In my last post, I introduced the word 'theology' and the fact that there are two major ways that it is used. In this post, we will take a look at the first, more general, meaning: theology as the study of religious faith, practice, and experience, especially the study of God and His relation to the world.
The question: What, if anything, can we do with theology?
My answer: As with any sort of studying, the more you study something, the more comfortable and familiar you are with it. By studying the religious beliefs, practices, and experiences of Christianity and other religions, we become more familiar with them.
By being more familiar with our own religion, we are more capable of having a genuine faith. How could you call yourself a Christian, a Jew, or a Muslim without having any clue what you were claiming to believe?
By being more familiar with other religions, we are more capable of relating to one another and sharing ideas and beliefs. This aspect of theology is similar (at least in my mind) to a personality test: if want you take a simplistic, online personality test to kill some time, you'll learn that you are proactive, enjoy the color green, and have all the necessary traits to become a NASCAR driver. Whoo hoo! But, if you want to take a really effective personality test, you'll not only learn everything the simplistic test told you, but you'll also learn how to communicate with people who are passive, enjoy the color blue, and are on track to become neurosurgeons.
To me, that is the difference between studying Christian theology and studying that of many religions: the difference between a teen magazine quiz and a witnessing tool.
If you, as a Christian, have any intention of following Christ's commands to spread his Truth, I suggest you get a grasp on what exactly that truth is and how your listeners will be viewing it.
What do you think? Is a general knowledge of God and what different people believe beneficial or is it a waste of time?
Next post: specific 'theologies', why you should have one, and how I know you already do.
Friday, April 3, 2009
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