Modern Theologians

I studied Erasmus in class last week. He was known especially for his Latin translation of the Bible in 1516, the first new Latin version of the bible since the Vulgate (produced by Jerome in the fourth century CE). Erasmus’s Paraclesis, the preface to his edition, calls for the translation of the Bible into all vernacular languages so that humble plowmen, farmers, weavers, and “even the lowliest women” could read or recite the Bible in their native dialect.

Erasmus lived during the Reformation and one issue of the time was that of various clerical abuses in the Church. Thus his call to make the scriptures available and accessible to the unlearned was a call to dispense with the control that the clergy had over the laypeople.

The following excerpt from his Paraclesis represents a wonderful ideal of all of God’s people reading, interpreting, and living out the tenants of the Bible. It also serves as a warning and reminder to me, as one seeking to become a “professional theologian” not to take myself too seriously. More than that, Erasmus implores us to pursue God, not just information about God.

“For I fear that one may find among the theologians men who are far removed from the title they bear, that is, men who discuss earthly matters, not divine, and that among the monks who profess the poverty of Christ and the contempt of the world you may find something more than worldliness. To me he is truly a theologian who teaches not by skill with intricate syllogisms but by a disposition of mind, by the very expression and the eyes, by his very life that riches should be disdained, that the Christian should not put his trust in the supports of this world but must rely entirely on heaven, that a wrong should not be avenged, that a good should be wished for those wishing ill, that we should deserve well of those deserving ill, that all good men should be loved and cherished equally as members of the same body...And if anyone under the inspiration of the spirit of Christ preaches this kind of doctrine, inculcates it, exhorts, incites, and encourages men to it, he indeed is truly a theologian, even if he should be a common laborer or weaver. And if anyone exemplifies this doctrine in his life itself, he is in fact a great doctor. Another, perhaps, even a non-Christian, may discuss more subtly how the angels understand, but to persuade us to lead here an angelic life, free from every stain, this indeed is the duty of the Christian theologian.”

Trinity Sunday

This Sunday is “Trinity Sunday” in the Christian calendar. With this worship service focus in mind, I have a confession to make. I have never been comfortable with the Orthodox view of the Trinity – specifically the Holy Spirit. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in the power and in the product of the Holy Spirit, just perhaps not the “person.” I have heard plenty of explanations and metaphors to describe the Trinity (the egg, a river, different roles of the same person, states of matter, etc.), yet none seem overly supported by the Biblical revelation (as the word “Trinity” is not in the Bible either). Nowhere in the Bible do I see the Spirit as a physical entity, or part of the “Godhead.” Rather, the Holy Spirit seems to be a metaphor describing the extension of God’s power and action in the world.

Let me a give a few examples that support such a view:

In the Genesis 1 creation account, the Spirit of God hovered over the water. The picture here is that the power of God contained the mythological waters of chaos. From there, God transformed this chaos into something useful and “good.”

When Jesus quotes the Isaiah scroll in Luke 4, Jesus makes it clear that the Spirit of the Lord was upon him to accomplish a restructuring of the world order. It was the power of the Spirit in Jesus and his actions that would accomplish this, and not some entity.

Acts 2 provides an interesting example. In this story, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit actually makes a physical appearance. The Spirit, in the form of tongues of fire, comes down and allows the apostles to speak in different languages. Again, the tongues are a physical representation of what the Spirit is doing by empowering the apostles.

Finally, though the word “Trinity” is not used in Scripture, people often sight the usage of the phrase “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” to point to a 3rd “person” of the Godhead. But using such logic, if Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, wouldn’t we expect the Spirit to be on the left? Yet no description of the heavenly realm contains such a depiction – the Spirit is not mentioned in such contexts.

I could go on, but the point I am trying to draw out of these examples is that I believe the Spirit of God/the Holy Spirit is simply a manifestation of God’s power. Or to put it a different way, the Holy Spirit is a term to describe the presence of God at work in this world in various means and ways. When we ask for the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives we are asking for God to move in a powerful way in our lives. We are not praying to the Spirit but rather for the Spirit.

You may say to yourself, “Okay. This is not overly helpful.” On the contrary. I think it alleviates the burden of explaining an unexplainable concept. I believe this understanding also sheds light on what God is actually up to.

A response to some thoughts

I wanted to write an immediate response to Shannon’s post last week about not living out the Bible. I was offended. After all, I will be entering into a PhD program this fall with the intention of becoming a teacher. Kierkegaard's words all but make me out to be a “scheming swindler.” But I refrained because my first response would have been a knee-jerk reaction to statements with which I disagree.

The quote from Soren Kierkegaard contains much truth, but perhaps not the entire truth. His premise is simple – the Bible is easy to understand. This concept is directly opposed to what I teach my students in my survey classes. I tell them that the Bible is difficult to interpret and requires education and a good grasp of original background and context.

So am I wrong? Or is he? Am I teaching a lie and perpetuating lies or has Kierkegaard just missed it on this one? I think there is a middle ground. On the one hand he is completely correct. In an effort to justify selfishness and avoid sacrifice, we try to explain away verses that seem too difficult. Maybe we assume Jesus is using hyperbole, or perhaps we put limitations on how far we fulfill Jesus’ commands. Let me give it a shot based on some of Shannon’s passages:

“At some point we have to resist an evil person, don’t we? What if no one resisted Hitler? Where would we be? Speaking German and living under a dictatorial regime, that’s where. And in regard to that whole ‘be perfect’ business. Jesus didn’t mean we could actually attain it, but we should just shoot for it and rely on grace if we fall short.”

Yes, Kierkegaard is right – it is pretty easy to dismiss Jesus’ words. But are all of Jesus’ words to be taken literally? Should we actually gouge out our eyes if we have a lust problem? Should we actually cut off our hands if we are kleptomaniacs? It seems unlikely that Jesus expected his listeners to take these words literally. Also, in today’s world we don’t have to walk a mile with anyone (referring to a law requiring them to carry a Roman soldier’s pack). So how could we go 2 miles? Clearly there is some level of interpretation and application that must go on instead of simply taking Jesus’ commands at face value.

The real problem is that theology, especially on the academic level but also in our churches, has become merely an intellectual pursuit instead of a life changing one. Theology that does not impact your life and merely proves or disproves a point about God has little value (Kierkegaard might say “no value”). Like a Medical Doctor who does not practice his/her craft is the Disciple who is not formed, changed, and challenged by his/her doctrine.

"But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions." 1 Timothy 1:5-7 (NRSV)