Historia magistra vitae est

Why study the books of dead theologians?

The Roman philosopher Cicero said that "history is life's teacher" (historia magistra vitae est). We study historical books ultimately because they provide invaluable instruction for our life in the here and now. To say that history is life's teacher is to say that the past illuminates the present. C.S. Lewis captures this idea quite well in the introduction to our first book: "every age is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books." By reading dead theologians we come closer to finding solutions to our contemporary problems. We find out--much to our surprise--that many of the ambiguities that we face in our current life, spirituality, and church are not so new after all.

History also provides examples for our imitation. The greatness of the books that we will be reading does not lie in their theological content alone; it also lies in the exemplary character of the authors who wrote them. In these texts we will meet some of the most extraordinary figures of church history. If we are open, the witness of these "dead" theologians will call out to us, evoke our minds and hearts, and teach us something new about God and the world. We will find much to praise in their examples, and by imitating their examples we will ultimately become better people.

At other times, these "dead" theologians will perplex us, frustrate our minds and hearts, and disagree with our deeply held modern assumptions. If we are honest, we will find something to blame in their examples. That too will make us better people, for in acknowledging the mistakes of these figures we will be less likely to repeat them. When we look at the past through the lens of "praise and blame," history will become one of our greatest teachers.

As we read these Christian classics over the next few months, we will discover that these "dead" theologians are still living. They are all part of a living Christian tradition. A living tradition is simply an ongoing conversation about the things that matter. We are all participants in the great conversation of the Christian tradition. By reading these old books we will make room in the conversation for voices besides our own--namely, the remarkable voices of the Christian past.