The Pastor as Public Theologian: Reclaiming a Lost Vision
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Top Ministry Book of 2015, The Gospel Coalition (TGC Editors' Picks) Many pastors today see themselves primarily as counselors, leaders, and motivators. Yet this often comes at the expense of the fundamental reality of the pastorate as a theological office. The most important role is to be a theologian mediating God to the people. The church needs pastors who can contextualize biblical wisdom in Christian living to help their congregations think theologically about all aspects of their lives, such as work, end-of-life decisions, political involvement, and entertainment choices. Drawing on the Bible, key figures from church history, and Christian theology, this book offers a clarion call for pastors to serve as public theologians in their congregations and communities. It is designed to be engaging reading for busy pastors and includes pastoral reflections on the theological task from twelve working pastors, including Kevin DeYoung and Cornelius Plantinga.
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I disagree with so much of Vanhoozer and Strachan's theology and interpretations on things.
First example:
I realize this was kind of a side point, but at the beginning of chapter 3, Vanhoozer is talking about Heidegger's thoughts on anxiety, which included a belief that all humans deal with anxiety because of our fear of death which we know is inevitable.
But I take issue strongly with the following:
“We are all suffering from a bad case of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Anxiety medications abound, as do types of anxiety: social anxiety, posttraumatic stress, phobias, depression, and panic attacks. An estimated 40 percent of Americans suffer from some kind of anxiety disorder, and antidepressant or antianxiety medications (e.g., Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft) are frequently prescribed.[5] Yet one wonders whether certain drug-induced tranquility might not count as “saying ‘Peace' when there is no peace” (Ezek. 13:10 altered). The closest medical equivalent to what Heidegger meant by anxiety is probably “generalized anxiety disorder.”“According to Heidegger, there is no particular trigger to anxiety (in contrast to phobias, which have specific objects, like spiders or public speaking): it is rather a spiritual condition on the borderlands of despair, less a specific feeling than a mood.”
I will not tolerate this kind of over-spiritualizing of mental health issues.
I have zero patience with someone, especially someone in a leadership position, who tries to downplay or dismiss the medical side of mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Vanhoozer is describing Heidegger's views here, I think, but he doesn't contradict him either. He goes so far as to say that general anxiety disorder “is rather a spiritual condition on the borderlands of despair”. I just wrote a 16-page paper for my practical theology class last semester arguing against that kind of harmful theology and praxis! It is irresponsible and dangerous to over-spiritualize mental health struggles.
Another thing that irritated me throughout the book was the ongoing negativity towards those who want to teach theology, especially since both of these dudes teach theology!!!!
In chapter 3 Vanhoozer wrote: “I've labored in the field of theology for years, but my uncle still wants to know when I'm going to get a real job. So does the handyman I sometimes hire. I get it. Those who can, do; those who can't, teach. No doubt many Christians would be happy to add: and those who really can't, teach theology.”
Please, for the love of everything good in this world, STOP! STOP DISRESPECTING THE VOCATION OF TEACHERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In the preface to the book they wrote, “It takes wisdom and joyful enthusiasm to be a pastor. To get a doctorate, you only need to have a modicum of intelligence and the ability to grind it out. I'm afraid that you may only be qualified to be an academic, not a pastor. Ministry is a lot harder than scholarship.”
Really? Only a modicum of intelligence? Come on! I was annoyed by Vanhoozer and Strachan's apparent disdain for theologians in the academy who want to be in the academy teaching as opposed to being a pastor of a church. This makes no sense when they themselves are professor theologians, which they admit, so I'm still rather confused by this. They also wrote, “The underlying conviction is that theological minds need to return to where they belong: in the body of Christ.” Again, this seems to imply that there is no need for any of us in the academy. But surely this is not what they mean. Because they went on to say, “We don't wish to exaggerate: there is a place for academic theology, but it is second place. First place—pride of theological place—belongs to the pastor-theologian.” Well I disagree. Why do we have to say one is in the first place or second place. Why can't we just say that both things are needed?
I will say that I agree that pastors need to be theologians also. It is important for pastors to always be reading, studying, and learning throughout their ministry so they can use that in their ministry. It seems like that should be a given, and I guess this book exists because that is not always the case.
