Wednesday, April 2, 2014

The Danger of Academic Theology

There is always a certain danger in the academic study of theology. The danger is not so much that there is a danger in systematic study of the bible but in the nature of the modern academic process.

You see in the bible man meets God and God has a word for man. In the presence of God the only appropriate response is to worship.

The difficult of academic study is that the interests in scripture are often very obscure. Word studies and vague hypothesis the value of which and application are vary vague dominate academic study.

You see it can be very easy to disconnect study from worship. At this moment academic theology becomes a danger to the person doing it.

It is a sort of occupational hazard that is very subtle but real. When the word of God comes to man and man does not respond you see that man is poorer from it.

Man's heart becomes darker the more he know of God and the less he responds. This is why Jesus says for us not to cast our pearls to the swine.

There is a sense in which we should leave those actively hostile to the gospel alone and not damage them by trying to convince them to the truth. Of course this too runs counter to academia.

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