What is Theology? What does it mean to you?

[GordonSlocum]

What does Theology mean to you?

The real simple clear meaning is The study of God

But how do you understand it?

What word best describes your understanding of theology?

[mlqurgw]

What does Theology mean to you?

The real simple clear meaning is The study of God

But how do you understand it?

What word best describes your understanding of theology?
Christ.

[Dmckay]

You have the actual definition of Theology in your OP. It has to do with the study of G-d and all the various aspects related to G-d. I answered Other in your poll because Theology can be both good and bad depending on the preconceived ideas and biases that one brings to their study. Whether we can admit it to ourselves, we all have a tendency to do this.

We can't have anymore faith or trust in someone or something than we have knowledge of that person or thing. So the more we learn about the essence and attributes of G-d the more we can have an absolute trust in Him.

For example, Abram started out with enough knowledge of G-d that he lift his homeland to seek what G-d had for his life. However, he didn't have a great deal of trust in G-d or he wouldn't have taken Lot and his father with him, he wouldn't have lied about Sarah being his wife in order to keep himself safe. But the longer Abram walked with the Lord the better he got to know Him. And we see that in Abram's actions. G-d didn't actually make the covenant with Abram until Abram believed G-d implicitly.

Scripture tells us that Abraham believed G-d and it was counted unto him for righteousness' sake. Abraham believed G-d finally, to the point that he was willing to offer his son, Isaac as a burnt offering despite G-d's promise to him that the blessings promised were going to come through Isaac. Even though he didn't understand how G-d was going to manage to work things out and keep His promises.

[53Isaiah]

To treat theology as an academic discipline is inherently secularising the Bible. While there is a rational process to studying the Bible, understand comes from the HS.

[GordonSlocum]

For me I think simple.

(1) Assuming the audience is saved - a real Christian

(2) My source of knowing is the Bible

(3) I have the Holy Spirit as my teacher

(4) I am commanded to read, memorize, and study the Word of God the Bible

(5) How do I study God? - Theology - Study the Word. Outside the word all I have is the creation. God gave us the Bible so that we would know about and who He is. Finding out about God we also find out about ourselves.

Theology - The right way - But we all come from different backgrounds and our grids are varied and different which have defined our understanding, and perception.

[GordonSlocum]

You have the actual definition of Theology in your OP. It has to do with the study of G-d and all the various aspects related to G-d. I answered Other in your poll because Theology can be both good and bad depending on the preconceived ideas and biases that one brings to their study. Whether we can admit it to ourselves, we all have a tendency to do this.

We can't have anymore faith or trust in someone or something than we have knowledge of that person or thing. So the more we learn about the essence and attributes of G-d the more we can have an absolute trust in Him. (Amen)

For example, Abram started out with enough knowledge of G-d that he lift his homeland to seek what G-d had for his life. However, he didn't have a great deal of trust in G-d or he wouldn't have taken Lot and his father with him, he wouldn't have lied about Sarah being his wife in order to keep himself safe. But the longer Abram walked with the Lord the better he got to know Him. And we see that in Abram's actions. G-d didn't actually make the covenant with Abram until Abram believed G-d implicitly.

Scripture tells us that Abraham believed G-d and it was counted unto him for righteousness' sake. Abraham believed G-d finally, to the point that he was willing to offer his son, Isaac as a burnt offering despite G-d's promise to him that the blessings promised were going to come through Isaac. Even though he didn't understand how G-d was going to manage to work things out and keep His promises.


We don't know exactly how much "Revelation" Abraham had outside what we are given in the God's Revelation to us The Bible.

Our relationship based upon the "Revelation" we have, the Bible, is greater than His.

We know he disobeyed as he set out on the journey. Did that negate his faith? It is obvious he did not completely obey but he still left as God instructed, holding on to what we might call today as worldly baggage.

When I was saved all my "sin baggage" did not automatically fall away.

The point I see in this is that Theology is relevant to us but to Abraham it wasn't in the same way. He had no writings to refer to or draw from. All he had that we know of is based upon what we have and know. That being the verbal communication between him and God. We know this because Moses wrote it as God inspired him to do.

If I don't use the term "Theology" and simply say "The Study of God" it might not have the same reactions.

The word "Theology" today is a charged word.

It will be interesting to see how others view "Theology" as this post continues.

Hopefully in the end all of our focus will be more in line with its purest definition without the luggage.

Gordon

[mlqurgw]

The Lord Jesus Christ is the sum and substance of theology. All we can know of God is found in Him. He is the message and the theme of all the Scriptures. He is the revelation of God. He is the expres image of God, Heb. 1:3. All the fulness of the Godhead dwells in Him. Col. 2:9 He is whom the Holy Spirit speak of. John 16:13-15 He is the message of the Scriptures, John 5:39 He is made of God unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and wisdom, 1Cor. 1:30 We are complete in Him,Col. 2:10 He is to have the preeminence and it has pleased the Father that in Him shpild all fullness dwell. Col. 1:17-19.

Christ is theology.

[trinityisunity]

Theology is man's reflections upon what he knows, or thinks he knows about God. All Christians are theologians, we all think about God and try to understand Him.

[Andyman_1970]

One thing to keep in mind is that theology, Christian theology has changed over the years.

In the modern era that we are emerging from theology concerned itself with defining God and His characteristics, like my systematic theology textbook.......it's a huge detailed outline as to what and who God is. This is a very Greek/Western way to understand the Creator God.

In the last few years I've moved to a more Hebraic way of looking at theology, less "outline" and more mystery. It's not that the contemporary Christian method of understanding God is "bad" from my perspective...........it's just that it's not big enough for me.........

[tulc]

"The study of the nature of God and religious truth"
From athiests to Zorasters, we all have a theology. Some more thought out then others. :)
tulc(who also has a theology) ;)

[Dmckay]

We don't know exactly how much "Revelation" Abraham had outside what we are given in the God's Revelation to us The Bible.

Our relationship based upon the "Revelation" we have, the Bible, is greater than His.

We know he disobeyed as he set out on the journey. Did that negate his faith? It is obvious he did not completely obey but he still left as God instructed, holding on to what we might call today as worldly baggage.

When I was saved all my "sin baggage" did not automatically fall away.

The point I see in this is that Theology is relevant to us but to Abraham it wasn't in the same way. He had no writings to refer to or draw from. All he had that we know of is based upon what we have and know. That being the verbal communication between him and God. We know this because Moses wrote it as God inspired him to do.

If I don't use the term "Theology" and simply say "The Study of God" it might not have the same reactions.

The word "Theology" today is a charged word.

It will be interesting to see how others view "Theology" as this post continues.

Hopefully in the end all of our focus will be more in line with its purest definition without the luggage.

Gordon
Biblical faith is nothing more or less than Biblical content in action. In the case of Abram, he had no Bible. All he had was the oral tradition passed down through any men of G-d whom he may have known or had been taught, BUT, he also had direct revelation from the Source as he talked with G-d. {As is apparent from the Scriptures} Yes, compared to those whom he grew up knowing he demonstrated faith to begin with by even leaving his homeland and beginning to obey G-d's instructions. The fact that he only partially obeyed, at first, demonstrates that his faith was weak and needed the reinforcement of experience by seeing G-d continuously keeping His promises to Abram.

As we read about Abram's life we see that his faith grew, as it does in most believers, by baby steps as he compared G-d's spoken promises to the reality worked out in Abram's life. Eventually Abram reached the point where it could truthfully be said of him, "He 'BELIEVED' G-d, and it was counted unto him for righteousness sake."

Any "charge to the term theology" is the product of man and his fickleness of thinking. Man today, is not much different than the Pharisees who took the "simple" Law of Moses and turned it into the code of 613 do's and don'ts of their own creation trying to define in their own terms what G-d meant when He gave His commandments. The Scriptures call believers sheep, for good reason, there aren't many animals in nature that are dumber than are sheep.

[vossler]

I voted other.

For me it is a Spiritual approach to the Study of God.

[HiredGoon]

Theology is "the doctrine of living to God." -William Ames

[aReformedPatriot]

Other.

Theology is the Study of the Lord and is only made possible by the fact that God has revealed himself through special revelation to man. As such, theology is as much an intellectual pursuit to love the Lord with my whole mind as it is a spiritual pursuit to make me a more effective disciple. The study of theology should always lead to doxology. And th rejection of theology is a rejection of the Lord's very revelation of himself and his revealed will.

[Joykins]

Other.

Theology is useful and illuminating theory on what lies behind the Bible, but it is not revelation.

[GordonSlocum]

Other.

Theology is the Study of the Lord and is only made possible by the fact that God has revealed himself through special revelation to man. As such, theology is as much an intellectual pursuit to love the Lord with my whole mind as it is a spiritual pursuit to make me a more effective disciple. The study of theology should always lead to doxology. And th rejection of theology is a rejection of the Lord's very revelation of himself and his revealed will.

Very Good

[GordonSlocum]

Other.

Theology is useful and illuminating theory on what lies behind the Bible, but it is not revelation.

Perhaps I should have defined this poll as Christian Theology. It has been interesting reading all the views. This illustrates how hard it is to know intent of author. While my intent was to center on Christian Theology (study of the God of the Holy Bible), there is a hint of dealing with it in some post in a broader context.

For me Theology, Christian Theology, is simply the study of God in The revealed Word of God. If I study God or who God is I also discover who man is.

Actually outside the revelation of creation the Bible is all I have about the one and only true God. We might be able to posit that "True Theology" can only be done from studying the Holy Bible.

I don't believe that this is a novel thought. I am sure many have considered and viewed it this way. The only True Theology is the study of God in the Scripture. But, there is a false theology too. The study of any god. Non-Christian Theology or pagan theology.

Well enough rambling.


Gordon

[Joykins]

When you said theology I thought you meant the stuff that theologians write--Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Barth, Tillich, etc.

[Mary of Bethany]

The Orthodox definition of a theologian is "one who prays".

In other words, we cannot really know God through intellectual pursuits only. We can only really know God by having a relationship with Him, and that comes through the heart, by prayer.

Mary

[JPPT1974]

Anything to do with Christianity
As well as studyng scriptures pertaining
To Christ and who He is and what He stands for!