A General Introduction to the Study of Theology Exegetical, Historical, Systematic and Practical, Includ
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THEOLOGICAL PROPAEDEUTIC A GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF THEOLOGY EXEGETICAL, HISTORICAL, SYSTEMATIC, AND PRACTICAL INCLUDING ENCYCLOPEDIA, METHODOLOGY, AND BIBLIOGRAPHY PART I. A MANUAL FOR STUDENTS BY PHILIP SCHAFF, D.D., LL.D. PROFESSOR OF CHURCH HISTORY IN THE UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY NEW YORK CHARLES SC.RIBNER S SONS 1892 Copyright, 1892, BY THE CHRISTIAN LITERATURE Co. PEEFACE. THIS book is intended to be a guide for theological students in the first year of their course of preparation for the ministry of the gospel. It gives an outline of the various departments of theology, defines their nature and aim, their boundary lines and their functions and value organic connection, respective ; it sketches their history, and indicates the best methods of prosecuting their study. It answers the purposes of a map for orientation. Formal Encyclopaedia, Methodology and Bibliog raphy are here combined. The new title PROPAEDEUTIC, which I have chosen after a good deal of reflection, is more comprehensive and more appropriate than the usual title ENCYCLOPAEDIA, which does not necessarily include Methodology and Bibliography, and is almost exclusively understood among us in the sense of an alphabetical dictionary of the matter of knowledge.* I beg the indulgence of the English reader for introducing a uniform terminology in the singular form for the several de partments, as Isagogic, Canonic, Patristic, Apologetic, Dogmatic, Ethic, Symbolic, Polemic, Statistic, Homiletic, Catechetic, lAturgic, Poimenic, Evangelistic. Some of these terms are new and sound strange, but they are coined after analogy from the Greek, like most of our scientific designations. The singular form is shorter than the plural and more in accordance with Greek and German usage. The English usage is inconsistent almost be for while we have sc. yond remedy ; Logic (from Xoyinrj, TK%VTJ, or emorrifiTi), Rhetoric, Music, Arithmetic (which are not likely * When I was appointed, in 1869, "Professor of Encyclopaedia and Sym bolic," in the Union Theological Seminary, a doctor of divinity and editor of a leading religious periodical asked me, "Pray, tell me the name of your professorship." When I told him, he said with an expression of surprise : " As to I never heard of it in all life and as to Symbolic, my ; Encyclo* paedia, if you are a professor of that, they need no other professor!^ IV PREFACE. ever to be changed into Logics, Rhetorics, Musics, Arithmetics), we have, on the other hand, Mathematics, Metaphysics, Ethics, are as to be into the Statistics, etc. (which, unlikely changed in such but I had singular form). I am no authority matters, to choose a uniform system. in It This is the first original work on Propaedeutic America. aims to answer the same purpose for English-speaking students as the well-known Encyclopddie und Methodologie of the late Dr. and Hagenbach of Basel (whom I knew very well) has served it useful still serves for German students (who prize as a of Studentenbuch). Although we have now a good translation and with it by my Methodist friends, Dr. Crooks Bishop Hurst, be valuable bibliographical supplements, yet it must remembered that Hagenbach wrote from the German standpoint for German and Swiss students, and is constantly undergoing improvements at the hands of new editors. The twelfth edition by Professor to 600 Reischle, which appeared in 1889, is enlarged pages. first at Mercers- I have taught Propgedeutic for many years, burg and later in New York, and have allowed the students to be circulate imperfect copies of my lectures. These will now superseded by the printed book. The First Part contains about one half of the work. The Second Part will be enriched by a complete Manual of Theo latest date. logical Bibliography, brought down to the but it Propgedeutic is as yet a new study in this countiy, should be taught in every theological institution. No course is more necessary and useful for beginners. It is hoped that this manual will meet a growing demand of teachers and students. PHILIP SCHAFF. Union Theological Seminary, NEW YORK, Juiy 12, 1892. CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION. CHAPTER PACK 1. Education 3 2. Theological Propaedeutic 6 3. Encyclopaedia 6 4. Formal and Material Encyclopaedia 8 5. General and Special Encyclopaedia 8 6. Theological Encyclopaedia 9 7. Methodology and Bibliography 10 8. Division and Arrangement 10 9. History and Literature 11 10. A Select List of Works Introductory to the Study of Theology. 12 BOOK I. RELIGION AND THEOLOGY. FIRST SECTION: RELIGION. 11. General Definition of Religion 17 PART I. OBJECTIVE RELIGION. 12. Science of Religion 19 13. History of Religion 19 14. Philosophy of Religion 20 15. Value of the Science of Religion 20 16. The Religious World. Statistics 21 17. Classification of Religions 29 18. Natural and Revealed Religions 29 19. Dualism, Polytheism, Pantheism, Monotheism 31 20. Civilized, Semi-civilized, and Barbarian Religions 32 21. Sensual, Ascetic, and Ethical Religions 33 22. Division according to Psychological Faculties 33 23. Turanian, Semitic, and Aryan Religions 34 24. Division according to the Ruling Ideas and Aims 35 25. Tribal, National, and Universal Religions 35 26. Designations of Ethnic Religions 36 Vi CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE 37 27. The Origin of Idolatry 28. The Bible View of the Heathen World 38 29. Fetichism 41 30. Confucianism 41 31. Brahmanisrn 43 32. Buddhism 45 33. Zoroastrianism 49 50 34. The Religion of Ancient Egypt 35. Classical Paganism 52 36. The Scandinavian and Teutonic Mythology 53 37. The Jewish Religion 55 38. Mohammedanism 57 59 39. Christianity PART II. SUBJECTIVE RELIGION. 63 40. The Religious Constitution of Man 64 41. Religion and the Mental Faculties. The Psychology of Religion 42. The Intellectual Theory. Piety and Knowledge 65 43. Piety and Orthodoxy 67 44. The Moral Theory. Piety and Morality 69 45. The Emotional Theory. Piety and Feeling 71 46. The Life Theory 73 47. Individual, Denominational, and Catholic Piety 75 SECOND SECTION: THEOLOGY. 48. Definitions of Theology 77 49. Natural and Revealed Theology 79 50. Theology and Religion 80 51. Theology and Philosophy 82 52. Theology and the Gospel Ministry 85 53. Hints for the Study of Theology 87 54. The Student s Library 91 55. Division of Theology 92 BOOK II. EXEGETICAL THEOLOGY. EXEGETIC. BIBLICAL LEARNING. 56. General Conception of Exegetlcal Theology 93 57. Departments of Exegetical Theology 94 58. The Bible 94 59. General Hints for the Study of the Bible 96 Select Tributes to the Bible . 97 CONTENTS. Vii FIRST SECTION: BIBLICAL PHILOLOGY (PHILOLOGIA SACRA). CHAPTER PAGE 60. Importance of the Study of the Original Languages 101 61. Classification of Languages 103 62. The Semitic Languages 104 63. The Hebrew 106 64. History of Hebrew Learning 109 65. The other Semitic Languages 114 66. The Aramaic Languages 115 67. The Biblical Aramaic and the Rabbinical Hebrew 116 68. The Syriac and the Samaritan 117 69. The Assyrian 118 70. The Arabic 121 71. The Study of the Classics 123 72. Christianity and the Greek Language 123 73. The Dialects of the Greek Language 125 74. The Hellenistic Dialect 126 75. The Septuagint 127 76. The Apostolic Greek 127 77. Peculiarities of the New Testament Writers 130 78. History of the Study of Hellenistic Greek 135 79. The Sub-Apostolic Greek 137 80. The Ecclesiastical Greek. 138 SECOND SECTION : BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY (INCLUDING GEOGRAPHY, NATURAL HISTORY, AND SACRED ARCHEOLOGY). 81. Idea of Biblical Archaeology 140 82. Parts of Archeology 141 83. Sources of Archaeology 142 84. Biblical Geography 143 85. Natural History of the Bible 144 86. Archaeology Proper 145 87. History of Archaeology 146 88. Literature of Archaeology 148 THIRD SECTION: BIBLICAL ISAGOGIC (HISTORICO-CRITICAL INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE). 89. Nature of Isagogic 149 90. Object and Value of Isagogic 150 91. Method and Arrangement of Isagogic 150 92. Parts of Isagogic 151 93. History of Isagogic 151 94. Biblical Criticism 153- 95. Textual Criticism. Its Aim 154 96. Necessity of Textual Criticism 154 97. Classes of Textual Variations . 155 Viii CONTENTS. CHAPTER 98. Number and Value of Various Readings 156 99. Textual Criticism of the Old Testament 158 100. Sources of the Old Testament Text 159 101. The Hebrew Original and the Greek Septuagint 160 102. Sources of the Text of the New Testament 163 103. The Received Text and the True Text 166 104. Canonic, or the Theory of the Canon 168 105. The Canon of the Old Testament 169 106. Origin of the Jewish Canon 170 107. The Canon of the New Testament in the Ancient Church 172 108. The Final Settlement of the Canon 175 109. Protestantism and the Canon 175 110. Special Isagogic 177 111. Historical or Higher Criticism 177 112. Authorship 179 113. Known and Unknown Authorship 180 114. Present State of Higher Criticism 181 115. The Final Result 184 FOURTH SECTION: BIBLICAL HERMENEUTIC AND EXEGESIS. 116. Nature of Hermeneutic 186 117. Aim of Interpretation 187 118. Qualifications of an Interpreter 188 119. Translation, Paraphrase, Commentary 189 120. The English Version and Revision 190 121. Philological and Historical Exegesis 194 122. Theological Exegesis 195 123. Practical and Homiletical Exegesis 196 124. Exhaustive Commentaries 196 125. Popular Commentaries 197 126. Exegesis of the Old and New Testaments 197 127. History of Exegesis 199 128. Jewish Exegesis 200 129. Jewish Exegesis before Christ 201 130. Jewish Exegesis after Christ 203 131. Epochs of Christian Exegesis 204 132. Patristic Exegesis. A.D. 100-600 204 133. Medieval Exegesis. A.D. 600-1500 207 134. The Period of the Renaissance 209 135. Exegesis of the Reformers 212 136. Protestant Exegesis of the Seventeenth to the Middle of the Eighteenth Century 215 137. Roman Catholic Exegesis of the Sixteenth down to the Eight eenth Century 222 138.