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Grand Canyon University *
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201
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Philosophy
Date
Apr 3, 2024
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5
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Letter Ellen E. Joseph College of Theology, Grand Canyon University HTH-201: Christian Theology I Ryan Brandt January 22, 2023
What is theology? The Oxford Dictionary defines theology as “the study of religion and beliefs.” However, for those who have a direct relationship with Jesus Christ the Son of God, theology becomes a more complex and integral concept. Essentially, Christians cannot fully experience the glory of God and his kingdom without theology. Through the sources of theology, humanity can have a revelation of the nature of God and His Glory; it can see how biblically faithful practices tie into the modern day church and in their own lives; and it can remain fully equipped to carry out the mission of God and His people. In his book, Evangelical theology: A biblical and systematic introduction, Bird (2022) describes Theology as the application of God's own special word through practices that are rooted in scripture, historically enlightened, and deeply committed. Through these practices, God unveils unknown attributes of His character and His nature, acting as an attestation of His existence and will to humanity. The book, In Biblical theology of the old and new testaments: Theological reflection on the christian bible, explains that as a result of God's redemption of the world through His son Jesus Christ, He has a “divine claim on humanity” (Childs, 2011, pg. 713). Therefore, man must reciprocate this by showing acts of obedience to his calling. The ultimate goal of this calling is eternal freedom in his kingdom. Furthermore, in order to understand theology one must examine the route of God's revelation in his Word. Theologians can know and trust that God's own word is characterized in the Bible because His Spirit spoke through the writers. Through this, believers find their identity and are able to walk with Christ in a way that bears his image. Theology, as it stands, remains an integral part of the modern day church through disciplines that are both academic and spiritual. First, by committing to an intelligible grasp of the Christian faith, the church can find sanctification through knowledge gained from God’s
revelation. Curran (2011) depicts that when members of the church engage with the subject of their study, there is a dynamic interaction between God and the church. Furthermore, theological education functions as a focal point for spiritual formation and Christian ministry, preparing the church to form disciples for Christ. Through dogmatic practices and teachings, there is a revelation of Christ to the Church. Rightly practice, belief, worship, and heart; allow the church to come into the healing company of the moving God (Curran, 2011). The purpose of spiritual discipline is to ensure that those who bear Christ's name walk in his image. This discipline further prepares the church to engage in God's evolution of the world in Christ. Having both spiritual and academic practices that are biblically faithful plays an essential role in preparing the church for the persecution that accompanies the belief and practice of faith. In partnership with the functionality of the modern day church, theology has become a necessity for all those who believe. Theology is essential in providing unity in differing biblical texts, unifying diverse testimonies within the Christian faith, and having a deeper understanding of scripture and its purpose in humanity. Theology serves as a tool that equips believers to go into a world filled with opposition and persecution. Theology is proven necessary because “it is our task to tell the story of God, to show where we fit into that story, and to decide how to live out that story appropriately. Ultimately, theology is a story about God” (Bird, 2022, pg. 98). With that, in the absence of theology, believers cannot carry out God's great commission of discipleship for the world. What's more, theology provides humanity with a deeper understanding of the nature of reality, knowledge, and worldview. Because of this, it is a vital tool in ethics. Childs (2011) depicts that without, outside of theological understanding and doctrine, there are no moral and ethical principles to live by. Thus, meaning, that theology acts as an important part in understanding moral and ethical reasoning.
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The fact remains clear: theology is more than simply the study of religion. It is a complex, biblically faithful practice that plays an integral part in the Christian faith. The sources of theology allow Christians to have a direct revelation to God—unveiling communicable attributes of His nature. With that, theology provides the structure for the modern day church as well as spiritual individualism, providing structure through that of academic and spiritual disciplines. And lastly, it plays an essential part in actively practicing the Christian faith. Through all of this, believers can fully carry out God's great commission: loving God and his creation through that of making disciples of the World.
Resources: Bird, M. F. (2020). Evangelical theology: A biblical and systematic introduction (2nd ed.). Zondervan Academic. Childs, B. S. (2011). The Shape of the Obedient Life: Ethics. In Biblical theology of the old and new testaments: Theological reflection on the christian bible (pg. 713). Fortress Press. Curran, I. (2011). theology as a spiritual discipline. Liturgy
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(1), 3–10. Dorling Kindersley. (2003). Dk illustrated Oxford Dictionary.