Status Updates From Historical Theology: An Int...

It helps us identify what’s already been discussed, the strenghts and weaknesses of how it was approached, and know the landmarks of Christian thought. It also serves to correct our thinking. We can learn why certain doctrines became important when they did and understand how theology adapted to a particular time. He illustrates the idea of God not suffering came from Greek ideas about perfection and God.

Another question is whether God can suffer and that is an interesting question in light of Jesus suffering on the cross. The issue is the spirit of the study: if the sole purpose is looking for error, then that is not a posture of humility. Looking for ideas (spirit of the age) is very helpful because they yield fruit. Nothing is new under the season and the minds of the past wrestle with the questions we ask.

They examined the work of early patristic writers as well as scholars in the Middle Ages. The Enlightenment triggered another examination because they believed dogma that developed because of the culture of those eras may be incorrect (which is why we have chaos today). They reject essentials of Christian belief as dogma--the incarnation for example--because they believe it came from Greek philosophy.

Historical theology also informs systematic theology because it addresses when and why theological doctrine settled. When these issues crop up now, it is because we do not realize the issue has already been decided. It also reveals how God’s saving work appeared in each age which is encouraging. The Reformation triggered the emergence of historical theology because people were trying to support their ideas.

Church history and historical theology overlap because church history naturally includes the big theological debates of the day. To understand historical theology one must understand what was happening in the church and the culture at the time. For example, the medieval church had access to the Latin Vulgate, not the original Greek manuscripts. Publishing the NT in Greek was a spark to the Reformation.

The Spanish intermarried with the natives a lot which led to mixing of relgious and cultural practices. Finally, the efforts of the USSR and Cuba to foment a color revolution and import Marxism into Latin American influenced liberation theology. In the US, secular culture has an influence: liberalism and conservatism affecting denominations differently, depending upon which political movement aligns the most.

Historical theology draws from church history and systematic theology. It focuses on the historical situation that lead to theology and links context to the topic. For example, the social-economic situation in Latin America drove liberation theology. I could go on: the Spanish Catholic practices (not understanding the mass) and the culture of getting away with what you can in the justice system added to the pressure.

Historical theology covers the development of Christian theology based on the spirit of the age and the historical context. Something totally new for me is that one key factor in the Reformation may be when Erasmus (15th century) published the first Greek copy of the New Testament. Some flaws in understanding came from St. Jerome’s Latin translation. The west lacked access to the original Greek.

Events that are vital to understanding church history don’t always translate to theology and vice versa. It is interested in how the church developed throughout the ages: its institutional elements and the movements. It also looks at the interplay between Christianity and the culture.

Pastoral theology came out of a desire for pastoral care but has been co-opted by liberation theology (Marxism in a collar). Purtianism was a time with heady theology plus decent pastoral care: no bueno. Theology is best when it supports preaching, praying, worship, and pastoral care. Church history is a discipline of its own but had an overlap with theology because of the need to understand institutional elements.

Aquinas did this in his Five Ways to affirm God's existence. Philosophical theology seeks common ground between Christian faith and intellectual activity. It helps us interact with our cultural environment. Philosophy is the handmaid of theology. The medieval harmonized Platonism or Aristotelianism but Tertullian rejected this in the 2nd century. Bernhard (9th) wanted to let the real presence be a mystery.

Schleiermacher organized his around the human experience and put the Trinity last (theology from below). No wonder the Germans lost their marbles. One Jesuit wrote a series of essays that filled 23 volumes. Another Catholic wrote 7 from the perspective of "theological esthetics (THB). Non-Christians have similar questions but different answers when it comes to philosophy, hence, philosophical theology.

Aquinas (13th century) organized his into three parts. He tried to harmonize philosophical questions (Aristotle) as well as early patristic fathers. After the Reformation, Philipp Melanchthon arranged his by topic. Calvine organized his in four parts: doctrine, Christ as mediator, appropriation of redemption, and life of the church. The modern theologian Karl Barth did something similar.

Systematic theology is organized in a clear way. Classical ones use creeds as models, going from doctrine to eschatology. Modern methods organize by the philosophy of how knowledge is acquired and developed. Medieval theologians gathered a book of quotations. Peter Lombard organized them in four books about (1) the Trinity, (2) creation and sin, (3) Christian living and practices, and (4) sacraments and last things.

Translation is a big issue. Some theology was born out of errors in translation in the Latin text. The Reformation is partially a correction of theology which relied on incorrectly translated passages. Oops. Biblical scholarships help us undertand theology which means we cannot avoid modern debates about theology. Systematic theology relies in changing understanding of New Testament scholarship and philosophy.

Great systems of scholastic theology are like great cathedrals of the mind in terms of permanence, solidarity, organization, and structure. This reminds me of Jason Baxter in what he said in his guide about Dante. The Bible (or Scripture) is the key source about Jesus Christ, the focus of Christianity. What we know about him historically is in the New Testament. We study its literary and historical aspects, too.

As knowledge of theology grows, it has become fragmented (analysis), resulting in a loss of coherence. This goes with what Frances Schaeffer said about art and William Schmidt said about math (a mile wide and an inch deep). This lines up with Range by David Epstein. I asked the reverend about this and he agreed that it goes back to medieval/synthesis/coherent versus enlightenment/analysis/fragmentation.

Cracks in the foundation came when public agreement was elevated (theology from below). The French Revolution and older universities in Australia (strong secular assumptions) pushed out Christian theology of higher education. Today, secularism has morphed to pluralism because universities have religious centers that do not elevate one religion over another. Seminaries teach and research Christian theology.

Enlightenment thinkers viewed the creeds and articles of faith with suspicion as man-made. Kant violated CM's 20th principle when he said philosophy seeks truth, and theology, law, and medicine are more practical. Schleiermacher promoted the need for a well-educated clergy and three kinds of theology (philosophical-essence, historical-obvious, practical-church leadership and practice).

When the Reformation happened, the practical aspects rose to the surface again and it was only later in the reformation when they again looked at more theoretical and speculative ideas emerged. It’s almost like the pendulum swinging back and forth. The middle way makes sense. LOL

As universities sprung up, theology became more systematic. 12th and 13th century students studied the arts as the entry level path. After that were three branches: medicine, law, and theology. It changed from beliefs about God to general Christian beliefs, more expansive. It also become more theoretical and less practical. Some theologians were concerned about going from practicing and obedience to speculating.

Ch. 1 He defines theology like I do geometry! Meanings include the study of the Christian God and a distinction from mythology (pagan stories). Early Christians had to explain the one God was in light of the Old Testament. By the Middle Ages, polytheism had been so completely rejected and Christianity embraced that who God is needed no explanation. Theology became the analysis of God’s nature, activies, and purposes.

This reminds me of The Mystery of the Periodic Table because it takes you through the earliest understanding of Christian doctrine and how it was refined over time. He breaks history into four sensible eras and gives an overview of the history and places, key people and their ideas, debates over what is true, and case studies going into depth on critical ideas. Our church plans to study this book for two years.