Why do theology?

Theology is not about forming creeds but is subversive of all creeds.  Theology is  inquiry about the nature of God.  You cannot genuinely inquire about something, unless you feel free to have original ideas and to disagree with what has been said before.  Creeds, however, make the acceptance of theological opinion to be the basis of acceptance in the community, effectively shutting down free inquiry for all but the bravest souls.  The meaning of the Nicene Creed was that the Arian communities may be treated with the sword instead of respect.

I do theology because the being of God is mysterious, interesting and wonderful to contemplate.  Theology is worship because it supposes that God is worth thinking about.  The reason is the same for doing natural science: nature is mysterious, interesting and wonderful to contemplate.  Doing science for these reasons also presupposes and communicates a valuing of nature.  In doing science we endorse that nature is worth the time and energy we spend studying it.  And often both science and theology have their beginnings in the same experience of wonder.

Science and theology have this much in common: both are forms of inquiry.  All attempts to change opinion by twisting arms are inimical to genuine inquiry.  If we are genuinely motivated by wonder, if we actually care about God or nature, then we must eschew creedalism and dogmatism in both science and religion.  We should be united in our commitment to inquire, not by our coming to the same conclusions.

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