The importance of Theology

July 26, 2008 11:49 am

— Do you ever get sick of pollsters? I do. I read several periodicals each week and it seems like this election cycle there is a tireless interest in what Christians think about the controversial social issues of the day: gay marriage, global warming, off-shore drilling - you name it. And with each analysis is the latest poll showing the unambiguous confusion and divergent opinions that are held by the faithful.
For my entire politically aware life I have never seen such an interest in what Christians believe about various issues. Not even when Pat Robertson ran for the Republican nomination in 1988 was there such immediate scrutiny of what Christians think.
Maybe that’s because - in 1988 and since - the Evangelical Christian position was much more monolithic and predictable. Evangelicals, thanks to the work of groups like Focus on the Family and the Moral Majority, were decidedly social conservatives and voted in keeping with those convictions.
At that time the party of Ronald Reagan was their natural home, and since 1980 that hasn’t been in question. Not so this time around; in fact many pundits believe that the Evangelical vote is in play this year. The question is why?
The reasons given boil down to two basic ideas. Some say that Evangelicals are reexamining what they have taken for granted. For years Christians have been dubiously described as single-issue, robotic voters who worship at Rush Limbaugh’s golden EIB microphone.
They were under Jerry Falwell’s spell and they bought the line that if you are a Christian you vote Republican. Those who follow this way of thinking explain today’s shift as a rejection of those ideals. The mainstream media seems to think that Evangelicals have finally grown up and seen the light.
But I doubt that’s the reason for the shift. While I do believe that Christians are tired of being taken for granted by alleged conservative politicians who seldom do what they promised to do, I think the reason is far more autobiographical... and alarming.
The bottom line is that Christians are not as well grounded in the tenets of historic Christianity as they should be.
As an illustration of this consider the recent Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey.
It found that some 70% of Christians now reject one of the cornerstone beliefs of the Faith they claim to embrace - that salvation is only through faith in Jesus Christ.
From the earliest creeds and confessions, themselves based on Biblical teaching, it is clear that the early church clearly believed that Acts 4:12 meant exactly what it says: Jesus Christ is the only name under heaven by which we may be saved.
For twenty centuries the church staved off various heresies that challenged that belief. And today its being called into question. Why?
Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says that "the cultural context and the reality of pluralism has pulled many away from historic Christianity." I agree. Because we don’t know what we believe as Christians culture pulls us into its pluralistic current and we are more easily swayed by the politically correct party lines. In other words we have abandoned theology in favor of what sounds and feels good, and the idea that all paths lead to God is music in the ears of a multicultural world. Just one problem: its diametrically opposed to essential Christian belief. Either Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life... or He is not.
This should show us that now - perhaps more than ever - we need to return to the study of theology and reset the foundations of the Christian faith in our personal lives and our churches. To be sure no political party is the “natural” home for Christians. God is not a Republican or a Democrat. But if there is a shift from one party to another it shouldn’t be due to a groundless faith driven by emotional preferences; rather it should be the result of an informed faith that examines the issues in light of the tenets of Biblical theology. To do any less is not only to dishonor Christ, but to make shipwreck of our faith. God didn’t say that His people perished for lack of passion; they perished for lack of knowledge.

Marty Fields is pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church. Reach him at pastor@westminsterepc.com.

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