This is an undergraduate course that introduces basic Theological method from a Christian perspective.

1. Theological Foundations
TH2103
Bethany University Las Vegas
Steve Thomason

2. Introduction to Course
Review Syllabus

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.

6. We all come from a PLACE

8. What is Theology?
This section of the
lecture is an
overview of this
book. Highly
recommended
reading for the
beginning
theologian
(that’s you).

9. FAITH SEEKING

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

12. What is Systematic Theology?
Theological Studies
Biblical Studies Historical
Studies
Doctrinal
Studies
Practical
Studies
Biblical Theology Historical Theology Systematic Theology Philosophical Theology
•Scripture
•God
•Sin
•Jesus Christ
•Salvation
•Church
•Last Things

13. Everyone is a Theologian
The Theology Continuum

14. How Do We DO Theology?
Two Tasks
Critical Task
Constructive Task

15. Critical
Task
ogma octrine pinion
Why do I believe what I believe?

16. Constructive
Task

17. On Building Models…
The Atom
Has the Atom ever changed?

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

21. Historical Eras

22. Ancient Worldview

23. Medieval Worldview

24. Modern Worldview

25. Post-Modern Worldview
Post-Foundationalism
Post-Rationalism
Globalism
Pluralism
New Spirituality

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?”

27. Systematic Theology is…
doctrinal
biblical
(w)holistic
coherent
contemporary

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)?

29. How Can We Know God?
General Revelation

37. Basic
Worldviews
PAN
THEISM
THEISM
THEISM
PANEN DEISM
THEISM
A
X

38. PAN
THEISM
THEISM
PANEN
THEISM
DEISM
THEISM
A
X
TRANSCENDENCE
(God is out there)
IMMANENCE
(God is in here)

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.

47. Anthropological Argument
Pervasiveness of Religion in human
society

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

49. Examination of
Relevant Passages
Psalm 19
Romans 1 and 2
Acts 14:15-17

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.

52. Take a Break!

53. Please Discuss the Following
Can a person be ‘saved’ or
‘find Jesus Christ’ devoid of
the Christian Bible or any
Christian church involvement?

54. How Can We Know God?
Special Revelation

63. History of the WORD OF GOD

64. Inspiration
(God’sWordsthrough man’shand)
+ Inerrancy
(Biblecontainsno errors)
______________
AUTHORITY

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?

69. Journal Entries
End of Week 1