What is Theology?

Discussions over theology and theological task have crossed many people’s minds over the years. By nature, people are religious and they have continued to derive meaning from their daily experiences. It is through the inquisitive nature of humanity that attachments to the Deity have revolved. Over the years, people have been obsessed with an innate desire to have a thorough understanding of their history in order to know the religious motivation of their predecessors. This paper will delve into the subject of theology as well as the theological task. It will focus on the various ways in which theology is defined. In addition, the paper will explore and consider the three sources of theological task as anticipated by Stanley Grenz. Finally, the paper will argue how reason and experience fit into the task of understanding theology.

Theology has roots in two Greek words ‘theo’, which means God and ‘ology’, which means the study of something (Sharrock, 2007). In essence, theology refers to the study of the Deity. Although such a definition of theology might look flimsy, indeed the study of God cannot be rudimentary. For one to undertake to study a certain discipline, a basic understanding of the central structure of the subject is critical. In this aspect, theology can be described as an effort to intellectualize religion so that people can understand and explain the origin of Christianity. This is helpful in passing on the message of salvation to the lost. Without the basic understanding of religion, it would impossible to evangelize the lost. Therefore, religion is important in understanding an established system of thought.

Just like in any disciplines, there are varied definitions of theology. Houdmann (2009) observes that theology is the art and science of knowing God through His son Jesus. Within this definition, there are several points that can be deduced. God’s personhood is revealed through Jesus Christ as his son. In creation, His artistic nature can be understood well. Indeed, God’s nature can be understood in a unique way because He is not only an artist, but also a scientist. By reading the scriptures, God’s logic and reasoning cannot go unnoticed. The Almighty does not follow a simple plan. Indeed, His is methodological process that has no immediate results. God’s patience with humanity and His way of delivering people follows a definite process. For instance, it was not easy to kill baby Moses, since God had laid out His plans for him to deliver the Israelites from bondage. This theme of deliverance resonates throughout the scriptures. His nature as an artist and a scientist often overlap throughout the scriptures.

Migliore (2004) provides an equally interesting definition of theology. He cited theology as a means of knowing the truth about God and His creation. The scripture does not have its base on the written word, but rather on the power of the word as inspired by the Holy Spirit through man. When one understand that the scripture is infallible, then people can put their faith in it and in God the creator of the universe. People will be willing to allow the word of rebuke, correct, and minister to their lives. Indeed, as people read more of the scriptures, they find more enlightenment. Therefore, truth and understanding are important components in understanding theology.

Theological task is an ongoing process. The role of theology is to encourage believers by the many examples in the scriptures (Wei, n.d). There are three sources of theological task, which include the Bible, the church history, and culture. The central message of the Bible is salvation by faith in the work of Jesus Christ (Grenz, 2000). Several religions have tried to put this message into disrepute by denying the deity of Jesus Christ and His Messianic role. They argue that Jesus was not a Messiah, but rather a prophet (Tomson & Petry, 2003). In addition, they opine that writers tried to deceive the people by falsifying historical accounts. However, Christians can attest to the infallibility of the word of God. They can attest to the work of the Holy Spirit in writing the scriptures. Many writers cannot have falsified the theme of salvation over a long period, as Biblical detractors would want people to believe. Therefore, the Bible is supreme, and through it, man can understand the mind of God.

The second source of theological task as proposed by Stanley Grenz is the history of the church. The church has been mandated to create a doctrine that is universally acceptable to all. Christians believe in Jesus Christ as their savoir (Grenz, 2000). However, to have consensus among all the believers, the ecumenical council established the Nicene Creed in 325. The creed laid down deity of Jesus Christ and other doctrines to be accepted by all believers. Later, the Athanasian Creed was crafted, which explained the Trinity of God. Without these creeds, Christianity would not have stood the test of time. Indeed, it would have been branded as a mass movement. Although there have been differences among the many Christian denominations, Jesus Christ has been accepted as the cornerstone of Christianity faith.

Theological task gains incomparability depending on the culture in which the word of God was written (Grenz, 2000). As highlighted above, the Israelites underwent bondage in Egypt. A theologian might want to understand why the Israelites were prone to look unto Moses for their deliverance. Indeed, it might have been that they were tired of being oppressed by the Egyptians. Therefore, they would have received anyone who could deliver them from bondage. However, although Moses was a Hebrew, his upbringing was essentially different as he was raised in Pharaoh’s household, hence the resentment expressed by the Hebrews toward him. In the current Christian dispensation, this theme is quintessentially inherent in every society. People from different cultural orientations share a common faith. Therefore, it is prudent that theologians and pastors take cognizance of the multicultural backgrounds of the believers in the Churches while deciphering scriptural themes (Grenz, 2000). Through this approach, people will be able to reflect on the workings of God in their lives and the world at large. However, this might not be sufficient because people need reason to understand their problems wholly. For reflection and revelation, to thrive, people must undergo or have a hands-on exposure to the problem being explored by a certain theological theme. For instance, poverty is rampant in many societies. This is just a general awareness of the problem. However, it is critical to have reason, which will help in understanding the causes of poverty in society. Therefore, experience and reason should go together in gaining reflection and revelation.

In summary, theology has varied definition. However, its basic tenet lies in understanding God through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the central focus of the scriptures. Indeed, every definition of theology provides another perspective of understanding the creator of the universe. The three sources of theological task as proposed by Stanley Grenz are the bible, the church history, and culture. Each of these has been explained in detail, showing how reason and experience fit into the theological task.

References

Grenz,S. (2000). Theology for the Community of God. Cambridge: Regent College Publishing.

Houdmann, M. S. (2009). Got Questions? Bible questions answered. New York: WinePress Bookstore.

Tomson, J. P. & Petry, L. D. (2003). The Image of the Judeo-Christian in Ancient Jewish and Christian Literature. Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck.

Migliore, L. D. (2004). Faith Seeking Understanding: an introduction to Christian theology. Cambridge: Wim. B. Eardmans Publishing.

Sharrock, R. (2007). Spiritual Warfare: a struggle for truth. New York: Lulu Enterprises.

Wei, L. S. (n.d). The Five Dimensions of Christian Theological Task. Retrieved from http://christ.org.tw/bible_and_theology/Theology/Five_Dimensions_of_Theological_Task.htm