When a Church is “good” at theology, it is most prevalent from the pulpit. Week in and week out, the messages of those entrusted with sharing the Gospel reflect a well-developed theology which cannot help but seep out with every sentence. Regretfully, this example of “good” theology is not the norm as there are many more Churches practicing “bad” theology with every spoken word or song of praise. What could be causal to these congregations and their practices is what Stanley Grenz and Roger Olson describe in their book, Who Needs Theology?: “A misconception is growing among Christians that a great gulf exists between ‘ordinary Christians’ and ‘theologians.’” (1996) As the congregants have sought to distance themselves from a faith of “knowledge,” they have neglected the very knowledge that can lead to salvation. Even when there is a congregation that practices “good” theology, theology is not taught to the extent that it could be, often beginning true “theological” education and preaching when a student reaches middle school, when the outside influencers and contradicting worldviews have already begun to creep in with often detrimental and negative views being pushed at (if not on) them. When it comes to my personal area of ministry, my focus is on the three years before a student hits middle school, which are exactly the years to begin instructing a student about theology as the proverbial question “Why?” is asked with honest requests for deeper answers. When teaching theology to third through fifth graders there are three things to keep in mind: what the students know, what the students are beginning to wonder and providing practical tips for becoming a theologian.
For many students who have grown up attending Church, they have heard and accepted a number of things by the time they get to this stage. Specifically, many students know and accept the validity of the Bible, the truth and divinity of Jesus Christ and that Jesus Christ died for their sins resulting in salvation. When examining these beliefs, it can quickly become apparent that they belong more to the parents of the students than to the students themselves. Often, the Bible stories that many of these students are told from a young age are simply accepted as truth, which is good as a “child-like faith” is often commended. From these stories, they then hear about Jesus and learn about His divinity which can turn into an acceptance of Him as a Savior. It is important to know what the students believe and where they have attained these beliefs. Undoubtedly, there are students who have not grown up in the Church, who do not have beliefs from parents. Again, knowing what students believe and where they have attained these beliefs is essential as this is their theology and at this age they begin to wonder who God is and where they stand with Him, taking their own first steps to become theologians.
From this point, it is essential to take what the students know and allow them an opportunity and a safe environment where they can honestly wonder, thus cultivating minds that are critical thinkers. Building off of the basic knowledge of the students, careful instruction needs to occur focused on Biblical criticism, Christology and Biblical interpretation. Though each of these terms have deep and debated backgrounds, they can be simplified by focusing on instruction as opposed to delving into the questions. Students in this group are already beginning to wonder where the Bible came from, how Christ needs to be both divine and human and in all of this time, they are starting to have the capability to read the Bible on their own. By examining Biblical origins, students can learn how the modern Bible was put together, learning answers to the questions that they either have or will have at some point together. When they are prepared and have answered this question for themselves, they will then be prepared to give an account to others who question. After the validity of the Bible is established, the students can then address their questions related to who Christ is, why He had to die and what it means that He conquered death. Grasping this information and holding to its truth can lead to salvation for the students and those they encounter. Finally, as these two truths are discovered by the students, they can learn how to look at the Bible themselves, and glean theological truths from its pages. Each of these items, as well as many more, are sprouting up in the minds of students at this age. To simply continue instruction as before, when they were feeding on spiritual milk, would do an injustice and not properly feed them. From this point, the goal is to create proper theologians.
When a child is born, they feed off of their mother’s milk. As they continue to grow, mushed peas make their way primarily to the walls and hair, but also to the baby’s mouth. Through many more steps, their palates, teeth and digestive systems are ready for a hearty top sirloin steak (or wheat germ tofu for those so inclined). Similarly, through many steps, these students learn to accept the “milk” attached to blind belief and eventually find themselves trying out the mushed peas and apple sauce. As a teacher with theology in mind, this brings about the requirement of feeding these students without providing rote answers. As previously mentioned, many of these students have grown up in the Church and “know” the answers to questions regarding Christ, salvation and the Bible, but not many know why those answers are correct. As these are fundamental tenants, it is important to serve the students by discovering the answers with them. Even in the second step of “guided wonder,” answers should not be given as much as questions should be explored. What all of this boils down to is a call by children’s ministers to not simply assume that children are too young to grasp theology or provide rote answers, but to learn how to be better theologians as they teach the students that they already are theologians.
References
Grenz, S. J., & Olson, R. E. (1996). Who needs theology?: An invitation to the study of God. Downers Grove, Ill., USA: InterVarsity Press.
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