Building Your Own Theology

As I have heard one theologian say: "we are all theologians." We all have an opinion about God. Some people think about it more than others and some do not at all; they defer to whatever has been told to them. But we all struggle to make sense of the world in which we live and give our lives meaning. This is a theological process whether we are believers or not.

Atheism is the rejection of the concept of a God. But that in itself is a theological statement.

Agnosticism is ambiguous about the existence of God and says there is not enough evidence to prove or disprove God's existence. That too is a theological statement.

Deism is the belief in the existence of a supreme being, specifically of a creator who does not intervene in the universe. The term usually refers to an intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries that accepted the existence of a creator based on reason but rejected belief in a supernatural deity who interacts with humankind.

Theism is the belief in the existence of a god or gods, especially belief in one god as the creator of the universe, intervening in it and sustaining a personal relation to his creatures.

Theists are the believers. They have created a very complex series of thoughts on the nature of God.

Theology is a complex issue and discipline. There are many different theologies vie for your attention and acceptance. From traditional Roman Catholic Theology to the many and various Protestant Theologies; it becomes a confusing problem.

Roman Catholic Theology is the most comprehensive and consistent Theology in the Christian Communion. Martin Luther began the Reformation with his challenges to the Roman Catholic Church which he felt had become corrupt and was, as an institution, more concerned with money than doctrine.

Luther’s successful break with the Roman Church inspired further breaks from Rome. Protestantism has spawned several different theological ideals. From the Predestination of Calvin to the rebirth of Unitarianism, the Reformation popped the lid on theological thought and opened it up to a myriad of interpretations and theologies. These are the origins of many of the Protestant Denominations we have today. In the US there are probably over 200 hundred recognized Protestant denominations; and as many theologies. The differences often lie in the polity- the churchy word for organization and hierarchy. The major points of doctrine and dogma are often similar.

Indeed, the fractious nature of Protestantism is based on the question of authority within the community itself. At the basis of the majority of Protestant theologies is the belief in the individual's direct relationship to God. No minister or priest can be an intermediary. The modern-day Protestant would wonder why there would be any question about that. But in the early church, literacy was limited and the Priest functioned as the keeper of Biblical and spiritual knowledge. His job (and they were all men) was to help the laity understand. The development of liturgy aided this process by marking holy days and telling Biblical stories each week of the Christian Calendar.

However! Despite all the differences, most theologies have some common elements. There are four basic elements to a theology:

Revelation- the Divine intrusion into the world to offer an undeniable and immutable truth.

Experience – the interpretation of the revelation into human life and existence.

Tradition - how the revelation and experience of the Divine have been treated and used in the exercise of the faith over time.

Reason - How we understand and practice the Faith.

What do you believe? What religion or denomination most closely matches your beliefs? A fun way to discover like-minded believers is to ask the Belief-O-Matic® (a quiz on Beliefnet.com)

So. As we each try to define our Theology, we need to be aware of the elements that will influence that Theology even if we do not consciously include those elements.

A good place to start is by asking ourselves three questions:

· What do I no longer believe that I once believed?

· What do I now believe that I did not believe?

· What did I believe that I still believe?

Answering those questions will give you a focal point to begin further exploration. What has changed in your experience of faith that has altered your beliefs?

For many of us, it is a combination of experience and education. When we reach that stage of “Faith questioned,” we begin to study the documents that have informed our faith. In that process, we form our individual reformation. It was when the “Faith given” was questioned by Luther that he found his different answers.

Let me be quick to point out that it was not Faith that Luther questioned, but the institutional structure that the Roman Church had constructed to carry out Faith. Again, this is where theology makes a difference. Our attempts to understand and experience the Divine have often created a structure that we call dogma and liturgy.

The purpose of liturgy in worship is to create a disciplined approach that will allow the connection to the Divine. Liturgies were composed originally because the vast majority of worshipers were uneducated and unable to read the Bible for themselves. So liturgies that included prayers and songs that could be memorized were created so that everyone could participate. While the dogma and liturgies were created with the best of intentions, they unfortunately also were used as a measure of control. The Church leadership needed consistency. Prior to the Council of Nicaea (325), there was a great deal of variation in Christian Theology. Not only was the Trinity not universally accepted, but the nature of Jesus’ relation to God was still being debated. The Biblical Canon would not be settled for another century.

Local congregations adopted and read from the many different books available to them. Some had parts of now accepted Bible and others used books that would eventually be declared heretical. They also practiced the Faith variously depending on the local leadership.

It was at the urging of the Emperor Constantine that the Council of Nicaea gathered to create orthodoxy. This was partially because now that the Emperor was a Christian, he needed that consistency as a tool for order within the Empire.

Perhaps this is a good place to discuss a primary theological concept: how we define God. This is at the center of all theology. For Christians, what we believe about Jesus is that center. The term for that is Christology.

The question of when Jesus became God is a fascinating one, and it has been the subject of much theological debate and historical analysis. Let’s explore some perspectives:

During the early days of Christianity, there was intense debate about the nature of Jesus. Followers grappled with questions like: Was Jesus merely a prophet or a divine being? Was he equal to God or subordinate?

One significant moment in this struggle occurred in the fourth century. At that time, Christianity was no longer persecuted, and followers no longer feared for the survival of their monotheistic faith. However, a critical debate emerged: Was Jesus the Son of God but distinct from God, or was he God incarnate, equal to God Himself? This debate over the divinity of Jesus Christ shaped the course of early Christianity.

Different Views on Jesus’ Divinity:

Early Christian writings assigned various titles to Jesus, such as Son of Man, Son of God, Messiah, and Kyrios (all rooted in Hebrew scripture).

These titles revolved around two contrasting ideas:

Adoption Christology: Some believe that Jesus became the Son of God at his resurrection. In this view, he was exalted to divine status after his earthly life.

Incarnation Christology: Others argue that Jesus was a pre-existent being (possibly an angel) who became human. According to this perspective, he was God incarnate from the moment of his birth or baptism.

The belief in Jesus as divine did not arise immediately after his crucifixion. Instead, it developed in the centuries following.

The concept of Jesus as God the Son, an incarnation of God and the second divine person in the Trinity, took shape over time. It was The Council of Chalcedon (451) that formulated the concept of the hypostatic union: Jesus possesses both a human and a divine nature, united without confusion or division.

An eye-opening book that describes the first Council of Nicaea and its negotiations (which were pretty unholy), is “When Jesus Became God: The Struggle to Define Christianity During the Last Days of Rome” by Richard E. Rubenstein.

So. As Christianity developed out of Judaism, it began to leave the Hebrew God behind. Jesus, the Jewish Messiah was taking YAHWEH's place---but not exactly. Christianity had become a completely Gentile religion. The Doctrine of the Trinity would attempt to connect the two; The God of the Old Testament and the Son of God.

But Christology is only one aspect of what we think of when we refer to God. How do you define God? Even if you accept the Church's theological Christology, it does not do more than put a new name to God. The nature of God still needs to be explored. It goes without saying that we cannot define God objectively. Although the Hebrew Bible tells us that humans are made in God's image; God is too large a concept for any human to completely understand. Indeed, that is why we are not ourselves Gods. Ascertaining the meaning of what "in His own image" means is a theological endeavor.

The reason this is important is that many of us make assumptions about the nature of God without any real understanding of why we do that. Some people believe in a God that is personal and present in every aspect of their lives. They pray for parking spaces and for better choices. Other people assume that God is too busy to be involved except at the highest level of human activity. This confusion is natural since most of what we know of God is from our Sunday School experiences or our uncritical reading of the Bible. We read or hear stories about how God has intervened in individual lives and anticipate that for ourselves.

However, the Bible is more complex than that. Its stories were originally passed down orally and so the intent or truths were encased in stories that would be remembered. they were not intended to be taken as literally true. the truths were in the lessons they taught. Also, God is represented in the Bible in various ways; sometimes as benevolent and sometimes vengeful.

Then, we have the concept of "free will." This is critical to our understanding of the nature of God. The greatest problem of Christian theology which has never been solved successfully is the question of evil. Christians assert an omnipotent God, i.e. a God in complete control with no equal. This raises the question of why suffering is allowed.

Dualism, or the theory that there are two great forces at work, one good and one evil, is incompatible with the concept of an omnipotent God. It would allow for evil to be as powerful as God and perhaps even win. This was not a problem for the early Hebrews. They lived in a time of Henotheism. In the ancient world, each territory had its own god. The power of those gods was restricted to that area. You will note that in Genesis Abraham was careful to pay homage to the gods of the territory he was crossing. It was easy to blame other gods for the difficulties in life.

The concept of monotheism--one all-powerful God was slowly forming among this nomadic people who took their God with them as they traveled. It finally was revealed to them that their God had power wherever they went and thus monotheism eventually made sense. It was also easy for them to believe that their God had challengers. The idea of evil was very real but not articulated in the same way that it would be eventually in the New Testament.

The concept of Satan as an archenemy of God was not defined. We had the story of a rebellion in Heaven and the casting out of Lucifer, but the character is not clearly defined. In the book of Job, we encounter Satan, but that satan is part of the heavenly court, not an adversary. That character is more like a "devil's advocate."

In fact, a satan in Hebrew meant an obstruction. A good example of this is the story of Balaam and his Ass. Remember that story of how Baalam is upset with his donkey for refusing to move and beats it? Then finally the donkey speaks and asks why. The donkey has seen the Angel standing in their path warning them off. Finally, the Angel reveals itself to Balaam and tells him that had the donkey not stopped him he would have been killed.

That Angel was acting as a Satan--an obstruction. For a scholarly (but readable) treatment of this read "The Origin of Satan" by Dr. Elane Pagels.

Remember Christology? Well, let's look at that again. Jesus is, through the Trinitarian formula, part of the Godhead and now the focus of Christianity. While Christ is the focus, we still harbor concepts of the OT God. Since that OT god is part of the Trinity and indeed one with Christ---how do we interpret that OT god's contribution to our understanding of Divine nature?

This is perhaps the true beginning of building your own theology. Making theological decisions about which aspects of the revealed nature of God you accept for yourself. We have two thousand years of theological debate, discussion, and dogma behind us to help---or confuse us. Five hundred years of that includes Protestantism.

To confuse us more, Protestantism which began with Martin Luther, did not spread monolithically. Rather it was opening up theology and tradition to many new interpretations. Some of it has become wildly intricate. The more institutional sects of Christianity even have Canon lawyers who help interpret and debate aspects of the dogma when called into question or violated by a practitioner.

So. Let me be upfront and honest about my own position. I am a thorough product of my Hillbilly Protestantism. That is to say, that I come from what is called a "low church" culture. we have few liturgies and fewer dogmas. Unfortunately, that does not mean we have fewer opinions. "Low church" includes all those Protestant denominations that come primarily from the ana Baptist thought of the Reformation. "Free Will" and "no intermediary" between God and humanity.

You would think that this would make it simple, right? But no. The lack of specific dogma and the refusal to accept traditions makes for a messy theology. We are all over the place and do not even know where we are. Sometimes we are as strict as the Presbyterians who come from the Calvinist Reformation, and sometimes we are as free as the Unitarians. We pick our laws of behavior and belief directly from the Bible--without really understanding it.

The Will of God

Ok, if you have decided what you think of God, and Jesus, then it is time to think about how God interacts in your (our) world. As mentioned above, the paradox for Christians is how we reconcile an all-powerful benevolent God with the evil and suffering in the world.

That is where two major theological issues come into play: Original Sin and Free Will.

The doctrine of Original Sin posits that the creation was perfect, but that Adam and Eve, the first humans, were seduced into wanting to know more than God had allowed them to know. So, they ate of the Tree of Knowledge.

This angered God and they were cast out of the Garden of Eden and forced to labor for their living. Thus we all have to work and suffer. This is a nice proposition that can explain why we suffer. However, it does not explain why God put that tree in the Garden and allowed the temptation.

That takes us to Free Will. In other words, we are allowed to think and make choices. the first humans just made a bad choice for which humanity will pay for all time. Certainly, one thing we all understand is that our choices have consequences. The theory is that God has given us natural laws that if violated lead to suffering. We are equipped with reason that hopefully allows us to make the right choices.

This ability to reason that humans possess is unique in the creation. Certainly, some other creatures have intelligence, but none seem to possess the ability to reason as humans can. This is for some theologians the meaning of how God created humanity "in His own image." We have the power to reason and to create. Unfortunately, whether from the Fall from Grace (Original Sin) or our Free Will, we are the only species of creation that is actively cruel to others of the creation.

But Sin is for another discussion. For now, let's think about God's Wil

In the Judao-Christian tradition, God is the creator, sustainer, judge, and redeemer. That is to say, God is good. God loves the Creation and wants the best for it. So, how do we understand God's will?

I have been to many funerals and tragic situations where someone would try to comfort family or loved ones with the words "It is God's Will." Or I have heard sincere loving people say "If it is God's will, he/she will recover."

This does not compute! Why would a loving God ever visit disease or tragic death on a beloved part of the creation?

Again, Free Will comes into play. Sometimes we fall victim to the bad actions of others. In my opinion, it is not God's will, but a reaction to those bad actors. Thus we have famine, war, and tragedies.

During the Second World War, a British Theologian Pastor, Leslie Weatherhead, struggled to aid his congregation with answers to this question. He formulated a theology of The Will of God that I think helps us understand and deal with tragic circumstances.

He postulates that God's Will has three parts. The Intentional Will, the Conditional Will, and the Ultimate Will. His brief book, called The Will of God, is available and readable. I recommend it.

God's Intentional Will is that the creation and all in it should be happy and well.

God's Conditional Will takes into account the Free Will that allows humans to thwart that intentional will by making choices that are selfish and destructive. In this setting, God works with humanity to bring the best out of a bad situation. It is through God's presence and action on us that we can make better choices that will aid our situations.

However, the damage done by the wrong choices that allow us to do evil upon one another, and or the ravages of disease and other tragic situations will be rectified in God's Ultimate Will, in which the creation is redeemed and we are saved.