If you’re serving in youth or college ministry, you know that advertising an evening of “Dinner and Doctrine” or “Theology Tonight” may not be the most surefire way to draw a crowd. It can be difficult to engage teenagers and young adults in the discipline of theological study—especially as they have often been deeply influenced by an entertainment and social media culture of two-minute video clips and sound bites, which can significantly hinder an appetite for sustained, concentrated theological thought. Even so, it is the role of faithful believers in the local church to challenge our young people to think theologically and grow in their theological understanding as they are guided by God’s Word.
I’m grateful that, in our church context, our pastor for youth and college engages our students in sound biblical teaching and presses toward deeper theological understanding. Our college students have met for book discussions on great Puritan works and gathered on Sunday evenings to wrestle through dense theological topics. Our high school and middle school students have worked through the Westminster Shorter Catechism, both memorizing the catechism questions and being taught the meaning and application of its theology.
Below, let me humbly offer three encouragements toward engaging youth and young adults in theological thought that our church is seeking to apply in our church context.
1. Convince them that theology is practical.
The first “apologetic” in convincing young people to give themselves to theological study and understanding is to counter the common sentiment that theology is impractical—that it belongs in stuffy seminary libraries rather than the hallways of the local high school. It’s good to remind young people that their theology will shape every aspect of their lives: their patterns of thought, decision-making, convictions, cultural engagement, motivation, and relationships. What we believe about God is the most intensely practical thing about us.
Perhaps the most striking (negative) example of the practical nature of theological belief in Scripture is spelled out in Romans 1:18–32. What begins with a sinful decision about belief and worship (the “exchange” of the Creator for idolatrous images of created things) bears fruit in all kinds of sinful behavior and actions. Truly, what we believe will bear fruit in how we live. It is helpful, on this point, also to remind young people that they are engaged in theological thought already, all the time. They are being “discipled” in theological thought through song lyrics, tweets, TikTok videos, and social media influencers. Their failure to engage in Christian theological study will not leave them on neutral ground but will make them vulnerable to other forms of inaccurate theological discipleship.
2. Show them that theology is exciting.
During my seminary years, Dr. D.A. Carson often remarked that he had learned over the years that while his students would not remember everything he taught them, they always seemed to remember the things about which he was most excited. I want to suggest that, for pastors and lay leaders in the church who work with young people, perhaps one of the first steps toward your students gaining a love of theology is their catching your infectious excitement about God, His Word, and the beauty of Christian doctrine.
College and high school students should be able to sense our passion for the depth of theology, the beauty of the gospel, and the riches of the Christian Scriptures, perhaps even before they begin growing in their own understanding of all those treasures. Do we talk about Christian doctrine in such a way that communicates to our young people that we are sharing with them the most weighty and glorious matters in the universe?
3. Remind them that theology must be worshipful.
Paul’s beautiful prayer for the Ephesian believers, which he summarizes in Ephesians 1:15–21, is a prayer for their growth in what we might call “theological knowledge,” to be sure. But his prayer for their growth in knowledge tilts undeniably Godward in worship. Paul wants these Christians to grow in deeper theological understanding so that they exult more worshipfully in their glorious Savior. He wants them to “know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe” (Eph. 1:18–19). Paul is not after theological knowledge for its sake alone. For Paul, growth in theological understanding is meant to grow our hearts in more and more worship to God and to praise Him for His glorious saving work in our lives.
Theological teaching and study must never be divorced from a relationship with the glorious God who has revealed Himself to us in His Word. As we understand more of Him, we are meant to worship Him and enjoy Him more and more as well.1
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Editor's Note: This article was originally published August 28, 2024. ↩
Facts Only
* The author notes that advertising evening events like “Dinner and Doctrine” may not attract a crowd.
* The author points to the difficulty engaging teenagers and young adults in sustained theological study due to influence from entertainment and social media culture.
* A local church pastor engages students in biblical teaching and pushes for deeper theological understanding, exemplified by book discussions on Puritan works and wrestling with dense topics on Sunday evenings.
* High school and middle school students have worked through the Westminster Shorter Catechism.
* The first method to convince young people to study theology is to show it is practical; it shapes thought patterns, decision-making, convictions, and relationships.
* Romans 1:18–32 illustrates that belief bears fruit in behavior.
* A second method is to make theology exciting by sharing the passion for God, His Word, and doctrine.
* The third method is to remind students that theology must be worshipful, aiming for growth in understanding that results in more worship of God.
Executive Summary
Full Take
The text identifies a tension between academic theological pursuit and practical, experiential engagement. The core implication is that successful transmission of theological thought requires bridging the gap between abstract knowledge and lived reality. The argument functions by reframing the perceived barrier to study—impracticality or boredom—into an active opportunity for relevance and joy.
The pattern observed is a strategic re-contextualization: theological study is not presented as an external, burdensome discipline but as an inherent feature of the student's experience (practicality), an appealing source of deep engagement (excitement), and the ultimate goal of relational depth (worship). This resists the temptation to treat theology as purely intellectual, instead positioning it within the full scope of human existence.
The underlying assumption is that genuine theological growth cannot occur in a vacuum; it must be rooted in practical consequences and affective response. The suggestion challenges the notion that young people require specialized, insulated study. Instead, it posits that by linking doctrinal knowledge to moral reality and spiritual desire, engagement becomes organic. This suggests that the failure of traditional methods often lies in divorcing doctrine from immediate, embodied experience, which is amplified today by the dominance of fast-paced, superficial digital content. The missing element for further inquiry is how these experiential connections translate into measurable cognitive shifts versus mere emotional resonance.
Sentinel — Human
This is a reflective essay arguing for pedagogical approaches to theology, employing a personal, pastoral voice supported by scriptural references, suggesting human authorship based on lived experience rather than purely synthetic data presentation.