Theological Term of the Week: Theological Triage

theological triage
The process of determining which doctrinal disagreements are most important so that priority can be given to defending the disputed truths most essential to the Christian faith.

• From scripture: 

  Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jude 3-4 ESV)

  I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6–9 ESV)

• From Al Mohler, who, as far as I can determine, invented the phrase “theological triage”: 

  Today’s Christian faces the daunting task of strategizing which Christian doctrines and theological issues are to be given highest priority in terms of our contemporary context. This applies both to the public defense of Christianity in face of the secular challenge and the internal responsibility of dealing with doctrinal disagreements. Neither is an easy task, but theological seriousness and maturity demand that we consider doctrinal issues in terms of their relative importance. God’s truth is to be defended at every point and in every detail, but responsible Christians must determine which issues deserve first-rank attention in a time of theological crisis.

Learn more:

1. Al Mohler: Theological Triage
2. Mike Riccardi: Bad Doctrine vs. Heresy: An Exercise in Theological Triage

Related terms: 

• adiaphora
• heresy

Filed under Defective Theology

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