2 April 2015 by Esperanza Ng CM –
What does “Theology” mean to you? When someone questions you about your faith, how well are you able to articulate the foundational truths of Christianity and why you believe in this man, Jesus, whom you claim to be God? In a culture as diverse as ours, it is important for us to know what we really believe and be ready to defend it. Unfortunately, few Malaysians are equipped to answer questions about the Christian faith—even simple questions that define the very face of Christianity.
Dr. Sunny Tan, Associate Dean of the Malaysia Baptist Theological Seminary and Theology Programs Director of the Asia Graduate School of Theology Alliance was happy to shed some light on the importance of theology and the current state of theological studies in Malaysia.
The concept of theological or biblical studies has long since been perceived to be a field meant only for a very specific group of people who have been called into full-time ministry or to serve God as a vocation. With the exception of this small group of people who have enrolled themselves into Bible school or seminary, most, if not all theological knowledge of the majority of Malaysian Christians has been solely reliant on the church.
While the church is in fact a place where we learn and grow in our walk with God, it is also a place that is made up of a dynamic mix of people who are at different levels of maturity in their faith. In order for the church to cater to the needs of her members and their spiritual health, delving deep into theological studies can be somewhat tricky and not exactly conducive for everyone. That is where the seminaries and Bible schools come into the picture.
The word seminary comes from the Latin word Seminarium, which means nursery—a safe place for seedlings to grow and be nurtured. Similarly, Christians who desire to receive a higher level of theological studies in addition to what they have already attained in the church can go to a seminary where they will be trained before they are ready to be transplanted in the wider world.
As children of God, God expects us to be equipped and to have some level of excellence in the things we do. Jesus has called us to be His disciples, and to be a disciple basically means to be a student—a learner. God has also given us a book, and so we must study it— learn its grammar and its history. While there are many ways in which we learn, theological education is a specialized form of education that helps individual Christians be more focused to acquire certain types of skills.
The Apostle Paul said that our calling is to present ourselves as living sacrifices for God’s service, and one of the necessary requirements to serve God is to be able to know right from wrong. The testing to know God’s will requires the training of the mind. We cannot know the ways of God unless we know what He is really like. Theological studies (and with the help of the Holy Spirit) will help us better discern between falsehoods and truths.
“In a sense, the study of God is also a science,” Dr. Sunny said. “There is a systematic way of doing things. Any kind of ministry is both an art and a science. The artistic parts come from inside you—it involves creativity and energy that makes you unique—but anything that is worth doing is a science, because it can be studied.” Theological studies also entails more than studying just about the character of God, but all that He is involved in. Since God has created the world, we must therefore study His handiwork. If God has a certain way of doing things, then we have to explore His ways.
That being said, many seminaries and Bible schools in Malaysia have noticed that not everyone has been called to full-time ministry, yet theological education is important for all Christians, especially those who have reached a certain level of maturity. Therefore, most bible schools are now willing to open their doors to people who simply want to learn more. “I’m becoming more and more convinced that every individual has a place and a role in the Kingdom of God, and those who aspire to learn and to go deeper in the things of God should be encouraged to do so and get as much support as they can.”
Realizing also that many Christian professionals can make an enormous impact in the workplace with just a little bit more theological training, Dr. Sunny encourages those who are willing to take some time off to carry out some systematic study so that they will be challenged to think more critically even as they serve God in the corporate world. Of course, that requires a significant amount of sacrifice and time, and so for those who are unable to do that, the seminary is now reaching out to churches to offer extension classes in the church.
“I’d like to decentralize and partner with churches to establish this kind of ministry,” said Dr. Sunny. With a group of members who are willing to commit as an anchor for these extensions, the seminary is willing to meet the people where they are at and offer the kind of training or class they think is most important to them. If churches everywhere begin to offer different classes, anyone interested would be able to pick and choose and build up their knowledge in theology and its application.
Although most bible schools and seminaries still maintain training up pastors and leaders for full time ministry to be the main reason for their existence, there is now also an avenue that accommodates anyone who desires to learn more about God and serve Him with their lives. The nursery for the soul is open for all who want to be nurtured and have a healthy walk with Christ. “It’s like one of the budget airline’s slogan, you know,” Dr. Sunny laughed. “Now Everyone Can Study!
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