A Tale of Two Theologians

Academic theology can be frustrating. Very frustrating in fact. Strangely I have had the experience of studying at three different Bible Colleges over the years, and if I am honest during that time I have had to listen to a lot of stuff that is at best pointless, and at worst, downright heretical. Don't get me wrong, I have certainly enjoyed many very useful and enjoyable modules and lecturers and continue to do so, but at times the classroom can be a very frustrating and depressing place. If a denomination or movement is going to slide theologically, this is where it will begin.

Recently however, my heart was cheered by the story of someone who studied at the very epicentre of Biblical higher criticism, and yet in God's grace still came away with a lively and sincere faith. Honestly, I almost stood up and applauded when I read this.

In Evangelicalism Divided (a book I can't say enough good about) Iain Murray recounts the story of Eta Linnemann who studied under Rudulf Bultmann. Her liberal training led her to an extremely faulty hermeneutic:

'The undeclared yet working basic principle of Old Testament and New Testament science is: What the text clearly states can, by no means, be true. The exegete's task is to discover and solve 'difficulties' in the text of the Bible. The better the interpreter, the more ingenious this will be.'

After recieving this training she worked as an author and Professor of Theology in West Germany until:

'Bitter personal experience finally convinced me of the truth of the Bible's assertion: 'Whoever finds his life shall lose it' (Matt 10:39). At that point God led me to vibrant Christians who knew Jesus personally as their Lord and Saviour...God took my life into his saving grasp and began to transform it radically. My destructive addictions were replced by a hunger for his Word and for fellowship with Christians...Suddenly it was clear to me that my teaching was a case of the blind leading the blind. I repented of the way I had misled my students. About a month after this, alone in my room and quite apart from any input from others around me, I found myself faced with a momentous decision. Would I continue to control the Bible by my intellect, or would I allow my thinking to be transformed by the Holy Spirit? John 3:16 shed light on this decision, for I had experienced the truth of this verse. My life now consisted of what God had done for me.'

Murray continues:

'The consequence for Linnemann was that she labelled her former teaching 'poison', destroyed her published writings, and became a missionary in Indonesia.'

I think the reason I find this story so encouraging is that I that I have experienced the damage liberal thoelogy can do first hand. Time and again I have seen apparently solid believers drift when they have come across either persuasive and charismatic teachers or they have simply been moral wimps and given up when they have found themselves in the minority.
But here is a tale of the complete opposite. The most unlikely of people finding a vibrant faith. Salvation truly is all of God.

Just one more closing thought. I know it is not the best resource in the world, but Wikipedia had this interesting statement regarding Linnemann:

'In her book "What is credible - the Bible or the Bible criticism" Linnemann claimed in 2007, citing an unnamed ear witness, that Rudolf Bultmann on his death bed had recanted his critical views. A real proof of that assertion, however, so far (as of 2009) remains only an echo in Bultmann's research.'

Perhaps another reminder that there is always hope, even for the most unlikely.