Far from diminishing her appeal, a woman's interest in theology ought to be the first thing to catch a man's eye. A wife's theology should be what a husband prizes most about her. He may always enjoy her cooking and cherish her gentle ways, but in the intensity of battle, when adversity flattens him or he faces an insurmountable challenge, she is the soldier nearest him, and it is her theology that he will hear. A woman's theology suddenly matters when a man is facing a crisis and she is the only one around to offer encouragement.
Lane Keister's Message to Women was eerily timely, given my current read. He also followed up his Message to Women with an added list of resources for beginning a study of theology, for men or women. I encourage you to peruse both posts, both of which are short in length.
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13 comments:
I love the title...and that's a great quote too...add that to my reading list!
Great post Susan. I love what Zan said in the comments, "I like to exercise my brain in other areas than housework." Here here!
I loved your thoughts, Zan. They are very interesting to consider. I agree with Lane that certainly, a man should be the leader or "pastor" in his home! You know enough of my views on the roles of men and women to know that, probably, though :). Ideally a wife's theological studies should be overseen by her husband, and they should draw them together, not pull them apart.
Now, in my case, my dad and I differ on theology some, but he doesn't mind if I study views that are different from his, and we'll discuss different issues at times as well.
You certainly have an interesting background in churches! My family has been in the PCA for almost all my life, but I've visited a variety of churches with friends.
It is possible to study something, like Zan said she is about the RC point of view, without ending up espousing it. That is, so long as you approach the idea the right way as a purely academic, "out-of-curiosity" thing.
Given we're OPC, and my cousins are Greek Orthodox, you can imagine a pretty heterogeneous theological lot in our family!
-Katie G
Thank you for stopping by, Katie! I agree that we can study other viewpoints to gain insight. I have many books in my collection that differ vastly from my own beliefs. It is always good to study other viewpoints when one is already grounded in one's own :). I am so thankful that Christianity is not a blind faith! Even Paul read the "DaVinci Codes" of his day. Think of how many times he quotes the pagan philosophers - many times very subtly.
wow! good thoughts there. theology - not just the abstract study, but the real knowledge of God - is what makes us who we are.
Very timely, thought-provoking post Susan.
I have been wanting to delve more into theology for quite some time. Some of my thoughts are very cemented but others are still unclear or open. It's important to remember that much of the way we view God or understand the Bible leads to how we interpret the world around us. An improper view of God leads to wrong choices elsewhere in life. Also, if we come to understand God by our own personal experiences rather than the grounding of scripture it leads to an improper theology.
Years ago when I had severe trials with my health, I had a very warped view of God. It wasn't that God has changed since then but I better understand His true nature because I see it through the scriptures rather than the circumstances around me. I liked what Lane had to say about the Puritans having an applicable theology in their faith. That is what I want to have as well.
Thanks for bringing up this topic, Susan and thanks to everyone for the stimulating comments.
Thank you for sharing your own struggles a bit, Lydia. I've gone through periods in my life where my view of God has been severely distorted as well, and life trials are so different with a more proper view of God. I heard R.C. Sproul Sr. speak recently, and he did an excellent job of explaining that our doctrine of God controls all of our other doctrines and our view of life. Very important!
I also appreciate the Puritans because they not only had solid doctrine, but applied it as well. Knowledge without application is just that: knowledge. As Christians we should search for wisdom, which is knowledge + action.
What's this about an OPC split??
What is OPC?
Wow, Zan, you have quite an interesting background in churches. It makes me thankful for my relatively uneventful background in church. My mom was raised in the PCUSA, where my dad also attended in his teens (my dad's family are unsaved, for the most part), so we've witnessed some false doctrine, but we rather quickly switched to the PCA when I was still quite young. Ironically, though, I really didn't become reformed in conviction until less than 5 years ago (my dad is non-denominational, so doctrine wasn't huge growing up), and not paedo-baptist until less than 2 years ago. I would imagine your wide exposure makes you more able to appreciate a really solidly-grounded church!
Reply to Anonymous (please sign your name next time :-D. . . )- OPC stands for Orthodox Presbyterian Church, one of the (many) presbyterian denominations in the US.
Zan,
I can just give a short explanation as to how I became reformed instead, rather than a separate post - because it's not extremely long, and I'd probably not get it written :).
My mom was a PK in the UPC, which later became the PCUSA after the split. My dad was raised in a non-Christian home, though ironically he became a Christian at age 4 (at a VBS), while my mom did not until college. Anyway, they both attended a PCUSA church (my grandfather's church) through high school and then for a time after college, but they had some issues with the PCUSA, so when we moved to Georgia when I was a baby, they decided they had enough of presbyterianism, since they had no idea there was such a thing as a theologically-conservative presbyterian. Anyway, they ended up at a PCA church (not knowing it was presyterian until they visited, since it had no denominational affiliation in the name), and they could tell right away that it was different from the PCUSA. We've been in the PCA ever since, except for a 1-year detour to a non-denominational church.
Anyway, Mother Dear is mostly Presbyterian in beliefs, though after college she didn't want anything to do with Presbyterianism for a while, due to the PCUSA. Father Dear jokes that he's half Baptist, half Methodist, and half Presbyterian (and he calls himself a math teacher ;). . . ), since he first comprehended the gospel in a Baptist church, attended a Methodist church in his younger years with extended family, and has since attended mainly Presbyterian. He's never been huge into denominational theology, though he doesn't mind discussing it and he likes many things about Presbyterianism, and he likes the PCA. He has no problem with my reformed beliefs, also, and doesn't mind me studying different theologies.
So how did I become reformed? Well, as I said, growing up we didn't really talk doctrine (outside of Christian essentials), but I did spend almost my entire childhood in the PCA and I had some really good Sunday School teachers! And I learned the catechism (in Sunday School, and through home school). I would say the catechism was instrumental in instilling a reformed bent in me from a young age.
I developed an interest in theology in late high school and college, and it seemed that I kept coming upon reformed theology every turn I made. Also during that time I studied Biblical womanhood, and many of the sites I found were from a reformed perspective.
A few years ago the Stated Clerk of the PCA (Roy Taylor) became the adult Sunday School teacher at our church, and he did a series on What Presbyterians Believe. That was the turning point for me. Everything I had been studying and learning sort of came all together for me into a more cohesive understanding. My whole family really enjoyed his lectures, in fact.
My brother, sister and I were baptized (by sprinkling) in middle-school, not as infants, and I've always considered myself mostly credo-baptist until a few years ago when I really started studying the issue. Now it makes so much sense to me, in light of scripture, unlike the 50/50 view on baptism I had for a while ;).
AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO START A BAPTISTIC DEBATE ON THIS THREAD!!! - to anyone who is reading ;). I don't have time this weekend!
Okay, that wasn't as short as it was supposed to be. Hehe. Anyway, I hope that clarifies :).
I really liked that book, Susan. I have no comments about the rest of this denomination discussion although I see it becoming somewhat of an issue for us since Paul is very non-denominational and I am reformed. So far, it hasn't really been an issue for us, but I can see it when our kids are born and we have to make the decision about whether to baptize them as babies or later.
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