How does Theology impact our daily life?

[Pancho Frijoles]

Hi everyone

I open this thread to discuss how theology impacts our daily life, in continuation of a conversation I have started with @Matthias
Everything I post represents the way my own understanding of religion in general and my religion in particular. So I fully accept that my opinions are biased and certainly can be proved to be wrong.

I'd like to start by explaining what I mean by Theology.
Generally I use the term in two different ways:

1. Theology as a systematic, academic study of religious beliefs. In this sense, an atheist could come to the forum and discuss Theology with us, as it does not demand an identification of that person's beliefs with the beliefs being discussed.
2. Theology as a set of religious beliefs to which a believer tries to give some internal coherence, some framework, so that they can be explained to other person, with the intention of being intelligible to others, at least to some extent.

So, I will not be using "theology" in the spiritual sense of "faith". Faith does not demand an internal coherence in order to exist. It cannot be explained, just shared. It does not demand evidence. It is a gift from God.
I will be using "Theology" in the second sense explained above.

My position is that, within the framework of beliefs of a given theology

• Some religious beliefs influence human behavior in a significant way, leading to a life closer to God or away from God.
• Some religious beliefs influence human behavior in non-significant way (or maybe not at all), in regard to living a life closer to God or away from God
• The importance of a given belief to enable a person to present his theology as robust does not necessarily correspond to the importance in influencing her behavior.

I will try to give examples of the items above in the following posts. Please join the discussion!

 

[lforrest]

I am inclined to believe that theology alone is of no benefit. Also a exclusively academic study of theology is not going to be inspired. Scriptures require spiritual discernment, therefore proper understanding will elude those who are not personally invested with all their heart.

 

[Pancho Frijoles]

I am inclined to believe that theology alone is of no benefit. Also a exclusively academic study of theology is not going to be inspired. Scriptures require spiritual discernment, therefore proper understanding will elude those who are not personally invested with all their heart.

Hi lforrest

I agree with you that theology alone is of no benefit.
Now, although I am not a psychologist, I think that, generally speaking, ideas shape our behavior... and our behavior keep shaping our ideas, all of this to some extent.
I don't think that theology determines our religious life, but it does influence it to some extent. My intuition is that such influence is less, much less than we think, but still relevant in some contexts.

Let's think in the lady who suffered from hemorrhages who came to Jesus. She was healed because of her faith, not because of her theology.
Probably she had some basic beliefs. Something like:
"Jesus can heal me. Jesus is not a fraud and not an ordinary man. Jesus is good to people: He will not reject me. Jesus has a special power or authority received from God."

Could she have explained why Jesus was the Messiah predicted in Isaiah 53, Micha and other texts in the Tanakh? That's very unlikely. Women were mostly illiterate and without little access to a discussion with a scribe or teacher of the Law. ¿Could she have explained any belief in Jesus preexistence or atonement or resurrection? Very unlikely. So, in her case, she didn't need a theology, but faith.

Other people, however, could benefit from understanding, at a more rational level, how Jesus was predicted in the Tanakh. Take the Ethiopian eunuch and his conversation with Phillip. The Holy Spirit made him connect the dots, the Scriptural dots, and end up with a basic theology that led to his conversion. While the intellectual understanding was not the source of the conversion, it was the tool by which the Holy Spirit could act.

 

[Pancho Frijoles]

Going back to the woman with hemorrhages, let's suppose that she believed that the Messiah would indeed free Israel from the oppression of the Romans, leading a military rebellion and establishing a kingdom that would be both spiritual and material. A kingdom in which Israel would not have to pay taxes to Caesar and would prosper and be respected by all nations. Let's suppose she thought that the Messiah would suffer a lot, but end up with a visible victory over his enemies. Jesus would become a literal king, marry, have offspring and longevity. (Isaiah 53 says "he will see his seed" and "He shall prolong his days", doesn't it? )

Let's suppose she believed that.
Would that have changed what she did (making her way to Jesus in the middle of the crowd)?
Would that have changed Jesus' decision to heal her?

 

[Pearl]

It is not theology that affects my daily life, it is my personal relationship with the Living God. Theology is meaningless without the presence of Jesus in our lives.

 

[Matthias]

Theology affects everything that I do.

Although participation on this forum isn’t a major part of my life, it’s an important part of my life. My theology affects where I’m allowed and not allowed to post here. I’m not complaining about it. I’m content with it. Just pointing out how even such a small part of my life is affected daily by theology.

Just as an aside. I’m a pastor (retired). That might be a contributing factor explaining why theology affects everything that I do. I hadn’t really that about that before. Maybe my occupation will prove to be somewhat unique in regard to the issue.

 

[lforrest]

Hi lforrest

I agree with you that theology alone is of no benefit.
Now, although I am not a psychologist, I think that, generally speaking, ideas shape our behavior... and our behavior keep shaping our ideas, all of this to some extent.
I don't think that theology determines our religious life, but it does influence it to some extent. My intuition is that such influence is less, much less than we think, but still relevant in some contexts.

Let's think in the lady who suffered from hemorrhages who came to Jesus. She was healed because of her faith, not because of her theology.
Probably she had some basic beliefs. Something like:
"Jesus can heal me. Jesus is not a fraud and not an ordinary man. Jesus is good to people: He will not reject me. Jesus has a special power or authority received from God."

Could she have explained why Jesus was the Messiah predicted in Isaiah 53, Micha and other texts in the Tanakh? That's very unlikely. Women were mostly illiterate and without little access to a discussion with a scribe or teacher of the Law. ¿Could she have explained any belief in Jesus preexistence or atonement or resurrection? Very unlikely. So, in her case, she didn't need a theology, but faith.

Other people, however, could benefit from understanding, at a more rational level, how Jesus was predicted in the Tanakh. Take the Ethiopian eunuch and his conversation with Phillip. The Holy Spirit made him connect the dots, the Scriptural dots, and end up with a basic theology that led to his conversion. While the intellectual understanding was not the source of the conversion, it was the tool by which the Holy Spirit could act.

IMO ideas can be spiritualized. In so far as ideas can cause obsessions in people like spirits do. Ideas are not easily destroyed. They can grow and evolve. And you end up with ideologues, who are basically possessed by their ideas.

Few can come up with new popular ideas. A few philosophers did. Not always with sticking power. When a new idea builds off of old popular evil spirits common to man, it may see success. Spirits like rebellion, lust, greed, envy can be foundations for new ideas that sweep people up and away.

So ideas can definitely shape our behaviors. As for behaviors shaping ideas, yes to that too. As confirmation bias can lead to the adoption of ideas.

So her idea was Jesus can heal me. She also risked great embarrassment by approaching him. Because he could have rejected her for being unclean, like other teachers at the time would have done. But her desperation to be healed won out and she reached out in faith.

 

[Pancho Frijoles]

Theology affects everything that I do.

Although participation on this forum isn’t a major part of my life, it’s an important part of my life. My theology affects where I’m allowed and not allowed to post here. I’m not complaining about it. I’m content with it. Just pointing out how even such a small part of my life is affected daily by theology.

Just as an aside. I’m a pastor (retired). That might be a contributing factor explaining why theology affects everything that I do. I hadn’t really that about that before. Maybe my occupation will prove to be somewhat unique in regard to the issue.

I applaud that you honestly recognize potential bias, derived from your personal story, that may influence how important is Theology for you.
I want to make a similar reflection, following your example.
Since I stayed for so many years within atheism, and my wife and most of my friends do not really care about theology at all, I may be biased to think that theology is not that important.

 

[Debp]

Since I stayed for so many years within atheism, and my wife and most of my friends do not really care about theology at all, I may be biased to think that theology is not that important.

Theology alone won't help a person....one needs to know Jesus Christ as one's own personal Savior. Otherwise, studying theology is just having head knowledge.

Years ago I remember a pastor who said he was in class, studying for his doctorate, when all of a sudden he was saved. At the time his professor was talking about end times in the class and the pastor never knew Jesus until his conversion in that classroom!!!

And said pastor was a Congregational pastor....not someone simply going by emotions.

 

[Johann]

Hi lforrest

I agree with you that theology alone is of no benefit.
Now, although I am not a psychologist, I think that, generally speaking, ideas shape our behavior... and our behavior keep shaping our ideas, all of this to some extent.
I don't think that theology determines our religious life, but it does influence it to some extent. My intuition is that such influence is less, much less than we think, but still relevant in some contexts.

Let's think in the lady who suffered from hemorrhages who came to Jesus. She was healed because of her faith, not because of her theology.
Probably she had some basic beliefs. Something like:
"Jesus can heal me. Jesus is not a fraud and not an ordinary man. Jesus is good to people: He will not reject me. Jesus has a special power or authority received from God."

Could she have explained why Jesus was the Messiah predicted in Isaiah 53, Micha and other texts in the Tanakh? That's very unlikely. Women were mostly illiterate and without little access to a discussion with a scribe or teacher of the Law. ¿Could she have explained any belief in Jesus preexistence or atonement or resurrection? Very unlikely. So, in her case, she didn't need a theology, but faith.

Other people, however, could benefit from understanding, at a more rational level, how Jesus was predicted in the Tanakh. Take the Ethiopian eunuch and his conversation with Phillip. The Holy Spirit made him connect the dots, the Scriptural dots, and end up with a basic theology that led to his conversion. While the intellectual understanding was not the source of the conversion, it was the tool by which the Holy Spirit could act.

Well said, would appear you are a very intelligent man.
J.

 

[quietthinker]

How does Theology impact our daily life?​

Jesus impacts my daily life in how I see God, the World and its inhabitants; how I see myself and how I relate to all four.

 

[Matthias]

Theology can get a man persecuted, even killed @Pancho Frijoles. The threat of that is an impact on daily life, for some people more than others.

 

[ScottA]

Hi everyone

I open this thread to discuss how theology impacts our daily life, in continuation of a conversation I have started with @Matthias
Everything I post represents the way my own understanding of religion in general and my religion in particular. So I fully accept that my opinions are biased and certainly can be proved to be wrong.

I'd like to start by explaining what I mean by Theology.
Generally I use the term in two different ways:

1. Theology as a systematic, academic study of religious beliefs. In this sense, an atheist could come to the forum and discuss Theology with us, as it does not demand an identification of that person's beliefs with the beliefs being discussed.
2. Theology as a set of religious beliefs to which a believer tries to give some internal coherence, some framework, so that they can be explained to other person, with the intention of being intelligible to others, at least to some extent.

So, I will not be using "theology" in the spiritual sense of "faith". Faith does not demand an internal coherence in order to exist. It cannot be explained, just shared. It does not demand evidence. It is a gift from God.
I will be using "Theology" in the second sense explained above.

My position is that, within the framework of beliefs of a given theology

• Some religious beliefs influence human behavior in a significant way, leading to a life closer to God or away from God.
• Some religious beliefs influence human behavior in non-significant way (or maybe not at all), in regard to living a life closer to God or away from God
• The importance of a given belief to enable a person to present his theology as robust does not necessarily correspond to the importance in influencing her behavior.

I will try to give examples of the items above in the following posts. Please join the discussion!

Those are good questions we all should consider.

However, by those definitions, I would not have a "theology." Which I would not even offer, except that it is good to know and have confirmation that ones "beliefs" do or do not rest upon a foundation of what is actually "known."

In my case, and I am sure there are others, "belief" did not come first, but rather "knowing" came first. My experience and testimony, I have made no secret...and I am sure it is somewhere here on the board. In brief, at the end of my search or rather self, I simply turned to Him whom I did not before know, just to be thorough, if not out of desperation--and lo and behold--He answered; and I was caught up in the spirit above the earth and heard words of truth unlawful to utter--unlawful, until now.

The point is, "believing" and "knowing", by definition are completely different; and yet it is actually "believing" that is most esteemed by God. Even so, He has made Himself "known" to few if not many.

 

[quietthinker]

Theology can get a man persecuted, even killed @Pancho Frijoles. The threat of that is an impact on daily life, for some people more than others.

So can drawing a caricature of Mohamed. So can belonging to certain ethnicities. So can living on Planet Earth.

 

[Matthias]

So can drawing a caricature of Mohamed. So can belonging to certain ethnicities. So can living on Planet Earth.

Lots of things can get a man persecuted, even killed, daily. This thread is about one of those things in particular -> theology.

 

[quietthinker]

Lots of things can get a man persecuted, even killed, daily. This thread is about one of those things in particular -> theology.

ahhhhh, theology! of course. Do you think that Jesus was into Theology?

 

[Matthias]

ahhhhh, theology! of course.

Title of the thread is a dead giveaway. Transparent as the day is long.

Do you think that Jesus was into Theology?

Yes. And look what happened to him @Pancho Frijoles.

 

[Lambano]

How does Theology impact our daily life?​

The theology says that God extended His grace to me.

If I believe that, then shouldn't I extend grace to others in my daily life?

 

[Matthias]

How does Theology impact our daily life?​

The theology says that God extended His grace to me.

If I believe that, then shouldn't I extend grace to others in my daily life?

Now that is impact of theology in a daily life.

 

[Pancho Frijoles]

Now that is impact of theology in a daily life.

What I understand from @ScottA contribution to the thread, is that knowing that God has extended his grace to me, and I can extend it to others, does not require a profound rational understanding of what is the meaning of grace, why God extends his grace, how He does it, what biblical support we have for it, etc.
This doesn't mean that trying to know more about the grace of God and what the Bible says about it has no value. Of course it has a great value, and should be pursued.

When asked "Why do you believe X?" some people answer "Because the Bible says so".
Others will attempt a rational, somewhat convoluted explanation that includes connecting dots that require some philologic knowledge of the Scripture, logic, history, etc.
Others can share a personal testimony of what they felt and thought was the intervention of God to change their lives.

My take is that whatever the tools God uses to make us know Him better, ranging from a dense book of Thomas Aquinas to a walk through the park, it is still the daily personal experience of God what matters.