Is Theology Sinful? Yes! (and no)

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Genesis 3.1)

"God is treated as a third person. God is not party to the discussion but is the involved object. This is not speech to God or with God but about God. God has been objectified. The serpent is the first in the Bible to seem knowing and critical about God and to practice theology in the place of obedience."
--Walter Brueggemann, Genesis

This insight by Brueggemann is profound. As someone who loves theology, who loves reading and speaking about God, this ideas is very challenging: an imbalance of talk about God and not directly to God is following the way of the serprent in the garden.

I have a friend who used to invite me over to his house and we used to sit in the backyard pontificating about the smallest theological details. He used to say we were "talking shop". He meant this as a good thing: most people talk about their work or common interests (sports, movies, etc.) that is what we were doing. As I reflect on this idea now, I wonder if I wouldn't say that we spent too much time talking about God and not enought time (if ever!) talking to God together.

Practicing theology instead of obedience can be deadly. It gives the impression that you are "doing God's work". It lulls us into a false sense of security and purpose. I think there was a group of bible scholars who did this in Jesus time wasn't there? I forget: did Jesus like them?

I think it applies to many areas of life. Do we spend more time criticizing people who actually work to bring about change in the world than actually trying to bring about change ourselves?

Recently some friends and I watched a sermon preached by Rick Warren (of "Purpose-Driven Life" fame). After he spoke about the foundation he had started to help AIDS victims in Africa that raised millions of dollars, someone I was watching it with said: "I didn't like his shirt." This is a recapitulation of Irael's sins who rejected the voice of the prophets who came with a message of repentence from such mislaced ideals.

I feel this aching in my bones to help do something for the world, for the poor, for the sick, like Jesus would. Like Jesus commands (Matthew 25). But what do I do?

Ideas...theology...philosophy...art...programs...books...blogs...websites...if it doesn't end in life change and outward work to change the world...it is all garbage, rubbish--pointless and useless. To know that God made human kind in his image is one thing. To refuse to ever hurt anyone because they are made in his image (Genesis 9.6) is a whole other story. But it must go there. The one must result in the other. The Bible does not give us options.

It can never end at "I believe...". I believe must always result in "thus I am" and "thus I live this way". Theology must work itself out in practice. Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy. The former without the latter is lame. The latter without the former is blind (to borrow from Einstein).

So, is theology sinful? Yes, when it replaces obedience to God himself in practice and ends with just the trading of ideas.