Lisa Harper says church leaders, herself included, have watered down theology, and that doctrine that leaves character unchanged falls short.

The conversation

How should pastors teach theology to their people?
For years Harper gave her neighborhood Bible study a story, a short exegesis, and a takeaway, following homiletic rules she learned in her thirties. She now says it was her desire to be understood that was watering down her doctrine. Her test case is the hypostatic union. Stetzer frames the vocabulary question in plain terms: people who learn to order at Starbucks can learn theological language at church.

Does correct doctrine excuse bad character?
Stetzer names a pattern he sees: leaders who check every doctrinal box, treat people poorly, and get a pass. Harper rejects the assumption that their theology is good. She claims gaining information is important, since it informs our understanding of Jesus, but she believes that theology solely bound to academics is lifeless.

How much of your own story belongs in a sermon?
Harper’s test on whether a story is appropriate to share is if Jesus remains the hero. She names two failures she has corrected in herself: telling stories that belong to someone else, and humor at her own expense that made her the emphasis. She argues that stories of darkness can also become self-aggrandizing when listeners rally around the speaker's pain. On the opposite end is editing so much that teaching becomes performance.

From the conversation

"Show me somebody who has strong theology but doesn't have humility, and I would say that the information hasn't softened the heart yet." — Lisa Harper

"I think the onus is on us, and I don't think we've done a good job." — Lisa Harper

"I don't want to edit so much when I'm teaching that it becomes performative instead of testimonial." — Lisa Harper

"If you can learn to order coffee at Starbucks, you can learn some theological language at church." — Ed Stetzer

About Lisa Harper

Lisa Harper is a Bible teacher, speaker, and author of more than a dozen books and Bible studies, including A Jesus-Shaped Life: How Diving Deeper into Theology Can Transform Us and Our World with the Radical Kindness of God. She hosts the Back Porch Theology podcast and founded The Kerygma Summit, an annual gathering of theologians and Bible teachers. She holds a Master of Theological Studies from Covenant Seminary.

Website: https://www.lisaharper.org
Podcast: https://www.lisaharper.org/backporchtheology
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lisadharper
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialLisaDHarper
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Shaped-Life-Theology-Transform-Kindness/dp/0800744764

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