“We in the West find it incomprehensible that theological ideas still inflame the minds of men, stirring messianic passions that can leave societies in ruin. We had assumed that this was no longer possible, that human beings had learned to separate religious questions from the political ones, that political theology died in 16th century Europe. We were wrong. It’s We who are the fragile exception.” The New York Times Magazine, August, 2007

I was in Starbucks the other day looking around at all the quirky ultra-hip things that Starbucks sells in their coffee shops. You know what I mean, those special “Starbucks” edition CDs from artists who need a career boost, the various “organic” drinks and sodas that are flavored from pear, to guava, to pineapple (what ever happened to Coke?), crappy art on the walls, and the list goes on. On the magazine rack next to the aforementioned CDs, were a few leftover copies of last month’s New York Times magazine, with the quote from above adorning the cover. After reading this intriguing quote, I had to read the article inside, which I did and found that it was completely the opposite of how I interpreted the cover quote. What I found inside the magazine was a typical arrogant liberal Western writer talking about how the great ‘secular state’ was in danger because of religious extremism. And how they were aghast at how people could merge theology and politics. While I certainly don't condone religious extremism, especially killing in the name of God, these words started turning things in my mind….

I’m a westerner, and I still believe that theological ideas can inflame the minds of men, that messianic passions can leave societies in ruin, albeit in a good way. It seems that in every major Christian revival throughout history, theology has merged with politics. Look what Jesus did. In a world ruled by the rich and the powerful, his Gospel was for the weak and humble. He turned the world upside down. Fast forward to Europe in a time when the church was the state, and corrupt at that, the reformers stepped in and turned society upside down. And in a time when religion had become endless dogmas and practices came the awakening of heartfelt faith from the likes of Wesley, Whitefield, Finney and the list goes on. In light of these events, I certainly don’t think that it is incomprehensible for theological ideas to inflame the hearts of men - history shows that.

I loved the imagery found in the quote: “inflame”, “minds of men”, “messianic passions.” Increasingly delving into the history and practice of Wesleyan theology, these images are bold to me and stir within me an attitude of renewal and revival. Have we as Christians become so caught up in our society that we have forgotten the roots of our faith? As a Methodist church (for those who are not Methodist insert your denominational affiliation here) have we forgotten the roots of our beginnings? I pray for the day when ‘theological ideas’ do turn society on its head again.

More on this later….