A Wholistic Theology: The Both/And: The Best View of Objective Reality By R.

Alan Woods San Diego: Rhema Rising Press Copyright 2009 Why is theology important? Well-defined questions more nearly always produce the most useful answers. I propose that a better question could be asked: What "kin d" of theology is important. In the context of the history of the Vineyard I und erstand that "experiential theology" or real theology ("the attitude which maint ains that this kind of theology can only be developed by men who know these real ities from personal experience"- Morton Kelsey in his work, Encounter With God: A Theology of Christian Experience) was and is the desperately needed counter-ba lance to the "intellectual theology" born out of the philosophy of knowing and k nowledge developed by Aristotle and promoted within the "Church" by Thomas Aquin as and further ensconced by the worldview produced by Newton's understanding of the material universe. Plato would have been startled and amazed by such a one-s ided worldview where Nature is the only experiential reality! Where's the Super Nature? What place has the Archetype? Were the dreams, visions, and auditions ju st a "figment" of man's imagination? Was sixty-five years of pioneering work by Carl Jung that produced real and tangible results in the healing and wholeness o f human beings psyches and bodies for naught? Thank God for Jesus of Nazareth! Th e Numinous made Matter! The God-man. What comes to my mind and memory here is so mething I remember John Wimber say, "Just be naturally supernatural when you re doing the Stuff." Both economies/realities are operationally co-existent. As C. S. Lewis has said in Leanne Paynes work, The Holy Spirit In the Works of C. S. Lewi s, "When men adhere to one side of a paradoxical truth and ignore the other, the n they go into error." It is the both/and, not the either/or mentality that give s us the best view of "objective reality".

. I m quite sure our call in the Vineyard to "cultural " relevancy is predicated upon Paul s statement implying that we be all things to all men so that we may win some to Christ. Paul learned quickly through trial and error that men were m ore likely to be won to Christ when they had a direct, powerful (Dunamis- Greek) numinous experience with God. In other words he failed in Athens when he used j ust the intellectual theological approach! It seems to me that regardless of the cultural context in which God makes direct contact with men, it is of more impo rtance that these men have a framework or worldview as it were in which to know that it is possible. In Christ, we as Christians become neither Jew nor Greek no r anything else other than a new creature in Christ Jesus that produces or manifes ts the complementary new culture of Christian community (I refer you to Robert B anks work, Pauls Idea of Community as a general theoretical orientation in passim to my meaning here). Paul was adamant about keeping the Gospel pure as it was de livered to him by Christ. In so far as it was possible within that framework, Pa ul became all things to all men. Once they became "enlightened" or "En-Godded" ( a word used often by Leanne Payne in her work, Listening Prayer), they were reor iented to a new reality and a lifestyle reflected in Christian community as thei r newly acquired identity as a unique cultural base. III. Kingdom of God: Is Within/Non-local Reality IV. Com-Mission: Isaiah 60/Liberation Theology- Inner Healing (Power Healing, John

Wimber) V. God In Christ: The Great Re-Connect VI. The Vineyard Philosophy of Ministry: Doin The Stuff- The Gifts of The Holy Spir it VII. Transcending Cultural Relevancy