When I tell people that I specialize in patristics, I’m usually met with one of two responses: “What is that?” or “Wow, so difficult!” Patristics is the study of the ‘church fathers’—Christian writers from the first five centuries of the church. These years were crucial for the formation of Christian theology, and the church fathers also left an immense treasure trove of theological and spiritual resources.

Yet, most Christians are either unacquainted with the writers and writings of this period or rarely (if ever) tap into them. One major reason for this is simply unfamiliarity. Reading the fathers is like venturing into a foreign land—one that is just so different from ours. It is therefore also more labour intensive to read them—we don’t have to work so hard to understand modern writers. To appreciate the fathers requires us to learn about the worlds they inhabit and to familiarize ourselves with their worldviews and philosophies.

All Theology Is from a Context

This example of the church fathers reminds us that all theology—the study or science of God and his works—is contextual. Only God himself, not studies about God, transcends culture. Every theology book ever written, every sermon ever preached, was composed at a certain time and place, for a specific audience, and in the language of a particular society.

The church fathers are great models of how to integrate theology and philosophy, to be thoroughly immersed in the Bible, and to stand firm for the sake of truth. But to be able to appreciate them and to reapply their teachings to our own context, we must first learn to understand their contexts. This need to understand the contextualization of a theology is also true for modern theology.

However, many people in our churches avoid discussing theology because it sounds like a technical language. Theologians use difficult terms like ‘ecclesiology’ and ‘eschatology’, ‘supralapsarian’ and ‘antediluvian’. Theology seems like an intellectual exercise, more about mastering abstract concepts than ministering holistic and practical truths.

Additionally, the influence of the Western church has meant that we in Asia have often received theology shaped by worldviews and beliefs that differ significantly from our own. Examples include strong individualism, guilt-innocence culture, and anti-supernaturalism.

How might we resolve these issues, since every Christian who studies God and his works is in fact doing theology?

Every Theology Is for Its Context

We need to recognize the historical and cultural situatedness of our theology. This includes not only understanding our own denomination, culture and worldview, but also the real-world issues stemming from these contexts. A marker of good theology is not simply logical coherence or only biblical faithfulness, but the skilful application of biblical truth to relevant on-the-ground situations. Instead of being a limitation, contextual specificity is an asset.

We can assume that no one person’s theological viewpoint can capture the fullness of God. Therefore, we can learn from each other in order to expand our corporate vision of God and assist the whole body of Christ in better understanding God’s Word.

Having come to Singapore after living in the United States and Europe, I’ve had to ask myself how teaching theology in Singapore looks different from teaching theology in these other places. What major issues are diverse Asian Christians are facing today? How do we equip pastors to better identify and address the issues their churches are facing? How can we learn to address such issues while being faithful to the Bible and to the rich traditions of Christian theology?

In order to prevent our theology from disconnecting with reality, we must learn about our own cultures and traditions, and about the specific theological issues that our own people are dealing with. But in order to prevent our theology from being myopic, we must also familiarize ourselves with universal concepts as well as the broader traditions of Christian theology.

Doing Better Theology for Your Context

I want to suggest three ways of doing better theology that have helped me in my theological journey, and I hope will help you as well.

1. Study yourself

Knowing yourself is an essential part of doing good theology. The more specific and directed our insights, the more applicable they tend to be. As a Korean American, I’ve been encouraged by the growing body of Asian American theology. Such studies have helped me to better understand myself and the communities I grew up in, and how better to minister in them.

Asian American theology has also helped me in my ministry at SBC—there are actually many parallels between my home context and that of younger Christians in Singapore!

In Asia, history tends to simply be memorized, and worldviews and religions assumed. Knowing better who we are and where we have come from, the histories of our churches, the social and psychological issues in our communities, and the worldviews and religious beliefs of our neighbours better equips us for ministry.

2. Read those who are different from you

It’s easy to stick to our theological comfort zones. But avoiding viewpoints that are different from our own often leads us to stereotype and demonize others without really understanding them. This is true not only for denominational and theological differences, but cultural ones as well.

Reading only what is familiar and affirming prevents us from thinking outside our boxes and expanding our vision of God. While the fractured denominationalism of the Protestant church is typically not seen as a good thing, if we are humble and willing, we can actually take advantage of this theological diversity. I believe this attitude, plus cultural diversity, is one of SBC’s strengths!
After the months of protests stemming from the death of George Floyd on 25 May 2020, I decided to become more familiar with African American theology. I found reading Black theology to be a challenging, yet very fruitful exercise.

I also had the opportunity recently to dip into African theology. Many wouldn’t think of Africa as having a vibrant theological tradition. But the continent has seen the greatest church growth in the last century, mostly without the help of Western missionaries. We have
much to learn from Africans about how do better contextual theology!

3. Read outside your time period

When we fixate too much on the present, we often fail to recognize the intelligence and godliness of the saints who came before us. I don’t know if anyone who reads this will suddenly become interested in patristic, medieval, or other more esoteric theologies. But in the words of Dr. Seuss in Green Eggs and Ham: “You do not like them. So you say. Try them! Try them! And you may.”

Sampling new and different authors might seem daunting, but you could find them surprisingly refreshing and helpful. I’ve made it a personal rule to keep reading theological and spiritual writings from before my time and unfamiliar perspectives (e.g., denomination, nationality). I challenge you to do the same!

For Discussion

Of the three suggested ways of doing better theology, which is the most challenging or appealing for you?