lifeasmission

Jack Nicholson On Theology, Theologians & Seminary

February 2, 2006

The other day I found myself lamenting the place I am in right now (Seminary) and even more to the point, the people I have to listen to (professors: theologians, missiologists, philospohers, etc.). I found myself remarking, “I just want to be ‘in the trencehes,’ doing ministry, involved in peoples lives.” And then I thought of this scene from A Few Good Men. Don’t ask me why.

You will undoubtedly remember the scene. Tom Crusise screams at Jack Nicholson, “I want the truth!” Nicholson snaps back, “You can’t handle the truth!” He goes on to inform Cruise, “I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly phathom. You weep for Santiago (you lament Seminary and professors) and you curse the Marines (and you scorn the very people that make it possible for you to do what you long to do).” Nicholson goes on, “You don’t want the truth. Becasue deep down, in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall.”

It’s true. I only have a desire to do ministry and live out my theology because others before me spent the time, energy, and money to learn, study, research, and teach. As one who desires to be in the trenches and involved in peoples lives, I must admit that the only reason I am willing and able to do so is because of the very people and institutions whom I was lamenting.

Then the voice in my head said, “Ah, but thanks to the miracle of the printing press, you have God’s Word, the Bible in your hands. Better than that, you have the Holy Spirit in your heart. That’s all you need really.” And I was quickly relieved. Until I realized that this is the same defense of the Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and every other deviant sect of quasi-Christian faith who claims that its teaching is the true one.

So I did a 180. Christian theologians, missiologists, ecclesiologists, philospohers, psychologists, sociologists, etc. and the institutions they form, far from being superfulous or even necessary, are to be coveted, cherished, gleaned from, sat under, and yes, scrutinized, critiqued, never idolized or deified, but always respected and admired. Theirs is a great task, a task that were we as Christians to abandon would soon provide for the poorest excuse of Christian faith imaginable.

So, to all those who at times, like me, think that we should just chuck the system and get out there and “do it,” let’s not be too hasty. Come to think of it, I hope that I can remember that there was probably no greater scholar and theologian that Jesus himself – and it had nothing to do with the fact that he was God. It had everything to do with the fact that he sought to love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.

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