Charismatics have more fun?

When I say more fun I need to qualify that by saying theologically. Sally posted this quote and I have been mulling on it. I tend to agree but then as a charismatic I would say that wouldn't I. My thought is that there are dangers either way. It's easy to put things down to experience and neglect the mind as is a tendency for charismatics but also one can be all mind and no encounter which can produce brittle and harsh people who lack love. If you want a context for the quote you can listen to Godpod 64 which is where the statement comes from.

By the way, if you fancy starting to dip your toe into theology (particularly if you are minded to think this theology and apologetics stuff is for someone else who is clever) you should start podcasting 'The Godpod'.

"What impressed me about many Christians in the charismatic tradition is that for them the heart of their faith was not a doctrinal idea or a statement but a lived encounter with God through the Holy Spirit, and in that context theology becomes really quite fun and creative because you're not arguing over it because you have this deeper common experience of God in Christ through the Spirit, and theology is just trying to describe it. Many charismatics seemed more open to learn, open to think and explore rather than getting tied down over tight doctrinal statements over which they would argue with one another. The charismatic tradition has it's problems like any other but the thing I love about it that it says that the heart of faith is an encounter with God. It places God and our relationship with God at the heart of things rather than our ideas about God" 


Rev Dr Graham Tomlin Dean of St Mellitus theological seminary