In the first post in our series—that is progressing from being two-parts to three!—on how to relate to theological error we asked the question, “How do we deal with those who differ from us?” If the advice given by Roger Nicole and (possibly) Augustine is of value, how do we approach reading either a Christian who writes bad theology or a non-Christian who writes anything that poses a challenge to our view? The following is the product of my own thoughts on this as I’ve been making my way through both of these scenarios in my recent reading experience.
1) Reading error, depending on the circumstance, can be necessary.
Pastors, as undershepherds of Christ’s flock, are called to guard their sheep (Acts 20:28). How does a shepherd protect straying sheep from the wolves that lurk in the nearby woods if he is not sure what a wolf looks like? Likewise, if pastors are unaware of the various theologies that their members are imbibing, how will they provide thoughtful, biblical and winsome arguments? If a young woman in the church, say, is reading Brian McLaren and is widely sharing her new-found love of all things emergent, how will the pastor respond if he has never heard of McLaren and doesn’t know what he teaches?
It may be argued that a pastor doesn’t have enough time to read all of the latest errors, let alone the good stuff. While this is true, there are steps that can be taken to keep abreast of the theological trends. Pastors should gauge the climate of their congregation and seek to be aware of what their people are reading on their Kindle or listening to on their iPod. Armed with this knowledge, there are many resources to help in the battle. A great place to start is the blogosphere—which can pose its own problems, but can also be a vital place to get up-to-date information. Find trustworthy sites like Between Two Worlds (Justin Taylor), Challies.com (Tim Challies) and The Gospel Coalition blogs that regularly provide links to resources and discuss the current goings-on in Christendom. Book review websites like DiscerningReader.com and TGCReviews.com offer sound reviews of all kinds of books, both good and bad. Related to this, subscribing to good periodicals, whether on the popular side like Modern Reformation or the Banner of Truth Magazine, or more technical ones like Themelios (which is online) or Westminster Theological Journal not only provide stimulating articles that can be read in one sitting, but they also have a host of book reviews listed according to subject. Reviews are extremely helpful, but remember, not all reviews will accurately reflect what a person has said. Whether an honest misunderstanding has occurred, or a nefarious bending of the truth has crept in, human reviewers are fallibe, and thus a first-hand reading is all the more profitable. It can also save a lot of embarrassment!
Of course, with a nod to the proprietor of this blog, organisations that host conferences are another resource worth pursuing. In Southwestern Ontario—and in other parts of Canada—Sola Scriptura Ministries holds conferences dedicated to various subjects that will inform and challenge attendees. Such conferences are also good for networking where you can hear what other pastors are dealing with, and often they have excellent book tables.
But where possible, it is best to interact with first-hand accounts rather than basing any challenges on hearsay. To reply, “I read somewhere that McLaren is a relativist” may not be too convincing when you are engaged with said woman in the church who has read everything he has written. It is much better to say, “When I read A Generous Orthodoxy I noted some problems that I’d like to go over with you.” She will be much more likely to listen to you when she knows that your concerns are your own and note merely based on what someone else has said. As well, it will be much harder to pull a fast-one on you when you can actually quote sections of the book.
As an aside, have you ever noticed the footnotes in books that you read? In many books, those footnotes demonstrate that your favourite theologians read error in order to combat it. Pick up a book like Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen and you will quickly discover that he was intimately involved with the writings of his liberal opponents.
Finally, by reading error, you might actually learn something. In one sense, reading error can hone our understanding of the truth. By being forced to answer arguments, we can become firmer in our convictions and will be better able to articulate them. We may find some of our misheld convictions challenged so that we can change them to better reflect biblical teaching. In many cases, such as the emerging church, good things are taught—like the rejection of suburbanized, materialist, seeker-sensitive church growth practices—although their answers are not always helpful; at least we can be thankful for their critiques. Or the case of Tom Wright, whose errors are often over-exaggerations against what he perceives as errors, can help us see clearly ways that the church has fallen in a rut. Wright speaks too strongly against systematic theology, but it does help us to see the need to not become steeped in theological tradition to the degree that biblical theology is neglected. In Wright`s case, many of his other works, like that on the resurrection, are priceless.
So, where possible, make it a discipline to read through erroroneous theology for the purpose of fending off the wolves and honing a better understanding of truth.
