Rev. Jerome M. Julien, a board member and fanner secretary of Reformed Fellowship, Inc., is now serving as pastor of the large First Christian Reformed Church of Pella, Iowa. THE OUTLOOK takes the liberty of reprinting the following item by him from Pella One, a monthly publication for members and friends of the First Pella Church.
Perhaps you read the article in a recent Des Moines Tribune cntitled “Theologians Ponder Whatever Happened to Theology?” The question was one raised in the midst of a discussion of social, economic and political questions at an editorial meeting of the magazine Christianity and Crisis. Because no one had an answer it was decided to ask twelve theologians to respond to the question in brief essays. In May the essays were printed.
Roy Larson, author of the article, writes, “Nearly all the essayists agree that theology, the one time ‘queen of the sciences,’ ain‘t what she used to be. Van A. Harvey, for example, refers to the ‘chronic ill health’ of Protestant theology in America since the 1960s.” Another essayist points out that the universities and seminaries where liberalism once reigned are now dying.
Strangely, all the answers mentioned in the Tribune article omit a very important thought: the reason for the absence of theology today. For all too many supposedly Christian and religious people the Bible is not too important—and the so-called theologians have brought this on themselves.
They have tried to assure us that we do not need an authoritative Bible. They have even been willing to cut the Bible apart into little bits or to make it say anything they wish it to say.
What has happened to theology? What else can happen when there is no Bible for it to grow out of?
And as long as men insist that an inspired, infallible Word of God is unimportant there will be no true knowledge of God nor will there be comfort or peace or growth in the Lord.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Tim. 3:16, 17).
