The Pastor as Public Theologian

In reviewing the book, The Pastor as Public Theologian, written by Kevin J. Vanhoozer and Owen Strachan, we see an interesting blending of theology and culture. In the new cultural landscape of a post-Christian America, we see the need for a public theologian more than ever. There must be a mix of the pastor into many different skills they possess. This is one of the book’s central claims that a pastor must wear many different caps within the church. The pastor is seen as a prophet, pastor, and king of those caps. Even though the role of pastor, prophet, and king is seen through the eyes of the Hebrews scriptures, the authors argue that the role of the pastor can be seen through the new covenant. “To put this more plainly, the threefold Old Testament offices show us the rough outlines of who, by virtue of biblical-theological inheritance, the pastor is and is to be: one who holds, before God and the people, the office of covenant minister. [1] It would seem what is central to their argument, and a point that I agree with is the pastor needs to be diverse in their roles to better reach the culture around them.

One of the reasons to be a public theologian as a pastor is a constant need for one when things happen. When people die, people are born, and everything else in-between, the use of having a skilled theologian in those moments benefits the culture greatly. As the authors understood the role of the pastor-theologian in those moments, they would state, “Pastor-theologians are helpful to have around because they know what to say and do (or not to say and do) to communicate Jesus Christ—to represent Christ in particular situations by providing consolation, advice, truth, or simply tears.[2] It is often the role of the pastor to “pastor” in those moments, but what is lost sometimes in those movements is the ability to say or not say the right wording. Our theology informs the important aspect of understanding the moment. 

A pastor informed by theology is better able to connect to the larger context of the culture. But there must be a reason for the culture to connect to the theology, which is Christianity’s basis. It is Jesus that the pastor tries to connect because the ultimate goal is connection. A connection to our creator, a connection to the one who came in the flesh to free us from the brokenness of a fallen world. Often, theology is how people can begin to see how their brokenness or blessing is connected to Jesus, and only reliance on him will allow healing to occur. 

The Apostle Paul states in his letter to Ephesus that the role of the pastor is to equip the people for the work of ministry, to realize their role in the fullness of Christ entirely. (Eph. 4.11-13)

And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4.11-13

So, what is the practical use of a pastor as a public theologian?

In the context of the body of Christ, the pastor is to lean into the role of shepherd. That is to say. They are to take the role of guiding the people towards the love of Christ. There is no greater calling on one’s life other than leading people to the creator. Part of the call is not for the responsibility to fall solely on the pastor’s shoulders. Still, as we saw in the words of the Apostle Paul, we should be equipping the people for ministry, guiding the people to form their theology so, in the case of caring for the flock, they will be equipped to do the work. We are a body of Christ, and not one part is more important than the other. As bodies work, no part is more important than the other. If you were to remove certain parts, the body would not be at its most optimum effectiveness. The body is only as strong as the weakest part. When training the body, you train the whole body and not just certain parts because you want the whole to work. No person is excused from the body, but our role as public theologians is to help people realize their importance to the body as a whole. 

[1] Kevin J. Vanhoozer and Owen Strachan, The Pastor as Public Theologian: Reclaiming a Lost Vision (Grand Rapids: Baker Acidemic, 2015), Kindle 39.

[2] Strachan, The Pastor as Public Theologian: Reclaiming a Lost Vision. Kindle 113.