A theology of slow

[This is a post I'm planning to submit for our church's blog. I wanted to put it here to see what it would look like. I wish I could shorten it by a couple hundred words, but this is about as good as I could get. 889 words]

A Theology of Slow

By Dan Horwedel

March 11, 2026

I’m not sure when it happened, but at some point the world decided everything should move faster.

News cycles, texts, podcasts at 1.5x, and the subtle panic that we’re “behind” if we don’t have an opinion about something within seven seconds.

That pace can also sneak into our spiritual life… and it can be dangerous.

We want quick answers to big questions. We want spiritual growth in an instant. And sometimes we expect our relationship with God to work like the rest of life: efficient, immediate, and optimized.

In their book Slow Theology: Eight Practices for Resilient Faith in a Turbulent World, A.J. Swoboda and Nijay Gupta gently push back. Their argument is simple: if we want a deeper, more resilient faith, we need to slow down.

Faith Was Never Meant to Be Fast

One of the main observations in Slow Theology is that, while our modern culture may reward speed, the Christian faith has never worked that way.

Throughout Scripture, the story of God’s people looks more like a long walk than a sprint. Abraham waits decades for God’s promises to unfold. The Israelites wander through the wilderness for forty years. Even the disciples spend a surprising amount of time misunderstanding Jesus before things start to come together.

In other words, God doesn’t seem to be in a hurry. Ever.

Swoboda and Gupta suggest that when faith gets forced into the same hurried rhythms as the rest of life, it becomes shallow, and possibly harmful. Quick answers replace careful reflection. Immediate certainty preempts patient trust. That’s where their idea of “slow theology” comes in.

What Theology Is Actually For

One of the most helpful parts of the book is the way the authors talk about theology itself.

For many people, the word theology sounds intimidating – like something reserved for professors, seminary classrooms, or very serious people with very large books.

Swoboda and Gupta remind us that theology is actually much simpler – and much more personal – than that. As they put it,

“Theology, at its proper end, is about knowing God himself.” (p. 49).

That idea gets right to the heart of the whole book.

The point of thinking about God isn’t just to collect better ideas about God. The goal is relationship. Theology is meant to help us know God more deeply, not just think about him more accurately.

Any relationship – whether with God or with other people – simply can’t be rushed.

What “Slow Theology” Looks Like

The book describes several practices that help cultivate a slower, deeper faith. None of them are complicated. In fact, most of them are things Christians have been doing for centuries.

One of the most important is simply learning to linger with God. Instead of rushing through prayer or Scripture reading, slow theology encourages us to take our time – to read slowly, to sit quietly, to actually notice what God might be doing in our hearts and lives.

Another practice is thinking more carefully. In a world built on instant responses, we are invited to pause before jumping to conclusions – whether that’s in a conversation, conflict, or yes, even on social media. Slower thinking leads to wiser responses.

The authors also encourage us to be more comfortable with mystery. Not every question about God has a tidy answer, and that’s okay. Faith has always involved trust, patience, and a willingness to keep walking even when we don’t understand everything.

And they remind us of something the church has always known: faith grows best in community. We learn, question, and grow alongside others who are on the same journey.

What This Means for Our Church Community

If Slow Theology has anything to say to us, it might be this: spiritual growth takes time.

And honestly, that’s good news.

People are at very different places in their faith journey. Some feel confident. Others carry doubts or questions. A slower, more patient approach creates space for all of that – room to ask hard questions without feeling rushed toward a tidy answer, and room to sit with uncertainty without feeling like a failure. There is even room to recognize that maybe, just maybe, we could be wrong about something we’ve always believed… and we’re not disqualified because of it!

It also means the ordinary practices of our life together matter more than we might think. Sunday gatherings. Shared meals. Honest conversations. Prayer for one another during the week. These things may not feel dramatic, but they quietly shape us into people who know God more deeply.

And maybe most importantly, slow theology invites patience – with our selves… and with each other.

Nobody grows overnight. That’s not a failure of faith; it’s simply how faith works.

Walking at God’s Pace

One of the quiet insights behind Slow Theology is that God has never been rushing.

We’re usually the ones sprinting around trying to keep up with everything. Meanwhile, God seems perfectly comfortable moving at a human pace… maybe even a little slower.

Which means following Jesus might sometimes look less like speeding up and more like slowing down.

Slowing down enough to listen.

Slowing down enough to notice.

Slowing down enough to let faith grow naturally over time.

And in the process, we might discover something important.

The goal of theology isn’t just to think more about God.

It’s to actually know him.

Take your time. It may be just what you need.