The Theological Nomad
Theological: Relating to the study of theology - the study of God and Christian faith, practice, and experience.
Nomad: a member of a people who have no fixed residence but move from place to place, usually seasonally, and within a well-defined territory.
Christians in this world are nomads. The apostle Peter preferred “chosen exiles” (1 Peter 1:1), but we won’t split hairs. We all live for a time in this beautiful world. We call it home; we invest in it, build lives here, and seek its good, but our hearts and gaze are set on a kingdom that isn’t of this world. We think about this kingdom and long for its fullness. Most importantly, we think about the Ruler of this kingdom, the Lord in all His glory, Christ who saved us, and the Spirit living in us, who we love and serve with our whole lives. We call these thoughts theology, and they form the foundation for the truth we know and trust…all our beliefs stem from this. Our theology forms us as Christians and as human beings. But if you look out at the landscape of the church, it looks less like communities of nomads living joyfully by desert oases and more like isolated communities wandering the wilderness without direction, purpose, or hope, divided along theological lines that most are unwilling to cross unless the goal is to attack and tear down. The clear difference between the joyful and the divided is the lack of unity that defines the second. Disunity, however, is not caused because we are so different, but because of an undercurrent of misunderstanding and…dare I say it…ignorance of what might unite us in leu of a focus on our differences. This is far from answering Jesus’s prayer that His disciples might be one as He and the Father are one (John 17:20-21). Jesus didn’t mean we should become part of God, (not an extra member of the Trinity that is), but that we would be so closely united that we would be of the same will and purpose, which is why He says that this unity is the means by which the world will recognize Christ in us. Achieving such unity is difficult to do when we can’t see past our differences. I created Theological Nomad to help the church understand the differences that divide them through mutual understanding and theological discussion, and to encourage the church in its pursuit of unity for the glory of God.
What is a Theological Nomad? If a nomad is a wanderer, then you might think a Theological Nomad is one who has no theology and simply wanders from idea to idea, never settling or concluding anything substantial. It would certainly make it easier to agree if we didn’t hold any beliefs with conviction, but this won’t produce the kind of unity that we need in the church and would instead lend to us being “carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14). So, while “Someone absolutely open to any and all theology” is a possible definition, this isn’t what I have in mind when I talk about being a Theological Nomad. Rather, the idea is that as brothers and sisters in Christ who have different beliefs, positions, denominations, and focuses in theology, we should be willing to walk about the landscape of ideas to develop understanding which leads to unity, not attacking and tearing down one another, but setting out on our journey to uplift and encourage one another in our different groups and churches. This is what it means to be a Theological Nomad.
While I wouldn’t claim to have all my theology solidified, I have beliefs that would be difficult to change. This doesn’t mean I can’t try to understand someone else who believes differently. My western context is so polarized today that it seems unthinkable to cross lines of belief and conviction to establish understanding with one another, but if unity is our goal, understanding is imperative. The Theological Nomad doesn’t look for knowledge for knowledge’s sake to lord it over others…this puffs up, leading to pride (1 Cor. 8:1). We also don’t seek understanding only to prove our position and beliefs are better than our brothers and sisters…this causes strife, leading to division. It seems that many think these are the only two options when it comes to stepping outside our own beliefs and studying the theologies of others…with the particular goal that we are not “deceived” by the “false teachings” of that other church down the street. Don’t hear what I’m not saying. I’m not saying that there is no deception in the church and that we don’t need discernment. Both are true. I’m also not saying that we shouldn’t pursue theological knowledge for its ultimate goal of knowing God. What I am saying is that with our brothers and sisters in the faith, we ought to show theological charity and grace to understand their beliefs for the sake of unity, and only AFTER we have understood one another can we discuss our disagreements, always with the goal of love, truth, and the glory of God. This third road is less traveled, but I believe it is the path the church needs to take. On this road, we are open to ideas and beliefs that don’t fit into our neat, comfortable frameworks, and we are willing to wrestle with them to better understand our fellow believers for the sake of unity.
A personal passion where I’ve seen this tension handled poorly is in the integration of science and faith. I have studied in the sciences and in theology, and both hold a special place in my heart, so it saddens me when I see Christians so divided over topics that ought to be working together to point to God’s glory manifested in our world. Creation science provides the clearest example of this tension, but it can also provide an example of how we can take the third road to unity. I have opinions on the topic of creation, and I can defend my position well…however, I won’t do that here. I’m not here to push a position on creation but to suggest a means by which we can discuss our theological differences with love and grace.
Here is what I mean. Take these opposite views: Evolutionary Creationism and Young-Earth Creationism. If you know much about this topic, you know that there is a hard divide between these two groups, but is this necessary? If your first inclination when you see these two positions is to identify your “side” and immediately begin to think of all the differences that separate them, you might need to shift your mindset to better promote unity. Why not look first at those things that are unifying between the two? Both believe in one God, in the saving work of Christ, in the Word as the ultimate authority, in the church as God’s people, in our mission to reach the world for Christ and shine His light, and in the need for truth to be discovered, known and shared. In the realm of deep worldview convictions…they are the same in nearly every respect; they are both orthodox Christians. So, why the division? The problem arises when we fail to discern these similarities and begin with our differences. We then have a hard time believing that the similarities are there at all and say things like, “An evolutionary creationist can’t possibly believe the Word of God is our authority because they ignore it and trust their own opinions and science instead.” Or how about, “Young-earth creationists don’t care about truth because they reject the findings of science, making the church a laughingstock.” I have heard both accusations and far worse on this topic, and this should never be among brothers. Where both accusations fail is that they are arguing backwards. Rather than assuming a foundation in Christian truth, focusing on what unites us, these arguments start with differences and argue backwards, inferring the worldview that lies behind secondary beliefs and not taking to time to understand before disagreeing. This is not only a lack of humility and charity; it’s bad argumentation! This will never lead to unity and arises because we feel the need to take one of the first two roads to theological (and in this case scientific) knowledge, to gain a storehouse of information so that I can prove that “I” am right…and “you” are wrong. The need to be right, validated, and victorious is not the way of Christ. Why not take the third road? Why not understand what an evolutionary creationist believes about the Word of God and why they can believe that evolution is compatible with it? Why not understand why young earth creationists interpret science in line with their view of scripture rather than in line with consensus? If we take this approach, humbly holding our own beliefs and seeking to understand other’s, we can get past slinging one-liners to tear down “opponents” who are actually brothers and sisters in Christ and discuss our differences in love instead. Once love and unity become the air we breathe within our church families, our relationship with those who think and believed differently than us will be saturated with the same.
Can we still come to a knowledge of the truth? I believe that we can! But to be a Theological Nomad means approaching our own beliefs with humility. I believe that truth is absolute, because it is rooted in a God who is absolute, and as its source, God has set the boundaries of reality. But can I claim with certainty to have found those boundaries and discerned perfect truth? I should think not! No one can claim this, and no one has discovered all truth. It should come as no surprise that we need each other in this regard. We need to be Theological Nomads. As I look across the Christian landscape, it can be easy to become pessimistic about the possibility of unity through understanding. I realize this kind of change requires a mindset shift for many in the church, but it is possible, and it starts with individual believers seeking to understand one another in love for the sake of unity. It starts with you committing to set out on a lifelong journey as a Theological Nomad, humbly engaging with fellow Christians and even non-Christians who think and believe differently than you. Let me warn you, it will require effort, grace, and patience to understand others and change your mindset to focus on those things that unify rather than those things that divide us. Let this call to unity be one that you consider carefully. Theology matters. Truth matters. Unity maters. Because a church unified around their shared theological commitments and gracious in their theological differences is a powerful church that can reach the world with the glorious Gospel of Christ. It is a church full of Theological Nomads, living in understanding, humility, charity, and love.