Where does theology come from? Many would say that it comes from the Bible. However, the Bible is not a theological work--- it is a work of revelation. Theology is first interpreted (Hermeneutics), and this should be done based on what it says in the context of it being originally said (Grammatical-Historical Exegesis). But theology …
Tag: Theology
Christian Missions Books I am Reading Right Now
For someone who blogs a LOT on Christian missions and Missions Theology I don't really immerse myself that much in the "Missions Scene." There is a pretty good reason for this. My wife is a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) supervisor and we have a pastoral counseling center. I end up doing a fair amount of …
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Review of “Character Theology: Engaging God through His Cast of Characters” by Steffen and Neu
The book “Character Theology: Engaging God through His Cast of Characters” by Tom Steffen and Ray Neu, published 2024, is a book that I highly recommend to missionaries, church leaders, and theologians alike, despite the frank admission that the book is not really written for me. I think I need to explain this. If it …
(These are my own reflection on a topic that is not my specialty. But since it is quite possible that I don't have a specialty, this seems all right. I may change my mind in a year or two.) I was raised up in an Evangelical or perhaps Fundamentalist Church. There I learned that the …
What is the Best Way to Teach Theology in Church?
I have been reading "Character Theology: Engaging God Through His Cast of Characters," by Tom Steffen and Ray Neu. I hope to have a review done in a couple of weeks. However, I was reading a passage that got me thinking: "Recall Charles Hodge’s perspective that the Bible is a “store-house of facts” and “the …
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Catching Up on My Reading
A friend of mine gave a list of the top 10 books he read in 2023. I thought about doing that... but I am not really good at identifying best books versus those that are less outstanding. Instead, I will list the books that have accumulated this year for reading. Hopefully, I will finish at …
Culture and Theological Ducks, Part #2
Part #1 looked at perspective regarding culture. Instead of rehashing... please READ IT. Now let's apply this to Theology. Theology is a system of symbols and concepts shared (typically) by a group. So while theology may not constitute a culture, it certainly constitutes a major aspect of a culture (or sub-culture). Like culture, theology is …
Theology in a Cartoon
This cartoon I got from the following article, The Hubris of "Normative" Theology, listed below. It points out the problem of people thinking that after 2000 they finally got theology right. Of course, I am not suggesting a complete relativizing of theology. But to assume that one theological stance is correct and everyone and everything …