A Little Book for New Theologians (Kelly Kapic)
In 2012 I intended to write an essay commemorating the 50th anniversary of a useful little book that many young theologians don’t read anymore: Helmut Thielicke’s A Little Exercise for Young Theologians. Published originally in 1959, the English edition hit shelves in 1962. It quickly became a useful primer in helping students to reflect on the nature of theological study. A number of remarks from Thielicke still resonate today:
Speaking figuratively, the study of theology often produces overgrown youths whose internal organs have not correspondingly developed [1].
Thielicke here is speaking about a brand of “theological puberty” that he finds problematic, against which he cautions his students. He further warns in another place:
Do not assume as a matter of course that you believe whatever impresses you theologically or enlightens you intellectually [2].
Being wired the way some of us are, this is an especially helpful caution.
Although I regrettably neglected this book last year, I do feel somewhat redeemed because another recent publication from IVP Academic has attempted to pick up where Thielicke left off. Kelly Kapic, professor of theological studies at Covenant College, has recently offered “a kind of updated attempt at what Helmut Thielicke brilliantly accomplished in his classic” [3]. His book, A Little Book for New Theologians (IVP Academic, 2012), is a primer on why and how to study theology. Since this “little book” has much to say, I will reserve my comments to sketching out the terrain and punctuating the highlights.
Why Study Theology
In just a little over 100 pages, Kapic explains both why we should study theology (part one), and what is characteristic of faithful theology and theologians (part two). He argues persuasively that “whenever we speak about God we are engaged in theology” [4]. It is an inescapable aspect of speech, thought, and life. No Christian can push off theology to the professionals—a point that the Helwys Society has emphasized elsewhere. Theological reflection is the means by which we examine “our praise, prayers, words and worship with the goal of making sure they conform to God alone” [5]. Otherwise, idolatry is the only outcome remaining.
This point is critical because proper worship of God is tied both to what we love and what we know. True theology is not merely “cognitive but also personal with elements of connection and commitment” [6]. Like Augustine and Calvin, Kapic contends that “[k]nowledge and enjoyment of God are inseparable” [7]. Sound theology, as this previous Forum essay notes, is concerned with wisdom. It is a pilgrimage of following and responding to God’s revelation.
How to Study Theology
The reason for studying theology is tied to the way we approach it. Christian spirituality is inseparable from the kinds of beliefs and practices that our theology encompasses. It is a lived faith. This means that James’ warning about a faith apart from works is relevant to contemporary “theologians”. It implies that they are susceptible to thinking that the aim of good theology is assenting to the truth (as do the demons!), while living life on a foundation of lies.
This is one of the book’s most salient points. Like Thielicke’s work a generation prior, Kapic’s book is designed to confront misconceptions. Kapic warns that while good theology is interested in the truth, we should be cautious about presuming to be able to acquire every answer we may seek. Kapic’s Reformed sensibilities emerge at several points in the book, and yet his book is one that can be appreciated by a range of Protestant readers.
Another aspect of faithful theology is prayer and study, humility and repentance. Quoting from B. B. Warfield, Kapic suggests that we should avoid making a dichotomy between godliness and competence. Rather, the two go hand-in-hand. In his words: “Theological reflection can and should be a rigorous, authentic and humble dialogue with God” [8]. While theology is possible because of God’s self-revelation, our efforts to know Him are finite. Speaking of repentance, Kapic notes, “Repentance occurs not only when we recognize the need to change our actions but also when we change our minds after discovering improper or weak thoughts regarding God” [9]. What we know, love, and worship exist in a symbiotic relationship.
The book concludes with two excellent chapters on “Tradition and Community” and “Love of Scripture”. Kapic navigates the poles that often exist within the scholarly literature on the role of tradition, as well as avoiding highly technical discussions on Scripture. He simply affirms it as central to good theology, calling it the “beating heart” [10]. Kapic’s way of concluding the book with these two chapters is refreshing—both to those who are skeptical of a purely cognitive, supposedly “presuppositionless” approach to doctrine, as well as to those who don’t believe church practices are the only normative markers for Christian belief [11].
Critique
One of the helpful features of the book is the in-text citations from numerous books. Many of them are from seminal works throughout church history, while others are lesser-known works that still facilitate the key points of each chapter. These will prove to help readers who need further direction about where to read the best theology, as well as to appreciate how other Christians have understood the nature of theology in other ages.
Kapic’s chapters on “Faithful Reason” and “Tradition and Community” are perhaps my favorite because of their nuanced and mature handling of multi-layered subjects (though they must be read in the broader context of the book to appreciate). Readers with Reformed leanings will likely enjoy the book the most [12].
This work’s main weakness is that its definition of theology is too broad. Many recent books that attempt to define theology commonly reject the reductionist accounts that many Christians buy into. They are trying to help their readers appreciate the depth and breadth of the theological enterprise, and how it touches other aspects of Christian faith. However, the frequent result is that the definition ends up being so imprecise that it is difficult for readers to track with it.
Ultimately, this may simply be one of those arenas where faithfulness doesn’t require a tidy definition. Attending to the truth of God is a daunting task, but Professor Kapic certainly helps place it in proper perspective.
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[1] Helmut Thielicke, A Little Exercise for Young Theologians (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1962), 12.
[2] Thielicke, 31.
[3] Kapic, 10. 126pp., paperback, $7.76
[4] Ibid., 15.
[5] Ibid., 18.
[6] Ibid., 24.
[7] Ibid., 25.
[8] Ibid., 68.
[9] Ibid., 74-75.
[10] Ibid., 105.
[11] Nowadays many well-read evangelical students have recognized the limitations of theological presentations that emphasize the propositional nature of doctrine at the expense of other considerations—namely, the cultural situatedness of theology, and the importance of theology in the context of the church. Kapic is helpful because he doesn’t yield to a Barthian view of Scripture, nor does he neglect the nuances involved in modern debates over theological method.
[12] This is no surprise since much of Kapic’s academic work has been on the Puritan theologian John Owen.
March 1, 2013
Great work as always Jackson. Have you read Kevin DeYoung’s recent article on why pastors should read over their heads? I think it goes along with your book review and emphasis on theology for the pastor as well as the theologian. You can find it at the Gospel Coalition’s site.
March 1, 2013
I haven’t seen that, Eric, but I will check it out. DeYoung often has great insight. Thanks for pointing that out.