I believe being a theologically informed Christian is not just an academic issue. It is a matter of faithfulness, discipleship, ethics, and witness. From my experience in the church, one of the great challenges of our time is not that Christians lack passion. Many believers are deeply passionate. The problem is that passion is sometimes disconnected from theological depth. When zeal is not rooted in Scripture and shaped by sound doctrine, it can become reactionary, shallow, or influenced more by culture than by the Word of God. For that reason, I believe Christians, especially ministry leaders, must be grounded in Scripture, theology, church history, philosophy, and ethics if they are going to faithfully serve the church and reach this lost and fallen world.

Theology matters because every Christian already has theology. The question is whether that theology is biblical, tested, and shaped by Scripture, or inherited, assumed, and unexamined. The church does not need leaders who simply know how to gather crowds, communicate inspirational thoughts, or manage programs. The church needs shepherds who can help people know God, interpret Scripture faithfully, discern the voices of culture, and live wisely in a complicated world. Wilson and Hiestand argue that pastors must recover their calling as pastor-theologians, not merely as managers, counselors, or communicators, but as leaders who serve the church through theological wisdom and doctrinal clarity.[1] This matters because much of the confusion in the church today is not merely practical. It is theological.

Another area that deserves equal attention is obedience to what God’s Word says. A person can communicate clearly, possess theological understanding, and even defend sound doctrine, but if that truth is never put into practice, something essential has been lost. Theology is not meant to remain abstract. It is meant to shape our worship, character, decisions, relationships, and witness. In his presentation on Christian ethics, Dr. Fred Smith emphasizes that ethics must become foundational to who we are and that believers must allow the Holy Spirit to be the guiding force in their lives.[2] This is important because Christian ethics is not merely about knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is about being formed into the image of Christ. A theologically informed Christian should not only think biblically but also live faithfully.

This is where public theology and Christian ethics meet. Vanhoozer and Strachan write, “The pastor-theologian communicates this knowledge not to swell people’s heads but to transform their hearts.”[3] That statement is important because theology that does not lead to worship, humility, holiness, and love has missed its purpose. In ministry, this becomes very practical. Theology shows up in hospital rooms, counseling conversations, family crises, recovery meetings, funerals, marriages, and discipleship. What a leader believes about God, humanity, sin, suffering, redemption, and hope will eventually shape how they care for people.

McQuilkin and Copan also warn that “the horizontal has totally eclipsed the vertical.”[4] I believe that is one of the ethical dangers facing the church today. Christians should care deeply about people, justice, mercy, compassion, and human suffering. However, our love for people must flow from our love for God. If the vertical relationship with God is neglected, even good ethical concerns can become detached from worship, Scripture, and the lordship of Christ. Christian ethics must begin with God and then move outward into the way we love and serve others.

Other disciplines also have an important role in the church. Philosophy helps Christians think clearly about truth, meaning, personhood, morality, and reality. History reminds us that we are not the first generation to wrestle with doctrinal controversy, cultural pressure, persecution, or ethical confusion. Ethics helps us move beyond asking only, “What do I believe?” to also asking, “How should I live because of what I believe?” Theological knowledge should not make Christians arrogant or argumentative. It should produce wisdom, humility, holiness, love, and courage.

This is also essential for public witness. Rebecca McLaughlin shows that Christianity continues to face serious questions from the surrounding culture, including questions about suffering, sexuality, morality, diversity, science, and the reliability of faith.[5] If Christians are unwilling to think deeply, listen carefully, and respond faithfully, we may unintentionally reinforce the idea that Christianity is intellectually weak or culturally irrelevant. I believe this has often caused people to know more about what the church is against than what the church is for. However, when believers are rooted in Scripture and trained to engage difficult questions with grace and truth, they can offer a compelling witness without compromising biblical conviction.

I do not believe every Christian has to become a professional theologian, but I do believe every Christian is called to love God with the mind as well as the heart, soul, and strength. Leaders carry an even greater responsibility because their theological formation directly affects the people they shepherd. Poor theology does not remain private. It shapes preaching, counseling, discipleship, leadership decisions, and ethical responses to real human pain.

Therefore, I believe theological education is not optional for vocational ministry. It is part of faithful stewardship. The church needs leaders who are spiritually alive, biblically grounded, historically aware, ethically formed, and culturally discerning. A theologically informed Christian is better equipped to worship rightly, live wisely, shepherd faithfully, and speak meaningfully to a world that desperately needs truth wrapped in love.

Bibliography

McLaughlin, Rebecca. Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019.

McQuilkin, Robertson, and Paul Copan. An Introduction to Biblical Ethics: Walking in the Way of Wisdom. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2013.

Smith, Fred. “Dimensions of Christian Ethics.” Course video. THEO 650: Public Theology, Liberty University. Accessed July 1, 2026. https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/1017641/pages/watch-dimensions-of-christian-ethics?module_item_id=108276993

Vanhoozer, Kevin J., and Owen Strachan. The Pastor as Public Theologian: Reclaiming a Lost Vision. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015.

Wilson, Todd, and Gerald Hiestand, eds. Becoming a Pastor Theologian: New Possibilities for Church Leadership. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2016.

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[1] Todd Wilson and Gerald Hiestand, eds., Becoming a Pastor Theologian: New Possibilities for Church Leadership (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2016), 22.

[2] Fred Smith, “Dimensions of Christian Ethics,” course video, THEO 650: Public Theology, Liberty University, accessed July 1, 2026, https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/1017641/pages/watch-dimensions-of-christian-ethics?module_item_id=108276993.

[3] Kevin J. Vanhoozer and Owen Strachan, The Pastor as Public Theologian: Reclaiming a Lost Vision (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015), 26.

[4] Robertson McQuilkin and Paul Copan, An Introduction to Biblical Ethics: Walking in the Way of Wisdom (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2013), 187.

[5] Rebecca McLaughlin, Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019), 31.