Shallow Theology: Do we really have deep roots in the church today?

I spent a lot of time listening to folks discuss theology this Christmas.  The one thing that doesn’t improve is the shallowness of their theology. Most people think “if I can point to the Strong’s concordance in Hebrew or Greek then I can tell you exactly what the Bible says.” Yet they can’t point to any proofs of what their trying to say. Yet when I discuss theology with others, I find that they desire a deeper understanding of theology, but really don’t want to gain it due to the fact that a deeper understanding will call you out of where you currently are and out of your comfort zone.

For this, I tend to look no further than Psalm 1 and look at where this particular Psalm talks about the righteous person as being planted by streams of water who produces fruit in and out of season (Ps. 1:3). Those who are spiritually nourished have deep roots that anchor them to the shores of refreshment. This righteous person is not like the wicked who are compared to chaff that is driven away by the wind (Ps. 1:4). The contrast is stark: one is constantly fed and the roots grow deep while the fruit never ceases to grow, while the other is rootless and detached from any source of nutrition, and it is, therefore, blown away by the next wind that comes through. And while we need to be planted by streams that run deep with refreshment, we can also look at Matthew and see that sometimes it’s the soil…causing us to not take root. 

Jesus begins telling a series of parables in Matthew 13 starting with the parable of the Sower. The Sower scatters seeds on his field and some of the seed lands on different types of soil. Some fell along the path, some were devoured by the birds, others fell on rocky soil, sprang up quickly, but then were scorched when the sun appeared since they had no depth of root, and others found good soil and began producing fruit. Jesus tells us the point of this parable in verses 18-23 when he explains that the soil represents those that hear the message Jesus was proclaiming about His Kingdom, which is the seed that was scattered. According to what kind of soil the seed falls on determines the growth of the roots of that seed. One seed fell on rocky ground and began to grow. Jesus tells us, “As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.” (Matt. 13:20, 21). 

Ethan Renroe states “We have replaced rich, robust theology in the Church with emotional music and constant reminders that “God is love and loves you and He’s your personal Savior and loves your soul …” These words are great at bringing outsiders through the doors (because they’re true by and large) but poor at growing believers into mature witnesses with rich understanding of the deep things of God. It should not only be pastors, authors and theologians who study what they believe, but all believers. Jesus Himself stated that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind (Luke 10:27), yet we tend to overlook this last one and focus on the heart and soul. God paints an intense fate for those who neglect to grow in their understanding in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for their lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you.” It’s not too late for Christians to learn in their understanding of the holy. It’s not too late to learn the meaning and value of our creeds, doctrines, and systems. There is merit in learning and understanding the deeper parts of our faith and I say we start sooner than later.

As much as I hate to admit it, and to admit that I even read an article by this author, Rachel Held Evans, had a couple of good points about why millennials are leaving the church—and I think her article may be why we also have a shallow theology. When discussing what churches are doing to regenerate interest in the church, Rachel says “In response, many churches have sought to lure millennials back by focusing on style points: cooler bands, hipper worship, edgier programming, impressive technology. Yet while these aren’t inherently bad ideas and might in some cases be effective, they are not the key to drawing millennials back to God in a lasting and meaningful way. Young people don’t simply want a better show. And trying to be cool might be making things worse. You can get a cup of coffee with your friends anywhere, but church is the only place you can get ashes smudged on your forehead as a reminder of your mortality. You can be dazzled by a light show at a concert on any given weekend, but church is the only place that fills a sanctuary with candlelight and hymns on Christmas Eve. You can snag all sorts of free swag for brand loyalty online, but church is the only place where you are named a beloved child of God with a cold plunge into the water. You can share food with the hungry at any homeless shelter, but only the church teaches that a shared meal brings us into the very presence of God.” (See footnote) 

I’ll conclude with Kevin DeYoung, “Our superficial world needs substantive churches. Our shallow culture needs depth in worship. Our secular society needs a whole lot of good, holy thinking.” 

(1) Article by Rachel Held Evans does not reflect my stance on homosexuality or the sacraments of the church. Article does, however, touch on why we have a shallow theology.