All theology borne out of the liturgy?

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Hey all, what do you think about the proposition that all theology, properly speaking, is borne out of the liturgical celebration? That is, if you do not participate in (or have grown a certain disdain for) the divine liturgy, then you are not, strictly speaking, a theologian.
 
Well, of course in a sense that is true but strictly speaking I am not comfortable with your proposition. One can do theology per se outside the sacramental system however properly done theology always starts from a position of a believer. Also, properly speaking it is in and through the liturgy that we experience the Tradition of the Church so without that liturgical aspect to ones life they are lost to that aspect of theological discovery.

So, in a sense a person outside the liturgical life of the Church can be a theologian but there will always be deficiencis in their theological work.
 
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Magnanimity:
Hey all, what do you think about the proposition that all theology, properly speaking, is borne out of the liturgical celebration? That is, if you do not participate in (or have grown a certain disdain for) the divine liturgy, then you are not, strictly speaking, a theologian.
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Many people, even most people, who participate in the liturgy are not, strictly speaking, theologians. The purpose of liturgy is the worship of God and the sanctification of the faithful. Theology is the study of the nature of God and religious truth.
 
I think your starting point is accurate but it went off in the wrong direction. I’m about to use that terrible word assume, but I’m going to assume that when you say theology you are equating it with doctrine.

If that’s the case then I would agree and the history of our Church points in that direction and we can find evidence of this in the Gospels and Acts along with Paul’s letters. Especially the Sacrament of Baptism.

Briefly, with the Liturgical development of the Eucharist in the letters of Paul, we find a development of a ecclesiology of the Church itself (Mystical Body) and a heirarchical structure - the development of the ordained ministries of Bishop, Priest and Deacons. We find in Corinthian, as development of the theology of Ministry in the Church which arose because of troubles concerning ministry at the Eucharistic Meals (the question of the Real Presence seems to have been readily accepted,and only forgotten when some of the Corinthians were getting drunk on the Consecrated Wine).

Baptism seems to have been the Liturgical Practice in the development of doctrines. We see this even in the difference of the Baptisimal rite in Acts and that of Matthew. And from Matthew we have Christ Mandate to Baptize “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” It was only natural to ask “if I’m being Baptized in the names of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Who are the Father, Son and Holy Spirit”.

As you can well imagine, that got theology rolling, and often driven by heresies that were attempting to answer a question about the Trinity.
 
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MaryAgnes:
Many people, even most people, who participate in the liturgy are not, strictly speaking, theologians. The purpose of liturgy is the worship of God and the sanctification of the faithful. Theology is the study of the nature of God and religious truth.
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Hey there. Yes, an implication of the proposition I gave is that it would make all regular participants in the divine liturgy theologians, at least to an extent. I think the liturgy is more than what you express, although it would include what you say. As the first respondent says, it is primarily through the liturgical celebrations that we encounter the Tradition of the Church, so liturgy will necessarily inform and form the regular participant.

Your definition of theology is very academic sounding, but I’m not sure it addresses my original proposition.
 
All people are theologians in some sense of the word. Theology is that science in which the direct object is God and the things of God. So, for each person that investigates things of God and His revelation in a scientific manner (I am not implying the lower sciences of the empirical kinds) then he is a theologian of some kind. Properly speaking a theologian should have some formal training in philosophy and theology so that his ability to understand the language (so to speak) of theology is honed.
 
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