Theology Gets a Bad Rap

Theology has a bad reputation. Somehow people tend to think of theology as some cerebral subject reserved for ivory tower professors. I don’t agree. Every church serious about its mission has a statement of faith which is a theological statement. Claiming yourself to be an evangelical or a charismatic is a statement about theology. Some try to say they’re followers of Jesus - this, too, is a theological statement.

Theologians may be concerned about the finer points of theology. Some may even wrangle over concepts. In a positive sense, this keeps theologians sharp. Fortunately, not everyone is called to be a theologian. However, that is not to say that not everyone ought to know theology.

Theology is simply words about God. That’s the literal interpretation. However, theology is the study of God’s person and His works. Understanding that the universe is a work of God is saying something about God. The universe’s immensity tells us something about God’s infiniteness - not that the universe is infinite, but to us mortals, it appears that way. One has to wonder, “What kind of being could make this?” It doesn’t take special revelation to understand the exactness of God’s created order. In fact, theologians call this “general revelation.” Even a pagan can know this:

because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1:19,20)

These verses tell us that man is responsible for the knowledge God has revealed to him through creation. It’s plain that there is a lot to know about God through what He’s made. This is sound theology. Knowing God is always practical. Knowing about God is always practical also. Theology, therefore, is practical.

When I see something about God, His eternal power and divine nature, it causes me to worship - when I realize God has spoken to me, not in cryptic signs, esoteric or hidden meanings, but in plain language. The heavens declare the glory of God. The more I learn about intelligent design, irreducible complexity, and specificity, the more clearly I see the face of God, or at least His mind.
God is still making foolish those who claim to be wise. His construction and functional design of a simple cell is more complex than the most complex invention of man. DNA reveals a complex mind with infinite powers of creation. This is theology. Some refer to it as natural theology. Regardless of what we call it, it is valid.

Theology proper is concerned with the study of the attributes of God as revealed in Scripture. This requires special revelation. What follows here is one of my favorite quotes from Thomas Aquinas

[I]t was necessary that man should be taught by a divine revelation; because the truth about God such as reason could discover, would only be known by a few, and that after a long time, and with the admixture of many errors. Whereas man’s whole salvation, which is in God, depends upon the knowledge of this truth. Therefore, in order that the salvation of men might be brought about more fitly and more surely, it was necessary that they should be taught divine truths by divine revelation. It was therefore necessary that besides philosophical science built up by reason, there should be a sacred science learned through revelation. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part, Question 1

Anyone who thinks Thomas is guilty of placing too much emphasis on reason ought to be persuaded differently. He places the emphasis here on revelation through the Scripture in order to know the salvation from God. Creation can reveal God’s attributes, but Scripture reveals His redemption. Through creation and the Scripture we could all come to know this awesome being we call God.

Theology is practical in that knowing God and knowing about God teaches me how to relate to Him. It might make me reflect on His covenantal determination to show His wondrous love to everyone. It might also move me to touch someone with His love. I know God’s love personally, but also as it is revealed in Scripture. In fact, Scripture defines how God loves us and why He does.
We know God through experience also but not only through experience. And experience ought not to be the judge of our knowledge. Experience can testify to our knowledge but cannot judge its validity. Anyone who says “Experience is the best teacher” doesn’t know the rest of that statement. The whole statement is “Experience is the best teacher in the school of fools.” Experience is an ancillary teacher, a handmaiden.

Studying theology, learning about God is important. It’s hard work, but not impossible. There have been countless men whose knowledge about God has been recorded to help us know Him. They allow us to stand on their shoulders and get a better glimpse of the one who is unseen.

Learning about God through creation and through Scripture is like having both oars in the water. Using only one oar will get you going in circles. Pulling both evenly gets us going straight. There are times when one “oar” might need to be emphasized. For me, it was learning natural theology. I’d been a student of theology proper and understood what I could of special revelation, God’s grace and mercy. His redemptive acts in Jesus allow us to see His covenantal nature. But zeroing in on wondrous works of creation and the natural law written on our hearts has evened out my view of God. And, ironically, one has strengthened the other.
Theology has had a bad rap. Knowing God and knowing about God gives us a balanced view. It also gives us a more accurate view of God. In a day of pluralistic theologies and relativism, this strengthens our witness.

In closing, let me suggest some roads to learning theology. It may help to know there are several ways to approach theology. Biblical theology concerns the revelation of God through Scripture as He reveals himself through covenant. Historical theology is the study of the church’s documentation of doctrines through the ages. Practical theology is concerned with direct application. Systematic theology or theology proper is the analysis of God’s attributes. These would be concerned with special revelation.
Natural theology is nearly ignored today. However, the intelligent design movement may urge us to reconsider. You have to go back several centuries to find this classical view of God. The teachers of the scholastic period were experts in natural theology. This is probably why the reformers rejected it. It was all too catholic.

Whichever course you pursue remember that everyone does theology and it is recommended that what you do ought to be sound.

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