Theology Evolved?

Zach, I ended up on your blog by exploring the links from Randy Parker's blog. Randy is on staff with us at New Covenant Comm Ch in Fresno. I was attracted to your list of theological posts. Okay, full disclosure...my specialty is medieval theology. Yeah, I'm a Baptist and that is strange thing for a Baptist pastor to specialize in.

Here is my point. Typically, evangelicals tend to think there is no profit to be gained from the use of material things. This, I believe, is a critical mistake. Material things are: A) good; and B) a primary means by which we do God's will in the world. This is because man is not just an individual social unit. Man is part of the human family and the community dimension of human existence is critically important and often outweighs the needs of the individual. For instance, The goal of a father must include that his

children reach their spiritual and material potential. When a father

pursues his own ends to the exclusion of meeting these needs, we must

rightly say that he fails to reach his own potential. Unfortunately, the world is full of fathers that are pursuing their own individual potential in the exclusion of their children.

Bodily goods (material things) are gifts from God to be used for his glory and for our character development. Without the proper use of our goods we cannot become virtuous. Here is what Aquinas noted while quoting Augustine on this subject:

As Augustine says (De Lib. Arb. ii, 19), "it belongs to virtue to use well the things that we can use ill." Now we may use both well and ill, not only the things that are within us, such as the powers and the passions of the soul, but also those that are without, such as the things of this world that are granted us for our livelihood.

In short, material things must be used "well" in order for us to become a virtuous Christian. In doing so we become prepared for eternity. In this way, there is great profit in the use of material things.

Blessings,

Jän van Oosten

Fresno, CA