THE RELEVANCE OF STUDYING THEOLOGY

The post-modern world has not left anything unquestioned. If there is one thing that has come under the heavy scrutiny of post-modernism that in all probability - not so much the question of God - are matters concerning religious beliefs and doctrines. It seems clearer even to the simple minds that you cannot be the way you were in the past. Everything changes and we are caught unawares most often. We cannot present God the way it was presented to us when we were kids. We are forced not only to change the method of communication – today attention depends on attraction – but also the content of it, if not completely. This is the situation in which we live. I am intrigued by the timeless yearning of the human heart to know the Divine even in the midst increasing material prosperity! Hence, it is needless to discuss whether the study of theology is relevant today. The need is greater than in the past precisely due to the challenges that arise to theologizing. I would give three reasons as to how the study of theology is very relevant, leaving aside the legal requirement for those aspiring for priesthood.

First of all, study of theology is different from the study of natural sciences such as Chemistry, Biology and alike. Theology touches my life, leads to the core of my being. Anything could change, but my core. In my opinion, only theology could take me to the core and establish and repair my relationship with ‘the core’. This implies that doing theology is more than a mere intellectual activity. Revelation plays a much bigger role in doing theology than reason.

Secondly, I believe the theological questions are human questions too. Questions regarding human existence, meaning, and values are articulated in a way they were never done before. I am of the opinion the world is groaning, as St. Paul puts it ‘the creation is groaning’, for meaning and searches for values. Often we search for things where they don’t exist. In God alone we could find answers for every sincere search. Hence, we cannot rule out the importance of doing theology.

Thirdly, we are called to be more than resourceful, to be prayerful and mystics even! It is very interesting to see how people flock to spiritual persons. Our love for a person is manifested in our interest to know the person. This is true of our relationship with the Creator. Nobody questions me when I care for my father and mother, try to get to know how they are time and again. If this is natural, my desire to know my Creator cannot but be my right and responsibility! Our love for Him is manifested in the way we strive to know Him and ultimately make Him known to many. That, in my opinion, is the best possible thing that we can do on earth!  

Thomas Arockiasamy