God Talk

What Is Theology? And Why It Matters More Than Ever

Theology.

Have you ever wondered what that word means—and why it matters?

For some, it conjures images of ancient debates or ivory tower academics. For others, it might sound rigid, abstract, or disconnected from the lived experience of faith. But at its root, theology simply means “God-talk.” It comes from the Greek words theos (God, Divine) and logos (word, discourse, or reason). Theology is how we reflect on who God is, who we are, and how we live in relationship to the world, the Divine, and ourselves.

If you’ve ever asked why suffering exists, or how love can endure, or whether the church still matters—if you’ve ever cried out to God in anger, awe, or longing—you’ve done theology. The question isn’t if we do theology, but how consciously and courageously we are willing to explore the sacred questions of our time.

Today, theology is more alive than ever. It doesn’t just live in pulpits or seminaries; it lives in protest songs, around kitchen tables, in healing circles, digital spaces, and quiet moments of reflection. You can see it in our politics and in our most intimate conversations. Theology is shaped by race, gender, culture, land, sexuality, politics—by all the stories we carry. That means, there are many, many theologies.

Some are traditional, others progressive. Some are global, others deeply local. Some are ancient, and some are just emerging. Some theologies aim to preserve systems of power (think Christian Nationalism); others seek to set people free (as in Liberation Theology). Some are born in cathedrals, others on the margins. Some emphasize reason and order, others begin with grief, mystery, or embodied experience. All of them, in their own way, are trying to speak about what matters most.

On Sunday, July 27, the Sunday after I return from vacation, we’ll do theology together in a playful and powerful way with a special sermon time called Stump the Pastor. (Thanks to Amy Tobey for the idea!) This is your chance to bring the theological questions that have been lingering in your heart and hear my best reflections. What have you always wanted to ask about God, scripture, church, or the life of faith?

Amy will be collecting questions over the next few weeks and get them to me by the 25th so I have time to reflect. And I’ll also be taking questions live during worship. (That's the Stump the Pastor part.😉) This will be a chance to explore faith with curiosity, humor, and depth—together.

In August, my sermons will take us deeper into some of your questions by exploring the diverse theological perspectives that help shape our shared journey of faith. I will group your questions from July 27th into categories so we can make sense of these concepts together.

And if you want to go deeper, on Tuesday, August 5, I’ll be leading a six-part online study series called “Exploring the Many Faces of Theology.” We’ll meet from 6:30–7:30 PM on the four Tuesdays in August and the first two Wednesdays in September. Each week, we’ll explore a few different streams of theology—classical, liberationist, feminist, queer, ecological, postcolonial, trauma-informed, and more. Together, we’ll reflect on how these voices can expand our imagination, deepen our understanding of the Divine, and shape the way we live as people of faith in a complicated world.

Following this initial study, we’ll continue our Tuesday evening gatherings with a book study of David Gushee’s The Moral Teachings of Jesus—a rich exploration of Jesus’ ethical and spiritual vision that builds on the theological ground we’ve laid.

In a world filled with competing theological narratives, it’s more important than ever that we understand our own, learn from others, and stay open to how God is still speaking—especially across difference.

No experience is required, just curiosity, courage, and a willingness to listen and learn. Bring your questions. Bring your heart. Bring your theologies.

With hope and wonder, 

Pastor Robin

PS - get your questions to Amy Tobey by July 24th so she can get them to be before the 27th.