What is Theology?

Theology is the “study of God” strictly speaking. It does, however encompass a broad range of topics related to God, the church, and God’s work.

 Biblical Theology – Biblical theology looks at theological themes found in the writings of the Bible. It focuses on the theological messages for each particular book and holistically how these themes fit into the progressive revelation of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.  Philosophical Theology – Philosophical theology grapples with the ideas who God is and what God is like communicated from scripture (such as omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience) and tries to understand how these ideas logically fit together and what implications they have on how one understands God.  Systematic Theology –The Bible is a book about God, but in and of itself does not systematically teach doctrines about God. Systematic theology therefore interpolates from what is taught about God and Biblical theology and philosophical theology a coherent theological framework(s) that outlines doctrines.

No one of these kinds of theology is “better” or “worse” than the other, rather they are all approaching the same study from different angles. In academic classrooms, typically systematic theology is what is taught because it is more topical in nature. A survey of theology is looks at each of the various doctrines that are defined in systematic theology and in a way “reverse engineers” the doctrine looking at the supporting arguments and passages that compose the doctrine itself from philosophical and biblical theology.

Systematic Theology aims to cover the following:

Doctrine of The Bible Understand the importance of the Bible and how it undergirds all aspects of belief and practice in the church. Doctrine of God Define theology proper, the Holy Trinity, and the person of God the Father in the Trinity and his work in the world. Doctrine of Jesus Comprehend the second person of the Trinity: Jesus. This will cover his deity, humanity, office, and work. Doctrine of The Holy Spirit Understand the third member of the Trinity: The Holy Spirit, his deity, and work. Doctrine of Creation Study about the doctrine of divine creation out of nothing and how this frames the redemption story. Doctrine of Man Know how God created man and woman as image bearers of God and how they are unique and special creations distinct from all other creations, and the nature of man. Doctrine of Sin Study about the fall of man and its effects on man, his relationship with God, and the world. Doctrine of Salvation Learn about the process of salvation including sin, grace, calling, regeneration, conversion, justification, and sanctification. Doctrine of The Church: Baptism, Learn about the various modes of baptism used in Christian churches, views on Lord Supper the Lord's Supper, and why Baptists use the modes they use. Doctrine of The Church: Spiritual Attain about the Spiritual Gifting the Holy Spirit gives every person and how Gifts these gifts ought to be used in the church. Doctrine of the Church: Church Church polity, Church Offices, and Ministry: See the different view of church Polity polity, church offices, and the how ministry is organized and carried out in the church. Doctrine of Angels Understand the role of angels, their relationship to God and man, and their roles. Doctrine of Satan and Demons Learn about the origin of Satan and his minions and how they work in the world as adversaries of God. Doctrine of Miracles and Prayer Understand the nature of prayer and miracles, their purpose, and how they work. Doctrine of The End Times Understand the issues surrounding the end times and how this impacts the urgency of missions and ministry in the presents.

Theology when presented too is usually presented in the form of a systematic theology text which is organized around doctrinal areas. A few seminal works for systematic theology include:

 Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem  Christian Theology by Millard Erickson  Basic Theology by Charles Ryrie  Systematic Theology by Charles Hodge  Evangelical Dictionary of Theology by Walter Elwell

Christian theology is diverse, with a lot of viewpoints for practically every doctrine. It is important to keep this in mind, and not to be become rigid in thinking that one has every nuance of theology figured out.

But it is also important to recognize that some doctrines offer more latitude than others. As a rule, doctrines related to God and trinitarian theology are non-negotiable. These include the doctrines of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The most controversial of these doctrines is usually the doctrine of Jesus, as many heresies both ancient and modern deny or mitigate the deity of Jesus, deny the humanity of Jesus, or deny the bodily death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Second, any doctrine that relates to salvation is also a non-negotiable. These include the doctrines of sin, man, and salvation. Heresies will attempt to deny the sinfulness of man or teach another gospel that doesn’t have Jesus as the only means of salvation by grace through faith. Outside of these doctrines, there is more latitude, such as what version of eschatology one might adhere to or what mode of baptism is used.

Application:

1. Mormons will often deliberately use the same vocabulary as Evangelicals as a bait and switch tactic when proselytizing. What are some ways to help see through the façade? What questions might one ask? 2. Explain why theology is so important. What implications does it have on practical matters of faith? 3. Imagine your discussing infant baptism with a family member. The family member and you don’t agree on the matter. How might you come to some sort of understanding about this difference?