Importance of Writing, and Not Writing Contextual Theology

WRITING!!

We had two seminars in the last two weeks on the importance of writing in the theological context:

On August 1st, we had members of Langham Publishing visit our seminary to encourage Filipinos to write theological and ministerial books, monographs, and such. It was a good training. Also since I recently took on the role of overseeing the seminary’s “Research and Creative Works” office, this is important to the move at PBTS to become less reliant on Western books and research.

On July 24th, CHED supported two professors who were giving guidance in how PBTS can do research and publishing based on the standards of CHED. The goal is that theses produced meeting standards for publishing in journals (rather than standards for collecting dust in one and only one library).

NOT WRITING!

I am taking a course and reading numerous articles and books on the Orality movement. The Orality movement focuses on those who are illiterate or semi-illiterate (primary orality groups) and those who are able to read but it is decidedly their non-preferred form of learning. They don’t go running to a library, or even an online article. They will watch a Youtube video to learn something.

Orality Online Group

The call to write and the call not to write are not necessarily contradictory. Or perhaps I would say that they are in substantive contradiction rather than fundamental contradiction. Consider the case of an American football (I think this illustration will make sense for those who don’t really know the sport.) In the higher echelons of the sport, a team will have multiple coaches who deal with different aspects of the game. One might be an Offensive Coach and another might be a Defensive Coach. Suppose you talk to the Offensive Coach and ask him the secret of winning. He might say, “It is all about a multi-dimensional high power offense.” Now suppose you talk to the Defensive Coach and ask him the same question. He might say, “It is all about having a stifling defense.” Are they contradicting each other? Yes. They substantively disagree with each other. The disagreement is not fundamental, however. Why? Because they are on the same team and work for the same head coach. The head coach appreciates their different perspectives and even probably doesn’t want them to change. If each can achieve their goal— a multi-dimensional high-power offense AND a stifling defense, the team would be practically unstoppable.

We need those who live and minister in the two-thirds world to be theologically reflective and ministerially dedicated. They would be writing and publishing their own understandings, not what they picked up from overseas writers. We also need those who are storytellers and visual artists and singers who can teach and transform their communities.

Sadly, there has been a history of conflict between written and oral (with written winning the battle at least until the last decade or so). This does not need to be. Both are likely inadequate of themselves.