shirt #1: theologian

Title: theologian

Design: white legend on black

Make: produced through the adopt-a-word programme for ICan.

We are all theologians

How did I get a t-shirt saying ‘theologian’? Well, funny story. But it turns out you can adopt a word – any word – for yourself or on someone else’s behalf and support literacy and educational programmes across the world. My wife adopted ‘theologian’ for me and I’ve got the unique t-shirt and the certificate to prove it.

Even though I like this shirt (and the person who got it for me!) I don’t tend to wear it much. It seems a bit arrogant to proclaim to the world that you’re a theologian, let alone walk into church in it. It’s a bit like wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the word ‘intellectual’ or ‘genius’ – it’s a bit of a claim. "I’m a theologian. And you are…?"

But actually we are all theologians. You may be, like me, the proud possessor of a degree in theology. I can put the letters BD – Bachelor of Divinity – after my name, as a result of three years in university. (My alma mater stopped awarding BDs a few years ago. Now students get a BA in Theological Studies. My degree is a collector’s item.)

But that degree doesn’t make me a theologian. In fact, it didn’t really qualify me for any kind of career, even being a vicar, which everyone assumes you’re going to do after doing a theology degree. Everyone, except those people who mishear you and think you’re studying geology and then start asking you questions about rocks. (Yes, it’s happened to me.)

So, if it’s not the degree, what is it? What does make you a theologian? It’s really quite simple. I am – you are – anyone is – a theologian if we think about, talk about, write about or in some other way describe or discuss the nature and person of God.

So, the guy in church who bluntly tells me that he ‘has no time for theology’ because all he needs to know is in the Bible is, ironically, doing theology. The kind-hearted, yet slightly flaky lady who tells me she thinks God is just a name we give to the idea of perfect humanity – she’s a theologian too. Professor Dawkins who labels God as a delusion is actually putting forward a very robust theological argument.

They – we – are all theologians.

But it’s not just what we say about God. Theology is more than just words. Belief is more than just verbal assent to a certain series of propositions. We do theology in the way we live. What I mean is: the way I act right now tells you quite a bit about what I believe.

Jesus told several parables that made that point. One involved a guy who built a huge barn to store all his grain, but then dropped down dead the night before he was due to retire. His theology told him that all he really needed was wealth; that he could ignore God’s instructions to feed the hungry, and that ultimately he was in control of his own destiny. God had other ideas.

Another parable Jesus told was about a man who had a massive debt cancelled, but then immediately afterwards beat up a chap who couldn’t pay him back. It’s a parable about forgiveness – specifically how if you have known forgiveness then you have to forgive other people. The antihero in the parable has a different theology – his view is that even though he’s been forgiven, he can react violently to anyone who wrongs him. Again, God has other ideas.

One of the saddest parables Jesus told is often called the Parable of the Talents. Three servants are each entrusted with their master’s money (called talents). Two put it to good use and make more money, the third buries his ‘talent’ in the ground to keep it safe. He is so afraid of his master that he would rather do nothing. His actions are motivated by his theology – the ‘master’ can be interpreted as God. His fear of being caught out, of angering God, paralyses him into inaction. He’s so afraid of doing the wrong thing he does… nothing.

There are other Bible verses aplenty that talk about the theology of actions. The letter of James contains this caustic criticism of believers whose active theology is lacking: “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” (James 2:18) And then there’s the classic aphorism attributed to St Francis of Assisi: “Always preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words.”

What I say and what I do reveal what I think about God. When I’m gossiping, it looks like I believe that God isn’t listening. When I worry, it looks like I believe that God isn’t trustworthy. When I want something in the toy store, it looks like I believe more in material things than spiritual riches. When I’m self-centred, it looks like I believe God doesn’t really mean it when he tells me to love others to the same level I love myself.

Whether I have the word ‘theologian’ splashed across my chest or not, I cannot help but be a theologian. And that goes for all of us.