Are you a theologian?
If you are a Christian, then the answer is “Yes!” Martin Luther would say so anyway. I’m not sure how many people really think of themselves that way. Perhaps that’s because theology has a bad rap. It’s a word associated with doctrine and dogma, church, institution, tradition, close-mindededness, and other connotations which most in the modern world take as bad.
Most of those terms are not bad, but let’s focus on being a theologian for now. Martin Luther stated, “We are all called theologians, just as [also we are] all [called] Christians.” He speaks a lot about the process of being a theologian, and one can break it down in a pretty complex fashion, or one can make it very simple. In chapter one of Martin Luther’s Theology Bayer speaks of how Luther used three simple words- oratio, meditatio, tentatio to describe the Christian theologian. These words are the process that forms a Christian, and make it clear that one is also a theologian.
Oratio. Prayer or worship. The Christian is called into the faith through the means of grace, through baptism, and into worship. We all recognize the necessity of worship and prayer at the heart of our life as a Christian. We need time in worship and prayer to communicate with God, and this forms relationship with him. It helps us learn of him. And yes, it begins then the formation of the theologian, the one who studies God.
Meditatio- meditation on God’s word. Prayer and worship compel one to seek God’s will, counsel, and words. These are found in Scripture. The key is that a Christian will not be content simply to read them, reflect briefly, and move on. The Christian will want to be a theologian of these words, will want to really study them and what they mean. That will drive them to read them over and over. That will drive them to understand their context, in the book, from the author, etc. That will drive them to find out what others have written about these words. That sounds like work doesn’t it? And it’s a mix of academic and devotional in nature, but both are part of meditatio. And it’s intricately linked with the oratio. We need the oratio to set up our meditatio. Our meditatio will send us back to God in prayer as we seek his wisdom and strength to carry out his will that’s revealed in the Word.
Tentatio- agonizing struggle. This is said to be the crucible of the theologian. Those experiences in life that put the oratio and meditatio into our life and help us truly understand what it’s all about. As Luther says, “This is the touchstone. This does not teach you simply about knowing and understanding, but also about experiencing how correct, how true, how sweet, how lovely, how powerful, how comforting God’s Word is, wisdom above all wisdom.” Again, the three pieces are linked. After we’ve prayed and studied and prayed again, God will put his Word and our prayers into practice in our life. And as we struggle in our lives and experience his grace, it will help us understand his word. Then those tests will drive us back to dig more deeply into his Word and again to seek his help through prayer.
Isn’t it beautiful how those link together? And isn’t it amazing when we realize how theological we all really are and should be? We all as Christians want God to develop us, to grow us. And he will do so. Maybe most of you think of theology simply as the study. You probably think of it as dry and boring. But when you realize that the study is linked to both worship/prayer and experience/struggle, you realize how vital this is. Not only that, you realize that theology, understanding of God, is more than simply study, it is the whole process of being formed as a Christian.
So claim it boldly- you are a theologian!
