What is theology?

by Matt Slick

The word theology comes from two Greek words, theos (God) and logos (word).  From them we can see that theology is the study of God which, of course, includes his attributes.  God is the single supreme being in all the universe.  He has such attributes as omniscience (all-knowing, 1 John 3:20), omnipresence (existing everywhere, Psalm 139:7-12), and omnipotence (He accomplishes whatever He desires, Jer. 32:17,27).  He is eternal (Psalm 90:2), holy (Isaiah 6:3), merciful (Psalm 67:1), and gracious (1 Pet. 2:3).  All these things we discover about God from the Bible.  Therefore, theology is very important because in it we can discover who and what God is and what He desires for us (1 Cor. 1:9).

Within the study of Christian theology there are subcategories such as:

  • The study of the Bible
  • The study of God
  • The study of Jesus and the Holy Spirit
  • The study of man
  • The study of the fall
  • The study of salvation
  • The study of demons
  • The study of the church
  • The study of future events

Christian theology also examines other religious systems such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, as well as the non-Christian cults like Mormonism, the Jehovah's Witnesses, etc., and compares them with Scripture because by knowing what is true about God we can identify what is false about other gods and beliefs.

The ultimate goal of Christian theology is to learn about God, His nature, and His will, and how they apply to ourselves.  Therefore, Christian theology also includes the study of man because God deals with man, saves him (Eph. 2:8), and loves him (John 3:16).

See also natural theology and special revelation.

 

 

 

 
 
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