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Prologomena

Christology

Pneumatology

Angelology

Demonology

Anthropology

Ecclesiology

Eschatology

Hamartology

Soteriology

Natural Theology

Cosmology

Missiology

Holiness

Magic

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Introduction: Why I Want to Write a Systematic Theology

The idea of writing a systematic theology appeals to me for a couple of reasons.  At the very least, I believe that writing it will clarify my own understanding of Christian belief. After this, my secondary hope is to set an example for other Christians who want to reflect on their own faith, and maybe even find someone who might be interested in coming along for the journey.  I want to state up front that even though I am a seminary graduate, I am not a professional theologian. I have an M.Div. in Biblical Studies (not in Theology), and I have pursued a secular career (not an academic, or ministerial position). I know that other people have been more thorough and erudite in explaining the fine points of Christian Theology. My purpose is not to assume a place among the writers of great works, but simply my own exercise in what St. Augustine called fides quaerens intellectum (faith seeking understanding). This work has value because it is an exploration of my own understanding. To thos
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Biblical Foundations

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The written account of what happened to Jesus and the significance it holds for the world is preserved in four documents we call the Gospels. The word "Gospel" is an English translation of the Greek word Euangelion , which means "Good News," a term originally used to announce the reign of a new Caesar. Christians took this word from the Romans and applied it to their message about Jesus. "Let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah." — Acts 2:36 It was only later that "Gospel" came to refer to the narrative accounts about Jesus's life which we see in the Bible. Despite being the origin stories of the Faith, the Gospels are among the last documents in our Bible to be written, and yet they have become so central to the Christian faith that they have become synonymous with the Christian message itself. The Heart of the Message What each of the Gospels shares in common is an emphasis on t
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Our Search for Transcendence

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 L ook anywhere in the world, and you'll see people engaging in all kinds of religious expression, holding beliefs that describe realities beyond our material world.  Our perennial interest in transcendence appears to be a uniquely human trait. It’s the reason 20th-century Romanian religious  historian Mircea Eliade, referred to human beings as homo religiosus . In the pre-modern world Atheism didn’t exist as we know it. Back then, the term was used as an accusation against those who deviated from religious norms. For instance, the Greek philosopher Celsus accused Christians of being atheists, for refusing to worship the Roman gods.  Over time, with the success of the scientific method, the word "atheist" began to take on new meanings. By the early 18th people began to use the word to describe their belief in scientific materialism—a shift in worldview brought about by the Enlightenment. Today, we live in what Charles Taylor calls a secular age. In A Secular Age , Taylor
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