I always find myself feeling a little sad when I finish a good book, and so my conclusion of When Life and Beliefs Collide is bittersweet: I'm grateful for all I've learned and a little sad to leave it behind.
The author's contention is that "every woman's first and highest calling is to be a great theologian," and she concludes by giving four solid reasons for this. First, we need to be better theologians for ourselves. Every one of us, at some point in life, will face difficulty, and we need to know God's character so that we can believe, even in the midst of suffering, that He rules all things for our good and His glory.
We also need to be better theologians for those we love--husbands, children, and friends. We need to be prepared to be a help to them in their struggles, and if we are weak, we won't be able to meet the challenge.
We need to be better theologians for the church. "The church is weakened and vulnerable when women take lightly their responsibility to think, study, and gain a deeper knowledge of God. But a church filled with women who are growing as theologians is a church that is gaining strength."
But knowing God is the "greatest and most compelling reason for us to get serious about theology . . . He alone can quench the thirsting of our hearts. He is the joy that nothing can destroy. He is the satisfaction of our deepest longings . . . We were made for this."
1 comment:
Oh, that is a bittersweet feeling when you finish a good book! I guess I never thought of theology in such a broad way as you described from the book - thanks for writing about it.
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