The views expressed in this article are of the author only and do not necessarily represent those of the Center for Pastor Theologians.
Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage
Gavin Ortlund
Crossway (2020). 176 pp.
Anybody who has been in ministry for even a brief time probably has a few stories about congregants that left churches over perceived doctrinal disputes or staff members who were let go because they could not affirm a particular phrase in an organization’s statement of faith.
Doctrine divides, period; but it doesn’t always have to be that way, according to Gavin Ortlund. The key to navigating difficult doctrinal disputes without division is to employ “theological triage” to evaluate and prioritize doctrines. To this end, Ortlund identifies three basic priority levels for Christian doctrine: first-, second-, and third-rank doctrines. First-rank doctrines are doctrines that are essential to the gospel itself; to compromise them is to compromise the gospel. Second-rank doctrines are important and touch upon how we understand the gospel. For that reason, it is understandable for Christians to be divided theologically over them; nevertheless, their importance ought to be subsumed to the larger unity shared in the gospel itself. Finally, third-rank doctrines are those doctrines that are important enough to register disagreement over; but, they are never important enough to justify division (p. 19).
First-rank theological doctrines are doctrines that are worth fighting over; or, to use Ortlund’s idiom, they are hills worth dying on. These include the doctrines of the Trinity and the incarnation certainly, but also—Ortlund argues—the virgin birth and the doctrine of justification by grace through faith. To deny these doctrines is to compromise the gospel itself. And so in the face of disputes regarding these primary doctrines, pastors and theologians depend on the virtues of courage and conviction. In the case of the virgin birth, what is really at stake is the question of the authority of scripture itself. Similarly, the doctrine of justification is a primary doctrine to the extent that it prioritizes divine grace to human merit. To compromise on either of these points is to compromise the gospel itself.
Second-rank theological doctrines are “Christian doctrines that make a noticeable difference in how we understand and articulate the gospel, though their denial does not generally constitute a denial of the gospel” (p. 95). They are important because they determine what our particular Christian witness looks like and they name the specific, albeit regrettable, reasons that Christians churches remain divided with each other today. The virtues that are required to attend to secondary doctrines are wisdom and balance. The three secondary doctrines that Ortlund addresses are paedobaptism, spiritual gifts, and the role of women in ministry. To call these second-rank theological doctrines is already to acknowledge the level of controversy that comes with secondary doctrine. For some, infant baptism, speaking in tongues, or the ordination of clergy are essential expressions of their Christian faith. To say they are anything less is offensive. And yet, Ortlund argues, it must be acknowledged that Christians the world over disagree on these and many other doctrines without ceasing to be Christian. In this regard, there is a certain theological integrity to the lamentable reality of denominations.
Finally, tertiary doctrines are those doctrines that it almost never makes sense to fight over. To do so is to focus on speculative issues at the expense of primary doctrinal concerns. The two examples that Ortlund draws our attention to are American Evangelical Christianity’s obsession with the six-day creation and the millennium. These types of doctrines tend to turn on specific interpretations of obscure passages of scripture, hold less practical import to the daily lives of Christians, and ignore the breadth of Christian history. In the face of these sorts of doctrinal disputes, pastors and theologians should develop the virtues of circumspection and restraint. Learning when not to fight is the most significant lesson a pastor-theologian can learn.
Ortlund concludes with a commendation of humility: “the divisiveness surrounding a doctrine involves not merely its content but also the attitude with which it is held. The greatest impediment to theological triage is not a lack of theological skill or savvy but a lack of humility” (p. 147). Any hope for unity amid disagreement begins with postures of humility.
Ortlund’s vision of theological triage is commendable to pastors and theologians everywhere. Triage will, undoubtedly, be an art that each pastor will have to learn through practice; nevertheless, much of the advice contained in Finding the Right Hills to Die On comes from the hard-earned experiences of the author and more seasoned pastors. Careful attention to the author’s basic argument will help pastor-theologians to develop a way of seeing and inhabiting the world that will engender greater faith in God and love for our neighbors. These virtues, in turn, will bear the fruit of hope for church unity and witness.
David Hunsicker is an associate pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama. He holds a PhD in Systematic Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and is a member of the St. Basil Fellowship of the Center for Pastor Theologians.
