ITT We Discuss Theology

[AXOmom]

For the last few days I’ve avoided this thread like a plague (couldn’t resist that biblical reference). My father is a former seminary professor and my husband is a minister, so I’m not exactly starved for theological discussions, and usually public forums aren’t the best formats for it.

Curiosity won out and I opened what I expected to be Pandora’s box. I was pleasantly surprised to find a generally civil, thoughtful discussion about some good issues. You don’t see that much anymore – particularly not on internet forums.

I don’t know a specific definition for my theological persuasion-probably conservative Christians or Christian Biblicists. I was fortunate to be raised by parents who had strong beliefs that they hoped I would share, but they felt I needed to form my own conclusions and not follow a belief system out of habit. My dad wanted me to know what I believed and more importantly, why I believed it; he also held that it was impossible to stand up for or defend your own convictions if you didn’t know or understand anyone else’s, so he encouraged me to listen, research, and expose myself to other viewpoints.

So I spent four years at the University of Oregon where I was exposed up the wazzu. All four years I listened to people whose views were usually diametrically opposed to every belief I had and while it often frustrated me (they weren’t terribly open to opposing schools of thought), it forced me to figure out what convictions were really mine and not just something I inherited.

I agree with what many posters on here have already said – too many times people from all different belief systems make generalizations about what others believe without taking the time to find out if those generalizations are accurate. Too often we just accept what we hear.

That just leads to – well, exactly what I assumed I would find when I opened this thread – people trading useless insults on a forum - clearly a mistaken assumption on my part.

In addition to reading the Bible itself much more thoroughly during my college years, there were three books on theology and apologetics that helped me sort through what I believed: GK Chesterton’s Orthodoxy, CS Lewis’ Mere Christianity, and Lee Stroubel’s The Case for Christ. I throw those out there not because I think they will necessarily change anyone’s viewpoints, but if you have an interest in theology and apologetics or if you just are curious about what orthodox Christians believe, these are probably the clearest and most concise in their explanations.

I for one am equally interested in hearing about things others have read that have had an impact on their theological views (I know some have already been mentioned), so please pm me with suggested reading.

Drollefille, I’ve appreciated you contributions to this thread in particular. I obviously have come to different conclusions than you on the claims of Christ, BUT you’ve clearly put a lot of thought into your positions and done your research. It comes across in posts that are reasoned and well-articulated. Public discourse needs more of that.

To the OP – I give you mad props for starting a thread that was a little deeper than whether one should wear black flats or silver heels for preference. Still, threatening to put sacred literature in a body orifice is probably not the best way to begin a thread designed to encourage open theological discussions. Of course, I didn’t read the thread that prompted that outburst, so maybe it was deserved. The English teacher in me also has to agree with Sensuret that your discussion topic was overly broad; you might narrow the field next time.

Whew….I’m long winded – proof that I’m a minister’s daughter. This thread has pushed my deep thoughts boundary. I’m going back to the mindless entertainment of recruitment stories and football forums now.