Retrieving tradition on campus

Posted by admin on Nov 2, 2006 in Academy | 1 comment

Driven by a renewel of interest in theology, many students are questioning why Evangelical Christianity is hostile and suspicious towards theology. I had a chance to ask Dr. Archie Spencer of ACTS Seminary about some of these issues:

JH: Dr. Spencer, how do you feel about the importance of theology in Evangelical Protestant Christianity?

 AS: In a word, passionate! Evangelical Protestants have been at a crossroad for a few decades now and their inability to find their place, both as an ecclesial force in and as a contributor to the furtherance of the Christian gospel in culture, can be directly related to their historical and theological amnesia. The way back to a sense of ecclesial identity, therefore, is through a creative re-engagement of the sources, norms and practices of theology.

I am not referring to the borrowings we have done here and there as Evangelicals. It is not a matter of taking small samplings of scripture and tradition to substantiate a way of existence that has proven to be largely theologically thin. Rather, I am referring to a creative retrieval and critical examination of the traditions that have informed the way we express, or fail to significantly express, our faith.

JH: Why are Evangelicals scared of theology?

AS: Some will retort, “What do you mean? I am an Evangelical and I’m not scared of theology!” But if we are really honest with ourselves, we must admit that the conservative wing of Evangelicalism at least has had a serious suspicion of theology. The reason they are afraid of it is that they see it as a discipline that leads either to “dead orthodoxy,” or worse, to liberal heresy. This, coupled with a deep-seated satisfaction with absolute simplicity in all matters related to the Gospel and its implications for the life of the mind, leads to a concomitant short-circuiting of intellectual development within Evangelical culture and faith.

But it was not always this way in Evangelicalism. At the very least we can see the Reformation as a re-enlivening of theology for the sake of the spiritual life and the life of the mind. But Evangelicals are afraid even of that.

JH: How important do you feel a theological education is for a Christian liberal arts university and why?

AS: As a matter of fact, I think that a liberal arts education is incomplete without it. Even the University of Berlin, founded in 1810 as the first modern research university, has always had a place for theology, however small. Some Evangelical universities are now including theology in the core of their arts curriculum. It is interesting to me that at Seattle Pacific University, just two hours south of Trinity Western University, they have established a school of theology right in the heart of the humanities curriculum. They encourage their theology professors to offer refresher courses in theology – not a bad idea as far as I’m concerned. We have to accept the fact that the vast majority of our Christian worldview, especially the attempt to hold faith and learning together, is most exquisitely expressed in its theology.

JH: Do you think TWU successfully offers a theological education for undergraduates? Why or why not?

AS: I would like to answer in the affirmative, in terms of an undergraduate education, but I cannot entirely. Certainly, I would laud and applaud [TWU’s] seminary and graduate programs in theology, but its undergraduate programs do not reflect a real commitment to a theological grounding of the student, in my humble estimation. I think things are improving in this regard, but we have a ways to go.

When the vast majority of the courses in theology at an Evangelical university are taught by Catholic theologians, whom I welcome, it further demonstrates to me the attitude that, while our Catholic students need more theology, we really don’t need it as Evangelicals. This is probably not the case, in terms of attitude, but it looks that way.

I should add that the Biblical Studies department does an excellent job in their field, and I appreciate the efforts of Dr. Allert and others in what little theology they get to teach. But the need for a broader space for theology in the Arts program at TWU is evident.

I should also add that the interest in theology is very much shared by many faculty members at TWU who do their best to make their disciplines theologically informed, and do it well on many levels. But this does not mitigate the need for a free-standing department of theology within the university’s undergraduate department.

JH: What would you recommend students do if they want an education in theology?

AS: On one level I would say that any education is what you make of it. In the long run God holds us all individually responsible for cultivation of heart and mind, and for skillful living within the purview of the Gospel. At the same time this must happen, and I would argue it happens best, in community. This is why I think students should begin their education by finding an ecclesial community that will sustain them in their faith. Then they need to form collegial relationships with fellow students and faculty. Also, read as broadly as you can in the best literature of the Western and Eastern Christian tradition. Theology exists within it in many forms, implicitly and explicitly.

As for getting more theology on campus, if that is the intent of the question, I would say, speak the language of the institution. Show them that such a venture is economically wise and you’ll get their attention for sure. If there is a market, there will likely be a supply.

JH: In what do you see the future of Evangelical Christianity existing?

AS: If you follow the prognosticators, such as Donald Bloesch, John Stackhouse, Rodger Olsen, George Marsden and Mark Knoll, you will come to the conclusion that there is not much of a future for Evangelical Christianity. They describe it as intellectually, theologically and culturally thin, and therefore vapid. But I wonder if the all the powder in the powder keg of the Reformation has yet to explode? At least it is a valid question that needs theological investigation, particularly for an Evangelical university that claims the Reformation as its heritage. At the very least, the remainder of this powder will have to be worked out in a much more ecumenical way, both in regards to Catholicism and within Protestantism itself. In that regard, I think there is good reason to hope for a better place for theology at TWU.