Theology is a topic that is evaded by most Christians in general conversation. It is actually quite amazing that the majority of believers in Christ have only a cursory understanding of theology, given that it is foundational to our lives as Christians. Sadly, the reason for this dearth of theological knowledge is because we live in a 2 Timothy 4:3 culture, where people simply are not that interested sound doctrine, and pastors, preachers, and teachers are more than happy to accommodate the needs of their itching ears.
In this section of the website, we will provide an overview of the major aspects of theology, and share with you some terms that will bolster your theological vocabulary, deepen your knowledge on the subject in general, and provoke your curiosity so that you will begin to ask questions that will cause you to study God's Word more intently,
What Is Theology?
Theology—from the Greek theos, “god,” and logia, “word”—is not a uniquely Christian word. The Greek verb theologeō refers to the act of speaking about a god, while the noun theologos refers to a person who engages in theologeō, that is, a theologian. The adjective theologikos describes something theological, while the noun theologia means “a word about god”—literally, theology. These words were used in pagan religious contexts centuries before the New Testament. None of these four words are found in the New Testament or the Septuagint. The earliest known Christian use of one of these terms is a reference to the apostle John as a theologos early in the second century AD.
Christian theology is the study of the divine revelation in the Bible. It has God as its perpetual centerpiece, God’s Word as its source, and godliness as its aim. As Alva McClain puts it,
Out of God all things come—He is the origin. Through God all things exist—He is the sustainer of all things. Unto God—back to God—He is the goal. There is the circle of eternity: out, through, back.
MacArthur, John, and Richard Mayhue, eds. 2017. Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.
Theology Types
Title | Description |
|---|---|
Biblical Theology | The organization of Scripture thematically by biblical chronology or by biblical author with respect to the progressive revelation of the Bible. |
Dogmatic Theology | The organization of Scripture with an emphasis on favored or selected church creeds. |
Exegetical Theology | The methodical organization of Scripture by dealing exegetically with individual texts of the Bible. |
Historical Theology | The historical study of doctrinal developments after the apostolic era to the present time. |
Natural Theology | The study of what can be known about God by human reason alone through the empirical study of the natural world. |
Practical Theology | The organization of Scripture with an emphasis on the personal application of doctrinal truth in the lives of the church and individual Christians. |
Systematic Theology | The organization of Scripture by a synthesis of scriptural teaching, summarized using major categories that encompass the entirety of God’s written revelation. |
MacArthur, John, and Richard Mayhue, eds. 2017. Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.
Systematic Theology
Systematic theology answers the question, what does the completed canon of Scripture teach about any one theme or topic? For example, what does the Bible teach from Genesis to Revelation about the deity of Jesus Christ? A basic definition of systematic theology, then, would be “the ordered exposition of Christian doctrines.”
MacArthur, John, and Richard Mayhue, eds. 2017. Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.
Systematic Theology Categories/Doctrines
Category | Description |
|---|---|
Bibliology | The doctrine of the inspiration, inerrancy, authority, and canonicity of the Bible (Gk. biblion, “book”) |
Theology Proper | The doctrine of the existence and being of God, including the triunity of God (Gk. theos, “God”) |
Christology | The doctrine of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ (Gk. christos, “Christ”) |
Pneumatology | The doctrine of the person and work of the Holy Spirit (Gk. pneuma, “Spirit”) |
Anthropology | The doctrine of humanity (Gk. anthrōpos, “man”) |
Hamartiology | The doctrine of sin (Gk. hamartia, “sin”) |
Soteriology | The doctrine of salvation (Gk. sōtēria, “salvation”) |
Angelology | The doctrine of holy angels, Satan, and fallen angels (Gk. angelos, “angel”) |
Ecclesiology | The doctrine of the church, universal and local (Gk. ekklēsia, “assembly” or “church”) |
Eschatology | The doctrine concerning the entire scope of biblical predictive prophecy, especially end-time events, including the destination for both saved and unsaved people, heaven and hell (Gk. eschatos, “last things”) |
