You Should Have A Theological Armory

You will do battle on the field of ideas. You will want to make a good accounting.

What is a Theological Armory? First, what is an armory?

An armory is an important part of a military's assets, since it stores arms and equipment and is also sometimes the place where soldiers are trained to use them.

The Theological Armory is an important part of a theologian’s assets, since it stores arms (books on philosophy and theology) and equipment (whiskey and cigars, comfortable chairs) and is a place where theologians are trained to use the tools of their trade.

It is a place for study and contemplation, for gatherings and discussions, for arguments and agreements. Yes, and prayer. A place where reason is exercised and made healthy. Where the intellect is nourished. Where formidable thinkers of the past are met, and ideas are weighed and measured, and yes, judged.

And, perhaps most importantly, it is a place for forging authentic friendships.

I like to believe that Aristotle and Aquinas are having tea in heaven.

Aquinas said that

“There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship,”

Aristotle said that there are three types of friendships:

1. Friendship based on utility

2. Friendship based on pleasure or delight

3. Friendship grounded in virtue

The first two are ephemeral. Based as they are on a selfish foundation, they will fade. Regarding the third, Aristotle notes in the Nicomachean Ethics,

But the perfect kind of friendship is that of good men who resemble one another in virtue. For they both alike wish well to one another as good men, and it is their essential character to be good men. And those who wish well to their friends for the friends’ sake are friends in the truest sense; for they have these sentiments towards each other as being what they are, and not in an accidental way: their friendship, therefore, lasts as long as their virtue, and that is a lasting thing.

I’ve heard it also described as two friends seeking Truth together.

Philosophy is the preamble to faith, and so, much of the training equipment is philosophical. We all have a philosophy, though many do not think they do. But it is necessary.

The word philosophy means the love of wisdom. All of us are born with this love. We all began asking “Why?” as soon as we became aware of the term and its meaning. As Plato said, “Philosophy begins in wonder.”

The desire to understand is integral to the dignity that makes us human.

Philosophy then becomes the framework within which we understand and interact with the universe and everything and everyone in it. Many deliberately hone their philosophical skills. Others simply rumble through a bland and faded life listless and short of wonder. We should choose our philosophies wisely, otherwise we are not much more than a NPC in the game of life.

Philosophy is an end in itself, for the acquisition of knowledge and understanding is a Good. But it is also one of the means to the end of knowing God. It is the means to have a grounded understanding of faith, which is also a framework for understanding. And you should choose your frameworks wisely.

If you believe in a Supreme Being, then you will want your own Theological Armory. If you don’t, then have one for the philosophical end of being a better human. The whiskey and cigars are optional, but they do provide an amiable environment conducive to long and pleasant conversations.

This began as a post about the Big Smoke and was redirected. For the Big Smoke was not really about cigars. It was about friendship. Now that this has been explained I will follow up with the review of the 2nd day of the Big Smoke.