Certainly theology itself will not save us. (& coming from someone who grew up in the /reine Lehre/ - "pure doctrine" - tradition that's a non-trivial observation.) But lack of theology, or bad theology, can make it very hard for an otherwise thoughful person to remain faithful.
I agree with your statement about putting "God in a box." The classic example is the bishop c.400 who said "I know God as well as he knows himself." Significantly, he was an Arian. His problem (& that of the Arians generally) was refusal to remain content with the limited knowledge of God we can infer revelation, alimitato supposedly overcome by philosophical speculation.
Shalom,
George
---- "John Burgeson (ASA member)" <hossradbourne@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 9/18/09, gmurphy10@neo.rr.com <gmurphy10@neo.rr.com> wrote:
> > Granted that our theologies are at best imperfect & may even be
> > "impertinent." But theology is essentilally an attempt to understand what
> > we believe and its implications. We are, after all, to love God with all
> > our mind as well as heart, soul & strength. Any dismissal of theology
> > amounts to an endorsement of an anti-intellectual "spirituality."
>
> I know you find that Hawthorne quotation distasteful, George.
>
> What the quotation means to me is not a dismissal of theology, but a
> recognition that all our attempts to "put God in a box" are not only
> fruitless, but silly. To seek after His attributes, and to trust Him,
> and to follow after his son is neither fruitless nor silly.
>
> It is not our theology, be it well thought out or poorly thought out,
> that saves us.
>
> With those caveats, I agree with your observation.
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Received on Sat Sep 19 16:18:58 2009
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