“Guenevere never much cared for God. She was a good theologian, but that was all.” So wrote T. H. White of the aging heroine of his Arthurian romance. The queen sought to free her beloved Lancelot to pursue God as he passionately desired. So she became mother abbess of a convent and an eminent theologian, though her profound capacity for love never fixed upon God.
This month many students will enter seminaries. Most will study theology, and we should hope and pray that no one will ever be able to say of them that they “never much cared for God.”
Most seminary students come with a sense of “call.” But discovering the full meaning of that call will require prayerful exploration and a deepened understanding of self and God’s purposes. The church, of course, needs these students to become good theologians, but heaven help us if that is all that can be said of them.
This fall, seminary students are likely to find theological education in a state of ferment. Seminaries, whatever their theological persuasion, have been among the most change-resistant educational institutions. But there is a growing awareness that the way the church selects and equips its leaders should be undergoing a fundamental revolution.
Some of this change is “market-driven,” giving potential employers what they want; but that is not necessarily an unwarranted compromise. It is often an overdue response to the seminary’s long-standing mission to serve a changing church. The church is changing—in styles of evangelism and worship, in demographic profile and cultural diversity, in the multiplication of specialized ministries, and in stronger demands for effectiveness. In addition, the world is also a rapidly changing, fast-moving target. It is more post-Christian, secular, and pluralistic.
Students heading to seminary inevitably hear sarcastic warnings about going to the “theological cemetery.” But this fall most students will find seminaries more intentional in nurturing their fellowship with God. Seminaries have learned that more is needed than a special course or lecture in “spiritual formation.” Edward Farley, Richard Muller, and others have rightly argued that the study of theology in ministerial preparation must include cultivating a godly and Godward disposition. This must not be merely intellectual and theoretical. It must be emotional and attitudinal—a growing personal love for and fellowship with God.
Of course, the responsibility for spiritual growth and intimacy with God belongs primarily to the student. It is encouraging, however, to see seminaries offering students more direction and support in their quest for godliness.
Abraham Kuyper, always wise, said the study of theology could only be true and effective if three conditions were present. First, student and teacher alike must be regenerated by God’s grace. As I write this, I have just returned from the memorial service for Bob Guelich, a distinguished professor and New Testament scholar. The most fitting tribute was the report of one student who emerged from Bob’s office and exclaimed with joy, “I’ve just accepted Jesus in Dr. Guelich’s office.” Now the student is ready to study theology.
The second condition is that the student of theology be enlightened by the Holy Spirit. In worship, filled with wonder and awe, comes understanding. In obedience is found deeper understanding of who God is. The “mystery” of godliness is only grasped as the Spirit works within us.
Finally, Kuyper insists, theology is not done in isolation, but in the “communion of the saints” and the active fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ. Seminary community and church life are more important than most students are prepared to acknowledge under the pressures of study, job, and family.
Such heavy counsel needs the balance of Tom Oden’s perspective. He writes: “Keep in due proportion the pompous pretensions of the study of divinity,” and remember that “the most enjoyable of all subjects has to be God, because he is the source of all joy.” That, too, is learning to do theology and to care much for God.
GEORGE K. BRUSHABER
