"Theology is Knowing God"

I figure I am far overdue to post work from my first semester of Women's Ministry as I promised when starting this blog.  I am fairly settled since our move, and we are getting into our routines.  This blog needs to become a routine for me, because its focus is on my relationship with God... my theology.

In my Introduction to Women's Ministry course at Calvary Bible College, we were asked to read and respond to When Life and Beliefs Collide: How Knowing God Makes a Difference, by Carolyn Custis James.  This blog post is basically a reworking of that response paper.

In When Life and Beliefs Collide, Custis James urges women to recognize their roles as theologians and then argues that women must strive to improve their relationship with God in order to fulfill that role properly.  She focuses on Mary of Bethany as the first female theologian of the New Testament and fleshes out the stories of Mary to illustrate the female theologian's need to know God.  While she is not excluding men from this need to know God, she is emphasising the importance of reconsidering the traditional roles of women within the church community.

Mary's interactions with Jesus demonstrate that nothing in a woman's life is more important than her theology.  Knowing God is a woman's highest calling and her most pressing need. What we know of him, whether it is a little or a lot, is all we have to hang on to when the storm hits and we are being pulled into the downward spiral of worthlessness, dispair, and defeat.  It is also what energizes and guides us as we tackle the task before us - as mothers, daughters, wives, and friends. (p.168)

Custis James tackles women's reluctance to see themselves as theologians.  Do you see yourself as a theologian?  Before I read this book I would not have dared to consider it.  The ideas that "... God did not equip women for theological pursuits." and "... deep knowledge conflicts with the biblical idea of wifely submission;..." (p.46) seems to be coupled with a narrow definition of theology and a fear that "if we are not careful, God can easily become eclipsed by the mountain of ponderous ideas and heady concepts we call theology." (p.35)  Custis James makes a strong argument that all Christians have a responsibility to be theologians and good ones.  "The whole issue comes into focus when we remember that theology is knowing God.  This is not a gender issue.  It is not a matter of aptitude, instinct, or intelligence.  It is about what it means to be a Christian." (p.47)

The book goes on to explore how our theology is involved in keeping faith in difficult times, and how important a role women play in ministering to others during those times.  How do you react to deployments, training exercises, TDYs?  What is your role when the military spouses around you are hurting?  What does our theology say about what we expect from God, and how do we cope with hardship?  Custis James turns to the three principles set out in Hebrews 12:1-2.  "Its purpose was to fuel the faith of ordinary women and men who were afraid, hurting, and deeply disappointed with Jesus." (p.123)  Custis James uses numerous contemporary examples of difficult circumstances, but the best example is from the Bible with how Mary and Martha respond to Lazarus's death and how it refines their understanding of Jesus.  "Jesus wanted Mary to learn because he knew how desperately she and other women would need it..." (p. 116)  God does prepare us for difficult times.  We need to take the time to listen, often through the pain.  This book discusses the difficult topic of God's plan, our perceptions of our circumstances, and how our free will and the free will of those around us can complicate keeping our faith in God's plan.

Finally Custis James builds her case for the importance of theology in all our lives, but particularly in women's lives as allies in our relationships and builders of the Church.  She covers interpreting Genesis in the meaning of helper and the implications of the Fall.  She argues that Eve was created to be a helper for Adam to strengthen his purpose, and that "both of them [should] think through what the other was saying and to act according to the truth." (p.196)  She points out that women who serve, like Martha, are often the first and the last on the scene in situation when theology is most important.

When is theology most important?  It is not when you are sitting at lunch discussing religion.  Your theology is most important when everyday things are getting you down, when situations seem overwhelming, and when your heart is gripped with fear, doubt, and hopelessness.  Your theology is most important when your neighbor comes over for a cup of coffee to vent.  Your theology is most important when your husband is frustrated and needs your support.  It is not just your attitude that makes a difference in these cases, it is your understanding of God and what He expects of you that will shape your attitude and your actions.  I know that I am far too flawed to keep my attitude and my words in check on my own, and I am thankful that I am growing in my relationship with God and better understanding how to stop causing frustration and hurt in my relationships.  When I interact with others who are hurting, I am drawing on the theology I have.  "Knowing Him preserves [Martha] from thrashing about and frees her to focus on the task at hand." (p.231)

I agree with Custis James that, "theology is one more item that has been put safely out of reach." (p.18)  As much as my husband and I share decisions in life and talk freely about many things, I have never quoted scripture to him or used biblical principles to influence his actions or attitude.  I have never had a theological argument other than something is right or wrong.  That is how we all speak in our society, because we don't want to offend anyone else.  We spend our days claiming that actions, attitudes, and people are right or they are wrong, but we don't dive into the important discussion of where the concept of right or wrong comes from or actually means to us or our relationship with God.

I am now willing to see myself as a theologian... a budding theologian, and I strongly agree with Custis James on the importance of my theology.  For me the most difficult part of getting into When Life and Beliefs Collide was getting past the amount of storytelling.  I am familiar with life stories, and I am sure you have more than your share of life stories as well.  My drive to share how knowing God has changed my perspective and improved my life choices is what brought me to study Women's Ministry.  But, it has been interesting to see the difficulties that have been placed in our way, not only as women, but just as people in our society.  I have wanted to dive into having a greater understanding of the Bible for some time, but it took deciding on a career that relied on it to justify it.  Why should we have to justify our desire to dedicate ourselves to the study of God's Word?  My mother was the only person who expressed to me the notion that regardless of what I did with my career, my life could only benefit from this deeper study of the Bible.  So, for me, this book was refreshing, and it helped me define for myself what it is I have been striving for.  This book will stay on my shelf and remind me that "the question is, What kind of theologian are you?  and, Are you a good one?"  Kay Warren (p.9)