Charles M. Wood: Theology as Vision and Discernment

"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me" (John 5:39, NKJV)

While researching my thesis for my Doctor of Ministry degree, I discovered some fresh approaches to understanding and developing theological education. One such approach was Charles M. Wood’s (1937–2020) presentation of what theology is and what its mission is.

According to Wood, theology is not just a collection of doctrines whose function is to preserve a once-formulated truth. Theology is not the learning of content but an activity; theology is a living process in which the believing congregation must continually evaluate and develop its testimony of Christ.

The task of theology is not merely to repeat or defend the past, but to ensure that the gospel continues to be a credible, relevant, and transformative force in this time and in the environment in which the believing church operates.

At the core of Wood's thinking are two major principles:

1. Vision and discernment – ​​How do Christians perceive reality according to God's revealed will (vision) and how does this influence their decisions and actions (perception)? 
2. Theology as inquiry into the  validity of Christian witness – How can the church continually test and confirm the gospel it proclaims in word and deed so that it responds to both the comprehensive message of the Bible and a changing world?

Wood did not seek easy answers, but presented a radically fresh philosophical foundation for the task of theology and, in particular, for the design of theological education.

Vision and outlook

Christian life and ministry begin with a theological vision . It is not just a single idea or doctrine, but a comprehensive understanding of God, his will, and the world we live in. If we believe that God created all things, sent Christ to redeem humanity, and is guiding history to its fulfillment, this affects how we understand the daily events around us and our responsibility in relation to them.

Wood sees vision not only as individual, but as communal and practical . The teaching, prayer, preaching, and worship of the congregation shape a shared vision of what it means to live according to God’s will in the present. This vision influences our decisions: if we believe that God is a God of righteousness and mercy, how does that manifest itself in the way we encounter our neighbors, make social choices, and use our resources?

But vision alone is not enough. We also need vision , which means critical evaluation and spiritual discernment. Every Christian and every community must ask: Is the way we interpret and apply the faith truly in line with the gospel? Do we see ourselves as promoting the cause of God’s kingdom, but in practice maintain structures and activities that obscure the gospel and thus exclude some people? Are we building a church where everyone is formally welcome, yet we are excluding people with strange traditions or unconscious prejudices.

Vision is therefore a holistic view of the Bible and its message, Christian doctrine, the mission of the church, and the foundations of faith and knowledge that develops and strengthens over time. Vision is instead an ongoing, even daily, process. New challenges, ethical questions, and cultural changes force the church to evaluate what living witness to the gospel means in each time.

Assessing and Developing the Church's Testimony

According to Wood, theology is not just about learning and maintaining biblical knowledge, dogmas, and traditions. The task of theology is to test and evaluate whether the church's witness is still credible and relevant. This does not mean changing the truths of the Bible to suit the spirit of the times, but rather deeply and honestly reflecting on and examining them, so that the gospel does not become an inward-looking repetition of tradition and slogans, but remains alive and effective.

Wood defines the validity of Christian testimony and its evaluation by three criteria:

1. Consistency – Is the church’s message capable of maintaining a coherent and sustainable whole? Are there any contradictions with Scripture and theological tradition?
2. Credibility – Can the church’s testimony honestly and convincingly answer the ethical, philosophical, and scientific questions of our time?
3. Fruitfulness – Does the gospel really change lives? Does it produce new life and practices of love, hope, and righteousness?

These questions will not be resolved overnight. The church must continually test and evaluate its testimony from different perspectives.  Theology is the ability to think and act theologically , not only in the church or academic environment, but also in the workplace, society, and everyday life.

Theology as a living calling

Wood challenged us to understand that theology is not just a static doctrinal structure, but a process that shapes the way we see, think, and act.  The Christian life is about learning, evaluating, and rethinking—not because the gospel changes, but because we must constantly ensure that we are truly living and teaching it.

So what does it mean in practice? Let's take an example:

Imagine a small town of about 80,000 inhabitants, whose university of applied sciences has just undergone a renovation and has begun to attract foreign students from Africa and Asia. They communicate fluently in English, but Finnish is foreign to them. The presence of the new population is starting to be visible in the streetscape and shops, but not in the congregations.

How should the church approach this situation theologically? The process could proceed as follows:

(1) The themes of hospitality, creation theology emphasizing human dignity, the mission mandate, and evangelization of nations emerge from the Bible ;

(2) historical theology reminds us that throughout history the church has often succeeded in crossing linguistic and cultural boundaries, reaching new groups of people, and naturally creating inclusive practices – sometimes even the history of one's own denomination or revival movement confirms this and encourages new efforts;

(3) dogmatically , does the church explain how its understandings of the gospel, church communion, sacraments, and spiritual leadership enable or limit the proclamation of the gospel to a new target group or the joining and growth of the community – or are there hidden prejudices in thinking or practices that should be recognized?; and finally

(4) practical theology asks how the church builds concrete structures and operating models to support Christians with linguistic and cultural differences, e.g. by organizing English-speaking small groups, communal meals, or support person systems.

Thus, the biblical knowledge and theological education gained through preaching and theological training serve as raw material for a theological process, in which theory is transformed into a new activity that strengthens the work and life of the church. By practicing the theological process, the church evaluates and activates its testimony of Christ and lives out the gospel of love, grace, and righteousness in a new situation.

Sources

Wood, CM (1990). The Formation of Christian Understanding . Nashville: Abingdon Press.
Wood, CM (2002). Vision and Discernment: An Orientation in Theological Study . Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock.

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Charles M. Wood (1937–2020) was the Lehman Professor of Christian Doctrine at Perkins Theological Seminary, a division of Southern Methodist University. He was a distinguished Methodist theologian known for his work in connecting theology with the practical life of the church. Wood's major works include  Vision and Discernment: An Orientation in Theological Study  and  An Invitation to Theological Study . His work has had a significant impact on the study of theology and the assessment of the effectiveness of Christian witness.