Review Essay, Keeping the Balance
Pursuing the way of integration: 3 incentives From all that has been discussed in this essay, it is evident that integrating our academic and devotional lives isn’t easy. However, Cupples offers three incentives for making the effort: Firstly, he believes it is the way of discipleship. The cost of following Christ includes expenditure of time and mental effort as we try to think like Christ and honour God in our thought-lives. Secondly, it is the way of witness. Cupples notes that Jesus met people where they were at—people with different views and different questions who needed answers. “Can we be content with a personal, cosy faith but fail to enter the battle for people’s minds?” (cf. 1 Peter 3:15). Thirdly, it is the way of humility. We need to be self-critical, examining our own traditions and interpretations and being ready for “more light to break forth from God’s Word”.
An opportunity and a privilege Finally, Cupples reminds us that the study of theology is a great privilege and opportunity. It must be “offered to God for his glory and in service to his church”. He endeavours to impress on us three things: Firstly, we must remember to do our work as unto the Lord. We must approach our studies with “the right intention, the right spirit”, remembering that “there is nothing Christian about shoddy work, laziness, neglect or superficiality”. Both heart and mind should be engaged in our studies. Secondly, we must pray about our studies. “Bring to God your successes and failures, doubts and delights, your essays and exams, your lecturers and fellow-students”. Thirdly, we must look on our study as an opportunity to develop our gifts in Christ’s service. If we “have a gift of mind” we must “seek to develop [it] for the service and upbuilding of the church”. Each one of us is unique with a special call and service that we must take seriously. “Here is the final argument for, the ultimate purpose of forming an integrated approach to our studies: theology in the service of mission, theology that will not just bring us to know God but which we will proclaim so that others might know him too, that the church of Christ might be built up, the kingdom advanced”.
Category: In Depth, Spring 2006
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