The Spiritual Discipline of Reading Your Theological Dissidents

Years ago, The Atlantic had an article entitled, “Study Theology, Even If You Don’t Believe in God.” The author of the article (Tara Isabella Burton) is a Clarendon Scholar at Trinity College, Oxford, where she is working on a doctorate in theology and literature. In this piece, she talks about studying theology as a secularist.

While reading, I was immediately drawn into thinking about my own theological education in various schools in the States and the UK that confessionally are very broad. As well, my pastoral ministry sparked many thoughts reading this, as a member of clergy for over two decades in a theologically minimalist denomination embedded in a complex urban center (Los Angeles, California) that is filled with many traditions, ideas, dogmas and questions. I thought, “If a nonbeliever can study theology, certainly believers should be studying theology with folks of different theologies.”

Autoethnographically, I have benefitted a great deal from exploring theology among peoples and in places that differ with my own convictions and culture, let alone from doing so—like Tara—in a context of unbelief altogether.

In a world that is filled with echo chambers of voices who reinforce ignorance and never challenge their own thinking, I firmly believe this is an important spiritual discipline (for lack of a better phrase) and also an intellectual exercise of testing one’s beliefs (and the epistemological presuppositions undergirding them).

I have two rationales on why this is the case. First, pastorally, I’m in a position to shepherd people who have different convictions than me, so understanding their ideas is a benefit to this calling, in hopes of serving them well. Second, as a worshipper of God (not to mention a pastor-teacher) with deep desires to be biblically accurate, testing my ideas against my best critics is very helpful and reassuring.

Practically, I have found that reading the brightest theologians who differ with me, reinforces my convictions. The fundamentalist fears of reading outside are existentially peculiar to me in this regard. At the end of the day, James 3:1 cautions me that as a teacher in the church I will be ultimately scrutinized by God himself, which is far more sobering and real than reading theologians I differ with or enrolling in a class (not to mention, listening to an online lecture!) that I disagree with.

In our global world of information-sharing and networking, more and more people are able to snuff out a person who is unexposed to the world of ideas, especially in the God-ordained pulpits of Bible preaching churches. In light of this, I encourage the pastors I train in the church and the students I educate in the university to read wide and be engaged.

Postmodernism is bombarding the church and culture with the idea that ‘there is no truth.’ God’s ministers and theologians need to be ready to engage and herald the truth in this age, which involves steeping ourselves in things we think differently about, so that in grace and truth we can speak.


Matthew Jones

The Rev. Dr. Matthew Jones is Pastor of Preaching and Vision at Del Rey Church in Los Angeles, CA.

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Tavis Bohlinger

Dr. Tavis Bohlinger is Editor-in-Chief of the Logos Academic Blog and Creative Director at Reformation Heritage Books. He holds a PhD from Durham University and writes across multiple genres, including academia, poetry, and screenwriting. He lives in Grand Rapids with his wife and three children.

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6 comments
  • It is one thing to read dissenting views from a spiritually mature understanding of scripture, where the kernel of heresy is recognized. It is entirely another thing to broadly read outside the faith with a mind which does not understand that a “reasonable belief” of other religions (or atheists/secularists) can separate a soul from intimate fellowship with God. I would be very cautious to follow the advice of the Reverend Dr. Matthew Jones without a spiritual foundation that comprehensively understands the cardinal beliefs of new testament Christianity. I would further suggest reading such books together with a group of sincere Christians. This will allow the discussion to recognize when a point of view is heretical to orthodox Christianity. My primary concern is with the believer not with a seeker or writer who dismisses Biblical truth.

    • I heartily agree with your comment on this post. As a lay leader, I have studied more than the average person in the pew, and in my 48 years of service I have seen too many people led astray by fine sounding arguments they were ill equipped to handle due to their basic lack of knowledge of foundational doctrines. Pastors must be aware of the post modern and post Christian times in which we live, teaching foundational truths to build up in the faith, as well as exposing the false doctrines swaying society and modern churches alike.

  • Sitting in a class on Christian Theology where the professor was Eastern Orthodox and taught from that perspective was a really good in that it forced me to reexamine my beliefs and helped strengthen them.

  • Yes Matt, I had to look it up. Not only teaching Biblical truth to me but also expanding my word silo. Autoethnographically

  • Interesting post. For the past 15 years I have practiced this very thing (as my apologetics blog demonstrates if interested: https://apostolicacademics.com/). In fact, the very reason I read this particular blog is for the reasons addressed in this piece. I am also a pastor and readily identify with the tone of this post. Good article!

  • Thank you, I found this very thoughtful and also practical. I am interested in the idea of finding oneself in a tradition or “theological stream”. I am a senior person in a science and technology organisation, so I am sometimes defined by the religious domain of my staff. Attended an Orthodox wedding a few years ago – this took me on a wonderful journey which began years before when I recited a Coptic prayer at the wedding of friends…….I deeply value these encounters, that break the mould of my accumulated experience.

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