Therefore, Christian scholars working in so-called \u201csecular\u201d disciplines such as the arts, humanities, and sciences can still draw near to God through their academic pursuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for Christian scholars who devote themselves to the study of Scripture, theology, and pastoral ministry, their work involves direct engagement with God and the things of God. In theory, the content of our research should readily shape our spiritual lives and moral character. After all, the purpose of such study is to cultivate a closer relationship with the God who creates, redeems, and provides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is a distinction between \u201creligious studies\u201d and \u201ctheological studies.\u201d Religious studies adopts approaches from disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, and history to describe and explain religious phenomena objectively. It also sets aside personal beliefs and focuses on studying religious traditions, using \u201cthick description\u201d to examine doctrines, traditions, cultures, and practices.\n\nThis is why both Christians and atheists can study Buddhism or Islam without needing to become Buddhists or Muslims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Theological studies, however, are different. More precisely, when studying a religious tradition, theological studies do not set aside one's personal faith and convictions. Rather, engagement in academic study can strengthen, deepen, and mature them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Theologians often quote the words of the eleventh-century Archbishop of Canterbury, Saint Anselm:\n\n\u201cA believer does not come to faith through understanding; rather, he believes in order that he may understand. Unless he believes, he cannot understand.\u201d2<\/sup><\/strong> In fact, disciple-making also requires a long-term perspective. Likewise, those who are called to study theology need to view theological study as part of God's process of forming disciples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the United States, when you receive a speeding ticket, it is because you were driving too fast at the exact moment you passed a police officer holding a radar gun. How fast you were driving before or after that moment is completely irrelevant.\n\nThe United Kingdom, however, takes a different approach. What matters is your average speed between two speed cameras placed, say, ten miles apart. Perhaps that is why I have never received a speeding ticket in the UK!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I find the British approach more humane. The same principle can be applied to spiritual formation. Rather than saying, \u201cOh no! I didn't spend twenty minutes in devotions this morning. I've failed! I've fallen short!\u201d we might instead ask: Over the past month, the past six months, the past year, or the past two years, have I come to know God and the things of God more deeply? Has my character become more like His? Have I grown in wisdom and effectiveness in serving Him?\n\nThese are also some of the questions that scholars engaged in theological study need to ask themselves in honest self-examination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A long-term perspective is more important than focusing on the present moment. Growth is concerned with the cumulative process rather than whether one has read the Bible and prayed today.\nBorrowing a term used by Clark Pinnock, a former professor at McMaster Divinity College (MDC) in Canada, the disciple-forming process of theological study should be viewed as a \u201cpilgrimage.\u201d Every moment of the journey is indeed meaningful and important. Yet the ultimate goal is that, through this cumulative process, we may grow in Christ and mature into Him, until we attain \u201cmature adulthood\u201d (cf. Ephesians 4:13).<\/p>\n\n\n\n If this is so, then it becomes meaningful and important to speak of the spiritual life of a Christian scholar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My teacher, Rev. J. I. Packer, would remind his students in every class that theology is for doxology. He believed that theological ideas should be capable of becoming prayer or praise.3<\/sup><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n More broadly, engaging in theological reflection through the Holy Spirit enables us to grow and be transformed, drawing us into fellowship with God through an attitude of prayer and worship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through reflection on Scripture, theology, and pastoral ministry, we dig deeply into and immerse ourselves in God's Word and the things of God. This is one of the primary ways God speaks to us and shapes us.\n\nIn other words, spiritual formation can be rooted in Christian scholarship itself, rather than running parallel to it or serving merely as a prerequisite for engaging in academic study. I think this is why theologians such as Calvin and Karl Barth viewed the act of doing theology as part of\u2014and an extension of\u2014the life of prayer, rather than simply a preparation for theological work.\n\nPut simply, theology may be understood as prayer, rather than something for which we pray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Returning to Anselm's phrase, \u201cfaith seeking understanding,\u201d Darrell W. Johnson, a professor at my alma mater, Regent College, once pointed out that the English word understanding can be broken down into under and stand. The image it creates is that of \u201cstanding under\u201d any knowledge or truth.4<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If this is the case, then approaching Christian scholarship as an act of prayer means \u201cstanding under\u201d God, the truth of God's Word, and everything related to it, rather than seeking to control God and His Word. This is a posture of humility and obedience that allows theological truth to become a driving force expressed in one's life.\n\nAs Adam Neder writes in his book on theological education, \u201cThe goal of theological study is not merely understanding, but existence within understanding.\u201d5<\/sup><\/strong> <\/strong>Perhaps we might put it this way: to \u201cexist\u201d within that under which we \u201cstand,\u201d allowing the fruits of biblical, theological, and pastoral study to shape the various events and experiences of our lives, so that we may be \u201ctransformed by the renewing of our minds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n During a faculty meeting at a seminary where I previously taught, the professors discussed whether every master's thesis should be required to include a section explaining how the research could be \u201capplied\u201d in church ministry. I immediately objected, because such a requirement is not commonly expected in my field of systematic theology.\n\nOne professor then asked, \u201cIf a theory has no practical application, what value does it have?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n At the time, I responded from my own experience: my theological outlook, the shaping of my spiritual life, and even the process by which God formed me as a disciple were influenced while writing my master's thesis. Through my engagement with the writings of Maximus the Confessor and Calvin, I was inspired to grow in reverence for God and in worship of Him.\n\nThis is not the kind of application that can easily be expressed in words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maximus\u2019s theology of asceticism carried a certain beauty and insight that captured my imagination. It led me to wonder what spiritual life might look like if there were a healthy detachment from the passions stirred by life and experience.\n\nI also remember studying Calvin\u2019s Institutes of the Christian Religion, particularly his exposition of the Ten Commandments. When I came to the commandment to \u201chonor your father and your mother,\u201d I wept in repentance, realizing how poorly I had lived it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We do not need to view \u201cspiritual life\u201d and \u201cChristian scholarship\u201d as two opposing or competing pursuits. For those who are wired for academic study, scholarly work itself is one of the ways God speaks to us and shapes us.\n\nNor is theology merely for the benefit of the researcher. As Stanley Grenz argued, theology is for \u201cthe community of God.\u201d6<\/sup> <\/strong>Since academic study shapes us, it will also, through us, help build up the people in the church and those we encounter in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, the spiritual formation that Christian scholars receive through their academic work is a worthwhile pursuit. What we know, who we are, and what we do can influence the people we encounter and may even become a turning point in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The spiritual life of a Christian scholar has its own unique pitfalls. One of the most significant is that the academic world places a high value on critique and disagreement. This can often work against the rhythms and practices of spiritual formation. Personally, for example, I rarely use popular devotional books. Their authors are often people who are naturally inclined toward contemplation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would suggest taking some time to discern what works best for you. Is it following a daily Bible-reading plan on the \u201cMicro Bible Reading\u201d app, or using sticky notes in a printed Bible to mark your progress? Is it keeping a devotional journal, or setting aside a few days for solitude and retreat?\n\nIntroverts tend to pursue spiritual growth on their own, while extroverts often thrive when engaging in spiritual practices with others. Some benefit from meeting regularly with a spiritual mentor; others may find deeper healing through counseling or therapy.\n\nWhat matters is knowing yourself\u2014and through that, coming to know God more deeply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gary Thomas\u2019s Sacred Pathways: Nine Ways to Connect with God is a helpful resource. The process of exploring ourselves can be fascinating, yet it also exposes our ignorance.\n\nIntellectual knowledge\u2014especially knowledge acquired through great effort\u2014can make us proud. We begin to think we understand everything, and as a result, we may look down on or dismiss the opinions of others. We cease to be humble, gentle, and gracious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A second challenge is the other side of pride: scholars may become so self-effacing that they are unable to hold fast to, or proclaim, convictions grounded in truth. Such convictions matter not only in academic settings, but can also benefit both the church and the wider world.\n\nIn other words, both humility and the courage to uphold one\u2019s convictions are necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A third trap is the assumption that greater knowledge somehow makes scholars superior to others, or exempts them from moral accountability. In reality, both personal conduct and professional ethics matter greatly. Character and integrity are essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This may still sound a bit abstract. The following suggestions may seem somewhat conventional, but they are practical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, each person is uniquely created and lives through different seasons of life. Therefore, individual spiritual lives can\u2014and perhaps should\u2014look different. We may need to discern, in light of our present circumstances, the rhythms and practices of spiritual formation that are most suitable for us.\n\nPersonally, I do not tend to use popular devotional books. The authors of such books are often people who are naturally inclined toward contemplation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would suggest taking some time to discern what works best for you. Is it following a daily Bible-reading plan on the \u201cMicro Bible Reading\u201d app, or using sticky notes in a printed Bible to mark your progress? Is it keeping a devotional journal, or setting aside a few days for solitude and retreat?\n\nIntroverts tend to pursue spiritual growth on their own, while extroverts often thrive when engaging in spiritual practices with others. Some benefit from meeting regularly with a spiritual mentor; others may find deeper healing through counseling or therapy.\n\nWhat matters is knowing yourself\u2014and through that, coming to know God more deeply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gary Thomas\u2019s Sacred Pathways: Nine Ways to Connect with God is a helpful resource. By exploring our own God-given characteristics, it helps us discover the pathways through which we connect with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I especially appreciate Rev. Ken Shigematsu\u2019s observation that spiritual formation is a matter of \u201cget to,\u201d not \u201chave to.\u201d It is a privilege, not an obligation.7<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Allow me to use parking tickets in the United Kingdom and the United States as an illustration. In the United States, an illegal parking violation may result in a $35 fine, and if payment is late, the amount is doubled. In the United Kingdom, however, the fine may be \u00a360 (about US$80), but if it is paid within the first two weeks of a thirty-day period, the amount is reduced by half.\n\nEven if the final amount paid may end up being similar, a \u201cdiscount\u201d is often more effective than a \u201cpenalty\u201d in encouraging people to pay early, because people feel as though they have gained something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, we get to enjoy the pursuit of spiritual formation; it is not something we do merely out of a sense of have to in order to avoid punishment. Likewise, viewing Christian scholarship as a spiritual discipline is something we get to enjoy, rather than merely a task we have to complete.\n\nFurthermore, for Christian scholars who spend their days surrounded by books and living largely in the realm of ideas, simply doubling down on Bible reading and prayer\u2014as is often encouraged within the evangelical tradition\u2014may not always be effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many times, what we need are more concrete, down-to-earth practices in everyday life: intentionally paying attention to family and friends, enjoying food, noticing the sounds and sights around us, delighting in our children, and so on. In other words, we are called to be present in the world not only with our minds, but also in an embodied way, following the pattern of the Word made flesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The spiritual life of a Christian scholar extends beyond the intellect. It embraces the fullness of God's creation, including the tangible reality and beauty of the created world.\n\nMay God bless each fellow pilgrim who is journeying along this path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A more concise way of putting it is: theology is faith seeking understanding. The maturation of both faith and understanding requires honestly facing our struggles and growing through them over time. It also requires engaging new perspectives and new information, passing through new \u201cthreshold concepts,\u201d often at the cost of having our sense of intellectual equilibrium disturbed.\n\nTherefore, the theological study I am describing here is one that takes the long view rather than the short view, looking toward the horizon rather than focusing only on the immediate moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTheological Study as a Pilgrimage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Standing Under the Truth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Beware of These Traps!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Spiritual Formation Is a Privilege, Not an Obligation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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