Back in September, the inaugural Paideia Center reading groups began. For those who are unfamiliar, this is a project championed primarily by Reformed Theological Seminary and involves groups around the country reading classic works on a given topic and having monthly discussion groups as well as an annual conference. This year —conspicuously timed given recent theological controversies— the focus is on knowing the Triune God. The fall semester book for this topic is Gregory of Nazianzus’ On God and Christ.
This book is really a collection of 5 orations, with the first two focusing on the “On God” portion, the next two focusing on Christ, and the final covering the Holy Spirit. Oration 27, the first on the book, largely focuses on Gregory’s opponents, the Eunomians. As a prelude to his later theological writings, he addresses issues like who should do theology, when/how it should be done, what topics are permissible, and so on.
Section III starts off as follows
Not to everyone, my friends, does it belong to philosophize about God; not to every one; the Subject is not so cheap and low; and I will add, not before every audience, nor at all times, nor on all points; but on certain occasions, and before certain persons, and within certain limits.[ref]All quotes are taken from this translation: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/310227.htm[/ref]
He expounds upon the “who”, saying it should be limited to those who “have been examined, and are passed masters in meditation, and who have been previously purified in soul and body, or at the very least are being purified.” In later sections, he clarifies that there is a difference between theology in the formal sense, and meditation on the Word and on God, which is the calling of all believers at all times.
On the “when”, he says “…when we are free from all external defilement or disturbance, and when that which rules within us is not confused with vexatious or erring images…” Returning to the “who”, he would limit theology to those “to whom the subject is of real concern, and not they who make it a matter of pleasant gossip, like any other thing, after the races, or the theat[er], or a concert, or a dinner, or still lower employments.” Section IV defines the “what” as “matters within our reach, and to such an extent as the mental power and grasp of our audience may extend.”
Section V contains this whirlwind of metaphors
Let us not think so nor yet, like hot tempered and hard mouthed horses, throwing off our rider Reason, and casting away Reverence, that keeps us within due limits, run far away from the turning point, but let us philosophize within our proper bounds, and not be carried away into Egypt, nor be swept down into Assyria (Daniel 3:12), nor sing the Lord’s song in a strange land, by which I mean before any kind of audience, strangers or kindred, hostile or friendly, kindly or the reverse, who watch what we do with over great care, and would like the spark of what is wrong in us to become a flame, and secretly kindle and fan it and raise it to heaven with their breath and make it higher than the Babylonian flame which burnt up everything around it.
After reading this oration, I came to one earth-shattering conclusion: Gregory would’ve hated social media. The internet age and our ability to interact with those from every time zone instantaneously have greatly reduced our sense of propriety, reverence, and formality when it comes to theology. Any random person with an internet connection can hop online and start debates about baptism, Bible translations, or whatever hot-button topic they wish. Someone who heard the term sola scriptura a week ago can end up interacting with seminary professors and doctoral candidates. Trolls create Twitter accounts and use Bible verses out of context as gotcha moments towards pastors.
We —speaking in broad generalities— have reduced theology to the level of entertainment like “races, or the theat[er], or a concert, or a dinner…” Rather than being captivated by God and drawn upwards in reverence, we are drawn downwards into endless threads of 280 character quips about social justice, Marian dogmas, and apologetic methodology. We take weighty topics and use them as punchlines. We interact with the lowest common denominator of our opponent to score imaginary points with our side.
Gregory would have us flee from that. He would instead have us reclaim reverence and propriety. He’d have us consider the time and place of our discussions; consider our audience; consider our conversation partner.
We ought to consider how different the pixels on the screen are from an actual face-to-face conversation. We should consider how different those conversations may be if we knew the person as a friend first before debating them. We should consider how the separation may embolden us to say things we wouldn’t say in person. With Google at our fingertips, we should remember that expertise and maturity require more than the Wikipedia summary or a couple of articles.
This isn’t a discussion about the latest blockbuster movie or a difference of musical taste. This is the divine. We are discussing a God that sees our interactions and knows not only the right answers but right behavior. Let all who strive to engage with the deeper theological topics and discussion remember that.