Introduction
How many times have you attempted to look up answers in the Bible to satisfy your curiosity on a topic, yet, to your unsatisfactory surprise, found ambiguous narratives and principles that may or may not apply to our situation? Some of these questions are complex, and some are practical. Some questions that you may have thought of are:
How should Christians love and serve the LGBTQ+ community?
Should I date or marry a non-believer if I am a Christian?
What kind of church should I go to?
Is God real, and is the Bible really the final authority?
How is the world going to end? Zombies? Robots?
What is my purpose in life?
Believe it or not, you are already interacting with systematic theology! We all engage in theology in some way, either by discussing trivial things like music and clothing or asking big questions about God and the challenges around us. But have you considered the benefits of diving into this pursuit wholeheartedly? It's like anything in life—if you're already doing it, why not do it well?
What is Systematic Theology?
Imagine you're curating a playlist of your favorite songs. Whether you’re a Swiftie, Belieber, country fan, old soul, or rockstar, you have a curated list of songs sectioned off into their particular places on your digital shelf. Every song you’ve added to a playlist is located perfectly according to your preferences. And each playlist is crafted within categories that are extensions of your realities, life lessons, and eras.
What if I told you that just as you meticulously organize songs to tell a story, there's a way to thoughtfully structure your faith to deepen your understanding of God? Drum roll Enter systematic theology!
Definition. The term "theology" comes from two Greek root words: Theos, meaning God, and logos – which can be summarized as “study of." Of course, with the word “systematic” that precedes it, systematic theology in its simplest form can be defined as “the organized study of God.”
But what makes this discipline different from general theological studies generally? The English theologian and philosopher Richard Hooker, helpfully uses a three-legged stool as a metaphor to exemplify how theology can work. Some have adapted his model; for our purposes, we can categorize three legs on the stool as (1) Scripture, (2) Tradition/History (3) Reason/Culture. All three “legs” are leveraged to contribute to principles of the faith and practical Christian living. In other words, systematic theology is the categorized study of God, His Word, and the world for today. It’s important to note that theologians have often ordered the study of systematics in various ways. But it usually comes down to two major categories, God and man. If we want to be more thorough, the big “ology” words that encapsulate the normative topics within systematic categories are Bibliology, Theology Proper, Christology, Pneumatology, Anthropology, Hamartiology, Soteriology, Angelology, Ecclesiology, and Eschatology.
Categories are helpful for humans because we are finite beings with limited capacities. Therefore, compartmentalization helps us avoid dissonance in our thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Much like your carefully crafted playlists, our faith is a compilation of our learnings that resonate with our spiritual journey. Think of each song as a different aspect of your faith—a belief, a teaching, or a principle.
Why “do” Systematic Theology?
Systematic theology aids us by providing language and systems to better comprehend biblical truth. Just like a well-crafted playlist enhances your connection to music, a well-considered understanding of systematic theology enhances your relationship with God and His truths. Creating an incredible playlist requires more than just randomly throwing songs together. You want the pieces to flow smoothly and be true to their rightful category. Likewise, when trying to discern the meaning of God’s truth and consider how to best play our part in accordance with it, we can’t just throw Bible verses around, hoping that they’ll somehow address the current situation. We must organize our beliefs about God as if they were learned songs we’ve added to each “ology” playlist as we learn more about God as the ultimate Artist.
Similarly, we “do” systematic theology because it expands our view of God and our compassion for others. My husband is a major country music fan, but I was always an RnB and rap kind of gal (Surprise! Haha). Could I really say I am musically savvy without expanding my horizons to other ways music has spoken to others? Definitely not. On a similar thread, take a survey of your playlists. Imagine if your playlists were only break-up songs, and none mirrored other seasons of life. I bring this up because solely exposing yourself to one genre of Scripture, one era of Church History, and one point of culture can be crippling to your view of God and your compassion for others.
Systematic Theology acts as your playlist curator, ensuring your beliefs sync up beautifully, providing a soundtrack to a deeper, more profound relationship with God. Think of it this way – if your playlist is disorganized, with songs clashing and ideas conflicting, your musical experience might be jarring. What if a Chris Tomlin song suddenly appears in your Taylor Swift Eras playlist? That’d be odd and entirely out of place! Similarly, your view of the world could feel fragmented and disconnected without a systematic approach to knowing God. There must be a level of consistency and organization in your thoughts about God if you want to mature in your intimacy with Him.
What does it have to do with you?
Systematic theology has everything to do with you. It’s the kind of theology you’re already most involved in through your summation of (1) Scripture, (2) Tradition, and (3) Reason/Culture. Choosing what to wear is a theological choice, discerning the kind of music you listen to is a theological endeavor, and deciding what kind of church you go to requires intellectual work built on the principles of systematic theology, etc. Systematic theology is for your personal formation and for the edification of the Church.
For you: Friend, it’s no secret that the world is corrupt. We see the reality of this through the news channels, TikTok, and within our own circles. The world around us is decaying at an unprecedented pace, presenting us with new ethical challenges and complex moral dilemmas. The question we must ask is: How do we, as Christians, navigate these uncharted waters? The answer requires you to act.
How can you act? By equipping yourself with the right tools and methods to serve the Kingdom of God. As we grapple with issues that demand moral clarity, Christians must be at the forefront of the line, ready to love and eager to learn. We can only do this if we grow in our love for God by understanding Him, His Word, and the world, as this will enable us to purposefully navigate how we can be seasoned agents of change.
For the Church: Systematic theology helps us articulate our beliefs internally and externally. Part of our ever-growing spiritual formation involves maturity in our faith that overflows into areas outside of ourselves. As we are being sanctified, and if we are indeed in Christ, we begin to look more like Jesus; which means our minds are renewing (Romans 12:1-2), and our character mirrors Jesus all the more. It also means we continue the ministry of God, inviting others into this family. In doing so, we can begin to help others answer hard questions like: “Where is God when I need him? Can I really trust that He is real?” or, “Who do I marry?” or, “How do I love my gay neighbor while still holding to my convictions of God’s design for intimate relationships?” or “What is my purpose in life?”
Conclusion
Just like a playlist serves to arrange our music, systematic theology functions as an organizational structure that enables an organized awareness of our beliefs. This endeavor matters because it intentionally organizes God's story and works and gives insight into how we can better love Him. Act and respond by taking the intellectual step to consciously interact with systematic theology to help you navigate complex issues and faithfully serve God. Survey what you know about God and explore the blind spots within normative systematic categories. In our world plagued with uncertainty and moral challenges, take the challenge to add to your current playlists so you can become an agent of truth and love within a world that yearns for truth and purpose.
Resources to begin your systematic theology journey:
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