Of late, I have been known to say I don't believe in theology.  Needless to say, this has raised a few eyebrows at seminary and at the college where I teach!
 

Rob Murphy is a colleague of mine at VISIBLE SCHOOL with whom I have enjoyed numerous discussions of things theological.  These discussions began some time ago when I answered a question of his by saying, "Well, actually, I don't believe in theology."

Rob pointed out the irony of that in light of the fact that I was teaching preaching and a course called Classic Christian Disciplines at the time.  We had a good laugh, but I stuck to my point.

And what was that point?

Theology, as I see it, is humanity's attempt to find a set of words to describe God.  Words, as I see it, fail to meet the task.  Aquinas argued that "we can use words about God, but their meanings are indescribably different from their meanings when applied to other things"¹.  So, in the good company of Aquinas and many others, I challenge the ability of finite words to describe the Infinite--to describe God.

Rob's counter was to say that words fail to define his love for his wife, but he still wanted to try and use them to let her know how he feels.  (That, by the way, is VERY good advice!)

Weeks passed and turned into months.  I held to my guns and Rob continued to laugh at my hard-headedness.  In time, I mitigated my position.  After a few months, I granted the use of words to talk about God, provided certain rules are followed.

No "is" use

You may talk about God, but you may not use "is" to link God.  If "is" is the verb, you cannot use God as the subject or as the predicate nominative.  Thus, "God is love" is forbidden.

What!  Am I serious?

Yes.  That God loves cannot be denied.  So say that.  God so loved the world that God gave Jesus to die for our sins.  God demonstrated his love for us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Say that.

My problem with "is" is that it limits.  If God is love, how can God also judge humanity?  "Is" limits.  Say what God does, I would argue without limiting God.

At the heart of my complaint about words is just that--words tend to limit, and "is" is particularly guilty.  If God is just, then where does grace fit in?  Justice would demand that I pay for my sins.  Justice has no room for grace.

(Yes, I know theologians over time have worded their way around this!)

My position is that we do a far better service to the witness of the Bible by saying that God loves and God judges than to say God is love and God is just.

No "cannot" use

You may talk about God, but you may not use "cannot" with any action associated with God.

In other words, any question beginning with "Can God" is answered with "yes."  Logical impossibilities INCLUDED.

Seriously.

Just because we cannot imagine a round square or a square circle does not mean that they are impossible.  Perhaps for God, both are not only possible, but logical as well.

It is this limitlessness--this all-possible-ness--that comes closest to defining what ontological Godness might be.  Allowing the use of "cannot" just doesn't work.

I first came to this position when a professor was explaining the philosophical underpinnings of some theological point.  After a few layers of "therefore" and "thus," he came to his conclusion.

"Therefore, God CANNOT..."

He worked hard to emphasis the "cannot."  That was when I had my little epiphany.

"Cannot?"  I thought.  "Surely he didn't say God was unable to do something?"

Even if I were to think God was unable to do something, would I want to stand before God and make that claim?  Not me!

I might not know what it means to make a boulder that is too big for God to lift, but I am willing to believe that, NOT ONLY can God make one, BUT ALSO once made, God could lift it.

Contradiction?  Only to human understanding!  I believe God is sufficiently more complex than I am to be able to do anything--even things that defy human understanding.

And even things that defy our words to describe.

So, Rob Murphy has won from me (as if he or anyone else needed it) the right to talk about God.  My challenge to him (and anyone else), however, stands.

Find words that do not limit God and use those words to describe how God interacts with humanity.

No "is," no "cannot."

Give it a try.  It will challenge you to view your theology in a different light, and perhaps, it will strengthen your awe and amazement for the one who created the heavens and the earth!

And that, I believe, would be a good thing!

Home | Blogs