What is Theology? – Multilevel Thinking

Last Updated on October 11, 2020

How should we define theology? From the High Middle Ages through the 17th and into the 18th century, theology was almost universally considered “the queen of the sciences.” Immediately one might be surprised to see theology categorized as a science. After all, isn’t science reserved for biology, geology, chemistry, and astrophysics? Surely something innately religious cannot be placed alongside fields of study where experiments and measurements rule the day, can it? After all, isn’t theology simply based on faith? In this article we will explore what theology is, why it should still be considered the pinnacle of all science, and how a deeper understanding of God will draw us closer to Him.

Table of Contents

Theology Definition

The English word theology is rooted in the Greek θεός (transliterated theos), which simply means God or god, depending on how it is being used. We also immediately notice a familiar ending—”ology.” We recognize that ending from such words as biology and psychology. The combining form -logy denotes a subject of study. Thus, theology is the study of God.

We can be even more precise than this. The aforementioned combining form -logy comes into English (through Latin) from a very important term in the Greek language. Most Christians are familiar with the word λόγος (logos), but might not be aware that it is a term with a very wide range of meaning. Typically when we hear λόγος we associate it with Christ, who John said was “the Word” who has eternally existed with God, and as God (John 1:1). Depending on context, λόγος can be translated in Scripture as a word, the Word, a statement, or even a message. But λόγος also carries the connotation of reason, and in fact becomes the root (again through the Latin) of our word logic.

Therefore it can be said that theology involves studying the coherence, logic, and reasoning of God. Would-be wiseacres like to attempt to trip Christians up by asking, “Do you believe God can do anything?” When a person responds affirmatively, the next question is, “Can God make a squared circle?” This is a nonsense question to anyone with a basic understanding of logic or reasoning skills. No, God cannot make a squared circle because a squared circle cannot exist since it would be a contradiction. Every contradiction involves a failure to reason or a blatant lie, two things God is not capable of due to His perfection.

God always displays perfect logic and reason, and we must apply those to our study of God. If we find an apparent contradiction or something that seems irrational in God, the problem is with our understanding, not with Him.

It is important to recognize that theology and religion are only tangentially related. While theology is an examination of the character and nature of God, religion is a study of how mankind embraces a perceived god or gods through ritual. Religion in fact falls under the category of anthropology (the study of man) or sociology, not theology. Theology is God focused while religion is man focused.

Everyone is a Theologian

Everyone is a Theologian is the title given to one of the many books written by R.C. Sproul, the late founder of Ligonier Ministries. A brilliant man and one of the most gifted teachers ever given to the church (and perhaps the entire planet), Dr. Sproul said many things that have stuck with me throughout my Christian life. Just four words long, perhaps no phrase of his has run through my mind more than “everyone is a theologian” because of how that simple truth impacts my approach to apologetics and evangelism. What did Dr. Sproul mean when he said, “everyone is a theologian”?

Simply put, every human being has some view of God. Once a person begins to think about God, even if they conclude that He does not exist, that person is engaging in theology. From a Christian viewpoint, the Bible teaches that everyone has enough evidence to be fully convinced of the existence of a powerful beneficent God. But because of love of self and sin, they suppress this knowledge (see Romans 1-3).

One thing we can be certain of is that humans do not go through much of life without being confronted with the question of who God is and what is He like.

Theology as the Queen of the Sciences

To answer the question posed earlier, “How can theology be called the queen of the sciences?”, we begin with the words of one of the great scientific minds in human history, German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler.

“I was merely thinking God’s thoughts after Him. Since we astronomers are priests of the highest God in regard to the book of nature, it benefits us to be thoughtful, not of the glory of our minds, but rather, above all else, of the glory of God…The chief aim of all investigations of the external world should be to discover the rational order and harmony which has been imposed on it by God.”
Johannes Kepler

Kepler might have stated it more eloquently than most, but he was by no means alone in this thinking. For almost the entirety of human history, the vast majority of people understood that for anything to exist, there must be a self-existent eternal being with volition and the power to act upon those desires. Until recently, science has been a pursuit of discovering the truth with it being axiomatic that all truth meets in God. As John Calvin said, “All truth is God’s truth.” This includes truths discovered in the scientific sphere.

Theology was called the queen of the sciences because it ruled over all other spheres of knowledge. Astronomy wished to discover how the heavens declared the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). Geology was about learning how God designed the planet and the ecosystem to function. Biology set forth figuring out the blueprint that God uses for all living things. Some modern scientists might reject these claims, but they still hold true today. Without God there can be no science, because there would be no cohesion or consistent basis of truth.

Main Branches of Theology

Theology is further broken down into numerous subcategories; the most prominent ones are listed below. There will be numerous articles focused on these individually as well as how they relate to one another, but for now let’s provide a quick introduction to the primary branches. This is not an exhaustive list of all subdivisions of theology.

Theology proper

Theology proper involves studying the attributes of God, particularly His being and works. Contrary to what many teach (as evidenced by numerous articles to be found online and books on Amazon), traditionally theology proper has not been confined to studying God the Father (that would be paterology).

Theology proper includes the attributes of the being of God such as omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. It also examines the ontological Trinity, which is a term used for the being of the Trinity itself, apart from the roles of Father, Son, & Spirit in creation and redemption. The three persons of the Trinity are in perfect unity as the one being of God (Deuteronomy 6:4). As such, they are co-equal and co-eternal within the ontological Trinity.

When discussing the Trinity, we like to say that God is what He is; Father, Son, and Spirit are who He is.” Theology proper deals with the “what” of God and the triune works done by the persons of God. It looks at the shared attributes each of the persons of the Godhead possesses. Paterology, Christology, and pneumatology generally focuses on the distinctions among these persons. In contrast to the ontological Trinity, the economic Trinity (the roles of each person of the Godhead in creation and redemption) is normally studied in-depth when looking at each person individually.

While there is no subordination within the ontological Trinity, there is within the economic Trinity as the Son voluntarily and willingly set aside His divine prerogatives for the purpose of accomplishing redemption (Philippians 2:6-8). Each person of the Trinity had a unique roll in creation and redemption (1 Peter 1:2). We will very briefly touch on some of what distinguishes the Persons of the Trinity in the next three subheadings. A much more in-depth study of the Trinity is forthcoming in future articles.

Paterology

As referenced above, paterology is the study of the person and work of God the Father. It comes from the Greek πατήρ (pater), which simply means father. It is the Father who is the source of creation and it is the Father who sent the Son into the world (John 6:44, 8:18) to do the work of redemption (2 Corinthians 5:21) and secure the salvation of those the Father chose (Ephesians 1:4) and gave to the Son (John 6:39).

Christology

As is evident, Christology is the study of the person and work of Christ. The term comes from the Greek Χριστός (Christos), which means Christ, Messiah, or Anointed One.

It is the Son who secures our redemption through His life of perfect obedience, fulfilling every aspect of the law, and His atoning death on the cross. The Son came to earth to do the will of the Father (John 6:38) and give His life on the cross for the salvation of those in Him (1 Peter 2:24). The Son was also the agent of creation (John 1:3, 10; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2; Revelation 4:11).

In addition to His overall work in creation and redemption, Christology (among other things) looks closely at the incarnation, the titles and offices of Christ, and His role as Judge over all things (Acts 17:31).

Pneumatology

Much like λόγος, the Greek word πνεῦμα (pneuma) has a wide range of meaning, including wind, breath, spirit, inner life, and inner being. It is that middle word—spirit—from which we get the term pneumatology, which is the study of the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit applies the work of Christ to the lives of those who are elect in Him. Just as He breathed life into creation (Genesis 2:7; Job 33:4; Psalm 104:27-30; Isaiah 32:15), it is the Spirit that regenerates the soul (John 3:3-8) and guarantees the salvation of all whom He has given new spiritual life (Philippians 1:6; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14).

Further, the Spirit functions are our teacher (John 14:26) and guide (John 16:12-13). The Holy Spirit is also the agent of our sanctification (Philippians 2:12-13; Galatians 5:16), as done primarily through Scripture (1 Peter 1:13-16). This does not diminish the God-given roles of earthly teachers and counselors.

Soteriology

Soteriology is the study of the doctrines of salvation. It comes from Greek word σωτήρ (soter), meaning savior or deliverer, and is based on σῴζω (sodzo), meaning to save. It seeks to answer questions about regeneration, faith, election, etc., and again touches on the roles of each person of the Trinity in the process. The branch of theology that deals with sin (hamartiology) may be placed under this heading.

Ecclesiology

Ecclesiology is that branch of theology that deals with the church. It comes from the Greek ἐκκλησία (ekklesia), which means an assembly or congregation that has been called out (based on καλέω, to call). At its core, ἐκκλησία is not confined to a church and is occasionally translated as congregation or assembly when referring to non-church gatherings in the New Testament.

Among other things, Ecclesiology covers areas such as the true nature and makeup of the church; its function in the world; its relationship to Christ as His body; sacraments; and church discipline. It also touches upon the individual roles within the church and the qualifications for some specific offices, like pastor, elder, and deacon.

You will often hear it said that the church is the “called out assembly” of God. This is based on the most narrow meaning of ἐκκλησία and provides a nice representation of what the church is, namely those who have been called out of the world and set apart for God. However the English word church actually comes from a different Greek term, κυριακός (kuriakos), and more accurately means “those belonging to the Lord.” The Lord is our master and we are His slaves (δοῦλος, unfortunately often rendered as servant to soften the language of English translations), for He purchased us with His blood (Acts 20:28).

It is interesting to note that κυριακός is the root of the word for church in many languages around the world, so even in areas with vastly different tongues, the word used for God’s people sounds quite similar.

Ecclesiology can cover both the visible and invisible church. The visible church is comprised of all professing believers while the invisible church is limited to truly regenerated persons.

Bibliology

Bibliology is a study of the Bible. It should not be confused with studying the meaning of the text of the Bible. Rather, bibliology is concerned with the inspiration, authoritativeness, and transmission of Scripture. The field of textual criticism is related.

In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul writes that “all Scripture is θεόπνευστος (theopneustos).” Several English translations render this Greek word as “inspired by God” or “”given by inspiration of God.” The ESV translates it, “All Scripture is breathed out by God.” I very much prefer this translation because that is the exact meaning of θεόπνευστος. Just as when a person speaks air is forced out of the mouth, so the Bible is the very Word of God given through the vocabulary and styles of human writers (2 Peter 1:21).

Eschatology

The term eschatology comes from the Greek ἔσχατος (eschatos), meaning last. Eschatology is the study of last things. We should note the distinction between last things and the oft-utilized phrase “end times.” “End times” includes events leading up to the return of Christ, the final judgment, and entrance into heaven or hell. Of course these are all included in a study of eschatology. But “last things” also includes the eternal state, where conditions such as perfect sanctification, glorified bodies, and intimate communion with God are fixed for eternity.

To make it a tongue twister, the “end times” end with the end of time. The things that make up the “last things” will continue forever and ever.

Eschatology is extremely complex and highly debatable. While there are some aspects that are crystal clear, I am convinced there are other points of prophecy that will remain a mystery until after they have taken place. Sadly, the church is full of emotionally charged fighting over millennialism, amillennialism, and post millennialism; the timing, sequence, and actual events of the rapture; the identity of the Beast and meaning of the apocalyptic symbols in Revelation; and so on.

Systematic Theology

Even before we look deeper into each of these branches in future articles, it is apparent that there is significant overlap between many of them. For example, is the Second Coming of Christ part of Christology or eschatology? The answer, of course, is that the Second Coming belongs to both subcategories. This is where having a well thought out systematic theology comes in.

All of the headings and subcategories found within theology come together to form one systematic theology. Systematic theology efforts to take all of the varied aspects of theology and organize them as a rational and coherent whole. Systematic theology shows how each attribute of God, His characteristics, and His actions all work together in perfect harmony.

God is one and each of His attributes correlates perfectly with the others, and all His works as done by the three persons of the trinity function in unison with one purpose. God’s justice is perfect because He is omniscient. He is omniscient because He is omnipresent. He is omnipresent because He is infinite. This is why God’s wrath is a holy wrath and all sin must be righteously punished, either in hell or on the cross. It is at Calvary that God’s justice and love perfectly come together in one moment.

Final Thoughts

Why should theology matter to us? We are called to love the Lord with all of our hearts (Luke 10:27). When we love someone, we want to know as much about them as we can. And when the object of our affection is the most beautiful, perfect being in the universe, the more we know God the more we will love and adore Him.