend these studies keep all of their knowledge inside, building themselves up. They don't seem to be concerned with spreading the message and love of Christ but are more interested in intellectually tearing down other Christian theologies (open-theism included). There's just an elitist holier-than-thou attitude which really turns people off. If your not a die-hard Calvinist, you're seen as being dumb and less spiritual.
Is it necessary to study theology? Absolutely not! I know a passionate man from Dallas who is leading multitudes of inner-city youth to Christ. When asked what he thinks about soteriology/Calvinism/free-will, he never fails to answer "I don't give a rip!"
Is it wrong to study theology? Absolutely not! By developing your theology, one's way of life can change for the good, such as the way one treats prayer. However, whether one thinks we chose God because he elected us to do so or vice-versa, should not splinter Christianity or make us feel superior to opposing views.
In other words: study theology all you want, but be sure to realize it's more important to preach the message of Christ than to hole up in a library and spend your entire life building up your prideful knowledge (which may or may not even be correct).
Doc said:
quote:
And I ALSO suspect that his proclivity to speak this way about these matters is due to a rare virus he's contract called Kierkegaarditus.
I don't get the joke. Kierkegaarditus?
--Jewgrass
"If we only love those who agree with us, we are in fact not loving others at all; we are only loving the assumed rightness of our own ideas." --Greg Boyd | | Back to Top | | |
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