Page 1

Is Beauty beyond the Boundary?

The Beastly Nature of Evangelical Theology

Paper presented at the Evangelical Theological Society Convention

Colorado Springs, CO, November 16, 2001

St. Louis University

Evangelical systematic theology is beastly. Such a statement is bound to raise the

eyebrows, if not the ire, of many a theologian. But what does it mean to describe

evangelical theology as "beastly?" Does it mean that evangelical theology is brawny,

bursting with power and vitality like a lion? Or does it mean that evangelical theology is

ugly like a toad? In this paper it means that evangelical theology has neglected one

aspect of the triumvirate of transcendentals: truth, goodness, and beauty. Evangelicals

have done well in defending the truths of the faith--the innerancy of Scripture, the virgin

birth, the resurrection, the incarnation, and the miracles of our Lord. Books abound on

the trustworthiness of the Word vis-à-vis many current issues (e.g., the stiff attack on the

Jesus Seminar). Evangelicals have also excelled in touting what is good about the faith

and what good the faithful should pursue. Though surveys may show that Evangelicals

are no different in terms of morality than your ordinary American (e.g., the divorce rate),

there is no dearth of Evangelical books broaching ethical issues. But when it comes to

speaking about beauty in a systematic, theological manner Evangelicals are silent and this

silence renders by default evangelical theology beastly.

It is my conviction that beauty is part of being and thus reflects the nature of God.

Just as God is truth and speaks truly and just as he is good and acts justly, so is he beauty

and thus he communicates beautifully. God is Beauty and thus things can be beautiful.

God's self-communication of beauty can follow many avenues. The form of God's self-

communication in creation has the quality of beauty. That is, the created world, coming