In this update, I have “learned” the value of Theological Education. It is one thing to study and gain knowledge of the various academic streams that flow out of the biblical tradition and the Christian faith. It is an entirely different thread to be able to “do theology” in any given context. Yet, I have found that the more content I can encounter, the better theologizing I can do in the various contexts. These contexts in which I find myself might be either several millennia ago in ancient texts or in the variegated contexts of a tiny South Asian nation flooded with many intermingling traditions that date back for just as many millennia if not more with over one hundred indigenous languages and people groups. Thus, there is a difference between biblical studies and theology.
However, there is another difference in facilitating learning that has no end rather than merely reproducing content. I am and always have been greatly addicted to content. Ask my wife about the expenses of that endeavor. It would fit along the lines of addiction. Now, I have enrolled in programs that teach me how to take that content and contextualize it for truly lasting, genuine transformation.
I have connected the dots and would love nothing more than soak in as much content as possible. Two stories in my journey come to mind. Having completed my master’s, I made a trip back to the States. I borrowed a vehicle and was doing lots of driving between meetings. I used to drive over 50k miles annually when I lived and worked in the States. I hated driving. I would listen to teachings or music—lots of music from my earliest days.
I cannot recall the last time I listened to any music. It has faded. However, in this instance, I drove without anything on. I immersed myself in total silence even as I let my mind drift in neutral. I also was “back in my neck of the woods” and experiencing how I used to live. The world had become different for me in two compelling ways.
I have lived halfway across the globe for nearly a decade at that juncture. I was experiencing culture shock. I had done this before, though, on previous trips. What made this reflective time so different was the theology. I later met some folks I used to pastor who had some issues requiring some counseling. I prefer now to leave that to the appropriately trained counselors, but I found myself about to theologize in their context a whole lot better because of my studies.
I wept on that drive as the fast-paced steps I made to complete my degree had not allowed much time for reflection. Many pertinent things just sunk in so deeply and in such majestic resonance. I had not stopped to even think about what I have digested. I was overwhelmed by it all. I worshipped not with music but with theology in profound meditation.
Many years ago, my drive for theology was pouring out so much so that pastors began to ask me to share. Sadly, what was within could not somehow come out. I could not get what I knew deep inside me to come out across at all. I was forced to repetitions that only circled about what I desired to express. I was too young and inexperienced to take what I saw and discern and communicate it effectively.
I find that I have come full-circle. Much of the content allows me to theologize on demand, but I cannot then pass it on in valued ways whereby people can truly ingest the content and, more importantly, contextualization that makes the content of such use. I remain too overly impassioned about the content, and my desire to be in the content has overruled a much greater purpose. I have soaked, bathed, and been fire-hosed with a tsunami of content and thirst for more. I told you above—I am an addict. However, I find the content once in place allows me to see things in ways I never thought possible. Thus, I want more because I know more will allow me to understand God more significantly in some sense. The more I can theologize, the more I can see God all about me and hopefully in me enough that others can see it and would want to look more into it. So I have sought to return the favor and fire-hose content on all those I can not realize they cannot nor will not desire it because they cannot comprehend its value without contextualization. What a poor pedagogy! The amount of knowledge coming out of the fire hose forces the glass from which they would drink to smash it into the ground and ruin their attire and appearance with a deluge they could never be worth anything.
Like the mad professor, I have unleashed a fury wanting my students to experience the same extraordinary perspectives I have garnered. It took me months to physically recover from my Ph.D. studies as I went at it so voraciously my body retaliated, causing me such delays in post-degree projects. The University could not believe I completed it at the pace I did and often warned me to slow down. Thus, I have finally caught my groove again. I enrolled in an online academy to teach me how to best implement that content contextually for best facilitating learning to its proper end for the long term rather than a flood of knowledge to pass an exam or submit an essay to be easily swept away this life’s furies.
I hope that even though I earned an “end” degree, my learning will never end. To that very end, I have enrolled two former students in programs. One is now in the summer, while the other begins this fall. I await the indigenous organization to get me started in curriculum development. My goal is to significantly cut down the content to focus it on a unifying paradigm where all will integrate across each course while offering much more contextualization to show them why content matters in hopes they will want more content. While the content will be significantly reduced, I hope the learning will increase such that many of the elements will be lifelong transformation pieces in their journey that will bring it to many others rather than a sea of knowledge they can’t wait to exit and dry off to get back to their everyday lives post-degree with much of the content largely forgotten.
