A couple of weeks ago, as I was preparing for upcoming lectures on theological interpretation, I came across this “plausible and sobering picture” in the Preface of Vanhoozer’s, The Drama of Doctrine (p. xii).
Vanhoozer quotes Alan Wolfe, sociologist from Boston College, who wrote a book back in 2003, The Transformation of American Religion: How We Actually Live Our Faith. He wrote,
“Evangelical churches lack doctrine because they want to attract new members. Mainline churches lack doctrine because they want to hold on to those declining numbers of members they have.”
Notice that Wolfe treats both sides, evangelicals and mainliners. So he recognized this phenomenon 20 years ago.
Do you think the situation has gotten better or worse? Do you ever feel that pressure?
This made me reflect on the Apostle Paul’s statement to the elders in Ephesus recorded in Acts 20:27
for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ac 20:27.
It made me wonder what could possibly cause Paul to shy away from certain Scripture in his day.
Wolfe identified the problem in our day. Vanhoozer wrote, “Christian doctrine is necessary for human flourishing: only doctrine shows us who we are, why we are here, and what we are to do” (p. xiii).
May our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) as we preach and teach as much of His Word as He gives us time and energy to do so.
Randal
Excellent question you have raised. But I think this raises two additional questions: (1) What is meant by “doctrine”? Seems easy enough but it’s really a term that is more often assumed than understood. Do you equate “doctrine” with “theology”? (2) Is the problem with “doctrine” or is it more a problem with how doctrine is taught? What if churches and pastors were more creative with how they taught doctrine? The parishioners may not even know they were being taught doctrine, though they were.
Thanks for this, Dave. In some ways I do equate doctrine and theology, doctrine being a concise summary of particular theology, such as preaching the doctrine of election. I do believe that Wolfe was identifying a problem with the way doctrine sounds to most unchurched people, thus the whole angle of gaining or retaining members. However, I believe you’re right about how doctrine is taught. For me, it’s not been so much about creative methods, but a stances that this is God’s Word and so it should not sound right to post-modern sensibilities. My listeners now hear this and realize that what God says about certain things is going to offend many ears, but not those with “ears to hear.” Thanks for thinking with us, dear brother.
Preach it, Randal! With thanks.
Good to hear from you, Lee! It’s hard to believe that that was written 20 years ago. We do find ourselves in an interesting time period. However, I believe it’s a great time to read and preach the Word each Sunday knowing that God’s ways should, at times, be at odds with a culture that rejects Him and His ways. Glad we’re in it together, dear brother.