The Importance of Understanding the History of Ideas

When it comes to various theological doctrines, I start with the assumption that past thinkers had some decent reasons for their opinions. If there is some sort of widespread agreement on some doctrine, that gives me a surface-level justification for agreeing with a certain doctrine. So as a theologian, I have a duty to dive deeper into the history of ideas and consider actual arguments for and against different views. Many of these slogans seem to be pretending that the tradition is this mystical source of infallible truths. But when I read many of my favorite dead people's voices, they're asking me to engage in reason," he says.