For Ordinary Folk Theology Is

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A good and solid biblical teacher must come clean about their manner of interpretation early on, or you have no foundation for trusting what they say. Just saying, “It is in Scripture,” as most do, is largely meaningless, because anyone can find a workable “proof text” for whatever they want to believe somewhere in the Bible.

~ Richard Rohr

There is an excellent post from Richard Rohr today about how we approach our faith, its beliefs and tenets, and how we interpret the bible. I confess I have been steadily surprised and awed by Richard Rohr, although I don’t always agree with what he says, not being Catholic (but then, I think he’d be fine with that, which is one of the reasons I like him). As a Baptist, I truly value the importance of The Word, but Rohr seems to encompass this (and more) in this post. He puts into words things I might have discerned or felt but was never quite able to grasp concretely enough to express. I look forward to learning more. Meantime, if you’re interested, you can find the post by clicking here: Our Tricycle for Forward Movement

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Rohr, in trying to describe the Holy Spirit, uses the words ‘force field’, which inevitably and somewhat hysterically reminds me of Star Wars: “Use the force, Luke!”  

Image:

By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38391903

 

4 thoughts on “For Ordinary Folk Theology Is”

  1. The need to ‘check one’s tradition’ in mostly Evangelical circles my experience has been. Tradition, Scripture, and experience are factors mainstream Anglicanism (for example) for a while have recognised. Go further do the Methodists, as reason, too, they include.

    • I thought you were barking when I first read that. Then I realised what you did. Very entertaining, Terry. And yes, I recall my husband telling me about reason (he grew up Methodist) now that you mention it. I guess Rohr takes reason for granted, but given some of the madness that calls itself Christianity, reason should definitely be part of the mix.

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