RELS 160 Final Exam

Pink highlights are Evangelical views

Theology is not...

1. Discourse about God
2. Philosophy
3. Biblical Studies
4. Mere Academic Studies
5. A One-Time Process

Why Theology is not Discourse about God:

Branches of theology are **broad** and **not all directly related to defining God**

Why Theology is not Philosophy:

Theology has the **baseline assumption that God exists** and builds off of that.

Why Theology is not Biblical Studies:

Biblical Studies is the study of the Bible and what the authors are communicating. **Theology is the next step**- what do Christians believe and why.

Why Theology is not Mere Academic Study:

It is **faith seeking understanding**. Without faith it is not theology

Why Theology is not A One Time Process:

It is **lifelong** growth and learning. There will always be opportunity for **correction**, **clarification** and **new contexts**

Theology is: (long definition)

the **continual** **study** and **interpretation** of God's self **revelation**, undertaken by **followers of Christ** in order to learn more about the object of our faith and the nature of the world he created so that we can properly **live out** the faith that God has called us to in the **varied contexts** we find ourselves in.

Theology is: (short definition)

**faith** seeking **understanding**

The spectrum of theology

Folk-Lay-Ministerial-Professional-Academic

What to avoid in the spectrum of theology

the extremes

Folk

**unreflective** believing based on **blind faith** in a tradition or authority of some kind

Lay

dig into resources of their faith to **examine** and **understand** their faith

Ministerial

**reflective faith** as practiced by trained ministers and teachers in Christian churches (**practical)**

Professional

vocation involving **professional study** and instructing ministers and lay people in the tools of theology (**theoretical**)

Academic

Discourse **only with other trained theologians** that is highly speculative and highly critical

Christians and Theology

Every Christian is 'doing' theology and our approach affects how we live (concious or not). Christians need to be deliberate about **selecting** and **examining** our theological beliefs

Historical meanings of Evangelicalism:

*1st cen.* All Christians
*16th cen.* Protestant Christians
*19th cen.* Fundamentalist (reaction to Protestant Liberalism)
*20th cen.* ==**Fundamentalists who embrace culture**== (Neoevagelical- Like TWU!)

Protestant Liberalism

Rejected supernatural claims in scripture that did not fit with enlightenment rationality

Fundamental Doctrines of Fundamentalism

1. The **inspiration** and **inerrancy** of the Bible
2. **Literal truths** of Biblical Narratives
3. **Diety** of Christ
4. Bodily **Resurrection** of Christ
5. Christ's substitutionary **atonement** on the cross

Fundamentalism and Protestant Liberalism

Fundamentalism reacts to Protestant Liberalism by **emphasising opposite beliefs**.

Fundamentalism Known for

opposition to secular culture and enlightenment ideals (**anti-intellectualism**)

Problems with defining evangelicalism

1. Many possible definitions
2. Fundamentalists and Neo-Evangelicals both call themselves "Evangelical"
3. Many streams within the movement with differing and contradictory emphases

Evangelicalism is

==a **movement**- not a denomination or theological system==

Theological Emphases which all Evangelicals agree on (Bebbington Quadrilog)

1. Biblicist
2. Crucicentric
3. Conversionist
4. Activist

Biblicist

high regard for **biblical authority**

Crucicentric

centrality of the **cross**

Conversionist

emphasise personal **conversion** experience

Activist

**sharing** the faith with others

Effects of Evangelicalism's History

1. ==Tends to be **reactionary**==
2. ==Often **individualistic**==
3. ==**Fundamentalist**==

Reactionary

**Defensive** and **changing** theology

Individualistic

Individual becomes the **authoritative interpreter** of the Bible. Leads to **distrust** of religious leadership

Fundamentalist

* new core faith not based on ancient orthodoxy
* no theological heritage
* just a few '**essentials**' which unify the movement
* the theological foundation is **incomplete**

The Broad brush of Evangelicalism

* ==no emphasis or mention of the **Trinity** in evangelicalist theological emphases==
* ==Move away from specifics==

Theology is

the process by which Christians find answers to the **Big Questions** with reference to God

Purpose of Theology

1. seeks to learn who God is (the **Why**)
2. seeks to determine how we live in the world (the **How**)

Apologetics is not theology... it is:

the **reasoned defense of the truth** of Christianity (conclusions are reached before the argument is made)

Principles of Theology

1. contains **presuppositions**
2. begins with **divine revelatio**n
3. Natural theology plays a limited role
4. Uses many **academic disciplines**
5. requires **intellectual humility**
6. requires **prayer**
7. this list is incomplete

Presuppositions

1. God exists
2. he came to earth
3. he is here
**theology does not seek to prove these**

Divine revelation is...

when God **reveals** himself to humanity

Natural Theology

Knowledge of God based on **observed facts** and **experience**, apart from divine revelation

Intellectual humility

- We are not all knowing
- God does not fit into our boxes

The Church is not...

building, services or institution

The Church is...

**Body of Christ**

The Place of Theology

1. **With** the Church (community)
2. **For** the Church (build the body of Christ)
3. **In** the Church (together)
4. With sufficient **intellectual rigor**
5. With an overriding **commitment to Truth**
*Can be difficult to balance all of this*

Divine Revelation

1. God communicates to **specific individuals** not to the whole of His people
2. Not all of God's communication involves revealing something about Him or His will
3. God's revelation is **complete** (Jesus incarnation)

Revelation is...

... more than just a set of truth claims about God


1. it is practical and requires **trust** and **obedience**
2. the purpose is **communication** with God

Non-Propositional Theology

1. Mystical Theology
2. Apophatic Theology

Mystical Theology

* centers around **contemplation** and **prayer** rather than rational investigation and propositional knowledge
* seeks to know God in spiritual, experiential, **non-rational** ways

Apophatic Theology

* type of mystical theology that describes God by negation
* States only what may **not be said about God**

God revealed himself:

1. In Creation
2. By speaking to and through the prophets
3. In the incarnation of Jesus

Jesus: the Revealer of the Father

- the culmination of God's self-revelation to humanity
1. Christ in Creation
2. Christ in the prophets
3. The incarnation of Jesus Christ

Sources of Theology (Wesleyan Quadrilateral)

1. Scripture
2. Tradition
3. Reason
4. Experience

1. Scripture...

... **preserves** divine revelation
... is the **primary source** of theology
... requires **interpretation** which must be safeguarded

2. Tradition...

... has many possible definitions

3 Concepts of Tradition

1. Dual Source (Tradition 2)
2. ==**Single Source (Tradition 1)**==
3. Sola Scriptura (Tradition 0)

Dual Source Theory (Tradition 2)

* FLAWED
* tradition is a distinct source of revelation (separate from scripture)
* tradition refers to unwritten teachings of the apostles handed down and preserved by the church
* **separate and equal sources** of divine revelation

Single Source Theory (Tradition 1)

* ==*This is the one*==
* ==Tradition refers to the church's consensus interpretation of scripture==
* ==not a separate source but a **record** of the church's interpretation of scripture==

The Rule of Faith

* Summary of the essential points of the Gospel
* **Baptismal formula, guide for interpretation, test for proposed teachings**
* Nicene creed is a specific articulation of the Rule of Faith

Nicene Creed

the most authoritative statement of the essentials which has stood the test of time

Sola Scriptura (Tradition 0)

* **Rejects tradition**
* first adopted by protestants in the radical reformation
* individual interpretation without any inside influences

Reason

* ensures **internal consistency** in interpretation
* allows us to take account of **historical** and **scientific** knowledge to inform and test our theological worldview
* Allows us to draw a **multitude of individual theological facts** into an integrated **whole**
* evaluates but does not trump tradition

Chronological Snobbery

assuming I am more capable than the **unified tradition** of the Church

Experience

- validates our interpretation of scripture
- is falible bit should resonate with your theological framework
- equal danger in underreliance and overreliance

History of Tradition

*Early Church:* Single-source theory of tradition
*14-15th cen.:* Shift to dual source theory
*Augustine and Basil:* created a **distinction** between the authoritative teachings found in scripture and the equally authoritative unwritten teachings that had been passed down

Unwritten teachings

Considered to be authoritative because they were understood to come from the apostles ***"the church held ____ beliefs, therefore they have always held ____ beliefs, therefore ____ beliefs came from the apostles"***

Medival Catholic Church accused of

teachings **contrary** to scripture

Heart of the protestant reformation

Can the church teach things contrary to scripture? (Tradition 1 vs Tradition 2)

Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)

Refers the rejection of Tradtion 2 or rejection of all tradition

Magesterial Reformers

- Rejected Tradition 2
- Held to Tradition 1

Radical Reformers

- held to Tradition 0
- the view that evangelicalism inherited from fundamentalism
- advocated a complete return to "New Testament Christianity"

Implications of Tradition 0

1. Changes in how scripture is interpreted
2. Changing conceptions of scripture

1. Changes in how scripture is interpreted

* emphasis moves to **individual interpretations** without external guiding authorities
* results in **frequent disagreements** over meaning (endless splintering)

2. Changing conceptions of scripture

* scripture bears the burden of sole authority for Christian belief and practice
* Scripture transitions from recording divine revelation to **being divine revelation**
* led to the development of a more robust account of its inspiration

Verbal Plenary Inspiration

* 19th cen theory
* **Verbal:** inspiration extends to the choice of words used
* **Plenary**: each part of the bible is equally inspired by God

Scripture

writings which convey the **self-revelation** **of God** and are regarded as having **binding religious authority** for Christian belief and practice

Canon

a **closed collection** of scriptures

level of authority

doesn’t change in the process from ‘apostolic writing’ to ‘scriptural writing’ to ‘closed canon’

Early Christians

did not have a ‘Bible’ the way we do. They did not share our need for a closed canon

Evangelical understanding of inspiration

==inspired= scriptural status==

Criteria of Canonicity

1. Apostolic Authorship
2. Orthodoxy
3. Widespread use

Apostolic Authorship

* primary test
* means authoritative status
* ancient conceptions of authorship differed from modern conceptions

Orthodoxy

* negative test
* writing must conform to ‘correct belief’ as understood by the early church
* apostolic & unorthodox = rejected

Widespread Use

* Used and valued by a large % of churches, over a large area, for a long time
* positive or negative test
* not enough to secure canonical status on own (except Hebrews)

Inspiration and Early Church

* not a criterion used by early church to determine inclusion
* understood to include **more widely** than just biblical writings
* not enough to set apart
* **entire church** (including biblical writers) is illuminated, guided, equipped, influenced, convicted and nourished by the **Spirit**

Inspiration and Evangelicals

==2 tiers of inspiration==


1. ==Bible is a product of **verbal plenary inspiration**==
2. ==**All Christians are inspired** in some way==

What makes New Testament writings unique?

it is Jesus’ words through the **apostles**

Apostles & Jesus

1. Closest **eye-witnesses** (taught directly)
2. **Chosen** by Jesus (given authority & the spirit)

Looking at the Bible as authoritative

1. Changes our **focus**
2. fits naturally alongside tradition

Hermaneutics

the **theory** of interpretation

Exegesis

the **practice** of interpretation

Exposition

**drawing out** what the text *therefore* means

Barriers to Interpretation

The Bible was written by and for people with **different**:


1. Philosophical worldviews
2. Cultural understandings
3. Historical contexts
4. Languages
5. MethoLiteracy and Rhetorical standards

3 Types of Barriers to Interpretation

1. Historical (historical critical method)
2. Linguistic (Lexical-syntatival analysis)
3. Literary (literary criticism)

Historical-Critical Method

the specific procedures used to examine the text's historical origins (time and place, sources, events, dates, persons, places, things, and customs that are mentioned or implied in the text.)

* Source criticism
* Form Criticism
* Redaction Criticism

Alternative Approaches to Interpretation

1. Allegorical Interpretation (God’s intended meaning)
2. Reader-response criticism (What the reader gets out of the text)

Textual Criticism

process of **determining the original text** by examining all available manuscripts

History of Modern Biblical Criticism

* seeks to establish the **historical reality** behind the text and the intentions of the author
* came out during the enlightenment and its **critiques of religious authorities and traditions**
* test the **reliability** of the current accepted standards of knowledge
* supernatural elements **rejected** or **reinterpreted**
* attempts to incorportate secular rationalist obervations and findings
* set aside religious commitments to be objective

Christian use of the Bible…

… seeks to figure out what God has revealed about himself and his will for humanity

2 Principles of Modern Biblical Criticism

1. Naturalism
2. A Hermaneutic of Suspicion

Naturalism

*natural world is* ***all*** *that exists*

* presupposition of **science**
* supernatural elements of scripture are **rejected**