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The notion that academic theologians have a de facto positive impact on others is perhaps the most malicious self-serving mythology that theologians have manufactured. (Thread)
In my experience, I have seen theologians be helpful just as much as I have seen them be predators who use their theological influence to abuse, manipulate, and control others for gain.
Both the helpful ones and the abusive ones participate in the same activities: they do PhD's, they network, they convene academic conferences, they edit volumes, they present papers, they publish articles and books.
But none of those things per se determine whether those activities will be used for good or bad. Participating in the academy is an inherently morally neutral thing in itself. It's moral quality depends on how it is used in relation to others.
But the nearly messianic self-perception in which academic theology is considered to be de facto helpful to others makes people blind to the reality that many theologians are, and can easily become, malicious abusers.
The issue is that theology attracts people who are manipulative and controlling. What better way to control people than to convince others that you can determine their relationship with the divine?
I don't think this natural danger is recognised as much as it should. The result is that theologian-abusers are too often enabled. Manipulative people are naturally quite successful in the academy, such that the academy enables and expands their sphere and power of abuse.
I often wonder if the corruption is far more extensive than we imagine. How many academic theologians are actually controlling and manipulative abusers who just haven't been exposed yet?
