3. What do you think of when you hear the word
THEOLOGY?
4. What are some big questions that
cause controversy in the church?
Do you feel equipped to develop
adequate responses to
these questions?
That is the purpose of Theology.
5. The Goal of this Course
Is Not INDOCTRINATION
Indoctrination is the process of telling you
WHAT TO BELIEVE and proving why my
belief is right and everyone else is wrong.
Is Education in Theological Method
The purpose of this course is to teach you
HOW TO THINK theologically so that you
can process all questions and new
situations through a coherent grid
throughout your life and ministry.
10. Christian Theology is reflecting on
and articulating the beliefs about
God and the world that Christians
share as followers of Jesus Christ
so that God can be glorified in all
Christians are and do.
Defining Systematic Theology
11. No Christian theology can claim to speak the
last word about God and God’s relation to
human beings and the world. Every theology
is at best a limited, fallible, provisional attempt
to speak of the living God of scripture whose
truth, justice, and compassion are beyond the
very highest and best we can imagine.
Guthrie p. xiii
18. Constructive
Task
A good model should:
handle scripture accurately
Be in tune with Christian heritage
make sense to the current culture
•Bible Study
•Heritage
•Culture
19. Biblical Data
“What does the Bible Say?”
Must have a strong handle on
hermeneutics.
No proof texting. Must understand “the
full counsel of scripture.”
We will discover that our “Bibliology” or
Doctrine of Scripture impacts this
source. Which comes first…
20. Heritage
“What has the church said about this
throughout history?”
Must understand the context of each era
Ancient Biblical Era
Pre-Medieval Biblical Era
Medieval Church Era
Modern Church Era
Post-Modern Church Era
26. Contemporary Culture
“What do the disciplines of knowledge in
my contemporary culture contribute to
my understanding of the question?”
Sociology, Psychology, Archaeology,
Physics, Political Science, etc.
“How can I communicate this theology
clearly to my contemporary culture?”
28. Please Discuss the Following Questions
1) What should your attitude be toward
someone whose theological beliefs are
different from yours?
2) Do you accede to St. Anselm’s definition of
theology, namely, faith-seeking-
understanding (fides quaerens
intellectum)?
41. Limitations to “God Talk”
“God” is infinite and eternal, we are finite and
mortal.
Recognize the limitations of language itself.
All communication must be analogical;
recognizing the inability to have direct
correlation.
All communication must be anthropomorphic
and anthropocentric.
The best communication tends to be
apophatic.
42. Natural Theology
Certain Assumptions
There is an objective, valid, and rational
general revelation
There is integrity in the person
perceiving and learning from creation
(sin has not disabled the perceiver)
The congruity of the perceiver’s mind
and the order of the universe (made
from the same stuff)
43. Natural Theology
“The core of natural theology is the idea that it
is possible, without a prior commitment of faith
to the beliefs of Christianity, and without
relying upon any special authority, such as an
institution (the church) or a document (the
Bible), to come to a genuine knowledge of
God on the basis of reason alone. Reason
here refers to man’s capacity to discover,
understand, interpret, and evaluate the truth.”
(Erickson p.157)
44. 4 Arguments from Nature
Teleological - Things seem to be
moving to an end.
Cosmological - Intelligent Design...too
complex to "just happen"
Anthropological - Religion is
EVERYWHERE...a God shaped void
Moral - without a "prime reality" there
can be no basis for "right and wrong"
45. Teleological Argument
Teleological comes from the Greek word telos,
meaning “end.” The teleological argument may
be defined thus: “Order and useful
arrangement in a system imply intelligence
and purpose in the organizing cause. The
universe is characterized by order and useful
arrangement; therefore, the universe has an
intelligent and free cause.” The world
everywhere evidences intelligence, purpose,
and harmony; there must be a master architect
behind all this evidence.
46. Cosmological Argument
The term cosmological comes from the Greek
word cosmos, meaning “world.” This argument
is based on the fact that a cosmos, or world,
exists. Because something cannot come from
nothing, there must be an original cause that is
the reason for the world’s existence. There
cannot be an infinite regress of cause and
effect. There must be an “uncaused cause”.
The cosmological argument presumes that
every effect must have a cause.
48. Moral Argument
Inherent sense of morality in humanity
Immanuel Kant
Immortality and undying soul
Coming judgment
God who establishes and supports values
Rewards for good and evil
50. Implications of General Revelation
Millard Erickson
All persons have a knowledge of God
There is a possibility of some knowledge of
divine truth outside the special revelation.
General revelation serves to explain the
worldwide phenomenon of religion and religions.
There is harmony between creation and the
gospel.
Truth arrived at apart from special revelation is
still God’s truth.
65. Views of Inspiration
Natural – the same way we would call a gifted
musician “inspired”. A high degree of insight.
Elevation – the Holy Spirit heightened the natural
powers of the authors, but did not communicate
specific truth.
Thought – the person writing will give expression
to the divinely directed thoughts in a way that is
uniquely characteristic of him.
Verbal, plenary – The work of the Holy Spirit is
so intense that each word is the exact word which
God wants used at that point to express the
message.
Dictation – God dictated to the authors,
removing their own personality from the writing.GOD
MAN
66. What Does Inerrant Mean?
Absolute – True in every detail.
Discrepancies must be explained.
Full – In religious/theological/spiritual topics it
is absolute. In scientific and historical it is
communicated in “popular” terms.
Limited – The authors were limited by their
culture's understanding of science and nature.
Innerrancy of Purpose – Its purpose is to
bring people to faith, not communicate truths.
67. Where is Our Authority?
Word Centered Spirit Centered
• Bible is only authoritative
Word from God
• The Spirit is the only
authoritative Word from
God.
• Danger: No life in the Spirit
• The work of the Spirit’s
revelation closed at the end of
the New Testament
• Danger: No discerning of
Spirits – possible heretical
influence
• The work of the Spirit’s
revelation is as real today as
it was in the New Testament
TRUTH
68. Please Discuss the Following
Out of the five theories, which
theory of inspiration do you prefer?
How does the Bible differ from other
human masterpieces?