The document provides an overview and introduction to The Theology Program. It discusses the program's mission to renew minds and change lives through the study of Christian theology. Key aspects of the program include its intensity in studies, emphasis on irenic (peaceable) theology, comprehensive coverage of topics, and approach of doing theology in a community. The document also defines different types of theologians and categories of theology that will be covered.

2. Introduction to Theology An Invitation to Theology?

3. “ Jesus said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” – Matthew 22:37

6. Introduction to the Theology Program Defining the “Rules of Engagement”

24. Intensity in Studies Low Commitment High Commitment Sermon Fellowship/ Sunday School Interactive Classroom

26. Intensity in Studies Devotional (Brings encouragement for the week) Foundational (Builds theology for a lifetime) Sermon Fellowship/ Sunday School Interactive Classroom

27. Intensity in Studies Short-term life change Long-term life change Sermon Fellowship/ Sunday School Interactive Classroom

28. Intensity in Studies Exhortation Education Sermon Fellowship/ Sunday School Interactive Classroom

29. Intensity in Studies The education program of the Church needs to include all of these in balance . Sermon Fellowship/ Sunday School Interactive Classroom

31. Irenic Theology Polemic Apologetic Irenic Peace War Defense

32. Intentional Program Design

35. The column represents a pillar, communicating that our theology creates a strong foundation upon which our life, purpose, and actions exist. The “T” stands for “Theology” in The Theology Program. Notice how the draft goes outside the lines at times. This represents how our theology, while having a great respect for tradition, must break with tradition at times. This is the Reformers’ principle of semper reformanda (“always reforming”). Notice how the draft is incomplete and erased at places. This illustrates how our theology is never finished in this life, but is always undergoing change and development. The tablet upon which we construct our theology is broken. This represents an imperfect people, broken by sin, doing our best to understand God in our state of imperfection.

36. Discussion Groups

37. Defining Theology “ What does it mean to ‘do’ theology?”

39. Protestant Eastern Orthodox Prophecy Postmodernism Truth Roman Catholic Cessationism Relativism Epistemology Special Revelation Exclusivism Denominations Traditions of Theology Protestant Theology Rationalism Modernism Cessationism Pluralism Experience

41. Defining Theology “ The study or science of God.” – Millard Erickson Christian Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001), 22 “ The Science of God and of the relations between God and the universe.” – A. H. Strong “ Rational discussion respecting the deity.” – Augustine “ Thinking about God and expressing those thoughts in some way.” – Charles Ryrie Basic Theology (Wheaton, IL: 1986), 9

42. Defining Theology “ The science of God or of religion; the science which treats of the existence, character, and attributes of God, his laws and government, the doctrines we are to believe, and the duties we are to practice; divinity; (as more commonly understood) the knowledge derivable from the Scriptures, the systematic exhibition of revealed truth, the science of Christian faith and life.” — Webster’s Dictionary

45. Defining Theology The question is not, “Who is a theologian?” but “What kind of theologian am I going to be?” Are you going to be a good theologian or a bad theologian? This is a more accurate question because, as one writer put it, “not all theologies are equal.” – Source unknown

46. Defining Theology “ We live in what may be the most anti-intellectual period in the history of Western civilization. . . We must have passion—indeed hearts on fire for the things of God. But that passion must resist with intensity the anti-intellectual spirit of the world.” — R. C. Sproul “ Burning Hearts Are Not Nourished by Empty Heads,” Christianity Today 26 (Sept. 3, 1982), 100

48. Defining Theology Tabloid Lay Ministerial Professional Academic Folk

49. Defining theology Describe this chart in relation to practicing medicine Tabloid Lay Ministerial Professional Academic Folk

50. Defining Theology Now describe this chart in relation to practicing theology Tabloid Lay Ministerial Professional Academic Folk

67. Defining Theology Sensational Tabloid Lay Ministerial Professional Academic Folk Skeptical Critical Gates permanently locked Gates wide open Naïve

68. Defining Theology Acceptable range Tabloid Lay Ministerial Professional Academic Folk

69. Defining Theology “ Theology is for everyone. Indeed, everyone needs to be a theologian. In reality, everyone is a theologian—of one sort or another. And therein lies the problem. There is nothing wrong with being an amateur theologian or a professional theologian, but there is everything wrong with being an ignorant or sloppy theologian.” — Charles Ryrie Basic Theology (Wheaton, IL: 1986), 9.

75. Defining Theology credo ut intelligam “ faith seeking understanding” This is a Latin phrase coined by Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) meaning “faith seeking understanding.” This is one of the earliest definitions of theology. It starts with the assumption that we are believers and, as such, we are seeking to understand our beliefs better.

76. Discussion Groups

77. Categories of Theology

92. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience Biblical Hermeneutics Systematic Theology Application Ancient Audience

93. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience ? Ancient Audience

94. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience ? Ancient Audience Liberal Theology

95. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience Ancient Audience ?

96. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience Ancient Audience ? Hypocritical Folk Theology

97. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience Ancient Audience ?

98. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience Ancient Audience ? Subjective Theology

99. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience ? Ancient Audience ?

100. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience ? Ancient Audience ? Irrelevant Theology

101. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience ? Ancient Audience ?

102. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience ? Ancient Audience ? Folk Theology

103. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience ? Ancient Audience ?

104. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience ? Ancient Audience ? Short-circuit Theology

105. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience Ancient Audience ? ? ?

106. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience Ancient Audience ? ? ? Eisegetical Theology

107. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience Ancient Audience ? ? ?

108. Timeless Audience Time-bound Audience Contemporary Audience Ancient Audience ? ? ? Exegetical Theology

110. Categories of Theology Scripture Biblical Theology Historical Theology Philosophical Theology Systematic Theology Apologetic Theology Creedal/Dogmatic Theology

111. Postmodern Epistemology Understanding Our Changing Culture

113. Postmodern Epistemology “ The theory or science of the method or grounds of knowledge.” — Webster’s Dictionary

114. Postmodern Epistemology “ The branch of philosophy that is concerned with the theory of knowledge. It is an inquiry into the nature and source of knowledge, the bounds of knowledge, and the justification of claims to knowledge.” — Paul Feinberg Walter A. Elwell ed., “Epistemology” in The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001), 382.

119. Postmodern Epistemology “ Christian’s today cannot work with the same assumptions that we did just 20 years ago. At that time, people would join you in your search for absolute truth. It is different now. Today, before we begin to lead people to the truth of Jesus Christ, we may have to lead them to the truth of truth. Common ground must be created before the Gospel can be proclaimed”

120. Postmodern Epistemology “ Apologetically, the question which arises in the postmodern context is the following. How can Christianity’s claims to truth be taken seriously, when there are so many rival alternatives, and when ‘truth’ itself has become a devalued notion? No-one can lay claim to possession of truth. It is all a question of perspective. The conclusion of this line of thought is as simple as it is devastating: ‘the truth is that there is no truth” – Alister McGrath A Passion for Truth (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1996), 188

123. Postmodern Epistemology Self-defeating Statements “ I cannot speak a word in English.” “ My wife has never been married.” “ We cannot know anything about God.” “ There is no such thing as truth.” “ Truth cannot be known with certainty.”

125. Postmodern Epistemology Premodern Modern Postmodern 400 1600 1960

126. Postmodern Epistemology Stage of Truth Back Front

127. Postmodern Epistemology Transition 1960-? Modern Postmodern

133. Postmodern Epistemology “ In Postmodernism, there is no objective, universal truth; there is only the perspective of the group. . . . In postmodernism, all viewpoints, all lifestyles, all beliefs and behaviors are regarded as equally valid. . . . Tolerance has become so important that no exception is tolerated.” – Charles Colson How Now Shall We Live? (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1999), 23

134. Christian Epistemology

140. Christian Epistemology Modernist Postmodernist Facts Rationality Evidence Fairness Relationships Emotion

145. Epistemology Key Motto “ Man can and will know all truth.”

149. Christian Epistemology Key Motto “ The truth cannot be known.”

155. Christian Epistemology Key Motto “ The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law” (Deut. 29:29).

159. Christian Epistemology Cataphatic Theology “ things revealed” Apophatic Theology “ secret things” Modernism West Rationalists Roman Catholic/Protestants Postmodernism East Mystics Eastern Orthodox Responsible theology

160. Christian Epistemology Perspectivism Prov. 12:15 Soft Skepticism Prov. 8:5 Objectivism Prov. 23:23 Cataphatic Theology Apophatic Theology Perspicuity

161. Christian Epistemology Perspectivism Prov. 12:15 Soft Skepticism Prov. 8:5 Objectivism Prov. 23:23 Cataphatic Theology Apophatic Theology Perspicuity “ You who are naive, discern wisdom! And you fools, understand discernment!”

162. Christian Epistemology Perspectivism Prov. 12:15 Soft Skepticism Prov. 8:5 Objectivism Prov. 23:23 Cataphatic Theology Apophatic Theology Perspicuity “ The way of a fool is right in his own opinion, but the one who listens to advice is wise.”

163. Christian Epistemology Perspectivism Prov. 12:15 Soft Skepticism Prov. 8:5 Objectivism Prov. 23:23 Cataphatic Theology Apophatic Theology Perspicuity “ Acquire truth and do not sell it . . .”

164. Defining Essentials and Non-essentials

168. True Relativity True Objectivity

169. Going to the movies Wearing a head covering Eating meat sacrificed to idols Home schooling Drinking a glass of wine/beer True Relativity Situational Relativity True Objectivity

170. Going to the movies Wearing a head covering Eating meat sacrificed to idols Home schooling Drinking a glass of wine/beer True Relativity Situational Relativity Coke or Pepsi Church music Temperature of a room (hot or cold) Best song Best kind of food Autonomous Relativity True Objectivity

171. Going to the movies Wearing a head covering Eating meat sacrificed to idols Home schooling Drinking a glass of wine/beer True Relativity Situational Relativity Coke or Pepsi Church music Temperature of a room (hot or cold) Best song Best kind of food Autonomous Relativity True Objectivity Date of Christ’s coming Young earth/Old earth Continuation of tongues Canon of Scripture Views of Predestination Non-Essential Objectivity

172. Going to the movies Wearing a head covering Eating meat sacrificed to idols Home schooling Drinking a glass of wine/beer True Relativity Situational Relativity Coke or Pepsi Church music Temperature of a room (hot or cold) Best song Best kind of food Autonomous Relativity True Objectivity Essential Objectivity Date of Christ’s coming Young earth/Old earth Continuation of tongues Canon of Scripture Views of Predestination Non-Essential Objectivity

173. Going to the movies Wearing a head covering Eating meat sacrificed to idols Home schooling Drinking a glass of wine/beer True Relativity Situational Relativity Coke or Pepsi Church music Temperature of a room (hot or cold) Best song Best kind of food Autonomous Relativity Existence of God True Objectivity Essential Objectivity Date of Christ’s coming Young earth/Old earth Continuation of tongues Canon of Scripture Views of Predestination Non-Essential Objectivity

174. Going to the movies Wearing a head covering Eating meat sacrificed to idols Home schooling Drinking a glass of wine/beer True Relativity Situational Relativity Coke or Pepsi Church music Temperature of a room (hot or cold) Best song Best kind of food Autonomous Relativity Christ’s deity Existence of God True Objectivity Essential Objectivity Date of Christ’s coming Young earth/Old earth Continuation of tongues Canon of Scripture Views of Predestination Non-Essential Objectivity

175. Going to the movies Wearing a head covering Eating meat sacrificed to idols Home schooling Drinking a glass of wine/beer True Relativity Situational Relativity Coke or Pepsi Church music Temperature of a room (hot or cold) Best song Best kind of food Autonomous Relativity Christ’s deity Faith alone Existence of God True Objectivity Essential Objectivity Date of Christ’s coming Young earth/Old earth Continuation of tongues Canon of Scripture Views of Predestination Non-Essential Objectivity

176. Going to the movies Wearing a head covering Eating meat sacrificed to idols Home schooling Drinking a glass of wine/beer True Relativity Situational Relativity Coke or Pepsi Church music Temperature of a room (hot or cold) Best song Best kind of food Autonomous Relativity Christ’s deity Faith alone Death, burial, and resurrection of Christ Existence of God True Objectivity Essential Objectivity Date of Christ’s coming Young earth/Old earth Continuation of tongues Canon of Scripture Views of Predestination Non-Essential Objectivity

177. Going to the movies Wearing a head covering Eating meat sacrificed to idols Home schooling Drinking a glass of wine/beer True Relativity Situational Relativity Coke or Pepsi Church music Temperature of a room (hot or cold) Best song Best kind of food Autonomous Relativity Christ’s deity Faith alone Death, burial, and resurrection of Christ The atonement Existence of God True Objectivity Essential Objectivity Date of Christ’s coming Young earth/Old earth Continuation of tongues Canon of Scripture Views of Predestination Non-Essential Objectivity

181. Essential for Salvation Essential for Orthodoxy Important, but Not Essential Not Important Pure Speculation

182. Essentials and Non-essentials “ For the Christian, beliefs matter, but not all beliefs matter equally .” – Roger Olsen Mosaic of Christian Beliefs (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2002), 33

184. Essentials and Non-essentials “ There are those dogmatic Christians who seem to overdefine Christianity such that being authentically Christian includes (for them) firm adherence to a detailed set of extrabiblical beliefs, some of which are quite outside the Great Tradition itself.” – Roger Olsen Mosaic of Christian Beliefs (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2002), 33

188. Essentials and non-essentials 10 0 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 – + I believe Chart of Certainty I Do not believe

190. Essentials and Non-essentials “ When you overstate, readers will be instantly on guard and everything that has preceded your overstatement as well as everything that follows it will be suspect in their minds because they have lost confidence in your judgment or your poise. Overstatement is one of the common faults. A single overstatement, wherever or however it occurs, diminishes the whole, and a single carefree superlative has the power to destroy, for readers, the object of your enthusiasm.” – Strunk and White Elements of Style, (Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon), 7.

191. Essentials and Non-Essentials “ In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.” – Rupertus Meldenius

193. Traditions in Christian Theology

196. Traditions in Theology Protestant Roman Catholic Orthodox 349 million 943 million 211 million

198. 100 AD 1200 1500 500 Formulation Protestant View of Ecclesiastical History Gospel Roman Catholic Loss of Gospel Corruption Greek Orthodox 1054 Restoration Protestant Church

199. Traditions in Theology “ Justification is the hinge upon which true Christianity stands.” – John Calvin “ Christianity stands or falls upon the doctrine of justification.” – Martin Luther

201. 100 AD 1200 1500 500 Formulation Roman Catholic View of Ecclesiastical History Church Establishing Greek Orthodox 1054 Protestants Corruption of Morals Restoration Roman Catholicism

202. Rome Constantinople Antioch Jerusalem Alexandria Five Bishoprics of the Early Church

203. Rome Constantinople Antioch Jerusalem Alexandria Five Bishoprics of the Early Church

204. Rome Constantinople Antioch Jerusalem Alexandria Invasion of Islam 612

205. Rome Constantinople Filioque Fight for Supremacy Split 1054 Eastern Orthodox Catholic

206. Rome Constantinople Invasion of Islam 1453

207. Rome

208. Rome Eastern Church moves north. Russian Orthodoxy becomes primary Orthodox Church.

210. 100 AD 1200 1500 500 Formulation Eastern Orthodox View of Ecclesiastical History Church Disruption West East Eastern Orthodox Purification Protestants Roman Catholics

213. Brief History of the Protestant Movement 1500 1700 1900 2000 Reformed Tradition Arminian Tradition Pentecostals Methodists Wesleyans Church of Christ Nazarenes Free-will Baptists Calvinists Presbyterians Lutherans Reformed Baptists Fundamentalist Tradition Liberal Tradition Charismatic Tradition Evangelical Tradition Postmodern Tradition

214. Sources of Theology “ Where do we go for truth?”

218. Sources of Theology

220. Roman Catholic Scripture Reason Tradition Experience General Revelation Back Front

221. Eastern Orthodox Stage of Truth Scripture Tradition Experience General Revelation Back Front

222. Protestant Reformation Stage of Truth Scripture Tradition Experience General Revelation Reason Back Front

223. Liberal Stage of Truth Reason Experience General Revelation Emotions Back Front

224. Charismatic Stage of Truth Special Revelation Experience Emotions Back Front

225. Fundamentalist Stage of Truth Scripture General Revelation Back Front

226. Postmodern Stage of Truth Back Front

230. Sources of Theology “ Tradition is the living faith of those now dead. Traditionalism is the dead faith of those now living.” – Jarislav Pelikan

233. Sources of Theology “ All truth is given by revelation, either general or special, and it must be received by reason. Reason is the God-given means for discovering the truth that God discloses, whether in his world or his Word. While God wants to reach the heart with truth, he does not bypass the mind.” – Jonathan Edwards

234. Sources of Theology “ The truth of the Christian faith surpasses the capacity of reason.” – Thomas Aquinas

235. Sources of Theology credo quia absurdum “ I believe because it is absurd” This Latin phrase coined by Tertullian (150-225) evidences some of the early Church’s disdain for the Greek philosophers’ reliance upon reason for truth. He said, “What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem, or the academy with the Church?” He sought to return the element of mystery to the Christian faith.

240. Sources of Theology sensus divinitatus “ Sense of the divine” The sensus divinitatus is the inward persuasion all people have that directs them to a belief in God and a propensity to worship. While the sensus divinitatas can contribute to and shape our theology (natural theology), the information is insufficient to bring a person into a right relationship with God.

245. Sources of Theology norma normans sed non normata “ A norm which norms but is not normed” This is a Latin phrase of the Protestant Reformation that stresses the importance of Scripture above all other sources of theology. The Scripture, according to the Reformers, is the standard (norm) against which all other sources for theology must be judged, but this standard cannot be judged by them.

246. Proposed Stage of Truth Scripture Tradition Experience General Revelation Reason Emotions Back Front

250. Excursus: Does God still Speak Today?

261. Excursus: Does God Still Speak Today? “ If you were to lock a brand-new Christian in a room with a Bible and tell him to study what Scripture has to say about healings and miracles, he would never come out of the room a cessationist.” – Jack Deere Surprised by the Power of the Spirit (Grand Rapids, Mi: Zondervan, 1997), 54

272. Excursus: Does God Still Speak Today? “ It might, indeed, be a priori conceivable that God should deal with men [individually], and reveal Himself and His will to each individual, throughout the whole course of history, in the [depths] of his own consciousness. This is the mystics dream. It has not, however, been God’s way. He has chosen rather to deal with the race in its entirety, and to give this race His complete revelation of Himself in an organic whole.” – B.B. Warfield Counterfeit Miracles (Carlisle, PN: Banner of Truth, 1972), 26

274. Noah Moses 2000+ yrs of apparent silence Elijah & Elisha 500 yrs of apparent silence Christ and The Apostles 900 yrs of apparent silence

276. Excursus: Does God Still Speak Today? “ This whole place [1 Cor. 12 on spiritual gifts] is very obscure . . . but the obscurity is produced by our ignorance of the facts referred to and by their cessation, being such as then used to occur, but now no longer take place.” – John Chrysostom (347-407) ECF 2.12.1.1.29.0

283. Excursus: Does God Still Speak Today? “ God, in his ordinary providence, makes use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them, at his pleasure.” – Westminster Confession of Faith 5.3

286. Unity and Diversity Doing Theology in the Emerging Context

288. Unity and Diversity semper reformanda “ Always reforming” This is the Reformation principle that Christian theology is always undergoing change, enhancement, and development. the Reformers understood that if theology was, at any point, thought to be solidified and one person’s, group’s, tradition’s, or denomination’s perspective was thought of to be “above all reproach” and, therefore, unable to be developed, the task of doing theology would be severely grieved. Our theology must be reforming itself continually.

291. Unity and Diversity 2000 A.D. 100 A.D. Trinity (325) Counsel of Nicea (325) Doctrine of the Atonement (eleventh century) 400 A.D. 1600 A.D. Doctrine of Christ Definition of Chalcedon (451) Doctrine of Man and Grace (fifth century) 1100 A.D.

293. Unity and Diversity Five “Solas” of the Protestant Reformation Reformed Understanding Sola Scriptura Sola Christus Sola Gratia Sola Fide Sola deo Gloria Meaning The “Scripture alone” contains primary authority to dictate the lives of believers. The work of “Christ alone” is the basis for justification. Justification is by means of God’s “grace alone.” “ Faith alone” is the only instrumental cause of justification. All is done for “God’s glory alone.”

294. Unity and Diversity 2000 A.D. 100 A.D. Trinity (325) Counsel of Nicea (325) Doctrine of the Atonement (eleventh century) 400 A.D. 1600 A.D. Doctrine of Christ Definition of Chalcedon (451) Doctrine of Justification (sixteenth century) Doctrine of Scripture (sixteenth century) Doctrine of Man and Grace (fifth century) 1100 A.D.