I feel a rant coming on, moot, maggi and jonny have all been chatting about theologians lately, in particular how the current conversations of mission and sociology rarely seem to include much theological conversation. Ian rants about the lack of theology, Maggi’s rant asks questions about the general distrust and resentment that seems to be held by many in regards to theology and theologians and jonny’s rant seems to focus on the trainings of theologians.

They’re all great posts with a large amount of great comments…

Firstly lets say how much i love the word “Rant” I LOVE IT.

“the future of the church does not depend on youth but on Jesus Christ. The task of young people is not recognization of the church, but listening to God’s word; the church’s task is not the conquest of young people, butt the teaching of the Gospel.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Gesammelte Schriften. Band 3 (Munich: Chr: Kaiser Verlag, 1960). pp292-293.

In many youth ministries Theology has almost become a dirty word, one that would hinder or harm our work with young people. In other areas Theology is a word that no-one understands or has never heard of before. In many cases we can find churches trying out new ways of attracting young people, trialling a new sports program, putting out beautifully designed posters, attempting to find government finding for a self esteem program, a homework program… In other churches they are lamenting the loss of the young people from the church, blaming the lack of leaders and/or youth worker, the lack of a pinball machine, a pool table or a X-Box. Hardly ever have I heard people discuss Theology as the reason for this dismissal of the younger generations.

“Nowhere did we suggest that Theology may be partly responsible for the churches diminishing influence on people”
Kenda Creasy Dean – Practicing Passion. pp10

I find it intriguing that in many cases the people that we place in positions of ministry with young people are often our least trained theologians, cultural observers and facilitators.

“It will also shift Youth Ministry’s emphasis away from sociology, psychology, anthropology, educational theory – not to mention car washes and lock ins – towards Theology, and especially a practical Theology, that form of theological reflection concerned with Christian actions.”
Kenda Creasy Dean – Practicing Passion. pp21

One thing that is blatantly obvious to those of us in Youth Ministry is that young people are doing their own Theology without us.

For whatever reason, the Church and Colleges are no longer the only sources of Theology in today’s society. If you were to listen to the radio over the last 10 or more years you’d be aware that musicians have been thinking about God for many years. If you were to walk through the art gallery you would find that the walls are littered with people’s expressions of the infinite, of God. Everywhere, from the walls of public toilets to the beauty of the highest mountain peak people are doing Theology.

Young people (and the world) are on a spiritual search, this we all know, but sometimes we think that spirituality is anti-Theology, when it’s probably more anti-Church than it is against Theology. We need to be more open to what the Spirit of God is doing in our world, in our schools, on our TV than what we are.

“While religious socialization can create Christian-ish youth, by itself it cannot create Christian ones…. The offspring are healthy, but they can’t reproduce.”
Kenda Creasy Dean – Practicing Passion. pp147

Now, I agree with some of Jonny’s comment(s) and disagree with some of it… (in my opinion). Theological training in many aspects has been removed from the “questions/struggles of real life” but in some ways that’s a posative seperation and sometimes it’s harmful. First and foremost Theology’s a science, so don’t be fooled into thinking that the only reason for Theology is to help in mission. No matter how boring or inane or useless some people might find the studies of the old and new testament, systematic theologies etc etc there is a desperate need for people to continue to explore the text and ask serious questions, seperated from the rest of the world in order to ask serious questions that challenge us as the church and the rest of the world. So, in that understanding theological education as it stands and has long stood is still something that we need to hold onto.

“Rescuing Youth Ministry from decades of foster care in the social sciences in order to return it to it’s theological home.”
Kenda Creasy Dean – The New Rhetoric of Youth Ministry

Secondly though, Jonny’s also right, in our training of ministers/clergy/vicars we have held onto the process by which we remove people who are to be ministering in, with and to the world and the community, thereby removing them from teh questions of life that they will need to be connected with for the many years to come.

This process has also scared away from theological study many people who have become important and have instigated groundbreaking emerging ministries in communities. Many of these people have become prophets, great sociologists and great youth workers, yet something’s been missing. What we seem to have done is scare away people who need to do theological study and taken in people to do theology while at the same time removing them from the communities that they will be ministering in.

“A Theology of young people is based on the insights, culture and voices of particular groups of young people. It is when groups of young people begin to speak of their encounter with God that a Theology which is “indigenous” to them starts to emerge. A Theology of Youth Ministry on the other hand seeks to demonstrate how our understanding of God shapes and influences the practice of Youth Ministry.”
Pete Ward – God at the Mall. pp33

In Australia, as it seems in the UK and USA we need to revision our theological education, the church has endless resources in people who are trained educators, sociologists, economists… but what we dont seem to have enough of is people with a theological education, it’s almost as if the churches and people in them have said “don’t bring God into this.” We’ve tried to change the way that we do God-stuff, worship, mission but gradually we’re losing the God-Thought from it.

I don’t think that Theology is THE only answer to our mission in today’s world, but ignoring it, being afraid of it or being removed from it will not help us in any way. Maggi’s right, we do need to regain our respect and love for theology and continue to encourage people to do it, people who are called to do theology we should engourage into study. People called into mission we should encourage to do some study, at the very least because it will help them be able to engage with the world’s questions and struggles.

And I’m sick of calling my Theology degree my “Would you like fries with that?” Degree because the church doesn’t understand it, and I’m also not too fond of talking to youth workers who look at me like I’m some weirdo when I tell them that I’ve a Theology Degree…

Anyhow, I’ve ranted enough, time for a song 🙂

Theologians
by Wilco
Album: A Ghost is Born

Theologians
They don’t know nothing
About my soul
About my soul

I’m an ocean
An abyss in motion
Slow motion
Slow motion

Inlitterati lumen fidei
God is with us everyday
That illiterate light
Is with us every night

Theologians
That don’t know nothing
About my soul
Oh they don’t know

They thin my heart with little things
And my life with change
Oh in so many ways
I find more missing every day

Theologians

I’m going away
Where you will look for me
Where I’m going you cannot come

No one’s ever gonna take my life from me
I lay it down
A ghost is born
A ghost is born
A ghost is born

I’m an ocean
I’m all emotion
I’m a cherry ghost
Cherry ghost

Hey I’m a cherry ghost
A cherry ghost