- (Get Access to the 1000 Slide Introduction to Theology PowerPoint Here.)
Correcting a Common Misunderstanding About Systematic Theology
For those of you who have followed me for years, this may not be new, but I’ve never laid it out in a fully coherent way before. What surprises me, and continues to, is how many modern theologians—people who should know better—still reduce systematic theology to something far narrower than it truly is. This misunderstanding is so pervasive, it seems almost ubiquitous, and it’s something that needs to be corrected. Every time I bring up systematic theology, people tend to misunderstand it, and in some cases, they even confuse it with biblical theology.
Special and General Revelation
A helpful starting point is recognizing the distinction between special revelation (God’s specific communication through Scripture, prophecy, etc.) and general revelation (knowledge of God through nature, human experience, and reason). This distinction is important, but it doesn’t fully capture all the ways we come to know and understand God.
Six Sources of Theology
A more integrated way to think about systematic theology is by recognizing the six key sources that contribute to our understanding of God: Scripture, reason, tradition, nature, experience, and emotion. While Scripture is the primary and only infallible source, these other sources also play significant roles in shaping our theology.
This chart will reinforce how systematic theology draws from all sources, while philosophical theology limits itself to reason.
The Different Disciplines of Theology
Each of these sources gives rise to different disciplines within theology:
- Historical Theology: Draws from tradition, tracing how theology has developed through the church’s history.
- Philosophical Theology: Engages with nature and reason, exploring how rational thought and natural revelation contribute to our understanding of God.
- Biblical Theology: Focuses specifically on Scripture, aiming to understand the progressive unfolding of God’s revelation across the biblical narrative.
This image will help emphasize that while historical theology focuses on distinct periods of church history, systematic theology incorporates all church history to form general theological truths for all people and all times.
Systematic Theology: A Synthesis of All Sources and Categories
Systematic theology is the synthesis of all these sources and disciplines. It’s not just about categorizing biblical data. It’s about bringing together everything God has revealed—through His world and His word—and weaving it into a unified, coherent whole. It involves using exegesis (the detailed study of individual texts) from biblical theology, insights from historical theology, and reasoning from philosophical theology, all while remaining rooted in the truth of Scripture.
This chart will help illustrate how biblical theology restricts itself to the Bible, often focusing on specific authors or periods, while systematic theology integrates all Scripture and other sources to provide a comprehensive understanding.
Systematic theology, then, is not simply an academic exercise; it’s the most comprehensive way we can understand God and His work. By integrating these six sources and various disciplines, we’re able to approach theology in a fully integrated, thoughtful way—based on the totality He has given to us, both in His world and His word.
An Outline of Evangelical Systematic Theology
1. Scripture (Bible):
Source: Fundamental text for all Christian theology.
Biblical Theology:
- Categorization: Organizing the Bible into theological themes, historical periods, or by authorship for study.
- Contextual Analysis: Understanding each text in its original context (authorial intent hermeneutics) to apply it accurately today.
2. Reason:
- Logical Framework: Building and critiquing theological systems.
- Philosophical Insights: Using analogia entis to draw analogies between human experience and divine nature, encompassing rational and emotional dimensions.
3. Tradition:
- Theological Legacy: Insights from the historical development of Christian doctrine.
- Creeds & Confessions: Adherence to these as emotional and intellectual touchstones.
4. Nature:
- General Revelation: Insights about God from the natural world, appealing to both reason and emotion.
- Science: Engaging with scientific discoveries to inform or challenge theological perspectives.
5. Experience:
- Personal & Communal: Life experiences that shape one’s understanding of faith.
- Divine and Supernatural Encounters:
- Direct Experiences: Personal encounters with what is perceived as the divine or supernatural.
- Modern Prophecy: Claims of receiving divine messages or prophetic insights, to be evaluated within the community and against scripture.
6. Emotion:
- Sensus Divinitatis: An inherent emotional and spiritual sense of God’s presence or will.
- Emotional Analogy: Understanding divine attributes through the lens of human emotions, recognizing the limitations of such analogies.
Systematic Theology Process:
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Collection:
- Gathering theological insights from scripture through biblical theological methods, along with tradition, reason, personal experiences (including divine encounters and prophecy), nature, and emotion.
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Synthesis:
- Integrating these elements into a comprehensive theological system where each source informs the others, with scripture as the final arbiter.
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Application:
- Doctrinal: Shaping doctrine with careful consideration of all sources, ensuring prophecy aligns with biblical teachings.
- Practical: Applying theology in daily life, ministry, and mission, influenced by emotional understanding and claimed prophetic guidance.
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Reflection:
- Ongoing evaluation of theological insights through further biblical study, rational critique, community discernment, emotional intelligence, and cautious consideration of prophetic claims.
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Reformulation:
- Semper Reformanda (“always reforming”): Refining theology as new biblical insights, rational arguments, emotional experiences, or carefully vetted prophetic messages come to light.
2 replies to "What is Systematic Theology? Addressing a Widespead Misconception"
Michael Patton: “While Scripture is the primary and only infallible source, these other sources also play significant roles in shaping our theology.” Michael, by Scripture are you referring to the Old Testament and the New Testament? If so, how did you come to the conclusion that they are infallible sources?
Basically, the same way that I came about believe in the resurrection of Christ. I look at their historic city, look to the resurrection of Christ, and then look to the providence of God in preserving these. Like everything else, I could be wrong, but you’re gonna have to make an argument that I am wrong that strong enough to overturn my view scripture. do you see? You’re probably saying that the church is needed to define the scripture. But then who is needed to find the church? And then who is needed to define whether that criteria is correct? In the end, all of our believes start with our availability and we have to make a valid argument based upon the evidence. We cannot back ourselves up to a safety net called the church. Because even then, our backing into that safety net, and reliance upon it is subject to error.