PRACTICOLOGY

By
Jeff
– July 17, 2009Posted in: Jeff McQuillin
Is it just me, or are there just too many “–ologies” out there? Theology, ecclesiology, eschatology—oh, and there are other multi-syllabic terminologies, too, like orthodoxy, orthopraxy, hermeneutics, rhamazeutics, and salmonellics. (If you can’t tell where I stopped using actual words and started poking fun—I just proved my point.)
 
It’s all a bit much for me. I never went to seminary—mainly because I never actually intended to be a pastor. I learned to study the Scriptures by paying attention in church, and my degree is in music—which means I can sing you the four spiritual laws, the nine gifts of the Spirit, the seven motive gifts, Psalm 23, and “Jesus wept.” (I could also probably list all 66 books of the Bible in order, if only I could remember how the song goes.)
 
That said, and taking my tongue out of my cheek—I guess I have always been geared toward a practical understanding of Scripture, and the practical application of it, both in myself and in others. I am academic by nature, so I think I’d do well enough in seminary; but at the same time, I have always believed that God intended the Scriptures for all of us, and I am very skeptical of scholarly types who make others feel like they are unable to “get” the Bible without their special assistance. (I guess that’s why I tend to dislike too many “-ology” words, because they tend to place knowledge out of reach.)
 
Truth is, I’m not as impressed by how much someone knows about the Bible as I am whether someone is living out what they know. I’ve known too many people who can spout platitudes and dissect Scripture, but can’t love their kids. And so I’m a pragmatist in these matters—I’m interested in a working knowledge of the Scriptures, and I’m always looking for what works.
 
Actually, it’s this practical approach that has ultimately drawn me down this path, away from the institutional forms of faith. My concerns with institutional Christianity are far more about practical issues than doctrinal ones. I have enough history with the institution to see that for the most part, it isn’t really working—and where it may have gotten us by in days past, it’s rapidly losing its traction in the world. And I have enough understanding of the Bible to know that much of how the institution operates really isn’t even in the Bible. So if it’s not working, and it isn’t mandated by Scripture—why in the world are we holding on to it? There’s got to be a simpler, more practical way. This is what fuels my current journey.
 
I guess what I’m saying by this is that most of my foundational beliefs in God and the Bible (i.e., my theology) have not been changed all that much by my leaving old forms behind. This may actually be part of why I so often feel I don’t belong in any “subset” or “club” right now where Christianity is concerned. Evangelicals tend to treat me as a backslider because of my out-of-the-box approach (not because they actually examine my theology). And I have to admit that I still feel like an oddball in the more emergent camps because I still lean conservative, both in my doctrine and in my politics.
 
What has changed, though, is the way I live out these beliefs—how I frame them in my life. Here are some of the changes that have happened with me:
 

      1. My beliefs do not define me anymore. My theology parallels common charismatic evangelical doctrine, but I don’t label myself as an “evangelical.” I am a Christian, and this means I am in fellowship with other Christians. It’s as simple as that. And my faith is not as much about what I believe, but Whom I believe.

      2. I hold my theological beliefs loosely, and can entertain other views without being threatened by them. I have learned a great deal by interacting with people who don’t see the world the same way I do. I can articulate my beliefs and why I believe them, but I embrace the mystery of God, knowing I don’t have this all figured out. I trust the Holy Spirit to guide me into all truth—not the National Association of Evangelicals.

      3. I am more interested in people than I am in theology or orthodoxy. It’s more important to me that I form honest, life-giving relationships with people for whom Christ died, than it is that I use relationships as a bait-and-switch to get people to believe what I believe. I have completely abandoned sales-pitch evangelism. (By the way—I think God is more interested in people than theology as well

So if there’s an “-ology” I’d coin to describe all this…I’d want it to be “practicology”—the study of putting our faith into practice. A faith that works itself out in life. I’m already bent that way, but this journey has only intensified that conviction in my life.

About Jeff

Jeff McQuilkin (regular contributor) is a minister-in-transition, a one-time career minister who, in his hunger for a more relevant expression of faith, moved further and further from traditional circles until he found himself an outcast from institutional Christianity nearly by accident.  He recently moved with his wife Shelby and son Josh to Denver, Colorado, after leading a house church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma for almost 10 years. Jeff is a passionate musician and songwriter, and a compulsive blogger. You can catch up with Jeff at Losing My Religion.