Theological Bias and Our Unifying Essentials
Four ways to love our extended Church family well.
This guest post is from a friend of mine whose family attended our church for several years. Jenny and her husband Matt have two beautiful kids and were such a blessing to our church community. Jenny is a gifted writer and has published several books, including her latest through David C. Cook, Flash Theology. I would love for you to buy her book, check out her website, and support the good work she is doing for the good of the church and the Glory of God.
Unfortunately, the topic of theological charity has lost ground to theological tribalism. We must approach everything with the helpful framework that Augustine popularized: "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity." What Jenny has written here is helpful and should make us pause. I hope it does that for you as it has for me.
Jenny Randle is an author and ordained minister with a Master’s in Theology and Biblical Foundations (Asbury Theological Seminary). She has been in ministry for over 18 years and cowrote her newest book, Flash Theology: A Visual Guide to Knowing and Enjoying God More (David C Cook, 2023). Jenny and her husband Matt live on an island in northern Florida with their two middle-school-aged kids. Visit jennyrandle.com for free resources or more info.
Growing up, our immediate family would gather with extended family at a relative’s farm for a family reunion. Some of the adults even had shirts with the family crest. Elementary-aged me struggled to connect with some of the family because we had no shared history. But sometimes, it was love at first sight as we related over playful interactions and similar passions. Of course, there was always that one long-lost relative who seemed a bit eccentric upon closer inspection. Despite our differences, we were undeniably united by blood. This is how I think of the global Church – we are an extended family.
Viewing the collective body of Christian believers as an extended family means we care for one another across national, cultural, denominational, theological, and linguistic differences. Thinking of the Church as an extended family is not contending for universalism; denominations and different expressions have their place, and the local church is imperative to the believer's growth. I am contending for a global Church that reflects Christ in the world with godly virtue and godly power. Let’s not water down the truth or dismiss opportunities to uphold and preserve God’s truth, but how do we do that? How can the global Church remain united while holding true to denominational differences? How can individual believers remain respectful in relationships while honoring the tenets of the Christian faith?
In my aim to explore what a loving Christian family can look like, I want first to emphasize that this does not diminish the importance of other critical conversations. Discussions on morality, ethics, eschatology, sacraments, predestination and free will, sexuality and gender identity, baptism, social justice, or the role of women in ministry are important. Perhaps your heart rate went up just reading that list. These topics, among others, deserve thorough examination, deep study within the Scriptures, and meaningful dialogue amongst brothers and sisters in the faith. I love a good theological show-down, just not a showy know-it-all. These hard conversations should be bathed in prayer, compassion, humility, and love for one another. Intentionality in modeling the Christian faith in conversation and caring for others is a must.
Theological differences can drive a wedge between believers, leading to division and discord. The problem is that disunity in the Church can speak louder than the unifying essentials of faith Christians are invited to proclaim. My vocation consists of ministering across Christian denominational lines. Perhaps the areas I’ve been stretched through can save your sanity and relationships as we look at four ways to love our extended Church family well.
1. To love our extended Church family well, remember the essentials.
During the pandemic, “the essentials” was uttered throughout the government and into households and businesses worldwide. Hand sanitizer, masks, and social distancing became a regular part of people's daily lives. Whether or not you agree with those essentials, they were considered helpful in a hurting world. We all know where this is headed…
The essentials of the Christian faith share the beautiful solution to a broken world. The first-tier essentials of Christianity are the theological truths relating to soteriology.
Some of these include:
The centrality of Christ as the only Lord and Savior
Salvation is found in Christ alone, who is the central figure of our faith and the only path to reconciliation with God.
Humanity’s sinful nature and the need for a Savior
Because of humanity's sinful nature, we are in desperate need of a Savior, and Christ's sacrifice provides the necessary redemption for our sins.
The incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus
Jesus accomplished the work of salvation, offering eternal life to all who believe.
The Doctrine of the Trinity
The Father appointed the plan of salvation, the Son accomplished salvation, and the Spirit applies the benefits of salvation to us (Flash Theology, p. 20)
The Second Coming of Christ
Christ will return! For those saved, this is the eschatological hope we hold onto in a world waiting to be fully restored!
The essentials of Christian Orthodoxy are what makes a Christian a Christian. The Apostles Creed, one of the earliest statements of Christian faith, succinctly summarizes these core beliefs. Across denominational lines, Christ is our family crest, and His blood unifies us.
2. To love our extended Church family well, we must understand our own theological bias. We all have a theological bias, both good and bad. Your assumptions about God are shaped by your life experiences, upbringing, how you interpret the biblical text, the pastoral leaders you listen to, the songs you sing in worship, the example of other Christians, and more. Our thoughts about God also shape our view of the church and Christianity. This is why it’s imperative we remain students of God’s Word: everything falls under the authority of Scripture!
When I led a group of women at church through Flash Theology (a book I cowrote), the first lesson I taught was on theological bias. The class ended with us sharing our own theological biases. It reminded us that we all have a faith story, and taking the time to understand one another helped us grasp later conversations and viewpoints shared in our group. For example, one person was raised by parents who grew up in a rigid and rules-based church that modeled a performance-oriented faith. Knowing our biases and being self-aware eased the tension of harder conversations.
As a conservative Christian, I find myself a mutt of denominational beliefs within my theological leanings. My formative years in elementary school were filled with religious education, sacraments, and donuts after mass. I didn’t find Jesus in the stained-glass windows of Catholicism, not because He wasn’t there (He is everywhere, after all), but because God’s Spirit didn’t awaken me to the truth of who He was. On June 4, that changed. I became a professing-Jesus-is-my-Lord-and-Savior-Christian at the age of 18. Christianity was no longer rooted in tradition or the faith of my father. Jesus became real to me in a small-town Pentecostal church, which I later discovered was stepped in hypocrisy with abusive leaders. So, I went on a journey to figure out what a genuine faith looks like and how that’s expressed in a church gathering and through ministry leaders.
My first Christian mentor was a public school coach who invited me to that Pentecostal church. She sat with me weekly and taught me the basics of Christianity. Then there was my best friend’s mom, a Catholic woman in her 50s who was a continuationist (believed in the gifts of the Spirit). When I went to college, she sent care packages filled with encouragement to continue following Jesus. My theology has since been shaped by non-denominational, Wesleyan, Charismatic, Pentecostal, and Reformed Calvinist expressions of faith.
Our faith journeys most likely look different. Imagine if we were self-aware of our bias while remaining true to the Christ-centered theology that unites us. In a world of division, Christians must remain devoted to Christ and his Church. What good or bad biases have shaped your thoughts about God? Did a situation happen that led you never to ask God for healing? Were you raised by unloving parents, so can’t fathom the love of God? Did you see your sister set free from addiction and trust God can do that for others, too? Take a few minutes and reflect on your past and present experiences that shaped you, your church background, biblical education, and your relational influences.
3. To love our extended Church family well, we must remain relational and remove our self-righteous masks.
I’ve found there are three types of disguises Christians can wear, and I’ve had to repent from all of them at one point or another. In the land of social media, doom scrolling, and instantaneous access to information, some have become Keyboard Warriors. If you wouldn’t call someone on the phone and have the discussion, don’t type it out for the world to see. Rarely are people swayed in a battle of the keys. Then there’s the Nerdy Know-it-all. Sure, you’ve got that shiny degree and a brain full of theological trivia, but if you start dropping knowledge bombs on Aunt Sally at family dinner, you might as well be tossing around flaming hot Cheetos. Everyone can’t handle that level of spiciness. It can come off as pretty condescending—just read the room. Another disguise is what I call the Porch Pirate. Just as a porch pirate steals packages off doorsteps, you don’t need to step into other leaders' or organizations’ homes and steal their stuff for your own personal gain. It is most likely not your Christian duty to take their ideas, resources, and ideologies or even denounce their heartache for your benefit.
4. To love our extended Church family well, we must fight for family publicly and fight like family privately.
In a world of opinions, believers often publicly argue with one another when they disagree on the faith's second—or third-tier issues. As a woman in ministry, I can attest to a handful of remarks from strangers questioning my salvation, calling me a sinner, and giving me unkind direction on my vocational path. These things are not helpful, and not one time did they ever ask what my official stance was on the issue. In fact, I think they’d be surprised by my response. There was no conversation, just condemning.
Do you know what was more beneficial than the public shaming? Private conversations. I’ve had various conversations with leaders and close friends who hold different theological views than I do. We talked through our different beliefs, and the conversations were meaningful and respectful. These people are invited to speak into my life and offer their counsel, and I trust their intentions and motives. At the end of the day, we may disagree, but we both champion one another to pursue Christ and His call on our life.
I want to leave you with this challenge:
Identify your theological bias. Remember the essentials of our faith and resist surrounding yourself with those who echo all the same viewpoints as you. The body is diverse. Christianity isn’t an echo chamber of uniformity. You are uniquely designed to run in the lane you're called to run in with your God-given gifts, talents, and training. Embrace the invitation for private real-life conversations with peers that invite repentance and correction as needed. After all, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We may sometimes bicker like siblings, but we’re bonded by blood. May we run to the finish line honoring the essentials of our faith, loving our neighbor with Christ-like compassion, sharing truth in private places, and remaining humble in community, all for the glory of God and the good of others.
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