Only Christian believers can or should be theologians Essay

Using quotations from at least three written texts (ancient and/or modern), argue the role for or against the view that only Christian believers back or should be theologiansBefore attempting to answer this question, adept essential define some principles of the nature of Christian theology. It is obvious that any matchless may create a theology based purely on ideas from ones own imagination, with no boundaries or guidelines to it. Such a theology may be creative, intelligent, and reasonable, but could non be classed as Christian theology. Something must act as a rule and a guard, lest the Christian religion break down into nothing more than dispersed, individual, self-made theologies. Theology in a Christian context must and does find its foundation in discussion, the supreme authority to life and thought (Vanhoozer 1998, p. 380).Now that the thing that is to be interpreted in the building of Christian theology has been identified as script, one may ask the question of who i s able and qualified to interpret it. In 1860, Benjamin Jowett published his essay, On the Interpretation of Scripture. He argued that the Bible should be regarded as any other ancient collections of literature, using tools of literary and historical scholarship. He implied that a critic who stands apart from traditional pictures and practices is in a ruin position to find the true meaning of the text, as these traditions had obscured their true meaning. In other words, only those with the right scholarly tools and who were willing to suspend any belief in the text that they may have are able to correctly interpret it (Vanhoozer 1998, pp. 378-379).However, Jowetts view of indication omits the spiritual and the ethical dimensions of Biblical interpretation. Vanhoozer writesTo foreknow the Bible Scripture does not make its warnings or its promises something other than warnings or promises, but rather reorients them to the larger purpose of making wise unto salvation .(Vanhoozer 19 98, p. 380).Jowetts approach to interpretation requires an objective reading of the text. But can one properly interpret the Scriptures from such a standpoint? To answer this, one must examine the relationship between the ref, the text, the author, and the story. Upon reading, the lector reads the text, and in doing so reconstructs the author in his own imagination, creating an implied author, and bringing the story to life (actualising the text) from the marks on the written page (Voelz 1995, 1997, pp. 218- 219). Voelz goes on to state that the intended recipient of the text isa reader of whom the author is conscious, one who may also be called implied. And this implied reader stands in the same relationship to the actual reader as the implied author stands to the actual author he is, again, a construct, not in the real world, and he is detectable (only) in the text. Who thence is a valid interpreter of a text? It is he who conforms to the expectations of the author. It is he who conforms himself to the given texts assumptions. It is he who becomes the implied reader and only such a one of a given text. Which means that an objective reading of a text is not only impossible it is not to be desired(Voelz 1995, 1997, p. 219)One can see that what is needed for correct interpretation of Scripture, is a subjective, rather than objective reading of the text. Voelz argues a reader interprets indoors a residential district, having developed the beliefs and attitudes of the implied reader, through discussion, experience, and training within that community which understands and appreciates the context of the implied reader. ThereforeA valid interpreter of a text is that person who assumes the role required as it were, by a given text who becomes the reader implied or called for by that very text. And such a one is organize to assume that role by a community, a community which has assumed that role itself.(Voelz 1995, 1997, p. 220)This, however, does not make ev ery Christian communitys interpretation infallible, because humans err thus different Christian communities often disagree on the interpretation of certain parts of Scripture. But, as the Church is a community within which these documents were produced, received, and preserved, Vanhoozer statesThe Bible is more likely to be misunderstood by an unbelieving and unaffiliated individual than by a believing and practising member of the church.(Vanhoozer 1998, p. 378)In the case of the New Testament, the books were produced, received, and preserved by the Christian community, and following Voelzs argument, one has to be within a Christian community, and taught to read Scripture by that community, to be able to correctly interpret the New Testament.The issue of the interpretation of the Old Testament is one that is referred to in the New Testament. Speaking of the reading of Scripture by the JewsYes, to this day, whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to t he Lord, the veil is removed.(2 Cor. 315-16 ESV)According to Pauls argument, the Jews do not believe, and then they cannot, in their unbelieving state, be the implied reader of the Old Testament Scriptures. Apparently, simply being within the Jewish community is insufficient to correctly interpret these Scriptures, as more than a simple, straightforward understanding of the Hebrew text is needed. Luke 2445 ESV reads, concerning Jesus and his disciples, Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. Minds must be opened, veils taken away. The Christian community must teach readers to interpret even the Old Testament books. Only within the Christian community can ones mind be changed in the proper way (Voelz 1995, 1997, p. 226). The reason for this is clear from the New Testaments claims regarding the Christocentricity of all Scripture, Old and New TestamentsYou try the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life and it is they that bear witness ab step forward me(Jn. 539 ESV. Cf. Mt. 24-6, 14-15 1 Cor. 1011, 153-4 2 Cor. 120 Heb. 911-12 1 Pet. 110-12)In order to be within the Christian community, one must adhere to and declare its creeds. Voelz writesTherefore, to adhere to the creeds gives one an orientation to the books of the NT. which is congenial to them and which allows/enables one to interpret them in accordance with their intention Adherence to the creeds enables one to matrix the signifiers and meanings of a text for interpretation and then to interpret that matrix in a way which is congenial to the text, for the creeds are of one piece with that text and provide, as it were, the interpretive key,determinative for the meaning of the tangled signifiers under construction The creeds help to determine which readings of Scripture are the apostolic/Christian readings which may legitimately be drawn from them.(Voelz 1995, 1997, p. 222)It was precisely the misuse of Scripture by heretics, which caused the early Church father, Tertullian, to write regarding themWe oppose to them this step above all others, of not admitting them to any discussion of the Scriptures. If in these lie their resources, before they can use them, it ought to be clearly seen to whom belongs the possession of the Scriptures, that none may be admitted to the use thereof who has no title at all to the privilege.(Roberts & Donaldson 1994, 1995, Vol. 1 p.250 -Chapter XV of On Prescription Against Heretics. See also chapters XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX pp. 250-252)Tertullians belief was that the Scriptures were the property of the Christian Church alone, and not to be handled by those outside of it. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, against the Valentinians, wroteThey crusade to adapt with an air of probability to their own peculiar assertions the parables of the Lord, the sayings of the prophets, and the words of the apostles, in order that their scheme may not seem altogether without support. In doing so, however, they neglectfulness the order and the connection of the Scriptures, and so far as in them lies, dismember and destroy the truth. By transferring passages, and dressing them up anew, and making one thing out of another, they succeed in deluding many through their wicked art in adapting the oracles of the Lord to their opinions.(Roberts & Donaldson 1994, 1995, Vol. 3. p. 326 -Chapter VIII of AgainstHeresies)In conclusion, there seem to be many problems opposing the idea of those outside of the Christian Church being theologians, not least the question of motive, as the early Church fathers addressed. For these reasons, I believe that theology is a matter only for those within the Church.Bibliography* Roberts, A. & Donaldson J. (Editors) 1994, 1995 Ante-Nicene Fathers Peabody, Massachusetts Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.* Vanhoozer, K. 1998 Is There a Meaning in This Text? Leicester Apollos/IVP.* Voelz, J. 1995, 1997 What Does This Mean? Principles of Biblical Interpretation in the Post-Modern World St. Louis, atom ic number 42 Concordia Publishing House.* The Holy Bible English Standard Version 2001, 2002 Wheaton, Illinois Crossway Bibles