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What is Theology? A basic definition of theology would be the science or study of God. Christianity’s God is an active being so this basic definition is insufficient since it does not include God’s works and his relationship with them. Theology must also seek God’s creation, especially man and God’s redemptive work as it relates to man. More valuable than a definition of theology is an understanding of what the science of theology does. Thus, a more complete definition of theology is proposed. Theology is that discipline which strives to give a coherent statement of the doctrines of the Christian faith, based primarily upon Scriptures, placed in the context of culture in general, worded in a contemporary idiom, and related to issues of life. Theology is Biblical It takes as its primary source of content the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. We do not mean, however, that theology simply draws upon the surface meanings of the Scriptures uncritically. Theology utilizes the tools and methods of biblical research. Theology also makes use of the insights of other areas of truth, which it regards as God’s general revelation. Theology is Systematic By this we mean that theology draws upon the whole Bible. Rather than using individual texts in isolation from one another, theology attempts to relate the various passages to one another, to coalesce the various teachings into a harmonious, coherent whole. Theology Relates to Culture And Learning Theology attempts to relate its views of origins to ideas set forth by science (such as cosmology), its view of human nature to psychology’s understanding of the human personality, its understanding of providence to the work of philosophy of history. Theology Must be Contemporary Although theology deals with timeless issues, it does so via the use of language, concepts, and forms of thought that make some sense in the context of the present era. This brings with it a certain element of danger. Some theologies, in attempting to deal with modern issues, have reworded the Bible in a manner which distorts it. It is through this error that we have come to hear of the “peril of modernizing Jesus.” This is not a fallacious peril. Various methods have been employed in an attempt to avoid making Jesus merely another nineteenth-century liberal. Sometimes, however, the message which is presented is stated in such a way that it requires the twentieth-century individual to become a first-century person in order to understand it. This leaves us in a position where we may only deal with problems which no longer exists, and ushers in an entirely new peril, “the peril of archaizing ourselves.” This peril, too, must be avoided. For theology to be contemporary it must go beyond merely using today’s thought forms and idioms to express the message. To be truly contemporary, theology must address the questions and the challenges being encountered today. Yet caution is still called for. Since the present represents a change from the past, we may conclude that the future will represent a change from the present. Thus, we must guard against making too strong a commitment to a given set of issues. A theology which identifies too closely with the immediate present will doom itself to being obsolete prematurely. Theology is Practical By practical we do not mean to imply pragmatics. Practical theology relates to living rather than to belief. The Christian faith has something to say to assist us with our practical concerns. Theology must not be concerned primarily with the practical dimensions of Scripture. The practical application of a doctrine is a consequence of the truth of the doctrine, not the reverse. Theology is Unavoidable Anyone who has ever read any portion of the Bible has formulated a theology based upon what was read. This is true whether or not the reader is a believer, accurately understands what was read (hermeneutics), or has a desire to apply what was read. There are, consequently, a great many poor quality theologies. The quality of theology, like exegesis, is dependent upon the results of hermeneutics. If what has been written in the Bible is not correctly understood by the theologian and the exegete, their respective works are already doomed. |
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