How to Make a Theologian: Theological Education and the Life of Discipleship

Professionally speaking, I am not a theologian; I am a librarian.I earn my living through the collection, organization, instruction, and sharing of information.When it comes to theology, I am what Nicholas Wolterstorff, in an essay from one of the books reviewed here, calls a "genial dabbler" (39-40).Wolterstorff does not intend the title as a compliment, but it is actually not a bad description for most librarians.While we have our various specialties, librarians are generalists at heart.We know (or quickly learn) a bit about many different subjects, our working knowledge expanding relative to the scope of our collections and the needs of our patrons.Even theological librarians, despite the specificity of their title, have to be acquainted with the whole variety of subdisciplines represented by the various specialties in a seminary, divinity school, or theology department.This "dabbling" may leave us feeling inadequate at times, but I think it also gives us a unique perspective on the task of theology and the role of the theologian.Who can legitimately lay claim to the title "theologian"?There are (at least) three ways to think about who counts.First, there is an important sense in which every human being is a theologian.Francis Schaeffer insisted that the discipline of philosophy, at its core, is an exploration of how we view the world.In this sense, "all people are philosophers, for all people have a worldview.This is as true of the man digging a ditch as it is of the philosopher in the university." 1 Similarly, if theology deals with our understanding of the divine, about who we think God is, then it is not simply the business of those with graduate degrees in theology or religious studies.In this sense, anyone who asks meaningful questions about God is a theologian.Second, those trained in seminaries and divinity schools to minister in the church are 1