As in what is typically explored in the study of Christianity. Christian theology first emerged due to the desire to formulate an orderly and coherent argument in favour of the Christian faith and belief system (e.g. defense of Christianity). Possibly it also came about due to the thirst for deeper articulations of Christian doctrine.
- God
- Trinity
- Scripture
- Cosmology
- Sin
- Salvation
- Church
- Afterlife
- Apocalypse
Did I miss anything? Help me if I did any grave mistakes. Thank you for your time.
Posted in: Religion
terri
September 9, 2011
I hope this isn’t redundant in that you may have implied its inclusion under the umbrella of “salvation.” But I think repentance is such a pivotal point in the conversion experience that it deserves a category all its own.
I hope to unpack it further in my upcoming post requested by Alte on the meaning of the “born again” experience. But I think it needs to be included in the list you outlined above.
Good list, by the way.
Will S.
September 9, 2011
Service / Gratitude?
In the Reformed faith, the teachings are sometimes summarized under one of two tripartite headings:
Guilt
Grace
Gratitude
or
Sin
Salvation
Service
So, Gratitude / Service, the products of thankfulness for salvation from sin, and God’s grace covering our guilt, should probably be examined in any overview of theology.
(Of course, the R.C. and E.O. will view service / gratitude differently from us Prots, seeing such works as playing a role in justification or sanctification, rather than springing from them. But in any case, I think we can all agree, despite differences of understanding, that God is pleased that people want to serve Him by helping others.)
Svar
September 9, 2011
Ahhh, Christian Theology….. extremely difficult for me to grasp. I understand General Metaphysics easily but Christian Theology is a whole ‘nuther beast. Thank God we have the Clergy.
Will S.
September 9, 2011
@ Svar: “Thank God we have the Clergy.” Ah, but if you don’t learn basic theology and apologetics for yourself, how will you defend the Faith in debate with unbelievers (or even Protestants like myself)?
Here’s a link to get you started, my R.C. friend:
http://socrates58.blogspot.com/
The funny thing is, Dave Armstrong reasons like a Calvinist, but he’d loathe the comparison. Of course, Calvinists are like Jesuits, obsessed with logic and reason. Goes to show that intellectualism isn’t the domain of only one Christian tradition…
Double E
September 9, 2011
Svar,
Start with basic western philosophy. This is the framework for learning western systematic theology. To my understanding RC seminarians already have a BA in theology or a near equivalent.
joanna
September 9, 2011
“@ Svar: “Thank God we have the Clergy.” Ah, but if you don’t learn basic theology and apologetics for yourself, how will you defend the Faith in debate with unbelievers (or even Protestants like myself)?”
Ravi Zacharias is my favorite Christian apologist. Start here:
http://www.rzim.org/resources/listen/justthinking.aspx?archive=1&pid=2249
joanna
September 9, 2011
Or here:
http://www.rzim.org/resources/listen/letmypeoplethink.aspx?archive=1&pid=2122
Alte
September 9, 2011
We teach it to the students chronologically, rather than by topic. So the OT, then the classical (Greek and Roman) philosophers on ethics, then the NT, then the saints and apologetics, the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, and so on.
Chris
September 9, 2011
Will S: Your comparison of Calvinists and Jesuits is painfully accurate.
Svar: The Confessions of faith are statements of systematic theology. Catechism is a systematic theology text book. Its original use was to teach new converts before they were baptized so they knew what their duty was. And the Hedelberg Catechism, like the Westminster Confession and the Ancient Creeds, are online.
Alcest: One way to study this in unity would be to parse our way through the Nicene Creed.
Svar
September 9, 2011
@ Will S. and Joanna
Thanks for the links.
@ Double E
Thanks for the advice.
@ Chris
Thank you, I didn’t know that. I’ll go read an online copy of the Cathechism, but as you said, that is just a text book telling you what you can and can not do. I can understand that. What I can not understand is things like the Holy Trinity.
joanna
September 9, 2011
Svar – I hope you like him.
Alte
September 9, 2011
Here’s the list in the order they are taught:
Aristotle’s Ethics
Meno by Plato
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
Socrates Meets Jesus by Peter Kreeft
On the Incarnation of Our Lord (Athanasius)
Confessions (Augustine)
City of God (Augustine)
The Consolation of Philosophy (Boethius)
The Soul’s Journey into God, The Tree of Life, the Life of St. Francis (Bonaventure)
The Divine Comedy (Dante)
Utopia (More)
Martin Luther
Paradise Lost (Milton)
Pensees (Pascal)
The Theology of the Body (JPII)
Alte
September 9, 2011
Has anyone read The Creed: What Christians Believe and Why it Matters? I was thinking of buying that one, but I still need to read The Mass.
The catechism is good for a start, but it doesn’t get really “deep” unless you follow the references.
Alte
September 9, 2011
One way to study this in unity would be to parse our way through the Nicene Creed.
*blink* *blink, blink, blink*
That is such a cool idea.
Alte
September 9, 2011
Okay, downloaded the Creed book and I’ll write articles parsing the chapters. Thanks for the idea, Chris!
Now I have to go read some more in my distributism book. Actually, I have to go clean up and then read some more in my distributism book. So I might not read, after all. *sigh* It takes me forever to get through a book nowadays.
pb
September 9, 2011
“Did I miss anything? ” Traditional “divisions” of Catholic theology also include Christology and sacramental theology. There is also moral theology, which should be united with ascetic & mystical theology but has not been for a while (see Fr. Pinckaers as to why).
Will S.
September 9, 2011
@Svar: You’re welcome. Cheers! Happy reading, and thinking!
@ Chris: I’m of the opinion that Calvinists and Jesuits are like mirror-image estranged cousins…
BTW, ever notice how eerily similar the popular Reformed motto “Soli Deo gloria” (“To God alone be the glory”) and the Jesuit motto “Ad majorem Dei gloriam” (“To the Greater Glory of God”) are? Hmmm.
Chris
September 9, 2011
Will: If you consider that John Calvin and Ignatius Loyala were living around the same period, and were both deeply concerned about what it meant to be Godly, well, no.
You also need to consider that both groups have a habit of building schools and universities where ever they go… and being over intellectual.
Svar: get yourself to a local Jesuit. He has a library. Avail yourself of it.
Will S.
September 10, 2011
@ Chris: Yep, true enough; they really were more alike than either would care to admit; ditto their followers…
alcestiseshtemoa
September 10, 2011
Thank you all for your comments. Greatly appreciated.
Alte
September 10, 2011
I’m on a theology-kick right now, Ally, so there’ll be more posts on these topics around here over the next few months. I go through phases.
Pechorin
September 10, 2011
One suggestion from an interested skeptic: “Introduction to Christianity” (1968) by Benedict XVI. It’s an exposition of the apostles’ creed, not the Nicene creed. The emphasis is more philosophical than devotional. He spends a lot of space on the very beginnings – e.g. what does “I believe” really mean in the modern world? What is the relation of belief in the Christian God to idealist metaphysics? – and on giving a broader intellectual context. It’s not Catholic specific as far as I can tell.
Will S.
September 10, 2011
Sounds intriguing, Pechorin.
Alte
September 10, 2011
I have never heard of that one. I’ve downloaded it to use in conjunction with the other one, for the series. It looks pretty heavyweight, though.