“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go” (Seuss, 27).
At the end of this course, it has become apparent to me that a person must know what they believe, but perhaps more importantly, why they believe it. An overarching narrative that stands out from this course is the prominence of practical apologetics. Specifically, in terms of theology and our exploration of many differing theologies, I am convinced of the need of three things. First, there is a need for strong Bibliology with solid hermeneutical reasoning. Second, an understanding of Theology Proper, specifically relating to knowing God as He has revealed Himself. And lastly, a mentor trained in theology that can offer guidance and support. Since we read of several different theologies, I will limit my writing to these areas stressed in the thesis. As to what effect this course will have on my life and ministry, some of the views discussed have made me see a vital need for effective writing against these theologies.
Throughout Church history, there have been many views of Scripture. As early as A.D. 140, Marcion rejected the Old Testament and only saw Luke’s Gospel with omissions and ten of Paul’s letters as Scripture (Shelley, 62-63). In one of the
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I like an analogy of authentic money and counterfeit money related to theology. An inspector in the counterfeiting department of Scotland Yard was asked how much time is spent studying counterfeit money. The inspector replied that more time is devoted to handling authentic money, so that when phony money is introduced it can be detected (Lauie, A21). That being said, my beginning quote from Dr. Seuss remains true; there is value in exploring differing theology. These explorations will aid in my opening statement; it is important to know what and why you believe what you
The meaning of theology is simple; it is the study of God and religious belief. The definition is plain to see but it’s important to go beyond what is already known. On a deeper level, what is the meaning of theology in respect to a religious community and to a person trying to find themselves in God? How is everyone involved in doing theology all the time? In this paper, there will be an in depth analysis on what theology is, why it is important, and how people are engaged in theology all the time.
Beilby, James. Thinking about Christian apologetics: what is is and why we do it. Downers Gove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2011.
Practical theology treats the application of theology in the regeneration, sanctification, edification, education and service of men. It seeks to apply to practical, life the things contributed by the other three departments of theology. P.16
Theology of Christianity appears in many forms. It is a concentration of the study of both the old and new testaments, as well as Christian traditions. Such theologies discussed by the author are: biblical criticism, systematic theology, historical theology, moral theology, pastoral theology, liberation theology, natural theology, liturgical studies and sacramenta theology, and mystical
The process by which Scripture has been preserved and compiled is one whose history is worth noting. The early church had many opportunities to share the Good News of Christ via word of mouth, but from the time of Christ’s resurrection until the mid-second century, there had not been a single culmination of writings considered to be essential for the purposes of
Faith operates in a unique way by providing the average, the noble, or the distasteful with a means to understand the world we inhabit. However, our worldly experiences also operate as a means to understanding the complexities of our faith. For St. Augustine, faith provides more questions than answers, but consequently leads to his life as a bishop and eventually sainthood. For some, however, the Bible provides the answers to all the questions that go unanswered by common sense. In St. Augustine’s Confessions, Augustine is able to further understand himself and his faith in Christ by reflecting on anecdotes of his past. Conversely, the Bible’s use of etiology provides spiritual justification for physical realities.
In this paper, I am going to share my ideas of theology. I believe that one of the biggest mistakes I made in the past was that I was afraid of being rejected, so I wrote a theology paper and tried to give the previous COM what I thought they wanted to hear instead of what was truly inside of me. Fortunately for me, even though I was not given a green light in order to see the Eccleastical Council, I was licensed to preach and this gave me time
pg-454). He then explains that if he was corrupting others, he too would have been
Theology will impact my life in a new way because it will challenge me to dive deeper into the word of God than just scratching the surface. Moreover, it will provide a framework that can be used to reveal God’s presence and revelation in the scriptures, as well as, the many aspects of my life. I did not study theology before, as this class is my first academic opportunity to do so. Actually, I had originally thought of theology as another term used to discuss the Bible and debate interpretations on verse or themes of the Bible. I believed it was based mostly on opinion through personal revelation. This was also a time in my life where I loosely believed that interpretations were founded from personal epiphanies of the reader. Thankfully,
Over the past eight weeks my view of theology hasn’t changed much. When I hear the word theology, Immediately I think of God, religious faith, and different belief systems that are developed within one’s self. As I strategically consider what does it really mean to me, after this course, I have been exposed to a more in-depth insight to what Christ purpose was and how significant the books in the bible are today. Now, I know why theology is defined as the study of religious faith, practice and experiences. After completing this last assignment, I will continue to have faith in Christianity, live by the principles in my belief system, and relationship with God will be more intimate
Even early church writers contested the validity of what Luther referred to as an “epistle of straw”, even denigrating it as a leftover from Judaic writers. Even recent commentary writer Sophie Laws referred to “the epistle of James is an oddity. It lacks almost all of what might be thought to be the distinctive marks of Christian faith and practice.” The Luther casts further doubt on the authenticity of this epistle.
As Christians we often believe certain things simply because it’s what our parents and the people around us believe. We often go about our Christian walk without ever giving thought or reason to why we believe what we do. The world of Christian Theology is a place where Christians can find answer to the ‘what and why’ of Christianity. If we are able to begin comprehending Christian Theology and the rudimental knowledge of it, then we can take it with us into more in depth books and discussions about theology, know the importance of it and how vital it is for Christians
The third section dissects the formation of the New Testament with more historical context and views of other writings defined as Gnostic writing. Bruce explains the spoken words of the apostles carried as much authority as their written words and gives an in depth explanation how the Gospels and Pauline writings were viewed by the Church Fathers. The rest of the section demonstrates the Church Fathers and their views of what was to be considered scripture and the councils that affirmed the inspired scripture.
During the early history of the church, there was no such thing as a New Testament “canon.” The selection of books that were to be included or excluded from the texts used by the church was the responsibility of each individual church body, and thus varied greatly from location to location. Because there was no canon – (books considered
The fields of philosophy and theology are often grounds of debate. While some hold these two to be relevant and dependent on each other, others find them to be completely independent of each other. In John D. Caputo’s work, Philosophy and Theology, he expresses his view of these fields as companions. Caputo states, “Think of philosophers and theologians as fellow sailors on [the] ocean,” depicting his view of the interdependence of these two fields (Caputo 69). Through his illustration we can find the influence philosophy and theology can have on each other in facilitating our toleration of such a mysterious future and world.