Good Practice Begets Good Theology

Tony Jones new book, The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emerging Frontier, is due out in March. At some point I may offer a review. Tony obliged my request for a review copy for some research I am working on. We have had occasions to share good conversations both in person and over the phone.

One of the emphases of the emerging church movement/conversation raises the level of emphasis upon orthopraxy – right practice. Scot McKnight boils down the movement, borrowing from Gibbs and Bolger, to an ecclesiological push to live the way of Jesus in postmodern culture. In other words, people really hope to live the life of Jesus in a world full of tensions and complications either not experienced at all or not experienced at the current level of complexity. Those willing to point beyond carefully defined doctrinal articulations to a practice that reveals what one really believes often face ridicule as forgoing orthodoxy.

A few years ago I met Michael Spencer online, a.k.a. iMonk. I believe it came in the comment thread of a blog Steve McCoy began. I cannot recall if it was the early days of “Reformissionary” or not. Needless to say, our exchanges led me to begin reading iMonk. In fact, I had hoped at one time to hold a position for our State Pastor’s Conference hoping I could persuade Micheal to come preach. I did not “win.” He was a bit shocked I would ask. Maybe some day.

Today I read his post, “The Bible I Don’t Believe.” I reminisced a conversation or two I have had over the problematic nature of power words used to draw lines in odd places. For example, Michael chronicles his sixteen years of teaching, preaching, counseling, and giving away bibles to/with students from all backgrounds. He notes his dependence and insistence on the Bible. He stands firm on its inspiration and authority. And yet, when he refuses to use the term “inerrancy” the “code word police” come out of the woodwork even, evidently, suggesting Michael apostate.

This sad affair illustrates just why we need an emerging emphasis upon orthopraxy. Tony Jones suggests, “Good practice begets good theology.” (my translation) The corollary would be “Bad theology begets bad practice.” Take it a step further and draw in Dallas Willard’s contention that it matters little what we say we believe, but that what we really believe is demonstrated in our living. So, when someone suggests “in my humble opinion” and then proceeds in a number of places on the internet to rip Michael not for what he does but for the word he refuses to use it seems we have a ripe illustration. Sadly many dismiss many of the healthy things associated with the “emerging church” for many of the same reasons and in the same manner.

Self-defense often comes off as defensive. In this case, iMonk’s defense illustrates his orthopraxy begetting healthy theology. How is this for a list,

But what really makes me angry is what I did in those seven hours I was at school.

I preached on John 1 to 350 students about what it means to be a prophet who points to Jesus. My fourth sermon this week.
I prepared a sermon on John 1, on what it means to be a disciple, to be delivered tomorrow.
I read scripture and prayed with all my classes.
I taught four Bible survey classes, including three full lectures on the book of Judges, delivered to a majority of unbelievers, including Muslims, Buddhists and atheists.
I read scripture myself in my own devotional time, and made the words of scripture my own prayer.
My wife and I read scripture together this evening.
I started preparing for the two messages from the Bible and the one Bible class Iâ??ll teach this weekend.
All like Iâ??ve been doing for 16 years. Iâ??m not blowing a horn here. This is my life. In the community setting where I live and serve I canâ??t go ten feet without bumping into something Iâ??m doing with a Bible.

In none of those 16 years or before has anyone- student, staff, pastor, trustee, elder, pastor, parent of student, lay person or preacher- complained that I didnâ??t believe the Bible sufficiently. And I talk about the Bible and what I believe about it constantly. I assure you I donâ??t hide behind anything or anyone. I proudly read from Wright, Capon and Peterson to whoever will listen. Iâ??m perceived on our staff as the original curmudgeon and stick-in-the-mud for my insistence that all our chapel preachers preach from the Bible, and from text of the Bible ONLY. As campus minister, I give away the Bible in every language on our campus and answer Bible questions all week. We make our students purchase the ESV for Bible class.

I knowâ?¦.lots of liberals going to hell like a greased pig have similar involvement with the Bible. Teaching and reading it mean nothing. Do you believeâ?¦really, really, really, believeâ?¦..like the â??inerrancyâ? crowd? Thatâ??s the acid test.

It takes people who read blogs to figure out that I donâ??t believe the Bible, am apostate, a Biblical invertebrate and â??wuss,â? and will be judged by God as a false minister according to James 3:1 (a verse I know very well from my ordination.) This internet is a wonderful tool, isnâ??t it? Incredible insight with very little actual knowledge.

Whatever I believe about the Bible, Iâ??m out here doing something with my life and my ministry that is unthinkable and impossible without my own foundational belief that the Bible is true, inspired and the Word that delivers the Gospel of Jesus. I know God in and through his Son Jesus, but what I know of Jesus grows out of the Bible first of all. My confidence in its truth, power, authority and relevance hasnâ??t changed.

Ask the people I minister to and with what I believe about the Bible. Oh wait, you arenâ??t actually here. Sorry.

If thatâ??s a diatribe against â??historic orthodox reformed Protestants,â? then I hope you enjoy it. Sorry that I actually want to be accepted as a brother in Christ who believes and loves scripture. Whatâ??s gotten into me

I listened to Ed Stetzer’s CNN interview noting recent Lifeway research. He confirmed what Dan Kimball wrote giving people good reason to Like Jesus but not the Church and paint ourselves in such a light 44% would as soon avoid us as have a civil conversation.

If more people lived out the conviction iMonk shares we might reverse statistical trends and re-title our books. Here’s to iMonk. May his tribe increase.

About the Author
Husband to Patty. Daddy to Kimberly and Tommie. Grandpa Doc to Cohen, Max, Fox, and Marlee. Pastor to Snow Hill Baptist Church. Graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Reading. Photography. Golf. Colorado. Jeeping. Friend. The views and opinions expressed here are my own and should not be construed as representing the corporate views of the church I pastor.

4 comments on “Good Practice Begets Good Theology

  1. This is interesting in like of reading Stuart Murray’s book Post-Christendom:Church and Mission in a Strange New World. In it, Murray notes that the early church practiced the catechesis, which met that you could be in a discipleship lifestyle for as many as three years. It was truly a socialization process. What the church was looking for was BEHAVIORAL transformation with the context of the community of faith. They taught and lived knowledge and behavior, orthodoxy and orthopraxy. Robert Webber states in one of his Ancient Future books that it might take as long as 3 years before one who confessed Christ was baptized, as they were looking for evidence of a transformed life. As a result, Christianity grew at a rate of 40% per year from 100 A.D. to 350 A.D.

    However, with Constantine came the “encouragement” to become “christian” (note the little c) because there were many areas in which you could not function economically or vocationally without making that profession. Therefore, mass quantities of people flocked to become christians.

    The result is that the discipleship and socialization process broke down – it had to because of the sheer numbers of people pouring into the church. It became more important, then, to give people the knowledge of christianity without helping then establish a lifestyle of behavior. Thus, christianity became knowledge-based rather that behavior-based. The behavioral transformation that came from socialization within the Christian community (note the C) was discarded.

    We are living the continued expression of that today. Christianity is knowledge-based, not behavior-based. That’s why people hate the church but love the message of Christ. They see in Him the talk and the walk, orthopraxy, not orthodoxy. Yet His orthopraxy results from His orthodoxy – I mean why wouldn’t it, he developed the orthodoxy.

    I saw iMonk’s post as well and thought he hit a home run. I love the way James says it: right knowledge without right behavior is actually bad knowledge. I also like Rich Mullins’ take: orthodoxy without orthopraxy is like a screen door on a submarine.

  2. One more thing. Murray points out that the hypocrisy of the “christians”, especially those in leadership, was noted in the 400’s. Orthopraxy gave way to orthodoxy in a short period of time, and we now see that evident in the oligarchy that is the SBC leadership.

    Things haven’t changed for 1600 years it seems.

  3. Todd,

    Forgive me for that shot at SBC leadership. I guess I’m tired of the knowledge-based christianity I see so much of today, and how it so rarely results in the life Jesus called us to live.

  4. Todd Littleton says:

    David,

    Your comments are always welcome. Sometimes we do need a place to call into question even the actions of those in our own tribe. I do so from time too time.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.