On June 20, I had the opportunity to present a workshop at the annual ACCS Repairing the Ruins Conference entitled “Theological Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts.” The design of the talk was to help educators think about the importance of teaching students HOW to read the Bible, not just what to believe about the Bible. In an educational model so often prioritizing teaching students the arts and skills of learning over content, we often fall short in Bible classes but reverting to delivery of information. My workshop presented ten principles of theological thinking that I have been working on to help students become life-long readers of God’s Word. Below is a brief summary of those ten principles. You can also find the handout here.

1. Carefully: Theological thinking is developed first by being careful readers of the text.

2. Contextually: Theological thinking is developed next by being aware of the context (literary and historical) of each text.

3. Canonically: Theological thinking is developed next by reading under the authority of the text.

4. Conversationally: Theological thinking is developed next by being in conversation with the text.

5. Christologically: Theological thinking is developed next by being attuned to what the text says about Christ.

6. Confessionally: Theological thinking is rooted in and developed by an ever- increasing reliance upon the interpretive work done in and through the Holy Spirit.

7. Critically: Theological thinking is developed by an ability to engage in critical analysis without abandoning interpretive fidelity on other points.

8. Creatively: Theological thinking is developed next by developing a Christian imagination that sees all things through the lens of Christ and helps us bridge the gap between historical context and present practice.

9. Communally: Theological thinking is developed next by reading within community.

10. Charitably: Theological thinking is developed finally by being a charitable and hospitable reader, assuming the best about the text and considering first that any apparent contradictions are a result of our misguided interpretation.

Some Conclusions

*Model it: Teach, preach, and discuss the Scriptures in ways that evidence and model good theological thinking.

*Practice it & Coach it: Ask students to engage in interpretive exercises and coach them on areas for improvement and growth.

In addition to running and writing for The Classical Thistle, Kyle Rapinchuk is Head of School at Sager Classical Academy.

Feature Image Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash