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He also pointed to the critique of systematic theology that comes from Emergent leaders. "The emerging movement tends to be suspicious of systematic theology," Scot McKnight wrote in Christianity Today. "Why? Not because we don't read systematics, but because the diversity of theologies alarms us, no genuine consensus has been achieved, God didn't reveal a systematic theology but a storied narrative, and no language is capable of capturing the Absolute Truth who alone is God. Frankly, the emerging movement loves ideas and theology. It just doesn't have an airtight system or statement of faith. We believe the Great Tradition offers various ways for telling the truth about God's redemption in Christ, but we don't believe any one theology gets it absolutely right."

There is much to chew on in this provocative statement. For a detailed response, listen to Duncan's lecture. McKnight is right: Christians have creatively compiled an alarming array of systematic theologies. Yet each new generation's textbooks still rely on a crucial foundation of systematic theology reached after painful debate, especially in the early church. Chief among these triumphs is the doctrine of the Trinity. The recent Wheaton Theology Conference, "Rediscovering the Trinity: Classic Doctrine and Contemporary Ministry," once again showed how the Trinity is a faithful and fruitful category in systematic theology.

We may rightly wonder about overly philosophical and insufficiently biblical systematic theologies. We may turn a skeptical eye toward any systematic theology that claims to exhaust God's truth. But we must not forget to thank God for giving us minds to systematically comprehend and apply his Word.

"And [Jesus] said to them, 'O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."

Luke 4:25-27

Collin Hansen is a CT editor at large and author of Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists.

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April (Web-only) 2008, Vol. 52