Buddhist Theory?

I just read Thanissaro Bhikku's Karma of Questions in which he mentions the fact that Buddhism is based on practice, and that practice should yield theory and not the other way around. I think most people know that on the macro level, but how many really understand it on the individual level. I've often noticed a disconnect between how writers say people should write and what they write themselves. I don't want to let critics who don't write off scott-free either.

There's always talk of the role of poetry criticism and theory and I'm thinking just now that I need to re-read Bhikku's ideas on Buddhist theory and apply them to literature. He said that academic, historic study of Buddhism is fine, but that it doesn't really tell anyone how to live or practice or thrive. I guess when you look at a poem, you should ask it what it's telling you, not about how to live, but about how to read and write poetry.