Faith Seeking Understanding

One of the most influential topics in Christianity is the study of theology (“the study of God”).  It’s amazing to see the vast variety of topics and discussions that have happened throughout centuries.  Yet, one of the most influential topics has also been a topic of great confusion and misunderstanding.  What I mean by that, is that many students of theology begun the process of studying God with a keen eye toward reason instead of faith.  What should be sought in theology is what Anslem called faith seeking understanding.

Every pastor, and in my opinion every Christian, falls under the category of taking on study of theology.  We ask the questions of God’s existence, salvation, life, and death.  There are so many questions for theologians to ask, there are so many answers to answer these questions.  The difficult task of theology is to ask which question and answer match.  But, maybe the task of theology is not to find knowledge, but faith.

In my theology class this past year, I learned more about theology as taking a step of faith.  Yes, theology is a science that involves great study.  Yet, theology also takes a step toward the divine mystery known as God trying to answer so many questions.  Instead of answering questions, we should seek a relationship with God.

I have been reading a book called Evangelical Theology by Karl Barth.  The book covers a variety of issues concerning topics of theology.  One thing that Barth seems to advocate through his book is that theology is dependent on God.  God reveals Himself to humanity.  It is not humanity that finds various attributes of God so that we can say that we have God figured out.  Instead, it is the God of the universe that brings Himself to humanity in search for a relationship with each of us.  

So, again, maybe theology is more about a step of faith.  Maybe, we should stop trying to focus on saying that we have figured God out and that God must stick within these characteristics.  God is a mystery!  Theology cannot even grasp the mystery that God portrays.  That does not mean that theology is useless.  It is useless when we try to bring God to human terms.  Human terms tend to limit God from what He can really do, and that is draw close to us in ways that we cannot even imagine!

Theology is a topic that needs much attention.  It involves seeking a God who loves, who is faithful, and who seeks to bring us to wholeness.  Let theology discover the vast glory that God portrays and through that theology, let us then worship the divine mystery known as God.