6.4 No ‘Mickey Mouse Theology’
In order to be able to represent Christ worthily in society, Christians need to be able to make a bridge between their personal faith and the area or specialty in which they are called to serve in the world. Thus, for example, a biology teacher needs to know in what way the discipline he or she teaches interfaces with the biblical revelation. The same is true for a medical doctor or a politician.
Unfortunately, many Christians who have a secular vocation exist in a sort of schizophrenia: they do not make any personal effort to connect their specialist area with their life of faith, and neither are they helped to do so by the teaching they receive in church. This is why when you hear these people talk about their profession they appear highly competent, but if you ask them to explain their area of specialty in the light of biblical revelation you see them professing what a friend of mine called ‘a sort of Mickey Mouse theology’, a childish and ridiculous presentation of their faith that falls far below their professional competence.
This is the reason why we believe that the critical priority of church leaders today should be to equip those members of their congregations who have a secular vocation to live out their faith intelligently in the midst of their daily occupations, by deepening their Biblical and theological understanding.
on the topic of VOCATION (quote from Wikipedia and Book of Concord):
“Divine providence
According to Lutherans, God preserves his creation, cooperates with everything that happens, and guides the universe. While God cooperates with both good and evil deeds, with evil deeds he does so only inasmuch as they are deeds, but not with the evil in them. God concurs with an act’s effect, but he does not cooperate in the corruption of an act or the evil of its effect. Lutherans believe everything exists for the sake of the Christian Church, and that God guides everything for its welfare and growth.
“even though I am a sinner and deserving of death and hell, this shall nonetheless be my consolation and my victory that my Lord Jesus lives and has risen so that He, in the end, might rescue me from sin, death, and hell.”—Luther
The explanation of the Apostles’ Creed given in the Small Catechism declares that everything good that people have is given and preserved by God, either directly or through other people or things. Of the services others provide us through family, government, and work, “we receive these blessings not from them, but, through them, from God.” Since God uses everyone’s useful tasks for good, people should look not down upon some useful VOCATIONS as being less worthy than others. Instead people should honor others, no matter how lowly, as being the means God uses to work in the world.” (Book of Concord)
By: Gabriel Borlean on 16 March 2010
at 12:20 pm
Pot sa traduc acest pasaj pentru categoria citate pe Clujul Evanghelic?
By: Vasile Tomoiagă on 18 March 2010
at 9:15 pm
Desigur, asa cum ti-am spus deja.
By: DanutM on 19 March 2010
at 1:29 pm
[...] Mănăstireanu, 40 Years in the Desert – 6. Christian Social Responsibility 4 – 6.4 No ‘Mickey Mouse Theol… Tradus cu permisiune de Vasile [...]
By: Citat: Nu “Teologiei de tip Mickey Mouse” « Clujul Evanghelic on 12 April 2010
at 11:38 am