SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

Author: Ray Shelton

PROLEGOMENA - Introduction to Theology

DIVISIONS OF THEOLOGY

Theology as the science of God is made up of a number of related sciences. Since the inscripturated revelation of God in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament is the basis for Christian theology, the sciences that examines the literary and historical contents of the Scriptures are fundamental to all Christian theology. These include the study of Biblical languages, primarily Hebrew and Greek, as well as the literary analysis of the books of the Bible (Old and New Testament Introduction). The historical study in Biblical Archaeology and Bible History place the record of the revelation of God in their historical context. Particularly the theological statements of Sciptures about God and his relation to the world and man are essential to theology; the sciences of Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments investigate these theological statements of the various writers of Scriptures. Then Systematic Theology attempts to formulate a theological system that brings together all these Biblical Theological statements. Historical Theology investigate the attempts in the past to formulate theological systems by various Christian theologians. Apologetics is the theological science that attempts to formulate a defense of the Christian Faith against attacks upon it. Polemics, on the other hand, is the theological science that attempts to formulate attacks on other religious systems and those substitutes for and alternatives to the Christian Faith. Both these theological sciences draws heavily upon Christian Philosophy which attempts to formulate a Christian answer to the problems of philosophy: the problem of knowledge (Epistemology), of being (Ontology) and values (Axiology). The secondary philosophical sciences of Philosophy of Religion and Philosophical Theology attempts to relate the primary philosophical sciences (Epistemology, Ontology, and Axiology) to the theological sciences.