Blue Collar Theology

Main Entry: ac·a·dem·ic

1 : of or relating to school or college

2 : literary or general rather than technical 

3 : having no practical importance 

I was having a conversation with a friend of mine who has a doctorate in education and he shared an insight into the public perspective on academia. He explained that Webster's definition of "Academic" included the definition that denotes something that has no practical importance or application. 

It made me laugh, then it gave me pause. 

You see, I had just finished explaining to my friend that I was a Blue Collar theologian. I have very little formal education, and I come from a Blue Collar family where practical and profitable are the main ways to evaluate the worth of any endeavor or instruction. 

My informal education and Blue Collar upbringing have been instrumental in forging the man I am, both personally and professionally. When asked what my qualifications are, I offer up Acts 4: 13 as an answer. 

 ^"They couldn’t take their eyes off them—Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus, but with the man right before them, seeing him standing there so upright—so healed!—what could they say against that?"

I think this passage offers an insightful description of Blue Collar theology at work. Two important pieces of information are expressed here: 

1. to know who they trained with, 
2. to know what they can accomplish with that training. 

The first is all about Relationships and the second is all about Results. 

It concerns me that much of what is taught in education today is about how to pass tests or regurgitate information. I worry that this might be counter-productive, as there are very few things in the "real world" that operate on the premise that the student will need to pass a standardized test or repeat back rote answers to their new boss once they get past the initial recruitment and training phase! Most real world practice is about developing strong relationships as part of a working community and then being part of producing results. There are obviously exceptions but I feel they merely prove the rule.

Many of the graduates I come across today are unprepared to actually do the careers they went to school to be qualified to do. And if you imagine graduates from Seminaries are ready to be pastors and missionaries then you have clearly missed the strained look on the senior pastor's face during a horrifically mangled homily from his freshly ordained assistant pastor on an unusually packed Sunday morning service!

So some of my very educated friends and I get together occasionally and discuss ways to bring a Blue Collar philosophy and a White Collar philosophy together to prepare our young people more effectively for the life they face in a few short years. 

What do you think of my Blue Collar theology?