Why Hands-On Theology Matters Right Now

The purpose of this blog is to discuss matters concerning hands-on theology. That is the common thread, no matter how random, that all my posts will hang from.

I will hang that thread in this post as I explain just what "Hands-On Theology" is about.

Let’s begin with the word “theology” and then work back to “hands-on.”

Most people lump theology into the basket of religion. They believe that religion dictates theology and that theology is born out of religion. While there is some truth to that statement, I would argue that the majority of one’s theology is formed apart from religion. I would also assert that regardless of what religion one might be raised in, he or she will inevitably be drawn to whichever religion corresponds best with the theology he or she has developed.

So what is the difference between religion and theology anyway? Well, according to R.C. Sproul’s book, Grace Unknown, religion is the study of a man’s behavior according to his specific beliefs (such as a Christian’s behavior being studied based on his/her belief in a singular God or a Hindu’s behavior based on his/her belief in reincarnation). Religion is man-centered and falls under other man-centered areas of study such as psychology and sociology. Theology, on the other hand, is the study of God. It is not the study of what man believes about God, but of what God has revealed about Himself to man. Theology is God-centered.

Now the first thing most people would say in response to this is, “If God has revealed Himself to humanity, why are their so many different religions and beliefs about Him? How can God’s singular revelation result in so many opposing belief systems?” This is a good and valid question, one that needs to be answered. One of the main reasons that there are so many different beliefs about God is because God’s singular, unchanging revelation of Himself is judged by imperfect human beings who are unable to grasp it completely or judge it impartially. Let me share an illustration that I hope will bring clarity to this concept.

One afternoon as you are driving home you see a man in the distance standing on the side of a bridge. As you come closer you notice that he is actually standing on the guard rail, looking down into the river below. You instantly realize that this man is preparing to jump off the bridge to his death. Your mind begins to go crazy, you wonder what to do, but before you are close enough to do anything he leaps off and disappears from your sight. You immediately slam on your breaks and call the police to report that you just witnessed a suicide. They take your call and tell you they will handle it. You drive home, your mind still churning over what you just saw. What would you think about this man?

Well, if you have had a relatively good life, you will think he was a fool to kill himself. You will be confused because you cannot understand why anyone would want so badly leave this world. You know life is sometimes hard, but overall you have had a good experience. It will be very difficult for you to relate to this man.

If you have had a relatively bad life, you might envy the man. He had the guts to do something you have considered but never found the courage to do. You could completely understand how he must have been feeling. Because of your overall bad experience with life you would be able to empathize with this man.

The experiences of our lives will shape how we think about this man. It would be impossible for us to be unbiased in our observations. Our convictions, emotions, and life experiences control our opinions and prevent us from being impartial.

Also, we do not know the whole story. In fact, if we had brought ourselves to watch the news that same night we would have learned that the man we saw was not actually committing suicide, but jumping into the water to save a family who’s car had careened off the bridge. All of our thoughts about this man were not only unbiased, but were also made without a full understanding of the situation surrounding his actions.

This is exactly what we do with God. This is why so many opposing beliefs exist. We decide what we want to believe about God based only on what we have experienced and without a full understanding of how God has revealed Himself. According to this process of reasoning, it is no surprise that there exists such a vast number of differing beliefs about God.

With so many biased, skewed views of God, how important is it that we truly know God in the ways he has revealed himself? I would say that it is of utmost importance! It really does make a difference in our day to day lives. For example, if you truly believe there is a God who created the world and cares about you, this belief will make a difference in your thoughts, decisions, and interactions. Or, if you believe that there is no God and life is random, purposeless, and of no consequence, then this belief will also dictate your life choices.

Based on how we experience and interpret God’s self-revelation, we will either form a right theology of God or a wrong theology of God.

God wants us to know Him truly, just as we want others to know us truly. If someone believes I am a thief because they saw me grab someone’s purse lying on a chair in a department store, I will want to let them know that I was grabbing it for my wife who accidentally left it there. God has revealed himself in certain ways, and there is a true understanding of his character as well as a false understanding of his character, just as there is with each and every one of us. Who we recognize God to be will influence the decisions of our lives.

I write all this to make a single point:

Theology matters! It makes a difference in our lives every single day!

We will either form a right theology of God or a wrong theology of God based on how we experience and interpret God’s self-revelation. In this interpretation we want to be unbiased and comprehensive. Theology is not something to be flippant or half-hearted about. It makes a difference in our lives and what we believe (whether right or wrong) will have consequences.

Now that we understand the significance of theology, let us approach the next aspect of this blog. What does it mean to make our theology “hands-on”?

“Hands-on” theology recognizes that theology matters. Its purpose is to take our theology and discover how it governs our day to day decisions. The “hands-on” aspect of theology is extremely important because it focuses on realistic, practical ways that our theology matters and makes a difference. It allows us to firmly grasp what we believe and apply it to our lives. Theology begins in our thoughts, experiences, and observations. Making it “hands-on” means moving our theology from our minds to our heart. From there our theology will manifest itself in every decision we make, every day.

What we believe about God matters right now!

We want to be certain that it is true.

How do we do that?

We get to know God.

How do we get to know God?

That will be the subject of my next post.