Faith Seeking Understanding

Today I had a opportunity to talk with one of my professors, Hans Boersma, about a number of spiritual-intellectual that issues I have been wrestling with. The issues revolve primarily around the proper method of the interpretation of the Scriptures (hermeneutics), issues regarding intellectual certainty and faith in the doctrines derived from Scriptures (epistemology, particularly regarding modernist foundationalism), and the certainty of faith and how one goes about studying so as to grow one's own faith and convictions in the universal truth of the Christian message and tradition.

Some particular issues I've been recently exposed to and need to spend a lot of time studying and thinking about are: the Scripture's relationship to tradition and the role 'tradition' plays in our interpreting, the nature of doctrine and knowledge, Authority (in terms of truth) and how the Bible is authoritative - how we are to live under its authority, and the Early and Medieval church's writings on all of these issues.

We had a great talk - it was really helpful for me to be able to express my questions, doubts, and frusterations, and to hear from a very respected, humble, godly theologian a bit of his own journey of faith, some of the theoretical questions that he still wrestles with, hear his critique of the postmodern movement of deconstructionism, and get his advice on how to move forward in exploring these questions. Here are three pieces of advice that really stuck in my mind. (***These are NOT quotes but my own memory and understanding of our conversation, so please take them as such. As much as I would never seek to misrepresent someone's thoughts and advice, my memory is as flawed as the next guy...)

1. Spend lots of time in the tradition of the church catholic and not so much in contemporary authors. Read Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Gregory of Nyssa, Iraneaus, Origen, Chrysostom, and others. Get to know the tradition thoroughly, understand what they were wrestling with and what they were saying.

2. Don't get so caught up on studying 'method', hermeneutics, and postmodern awareness of our own knowledge limitations. Humbly go to the past and expose yourself to the answers that the church has been giving for 2,000 years, spend time in theology, in the answers that have been given us. In that way you will take your eyes off of your own interpreting self (in a healthy way) and will humbly but confidently fix your eyes upon the object of faith: Christ.

3. Be patient with yourself. Don't rush. God knows that you are human, and to seek to get to know the entire Christian tradition and think through these issues takes a long time. God knows that. Don't rush spending time in plumbling the depths of our foundation of faith; don't limit/conform your studies because you need to "have all the answers" as soon as you are in a position of Christian leadership. Take these three years to study, read, think, pray, ponder, etc.

What a great bit of advice! It was very particular advice to where I am at in my struggles but I still hope that it might encourage you to - with me - ask questions honestly, seek truth sincerely, and know Christ more deeply thorugh his revelation in the Word and his church.