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Christianity Today, April (Web-only), 2008 |

Theology in the News

All Systems Go

Why we shouldn't devalue systematic theology.

Collin Hansen | posted 4/18/2008 09:21AM

This year's Together for the Gospel conference felt markedly more defensive than the inaugural 2006 event. The speakers each zeroed in on the topic of theological error. Mark Dever ranged widely as he ...

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mathieu

Posted: April 29, 2008 11:20 AM

all the news is very good because its like it talks about lots of stuff and you get to see a lot of stuff but why does it change and stuff i know because we are cutting down the rain forest and that is bad so when we cut down the rain forest the heatings change and if we drive with cars and play on the Plastastion and when we drive with cars. we can make it better if drive to school with biks and just walk to school but if you live far away you can go with the car if you live one kilometer you can shur go with bike but if you live like ten kilometers away you can go by car

John	Posted: April 22, 2008 12:57 AM


I listened to Duncan's lecture. not bad, but it is frustrating to see him partially quote Scot McKnight and create an argument to something Scot didn't quite say. Its too bad because he could still make some good points without doing that. Sadly it reminds me of the election with half truths about the "other" party.

Casey Bedell

Posted: April 21, 2008 12:11 AM


Verses for the fortnight should be Luke 24.

RC	Posted: April 20, 2008 11:23 PM


So, does anyone have a better definition of biblical and systematic theology than Bruce Waltke's? Both disciplines are needed, but I'm personally convinced that evangelical systematic theology is at least twenty years BEHIND evangelical biblical theology.

Scot McKnight

Posted: April 20, 2008 7:44 PM

It is one thing to "systematize" or put together a theme in the Bible, say the doctrine of God, and articulate it as Trinity; I would call this "doctrine" instead of systematic theology. We could argue over terms here and not get anywhere. But, it is yet another thing to put the whole Bible together into a system that maps the mind of God. I don't think emerging thinkers oppose the former so much as the latter. It is the all-embracing meta-system that troubles for it leads readers of the Bible already to know what the Bible teaches before they read it -- the System. The earliest "theology" of the Bible was by Irenaeus and it retells the Story of the Bible -- with doctrines summarized throughout.

Ephrem Hagos

Posted: April 20, 2008 1:56 PM

Theology in all of its forms is, from the very "beginning", no different from the death-producing, self-reliant menu based on "the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad" --a counterplot skillfully used even today to oppose and frustrate the God-reliant "tree that gives life" (Gen. 2: 8-9). This will be clear if we consider the latter as the original type of the glorious cross of Christ --the show case of immortality (John 8: 24-28) and direct source of of life-giving "water" for the world (John 7: 37-39) without any intermediaries (Jer. 31:34)!

Alex Freeman

Posted: April 20, 2008 12:51 PM


Hi David, I think you have misunderstood the point that Ligon Duncan is making. The bad theology they experienced the consequences of was the Germans, and their incorrect assumptions they drew from it with tragic consequences. Not that the Jews were punished because of their bad theology, as I think you have interperated it. Hope that clears it up, Grace and peace Alex

Matthew

Posted: April 19, 2008 8:40 AM

As someone who was at the conference and listened to the Duncan lecture in its entirety I would commend people who are intrigued by the article to listen in. Alison is correct, the context for the comment clearly indicates Duncan was referring to bad Christian theology that tried to justify killing millions of Jews. In a different direction, I am equally frustrated by some systematic theologians who deride biblical theology as inherently lacking and shortsighted. Both disciplines are needed and when done correctly should be consistently drawing on one another to help us get a deeper understanding of God, humanity and salvation.

Bruce Waltke

Posted: April 18, 2008 11:23 PM

I introduce my intention in contrasting biblical theology with systematic theology by saying my aim is to clarify the the basis, task, and method of biblical theology. I do not say or intend to say that biblical theology has priority over systematic theology. Earlier I wrote: "In my view the church is best served when biblical theologians work in conversation with orthodox systematic theology regarding the Bible (bibliology) as the foundation and boundary in matters of deciding the basis, goal, and methodology for biblical theology." Moreover, when I said the biblical theologian categorizes biblical material according to the thought patterns of the biblical authors, I did not say that orthodox systematic theologians did not draw their content from the Bible. For exegesis the method of the biblical theologian is preferable; to present the Christian faith to the world, the categorization of the systematic theologian may be prefable. Bruce Waltke

Dr Bob Wenz

Posted: April 18, 2008 6:10 PM

Yes, all 6M Jews along with perhaps 6M others were killed because of bad theology. Bad theology of the late 1800's in Europe influenced by Freud, Nietzsche, Darwin [see the interview with Ben Stein elsewhere on the is website] and Schliermacher and others eroded the church and left it without the will, the spine and the spiritual ammunition to counteract Nazi propaganda. When the church in Germany rolled over and played dead [or even join in the chorus of Heil Hitler], does on think that was based on good theology? No one was suggesting the Nazi's had bad theology [that is a no brainer], just the church that didn't object. The classic "They came for Jews and I said nothing because I wasn't a Jew . . ." is its own indictment against bad theology in Germany.

alison

Posted: April 18, 2008 4:25 PM

To David Barton, I think you misunderstood the comment. He's not saying it was not the Jews who had the bad theology, it was (a few) Christians, or Christian Imposters, who believed Jews were bad because, among other things, they "killed Jesus." Obviously, that is more than bad theology - it is nuts, and was fortunately a view not held by many. Give it another read before you stoop to name-calling.

David Barton

Posted: April 18, 2008 3:20 PM


"Duncan observed that Jews have experienced the deadly consequences of bad theology. " Wow! So all those Jews that were killed in the holocost died because of bad theology. No wonder evangelicals get a bad rap in contemporary society preaching rubish like that.

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