The Theological Method
A College Paper
Introduction
The systematic method of theology is a discipline that seeks to organize and articulate the doctrines of faith in a coherent and logical manner. The purpose of theology is “knowing God through the biblical story and recognizing the key teachings of the Christian faith that flow from that story.” Theological method combines biblical revelation with careful reflection to aim for intellectual understanding and the transformation of life and ministry. Theology is both a science and an art form.
This paper will summarize Systematic Theology by examining its purpose, sources, and relation to other theological disciplines. It will draw from perspectives that uphold the authority of scripture while engaging with church history and tradition. The goal is to demonstrate how theology serves the church by providing a framework for understanding God’s revelation and applying it. Theology has a three-fold purpose: “(1) to build up the church; (2) to lead the church to maturity in faith; and (3) to lead the church to unity. Theology at its best aims to do these three things, equipping and strengthening God’s people in a holistic way.” Through studying theology and its methods, the church will only grow in strength.
The Purpose of Theology
The primary purpose of studying theology is to know God fully and to glorify Him through obedience, faith, and practice. Theology flows from God’s self-revelation and equips believers to understand the biblical story and their place in it. Chapter 1 of Christian Theology frames knowing God as central and highlights relational knowledge of the Triune God over just mere information. Theology serves the church by promoting spiritual maturity, unity in the body of believers, and an effective witness to our fallen world. Theology combats false teachings and gives a framework for Christian living. It addresses questions of our identity and purpose in Christ while clarifying God’s redemption narrative.
Our attitude towards theology should be one of humility and total dependence on God. As created beings, we must approach our creator with a teachable spirit while recognizing that true knowledge of God comes through His initiative, not our hard work. This posture ensures that theology leads to a greater love for God and neighbor while sustaining our faith to do the work of God. “Ultimately, a theology for the people of God seeks to serve the church by building up the body of Christ so that it may grow up into the Head, which is Christ himself, in order to bring maturity in thought and in life.” Knowing God more should be the goal of every Christian believer in all of the church. It is not solely for our benefit (though there is much to benefit from), but it is also necessary for a right and proper relationship with the rest of the body of Christ.
The Sources of Theology
Scripture is the most important and necessary source for theology, as it’s the inspired word of God. Morgan and Peterson ground their entire systematic presentation in the biblical storyline, beginning each doctrinal discussion with exegesis (the critical explanation or interpretation of a written text) and context. “We view the various doctrines in light of the biblical story line: creation, fall, redemption, and new creation.” Every theological statement must be vetted through the entirety of scripture. We cannot build a foundation on anything other than solid and reliable scripture, for outside of that, we have only experience and opinion. The Bible is meant to challenge us to be transformed by the Word of God, and not be conformed to the world (Romans 12:2). Other sources, such as history and philosophy, can be beneficial, but they are subordinate to scripture and must be evaluated by it first.
Tradition serves as a helpful secondary source, transmitting the church’s historical understanding and guarding against trendy ideas or emerging cultural ideologies. A Handbook of Theology highlights how creeds, writings, and confessions support interpretation but do remain accountable to the scripture. Reason functions as a tool for logic and clarity, but is limited to and corrupted by sin (even as saved human beings, we are susceptible to fleshly error). Experience has value, but it must be illuminated by the Holy Spirit and interpreted through scripture to avoid subjectivism.
Morgan and Peterson’s method prioritizes exegesis and biblical theology while incorporating historical insight and practical application. “We study theology with conviction, knowing that God’s Word and teachings are true, even when governments, teachers, or societies try to shame us.” Regardless of the world’s teachings and attempts to make sense of God’s creation, we cannot rely solely on someone’s explanation for the things of God without first verifying it with the biblical texts, regardless of how appealing it might be.
The Types of Theology
Systematic theology integrates the insights of other disciplines into a palatable presentation of Christian doctrine. It is always focused on the biblical story and how to apply principles found within. “Systematic” as a word can feel mechanical and evoke hesitation from the listener. “The desire to be systematic can lead to the exclusion of data that do not fit neatly into one’s system.” Systematic theology builds directly on the proper exegesis of scripture through textual analysis, while using biblical theology to trace themes across the Bible and historical theology to trace the concept’s inception. Systematic Theology neatly categorizes all of the many theologies in a way that we can process and understand them in a “system”. Because the term theology is broad and incorporates many facets, systematizing the range of theologies can give us a clearer direction in what it is we are learning.
Exegesis provides a thorough and careful study of individual passages. Biblical theology provides the narrative framework of how doctrines unfold across the pages of scripture. It is, “Principally concerned with the overall theological message of the whole Bible.” Systematic theology then takes those other forms and synthesizes them into more palatable categories like theology proper, Christology, or soteriology, which then highlights all of the ways they are interconnected.
Historical theology is “the academic pursuit of understanding how God has continued to work with and through his people after the closing of the canon of scripture and without the direct revelation of God himself regarding his ongoing activity.” Practical theology applies doctrines to life and ministry while Pastoral theology focuses on the “identity and responsibilities of pastors.” We can see there is a wide range of things about God we can study and learn.
Conclusion
The method of systematic theology found in Christian Theology and A Handbook of Theology offers a biblically grounded and practical approach to knowing and proclaiming God. With the Holy Scripture as the foundation, when pursued with humility and practiced with various disciplines, it can equip believers to live out biblical truth in their context by defending against heresy and harmful ideologies and simultaneously encourage and build up believers. Ultimately, theology serves us in worship, unity, and our mission in God. It calls the church to glorify the Triune God through faithful doctrine and devotion, and most importantly, truth. Students of theology are challenged to engage these methods, not only academically but personally, for the sake of Christ’s kingdom.
Bibliography
Akin, Daniel L., David S. Dockery, and Nathan A. Finn, eds. A Handbook of Theology. Theology for the People of God. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2023.
Morgan, Christopher W., with Robert A. Peterson. Christian Theology: The Biblical Story and Our Faith. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2020.