12/18/2023 0 Comments Theological reflection definition![]() ![]() In his Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief, evangelical theologian John Frame suggests a definition of theology along these lines: “Theology is the application of Scripture, by persons, to every area of life.” Non-Christians (Plato, for instance) can practice theology without Scripture, but Christian theology proper is inevitably biblical theology-that is, biblical theology is the foundation for all other theologies deserving the name “Christian.” This makes theology the ultimate challenge for the human mind, for it requires us to disrupt and revise our normal categories and habits of thought.įor Christians, theology is inextricably associated with Scripture, for the words of Scripture are for us the best and most accurate expression of God. Thus attributing human attributes to God, who is bodiless, is a failure to speak of God in a manner worthy of God. ![]() ![]() Our patterns of thought tend to anthropomorphize, and this can obscure God’s true nature if we aren’t careful, and even cause us to speak falsely of him. For many church fathers, for example, poor theology is speaking of God or attributing to God what is “unworthy of God.” For example, the misconception that God has literal fingers and toes is a result of thinking of God as a human, not as God. Theology is the discipline of learning how to speak of God in a way most proper to the divine nature-at least, the best we can manage. What is theology?Īt its core, theology (as mentioned above) is “the study of God.” The etymology of theology means literally “speech of God” ( theo, “God” logia, “words,” “discourse”). Theology literally touches every part of our lives. And our feelings help to form our actions. Our theological convictions shape our feelings. What we believe about God, Jesus, the Bible, the church, and several other issues has a profound impact on how we live. Yet as big as theology is, it’s the impact it has on the believer’s decisions every day that makes it so consequential. Theology has been a part of the work and ministry of the church throughout her two-thousand year history. Some of the most significant thinkers in human history-from Augustine of Hippo to Martin Luther to Dietrich Bonhoeffer-devoted their lives to thinking, writing, and teaching about theology. But anytime you set out to study someone as large as the creator of the universe, it’s bound to be overwhelming. The word “theology” may have only four syllables, but it’s a big word-a very big word. Theology is the world’s most important topic. ![]()
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