Deeper understandings
On being theologians of the church today
By J. Paul Rajashekar and Jonathan Strandjord
Editor’s note: This series, debut- ing this issue in The Lutheran, is intended to be a public conversation among teaching theologians of the ELCA on various themes of our faith and the challenging issues of our day. It invites readers to engage and dialogue with the ELCA’s teaching theologians.
The series is edited by Philip D.W.
Krey, president of the Lutheran Theo- logical Seminary at Philadelphia, on behalf of the presidents of the eight ELCA seminaries.
T
he teaching theologians of the ELCA are among God’s gifts to the church. Seminary faculties prepare our leaders in ministry and serve as theological resources for congregations, synods and the whole church.
Contrary to what some may think, our teaching theologians don’t always agree in their conclusions but engage in lively debates on a
wide variety of matters of faith. They regularly differ in their views; in their interpretations of Scripture; in their understanding of the faith, beliefs and practices of the Christian church; and in how they perceive God’s mis- sion and ministry in the world. This, too, is a gift to the church.
As theologians attempt to articulate the meaning of the faith in the same God, in the same crucified and resur- rected Christ, and in the same Spirit, they relate the Scriptures, the creeds and the confessions to issues of life in diverse contexts and cultures and issues confronting the church. In many ways, their opinions
can differ because the tradition they study and the Bible they use as their standard offer differing views on the issues that challenge us today. The story of Jesus is narrated to us not in a single Gospel but in four differing interpretations. Similarly, the doctrines and tradi- tions of the church have reflected dif- ferent understandings and interpreta- tions emerging from diverse contexts and in relation to specific issues and challenges through the course of his- tory. Theologians naturally reflect that diversity. The gift that teaching theologians
J. Paul Rajashekar Jonathan Strandjord
Rajashekar is the Luther D. Reed Professor of Systematic Theology and dean of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. Strandjord is director for seminaries with ELCA Congregational and Synodical Mission.
18 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
offer to the church is one of careful study and faithful reflection on the Scriptures, the creeds and the confes- sions—sometimes to retrieve that which we have forgotten as a church; sometimes to learn from another tra- dition; and always to try to determine what the Spirit is saying to the church now. They join with all of us in the
great conversa- tion of the body of Christ across space and time. It’s not surpris- ing then that theolo- gians seldom speak with one voice. This may seem disheartening to many as the church confronts the diffi- cult and conflicted issues affecting our life in society. In the face of chal- lenging issues, such as sexuality, ecol- ogy, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, and the like, many might hope for an authoritative opin- ion or a definitive statement from
the teaching theologians. One might expect that the theologians teaching in our seminaries would speak up and let the church know how we must respond and what stance to take. Such an expectation seems reason- able. But the reality is that theologians are no different from other readers of The Lutheran. They, too, live by faith, seeking to learn from each other and other believers as they grow in understanding the Christian faith and its application to issues of life. The teaching theologians of the church, despite their education and exper- tise, aren’t neutral interpreters of the
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