Theologians
Basic Info
The Evangelists and the writers of the Epistles wrote stories of Jesus’ life and instruction and encouragement to the earliest Christian communities. Though these writings may have been just right for the audience of the 1st century, as the world changed and those who had personally known Jesus died off, questions arose about what the Bible (i.e., the stories and letters) meant in this or that context or in relation to this or that philosophical concept. For example, was Jesus God or a man or both, and if both, how can that be? Was he two people? Was he really God just appearing to be human?
The questions lead to thinking, the thinking leads first to conjecture, then to argument, then to refinement, then to agreement, then to doctrine. This is the process of faith seeking understanding, the process of theology, or making sense of God’s identity and relationship to human beings.
Each time one of these thinking processes leads to an agreed doctrine, that doctrine then sparks new questions. Taking the example of Jesus’ identity, in 451, a group of Christian leaders gathered and agreed finally (after many years of debate) that Jesus Christ was one person with two natures—a divine nature and a human nature. That settled a huge set of questions but then opened new ones. How much did Jesus know about his divine nature, and when did he know it? After all, a fully human nature couldn’t form thoughts like that in a fully human infant brain.
Throughout Christian history, some theologians have been more respected than others for their thinking about God and Scripture. We know about these people because they wrote their thoughts out and shared them with others, either through preaching or through books. With some of them, their thinking process was so good that it continues to inspire readers many centuries later.
Historical Notes
The schisms in the Christian Church have often been related to doctrinal (theological) issues. So, some congregations think some theologians are wrong. If you are unsure about whether your congregation accepts a particular theologian as being of value, search the Web or ask a minister at your church.
What to Look For
Theologians tend to be depicted with the trappings of being a scholar. Notice these elements:
- The saint’s attitude, posture, gaze, stance, etc.
- The presence of books, pens, ink, scrolls, etc.
- The saint’s relationship to others depicted
Questions to Focus a General Interpretation
How does the artwork reflect the saintliness of this theologian? Does it capture a questioning and thinking attitude? If not, how does it portray the qualities of a theologian?
Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation
Does the artwork encourage you to think or read more deeply about any of the theological questions that bother you?
Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation
The popularity of theologians waxes and wanes with the preference of the times. If you know something about this theologian’s thinking and priorities, how do you think they related to the priorities and questions of the artist’s time and place? Does the artist capture these issues?
