Rector’s Reflections
Monday 8th July 2024
What do Theologians think about?
Today I thought I would begin a new series of reflections, designed to provide an introduction to the fascinating world of Theology. You may happen to be familiar with the famous names in the world of Theology, but generally Theology tends to be left to the Theologians. This is a pity, as many of the questions which intrigue Theologians are questions which lie at the heart of what it means to be a Christian. They also tend to be the sort of the questions which come up when Christians discuss their faith with other Christians, or with people of other faiths or of no faith at all. For example, what do mean by the word “God”? What are the reasons to believe in God’s existence? Why is there evil in the world? What if anything is special about the Bible? What if anything happens after we die? Is Jesus really both fully human and fully divine, and if so, how can this be? Who or what is the Holy Spirit? What do Christians understand by the doctrine of the Holy Trinity? These are just a few of the questions explored by theologians down the centuries.
Before we look at some of the things theologians think about, let me say a few words by way of introduction. First, this is a vast area of study. I am not attempting a comprehensive survey of theological thought down the centuries. My aim is simply to introduce some of the main questions which have occupied the attention of theologians, focussing on some questions which I think are of particular interest and relevance to Christians today.
Secondly, I am giving the word “Theology” the widest possible definition. Basically, Theology is the study of God: both in terms of who or what “God” is, and also in terms of God’s relationship with human beings and the world. Theology as a subject has many branches. Some focus on the relationship between Theology and Philosophy – this tends to be called Philosophical Theology or Metaphysics. Some Theology focusses on the Bible (“Biblical Theology”). Some Theology looks at the development of theological thinking down the centuries (“Historical Theology”). There are other branches of Theology, as well. Some theologians explore the relationship between different theological doctrines, in order to develop a coherent system of belief (“Systematic Theology”); other theologians seek to explain and defend the official beliefs of a particular Christian church (“Dogmatic Theology” – the word “dogmatic” this context simply means that the beliefs studied are part of the official teaching of the Church. It is not “dogmatic” theology in the sense of theology which is necessarily inflexible or narrow-minded.)
Further areas of Theology look at the relationship between Theology and particular areas of human activity, for example Political Theology looks at the relationship between religious beliefs and the ways in which power is structured in a society. And then there is the relationship between religious beliefs and the world of ethics: how do religious beliefs influence our sense of right and wrong? This area of Theology is sometimes called “Moral Theology”, meaning that it is the area of theology which focusses on ethics; this area is also sometimes known as “Practical Theology” or “Pastoral Theology”. Finally, some Theologians look at the relationship between God and the material world: this area of study was traditionally called “Natural Theology”, but nowadays it is often referred to as “Theology and Science”. I will stop at this point, having, I hope, given some flavour of the breadth of issues and subjects covered by the term “Theology.”
My third point by way of introduction is that the study of Theology does not depend on any personal belief in God or any membership of a particular religious community. It is perfectly possible to be a Theologian and have no personal belief in God. And among those theologians who do believe in God, we should not assume that everyone is a Christian. I make this possibly obvious point because Christians can often assume that only Christians do theology. This is not the case. There are, for example, important Jewish and Muslim theologians. No one religious tradition has a monopoly on insights into the nature and activity of God. Thinkers from different traditions, cultures and backgrounds have much to learn from one another.
So having made these brief but necessary comments by way of introduction, what do Theologians think about? I will begin to explore this question in tomorrow’s reflections.