Introduction
Before any further insight can be found on a topic, one must educate themselves on just as exactly what it is that they are studying; otherwise, there will always be a central piece of the puzzle missing. This is just as true for the study of theology as it is for the study of any other science, soft or hard alike. With that in mind, the meaning of theology (specifically systematic theology) must be uncovered before continuing into doctrinal study.
What is Systematic Theology?
Term Definition
The word theology comes from the combination of the Greek words “theos,” meaning god, and “logia,” meaning words or talk.[1] Thus, the literal meaning of the word theology is “words about God.” The English dictionary, however, defines the term as such: “the study of the nature of God and religious belief.”[2] A conclusion can be drawn from these two definitions that theology means to discuss and interpret God and His divine nature.
To venture one step further, the fact that there are several types of theology, specifically Christian theology, must be acknowledged. A few of these are biblical theology, historical theology, and systematic theology. For the purposes of this paper, systematic theology will be the center of discussion. So, what is systematic theology and how does it differ from other forms of theology? “Systematic theology concerns those beliefs (of God and cognate beliefs) in ordered elucidation and in their relation to contemporary thought and life – ‘contemporary’ in each age, the task of theology falling to be done continually as the intellectual outlook and even the meanings of words undergo change.”[3] This differentiates it from the others mentioned in that while the others focus on fixed history and tradition, systematic theology attempts to join traditional context with current context to find the purpose in each generation theologizing, blindly following the teachings of the ages with no personal insight or knowledge.
History
Systematic theology has not been around since the beginning of Christianity; therefore, the history of how and why it came about must be studied. As put in Alan Richardson’s “A Dictionary of Christian Theology:”
“Before the Enlightenment it was held by Catholics and Protestants alike that the propositions contained in the Scriptures were collectively the total revelation of God to man, given through the Holy Spirit. But these propositions did not present the truth in a systematic form, and thus it was necessary for theologians to systematize the truths contained in the thousands of biblical propositions and construct a ‘system’ which should present the whole range of revealed truth from Creation to Last Things… Since the Enlightenment it has become impossible to regard the task of theology as that of systematizing the biblical propositions regarded as inerrant, but the task of presenting in an orderly fashion the content of Christian truth still remains.”[4]
In other words, the propositions of older theologians were without form, so they introduced a way of putting all of the biblical propositions in a systematic presentation. However, it eventually became evident that there is no way to perfectly systematize all of those truths; therefore, it developed into the more adequate approach of putting them in an order that could be understood clearly.
Why Does Theology Matter?
Original Purpose
As previously stated, systematic theology was created to give order to all the principles of the relation between God and man presented by the Bible. Such a method makes a relatively complicated subject slightly easier for the common people (those without a significant background in biblical studies) to understand. It modernizes biblical propositions without compromising their integrity and original importance.
Modern Application
The fact that time changes most anything – with the exception of God – is well known. The interpretation of theology is included in this scope. While there is value to the history and traditions of theology, they are not necessarily a timeless truth. Factors as simple as a change in the connotation or context of a word can drastically impact the meaning of a statement.
For example, if one looks into the history of the word “naughty” they might be surprised with what they find. Originally, naughty meant someone who has naught (nothing); in today’s world, naughty is used to describe a person who acts poor or disapproved behavior.[5] Similarly, the words “awesome” and “awful” have changed with context. “Awe” used to mean fear or terror; when it was used to describe an attitude we should have towards God, people ascribed the word awesome to it, meaning respectful fear. Awesome and awful used to mean the same thing, but over time that context has changed in such a way that those two words no longer apply implicitly to God. Now, awesome means something wonderful or outstanding, while awful means something tragic or disastrous.[6]
Those are prime examples of why it is important to adapt to the current world and its climate. Far too many things would be lost in translation and commonly misunderstood if it were not for systematic theology. People would need to have more formal education to be able to grasp biblical propositions. While formal education is indeed a wonderful thing, it is unrealistic and uncalled for that everyone should be formally trained in the historical study of the Bible. Each individual has a different call and for many Christians that call is not to full-time ministry; this certainly does not mean that their call is any less important, for God gives to each person according to His will.[7]
Conclusion
Let it be known that there is far more studying to do to truly get to the bottom of systematic theology; that statement being made, the purpose of this paper is to provide a simple introduction of the topic. All being said and done, the ultimate meaning of theology (particularly Christian systematic theology) is the orderly fashion in which one can research the relationship between God and man. The reason for putting in the effort to do so is that God gave us His word that we might learn more about Him and who He is, as well as what that has to do with us. If one brings together the meaning and the purpose of systematic theology, they will be fulfilling an important piece of the puzzle of Christianity.
Bibliography
Dunning, H. Ray. Grace, Faith, & Holiness. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1988.
Hermin, Judith. “11 Words With Meanings That Have Changed Drastically Over Time.” Mental Floss, December 22, 2015. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/61876/11-words-meanings-have-changed-drastically-over-time.
Richardson, Alan. A Dictionary of Christian Theology. London: S.C.M. Press, 1981.
“Theology Definition.” Google Search. Google. Accessed February 7, 2020. https://www.google.com/search.
[1] “Theology Definition,” Google Search (Google), accessed February 7, 2020, https://www.google.com/search).
[2] Ibid.
[3] H. Ray Dunning, Grace, Faith, & Holiness (Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1988)).
[4] Alan Richardson, A Dictionary of Christian Theology (London: S.C.M. Press, 1981)).
[5] Judith Hermin, “11 Words With Meanings That Have Changed Drastically Over Time,” Mental Floss, December 22, 2015, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/61876/11-words-meanings-have-changed-drastically-over-time).
[6] Ibid.
[7] John 3:17.