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The Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Information |
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| 10.09.2004 |
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| Theology Increasingly Sidelined in Many Churches |
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LWF Council Meeting, Geneva, 1 - 7 September 2004
PRESS RELEASE NO. 20-2004
LWF Department for Theology and Studies Plans New Study Program on Critical Role of Theology in Church Life
GENEVA, 10 September 2004 (LWI) – At its meeting near Geneva, the Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) was informed of a new study program, “Theology in the Life of the Church: Revisiting its Critical Role” to be launched by the LWF Department for Theology and Studies (DTS) jointly with the Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg, France. The Council met September 1-7 in Chavannes-de-Bogis near Geneva.
The objective of the new study program is to develop a greater awareness and appreciation of the critical role of theology in the LWF and member churches, especially among pastors and other church leaders, the Program Committee for Theology and Studies chairperson, Rev. Dr Barbara Rossing, (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) explained in the committee’s report to the Council. Also the program aims to strengthen the connection between theology and the actual life of churches. The program also focuses on modeling theological work that has rigor and integrity both with regard to the tradition as well as with current contexts, and that could meet emerging ecumenical, interfaith and other challenges.
The committee explained several issues that form the background of the study program. Although the importance of theology for church life and for the furthering of church unity has been continuously reiterated, there were disturbing challenges to the attention and resources that used to be devoted to theological and related ecumenical work including in the LWF and member churches. In many churches, theology was increasingly sidelined with attention focussed instead on what would work, was practical or popular. Although considerable ecumenism was being lived out through practical cooperation among churches, there was a sense of less enthusiasm for ecumenical discussion of doctrinal matters.
Also considered was the concern that church leaders sometimes publicly expressed their disdain for theologians’ work, especially when it called into question their own positions or interests. It was also noted that in view of rapid changes in societies, people were attracted to fundamentalist or charismatic appeals that precluded further theological reflection. Thus the looming and increasingly urgent crisis was that theology was at the risk of losing its essential role in the life of Lutheran churches. Equally challenging was what churches teach and practice especially when this compromised what was central to the Church’s identity, confession, witness and ecumenical relationships.
Pastors Overextended in Fast-growing Churches
The committee noted there was often a gap between academic theology and theology in the life of churches. Pastors are so overextended in fast-growing churches that many have only minimal theological training, with little opportunity to do further theological studies later. Also theologians on faculties in many parts of the world have so many responsibilities that they have little time left to pursue their own theological work.
The program committee informed the Council that it was not easy for the South to keep up with the theological thinking developing in the North. It was thus important to focus on practical aspects of theological work for the sake of the people it was supposed to serve. In Africa for instance, it was often difficult to do theology because of lack of resources. Emphasis was made of the need to have relevant materials to proclaim the gospel. Theology, it was noted, was for the sake of proclamation in relevant ways.
The DTS Director, Rev. Dr Karen Bloomquist said inspiration for the program arose out of the strategic planning process for theology and ecumenism that had been embraced in recent months. “The situation is urgent,” she told the Council. In many parts of the communion “the critical role of theology in the life of Lutheran churches” was not fully appreciated. “This is an attempt to launch a more embracive kind of program [so that] we can join forces in a creative new way.”
Rev. Dr Thomas Nyiwe, president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon, and a member of the theology and studies program committee, stressed the importance of the report. He noted that “our churches can sometimes give the impression that theology is set apart from their work,” that it was something not taken into consideration in the life of the churches. “This new program shows the importance of connecting theology and the life of the church,” he said. “It is not something removed, but something that is incarnated into the life of our congregations.”
Further Work on Economic Globalization
Rossing explained to Council members the work in the area of “transforming economic globalization,” continuing since 2000, including the production of the booklet, “Engaging Economic Globalization as a Communion” (2001), various commitments made at the Tenth Assembly and ecumenical collaboration in various regional and theological consultations. She pointed to the forthcoming LWF Documentation book, “Communion, Responsibility, Accountability.” The Council agreed that consideration be given to how ongoing work on economic globalization may best be facilitated within the General secretariat, within the framework of LWF priorities.
The Council expressed deep appreciation to Dr Choong Chee Pang for the important work he has been carrying out as Academic Consultant for Christian Studies in China, and recommended that the current, part-time contract with him be extended to 31 July 2006, contingent on the funding already promised.
During discussion on the theology and studies report, Rev. Chandran Paul Martin, executive secretary of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India, spoke of the Indian churches' systematic and bold work in developing a Dalit theology for the last 15 years. He expressed the hope that the important outcome and influence of Dalit theology on global theological thinking would be examined and evaluated through the new DTS study program.
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Around 100 church representatives including the 49-member Council attended this year's meeting at Chavannes-de-Bogis near Geneva. In addition there were 70 participants consisting of invited guests, LWF staff persons, interpreters, stewards and journalists. The Council is the LWF's governing body between Assemblies, normally held every six years. The current Council was elected at the July 2003 Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada, where it held its first meeting. The Council comprises the President, the Treasurer and ordained as well as lay persons drawn from the LWF member churches. The LWF currently has 138 member churches in 77 countries all over the world, with a membership of nearly 65 million people.
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