Brad East, in discussing the difficult question of reading Yoder, gives this very useful description of the task of a theologian:

If the subject matter of theology is the living divine reality revealed in the person and work of Jesus—together with the whole penumbra of witnesses and mediators, histories and texts, communities and practices that provide access to that revelation—then what theologians offer in their work is contemplative and hermeneutical insights into that reality. They glimpse some detail or truth, some connection or imperative, some implication or sublimity, and bring it to light for the rest of us. We their readers, for our part, sift the wheat from the chaff, testing their offerings not only for goodness, truth, and beauty, but also for usefulness, clarity, and edification. I submit that the theological writings Yoder left behind offer insights into the reality of Christ worth receiving, however critically, both now and into the future. I leave it to others to decide whether that judgment is accurate.