Two False Ways of Doing Theology: A Conservative Version and a Progressive Version
Have You Been Taken Captive?
Last week, I wrote about how not all ways of "doing theology" are valid. There is true theology and there are false theologies. Franciscus Junius (1545-1602), in his excellent work A Treatise on True Theology, states in Thesis 4 that there are two kinds of false theology. First, there is one that is called "common". Second, there is one that is called "philosophical". He is likely thinking about Colossians 2:8 here. "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."
When Junius mentions that one type of false theology is called "common" he means those that are popular among humanity that tend to come to mind at some point (though probably in different detailed forms). What is not meant here is that of "natural theology". Natural theology is the teaching that we can discern certain--although limited--truths about the existence and attributes of God and His creation (see Psalm 19; Romans 1:18-32). Junius is not saying that natural theology is a false theology (at least not when it's done with faithfulness to God's Word). His statement about "common" false theology is the type of theology that rests on human opinion.
What Are The Ingredients of False “Common Theology”?
Common theology is seen when people build their religious ideas on their own opinion rather than the Bible. Common theology is witnessed when people are content to believe whatever their family, friends, or culture believes without thinking about how it matches up with God's Word.
Common theology can be seen in two different versions today. Both versions fail to rightly reflect on Scripture, the history of the Church, and what's been passed down to us. We need Church History but we need to reflect on Church History in ways that are faithful to God's Word. We need to speak our timeless theology in our modern age but we must do so in ways that don't compromise this timeless truth.
In our age, we don't have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit. It is wildly arrogant to think that we could neglect the past 1,900 years of Church History to adopt our version of what the First Century Church was. Things always go wrong when we fail to study the history of the Church. Just see what happened with the Liberation Theology movement, the bad versions of Fundamentalism, and the Emergent Church movement.
How Do We See False “Common Theology” Today?
In Common Theology (i.e. one of the false versions of theology) there can be a conservative version and a progressive version. The conservative version can be seen in the word "conservative" which means its greatest goal is to conserve tradition. The conservative version is all about tradition for tradition's sake. It is not thoughtful as to whether all of the tradition is faithful to God's Holy and authoritative Word. Today, we have seen an unhealthy version of the "God and Country" mentality which tends to result a lot more in Country being idolized and God being trivialized. This version (of the "conservative version" of Common Theology) is false because it is not about the worship of the God of the Bible but rather the worship of tradition of one's country. Tradition is good and tradition is important. It is also important that Christian's should have appropriate love and service to one's own country (Mk. 12:17). But, when it becomes one's first love (or even begins to rival God as our first love) then it becomes one's idol that must be repented of.
The progressive version of this reacts against tradition and idolizes "progress". We can see this today when we idolize current social movements and popular theories without biblical reflection. This can be witnessed in the unhealthy and unbiblical version of "social justice" that adopts, adheres to, and promotes unbiblical ethics (even, at times, in the name of Christianity). Unfortunately, several professing Christians who follow this version of common theology shout loud for these progressive movements and theories to be adopted--even shaming other Christians who don't do the same. This also fails to uphold God's unchanging Word and exchanges the truth for a lie. The "Jesus" that is promoted is not the Jesus of the Bible. This version can also tend to only go on a sin-hunt with Church history and only point out the bad, ugly, and sinful. There is no room for pointing out the grace of God's providence to redeemed sinners and the Romans 7 reality of individual Christians and larger groups of Christians. This progressive version must be rejected as well.
Neither of these versions will do--which is why Junius calls them "false". We must have the Bible as the foundation for all we do and think. Christians, families, churches, cultures, and countries need tradition but never to be held higher than God's Word. While remembering that we are not called to blindly accept what others have thought we ought also never be arrogant and think that we have no need of history. We desperately need the reliable Creeds, Confessions, Catechisms, and writings of other solid Christians through the years. We ought to examine, evaluate, and promote tradition when it is faithful to God's Word. We also ought to graciously and humbly interact with it when it errs from God's Word without cancelling it altogether.