R. Paul Stevens > Quotes

“Most of us, like the assembly line worker, have jobs that are too small for our spirit. Jobs are not big enough for people.
Nora Watson quoted by Studs Terkel2”
― R. Paul Stevens, The Other Six Days: Vocation, Work, and Ministry in Biblical Perspective

“Third, theology is being done today by ordinary people. Like the character in Moliere's play who was surprised to learn that he was speaking prose all the time, the serious but non-clergy Christian may be surprised to find he or she is doing theology much of the time.J3 This `people' theology proliferates in films and books, as well as private conversations: vernacular theology, spur-of-the-moment theology, off-the-cuff theology and indigenous theology.
For example, my young granddaughter was told by her `atheist' friend that there is no God and no heaven. `Well', she said, `if there's no heaven, then what's the point of dying?' - pure theology!”
― R. Paul Stevens, The Other Six Days: Vocation, Work, and Ministry in Biblical Perspective

“Luther said, `All Christians are priests and
all priests are Christians. Anathema to him who distinguishes the priest from the simple Christian.i4' Luther argued that the simple milkmaid or the tailor with the word of God in his or her hands was able to please God and minister the things of God as effectively as the priest, the prelate and the pope himself. `Ordination does not make a priest, but a servant of priests ... a servant and an officer of the common priesthood.i41”
― R. Paul Stevens, The Other Six Days: Vocation, Work, and Ministry in Biblical Perspective

“P.T. Forsyth says that `the best theology is compressed prayer'.”
― R. Paul Stevens, The Other Six Days: Vocation, Work, and Ministry in Biblical Perspective

“We ask to know the will of God without guessing that his will is written into our very beings.'26”
― R. Paul Stevens, The Other Six Days: Vocation, Work, and Ministry in Biblical Perspective

“L. Floor puts the
matter succinctly: `From the Epistle to the Hebrews may be derived this most important thesis: the deeper we enter the sanctuary the further we will penetrate the world.'46”
― R. Paul Stevens, The Other Six Days: Vocation, Work, and Ministry in Biblical Perspective

“Many of Jesus' words emphasize that obedience is the organ of revelation.”
― R. Paul Stevens, The Other Six Days: Vocation, Work, and Ministry in Biblical Perspective

“Luther's celebrated statement concerning the qualifications of a true theologian: `living, or rather dying and being damned make a theologian, not understanding, reading or speculating.'42”
― R. Paul Stevens, The Other Six Days: Vocation, Work, and Ministry in Biblical Perspective