This was the introductory presentation for a short-course I taught on Biblical Theology (OT). While not my specialty, I do love Biblical Theology. This presentation relates Biblical Theology to other theological categories.

1. Biblical Theology
Prologue
Dr. Robert H. Munson
Maranatha Bible College
Baguio City, Philippines

2. Biblical Theology
 This term has been used in many different
ways by many different people. It goes beyond
this presentation and course to work it all out.
 However, as a formal separate topic from
other theology, it goes back to Johann P.
Gabler (1753-1826) described as the Father of
Biblical Theology.

3. Quote of Johann P. Gabler (translated)
“There is truly a biblical theology, of historical
origin, conveying what the holy writers felt
about divine matters; on the other hand there
is a dogmatic theology of didactic origin,
teaching what each theologian pilosophises
rationally about divine things, according to the
measure of his ability or of the times, age,
place, sect, school, and other similar factors.”
(An Oration on the Proper Distinction Between Biblical and
Dogmatic Theology and the Specific Objectives of Each,
1787)

4. Biblical Theology
"that discipline which sets forth the message of
the books of the Bible in their historical setting.
Biblical theology is primarily a descriptive
discipline. It is not initially concerned with the
final meaning of the teachings of the Bible or
their relevance for today. ...”

5. Biblical Theology
"… This is the task of systematic theology.
Biblical theology has the task of expounding
the theology found in the Bible in its own
historical setting, and its own terms,
categories, and thought forms. It is the obvious
intent of the Bible to tell a story about God and
his acts in history for humanity’s salvation."
-Donald Hagner, quoted in George E. Ladd, A
Theology of the New Testament, revised ed.
(Eerdmans, 1993), p. 20.

6. Biblical Theology
 Essentially, Biblical Theology focuses on
understanding what the writers or characters
in the Bible mean theologically in saying,
doing, or writing something within their own
context, and how would the reader or hearer
understand the Biblical word in the context it
was first delivered.

7. Biblical Theology
 For example, what would John the Baptist
mean when he said “Behold the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world.”?
 What would it have meant to the Jewish
hearer?
 What would it mean to the writer of the Gospel
of John when he recorded it?
 What would it mean to the reader of John's
Gospel at the time it was written?

8. Biblical Theology
 Biblical Theology is related to
interpretation/hermeneutics.
 However, while interpretation should mean
what does a passage mean (particularly from
the perspective of the author), Biblical
Theology seeks to understand the Bible in
terms of theological themes and the
development of these themes in the historical
development of the Bible.

9. Historical Theology
 Biblical Theology recognizes that theological
understanding may vary over time within the
1000 years or so that the Bible was
composed.
 Historical Theology recognizes that theology
has changed over 2000 years of church
history.
 Historical Theology can look at theology in two
basic ways: Diachronic and Synchronic

10. Historical Theology
 Synchronic looks at Theology in different
ages. For example, what was the theological
understanding of the church during the 13th
century?
 Diachronic looks at specific doctrines and see
how they change over time. For example, how
has the doctrine of sacraments changed over
the centuries?

11. Historical Theology
 Evangelicals have often downplayed the value
of historical theology, stating that they develop
their theology primarily or solely (soli scriptura)
on the Bible.
 This is a critical error. Our theology is always
filtered, colored, influenced by those who
came before us. Ignorance of this fact makes
error (or bad theology) more likely.

12. Historical Theology
Some reasons to study historical theology?
 Makes us more aware of our presuppositions
 Aids us to learn from others who have worked
on theology before us.
 May help us better evaluate a particular idea
or doctrine.

13. Philosophical Theology
 Seeks to understand God and theology
through the tools of philosophy and logic.
 One aspect of this is Natural Theology: It
seeks to understand God and our relationship
in the world through reflection on general
revelation (creation and history)
 The other aspect seeks to apply reason to test
the reasonability or plausibility of religious or
theological truth claims.

14. Philosophical Theology
 Although Tertullian questioned the value of
philosophy in theology (“What does Athens
have to do with Jerusalem?”) the tools are
philosophy are critical to any developed
theology.
 "Everyone needs to know some philosophy in
order to understand the major doctrines of
Christianity or to read a great theologian
intelligently" (Diogenes Allen,Philosophy for
Understanding Theology, iii)

15. Systematic (or Dogmatic) Theology
 Seeks to systematize theology into various
themes and doctrines.
 Some of these themes would include
Bibliology, Eschatology, Angeology, Theodicy,
Theology Proper, Pneumatology, Christology,
Hamartiology, Soteriology, and Ecclesiology.

16. Systematic (or Dogmatic) Theology

17. Practical (or Pastoral) Theology
Practical theology is where theology links to
ministerial practice. Some areas of practical
theology can be:
 Pastoral Care
 Missions
 Homiletics
 Liturgy
 Etc.

18. Practical (or Pastoral) Theology
 Unlike the other forms of theology, Practical
Theology has a more iterative/cyclical aspect
to it.
 There is a cycle of theological reflection
(based on other theology, especially
systematic theology) as well as reflection on
ministerial action.
 Note however, that all theologies still connect
on some level to the real world, since they
must answer the questions that people today
are asking.

19. Contextual Theology
 Contextual Theology seeks to do theological
development in a local context, social sub-
group, or so forth.
 Actually all systematic and practical theologies
are contextual (and this point should never be
forgotten).
 However, some theologies are more self-
conscious of their contextual nature: such as
Black, Feminist, Post-Colonial, Liberation,
Dalit, and Minjung Theologies (among many
more).

20. All Theology Occurs Within a
Context

21. Contextual Theology
 ALL theology is Contextual in the sense that all
theology seeks to correlate the questions,
concerns and thinking patterns of a culture
with theological thought and reflection. This
includes Biblical Theology.
 The question then is not whether a theology is
contextual. Rather the questions:
 Is the theology contextualized well or poorly?
 Is the theology contextualized locally or for
some other context?

22. Multiple Contexts
 Historical Theology can be thought of as
having dual contexts. It needs to take seriously
the context in history, while still addressing the
concerns of the present context.
 Biblical Theology also has at least two. It must
address the concerns of the present context. It
must also take seriously the Biblical context.
But here there may be two contexts--- the
context of the events covered, and the context
of the original audience.

23. Characteristics of Biblical Theology
Text-centered Discipline: In systematic
theology, many sources are brought together—
biblical, historical, philosophical, etc. In biblical
theology, other sources may be used, but they
are used inasmuch as they shed light on the
biblical text itself.
<Dr. Kevin Daugherty's notes utilizing Ladd>

24. Characteristics of Biblical Theology
Preliminary Discipline: Biblical theology is not
an end unto itself, but just an early stage on the
way toward other disciplines, such as systematic
theology, ethics, and praxis.
<Dr. Kevin Daugherty's notes utilizing Ladd>

25. Characteristics of Biblical Theology
Contextual Discipline: Biblical Theology seeks
to determining what the text meant to its original
readers. So it depends on the culture of the
people in a particular time and place.
<Dr. Kevin Daugherty's notes utilizing Ladd>

26. Characteristics of Biblical Theology
Descriptive Discipline: Biblical Theology seeks
to describe the theology of the message of the
Bible within its historical setting. This is as
opposed to prescribing what should be believed.
<Dr. Kevin Daugherty's notes utilizing Ladd>

27. Characteristics of Biblical Theology
Contingent Discipline: We are limited in
knowledge and wisdom. We must be humble
enough to know that we don't necessarily know.
<Dr. S. Kevin Daugherty's notes utilizing George Ladd's work>