the passions of the soul…
Theology. This is something that folks who live and work in seminary setting - focus on more than the general population. Indeed, it is the study of God, and things concerning God. Abba Evagrius Ponticus said: ‘If you are a theologian, you will pray truly, and if you pray truly, you are a theologian. ’ This statement has largely been ignored. Many people in my home church are employed by the university nearby, which includes a seminary. I have been involved in several conversations recently about what we believe as a body of believers, or church, which seems to devolve into a focus on dogma, or doctrine. The focus on the minds and in the words of many of my church brethren seem to revolve around what we believe ‘about’ Christianity, membership in the church, baptism standards, church polity, by-laws, and how we do things. These discussions tend to become positioning about principles, or Baptist/Christian distinctives. This “head knowledge”/ theological focus of many with wh