Why do I have to take theology classes at CSB+SJU?

It’s noon in Sexton. Class starts in 30 minutes. You have 25 pages to read while you devour a beautiful sub. You are doing everything in your power to extract even just a little bit of the information, so you have some evidence of comprehension for your class on the third floor of the Quad—if you have any breath left to share it after your climb. But did you listen to the text?

What do I mean by this? In Chapter Four of the Rule, Benedict instructs his monks, and us who now attend a Benedictine college and university, to “listen readily to holy reading” (RB 4.55). This instruction echoes the prologue of the Rule, which opens, “Listen carefully, my [child], to the master’s instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from a father who loves you; welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice” (RB Pro.1). Readers of the Rule are left wondering who precisely the “master” and “father” are here. Is it Benedict himself? Maybe the Abbot? I would argue that in a deeper sense, Benedict believes that it is God’s very self who lovingly instructs us, and therefore, calls us to listen to what God reveals through not only texts, but people too. But what does it mean to “listen readily” to our studies?

This is precisely what theology classes hope to teach you during your time at CSB+SJU. Theology probes the deepest mystery—Godself—andtherefore we are to approach it with a humble reverence. In examining scripture or a theological treatise, we know that God, who is Truth, cannot be reduced to a single perspective. We must cultivate an expansive awareness of God. To listen to a text is to approach it with humility, acknowledging that there is something being revealed within it that surpasses our immediate understanding. To listen, we must stop speaking (both internally and externally) long enough to allow God to speak some deeper truth to us through the information we take in. While we might be able to extract some information from a reading and have a fruitful conversation about it, those acts alone only get us so far. We must be aware that the fullness of truth always lies beyond our limited perspective and therefore must carefully attend to the truth that transcends our understanding.

This doesn’t make theology impractical. On the contrary, it is endlessly useful because it constantly reveals something new about God, ourselves and the human condition.

However, if all truth finds its source in God, then a posture of listening cannot be confined to theology alone. What does it mean to “listen readily” to the findings of scientific research or to art that speaks prophetically? What do the social sciences reveal about the human condition? How do humanities speak to our experience or enhance it with beauty? How do all of these areas contribute to the common good and communal flourishing?

We study all these things because God truly speaks through the whole of creation. In this sense, our liberal arts tradition arises from our theological roots. Yet, if we are to encounter Truth in any discipline, we must humbly listen. It is a critical tool for good work, not only in monastic life, but for the life of a student—a tool that theology is uniquely positioned to cultivate. So, the next time you open a reading for a class, begin a lab report or post on a Canvas discussion board, consider how God might be speaking through your work and how Truth is being revealed to our community. This is theology in practice.

— Logan Edwards is the Director of Campus Ministry at St. John’s University.