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All theology is practical theology. This was the conviction of the Westminster divines when they penned their catechetical answer to the question, “What do the Scriptures principally teach?” The answer, in both the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, was theology and practice: “The Scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man” (WLC 5; WSC 3).
In this answer, the divines followed in the footsteps of John Calvin, who wrote his magisterial Institutes of the Christian Religion not merely as a “sum of Christian doctrine” but also as instruction on how this doctrine affects the Christian life. Calvin stressed that he was expounding “a doctrine not of the tongue but of life,” and his Institutes not only is threaded with pastoral and practical insights but features several chapters on the practical implications of his theology. We see this most notably in its seventy pages on prayer.
Better still, the Westminster divines followed the Scriptures themselves, which, for example, commend Ezra for his heart not only to study God’s Word and teach it but also to do it (Ezra 7:10). Similarly, Timothy is commanded to teach and practice sound doctrine (1 Tim. 4:6–16) as he is reminded that the very nature of the Scriptures is to be put into practice (2 Tim. 3:16–17). Theology, insofar as it is the theology of the Scriptures, teaches us what to believe and do before the face of God.
For this reason, pastoral training often includes a distinct discipline called practical theology. All too often, this discipline functions under the assumption that what is learned in theology class is inherently impractical and that, to be effective in ministry, one must get past being theological and get practical about how the church actually works. But genuine practical theology ought to be (as it was with Calvin and the divines) the organic application of theological study to the pulpit, soul care, evangelism, worship, and any other expression of walking and working for God’s glory as God’s people.
For example, bibliology (the doctrine of the Scriptures) ought to structure and regulate homiletics (the discipline of preaching). What we believe about the Bible ought to determine what we do with the Bible. As John MacArthur expressed it, “Don’t tell me what you believe about the Bible; let me hear you preach, and I’ll tell you what you believe about the Bible.” Likewise, biblical anthropology (the doctrine of man), hamartiology (the doctrine of sin), and soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) ought to form the content and the authority that govern the private ministry of the Word to those who are suffering and fighting sin. “All theology is practical theology” means that if we confess the doctrines of Scripture formally as a church, we must apply our theology functionally to the life of our church.
In no setting is this more important than the leadership of the church, who make decisions and set direction for God’s people. Busy leaders can grow impatient with the reflection and deliberation necessary to discern the theological foundations and implications related to agenda items in a given meeting. Yet doctrine ought to have a norming influence on decisions and directions for the church. Who we believe Christ to be (Christology), not least in His exaltation as King and Head over the church, must affect the posture of an elder’s heart as he considers the servant nature of the leadership entrusted to him. What the Scriptures reveal about what Christ has created His church to be and do (ecclesiology) ought to provide a standard by which patterns of ministry are discerned to be profitable or even permitted for Christ’s bride. A scriptural understanding of where history is in terms of God’s plan for His people (eschatology) should inform leaders in whether and how to guide God’s people to engage with cultural issues in their time. To be sure, every meeting of a congregation’s leadership ought not to approximate a historic council. Thinking faithfully about doctrine does not require every church leader to be an academic theologian, and doctrinal deliberation ought to lead to wise doing. Nevertheless, church leaders must devote appropriate time to intentionally reflecting on theology as they practice the ministry that God has placed them in.
After one pastors’ conference presentation on the centrality of the Word for practical ministry, a young church planter lamented how pressure to be practical in his highly management-oriented ministry context had diminished his zeal for Scripture-driven ministry. This isn’t an uncommon dilemma. How can pastors and church leaders ensure that their practice is rooted in theology and that their theology is influencing godly practice? One way is to continue reading theology beyond what’s necessary for sermon preparation. Pastors could select a “faculty” of a few trusted and helpful theologians (e.g., Calvin, John Murray, R.C. Sproul) whom they will read for a lifetime, in small moments as well as extended seasons, just to be edified, challenged, and sharpened. Another way is for pastors and church leaders to be among God’s people, not just to teach and influence them but to understand their questions, needs, hopes, confusions, and temptations. Those who have been set apart to study doctrine cannot remain apart from church and remain of practical use to the church. The art of practical theology is the outflow of a heart to study God’s truth, to do it, and to teach it to God’s people.