“Bernard of Chartres used to say that we are like dwarfs on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see more than they, and things at a greater distance, not by virtue of any sharpness of sight on our part, or any physical distinction, but because we are carried high and raised up by their giant size.” John of Salisbury 1159.
Every year I preach a series called “Lessons from Church History” where I look at seminal figures from different time periods, gleaning theological and spiritual lessons. My motives are that I enjoy history, especially, the history of Christianity and historical theology, but more importantly, I believe we starve ourselves when we neglect the nourishing works of great writers who have profoundly shaped our vision of God; on top of that, I want our folks to appreciate “the
communion of saints” – that is, we stand in a long line of great women and men who have gone before us and have laid a foundation that has been built upon a rock. So much theological literature produced today (please do not misunderstand me – NOT ALL) is wood, hay and stubble, constructed upon shifting sand and is but a poor regurgitation of what was already said long ago – with great beauty, clarity, and fine theological acumen. It is my desire to see Christians jump back on the shoulders of giants in order to see further and be nourished.
In the past years, we looked at figures such as: Augustine, Athanasius, Anselm, William Tyndale, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, and C.S. Lewis. On tap for this year is the Cappadocian Fathers (Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa, and Gregory of Nazianzus), Bernard of Clairvaux, John Wesley, and D. L. Moody. I try to pick folks from different time periods and from multiple geographic regions. To the best of my ability, I am trying to get us out of our own echo chambers and listen to people who struggled with issues that we excel at but are far superior in other areas where we seem to be blinded by our own cultural and theological bias.
I am looking forward to the month of August, for I get to spend the bulk of my time reading and learning from great theologians who were imperfect but used by God for the for the glory of His name.
