What is theology

Christianity is a religion since it is belief or doctrine, feelings or attitudes, and a way of life or manner of behaving. This is not the whole of Christianity. It also involves experience and practices in social and other dimensions as the primary level. The secondary level is theology that is the stem of doctrine.

The study or sciences of God is a good preliminary or basic definition of theology. It can be said that theology is “that discipline which strives to give a coherent statement of the doctrines of the Christian faith, based primarily upon the Scriptures, placed in the context of culture in general, worded in a contemporary idiom, and related to issues of life.” Theology then is:
1. Biblical, >> The primary source of theology is the Scriptures (Old and New Testamesnts)
2. Systematic .>> It draws the line between one topic to another, so that it may cohere with each other.
3. Related to the issues of general culture and learning,
4. Contemporary >> While it treats timeless issues, it must use language, concepts, and thought forms that make some sense in the context of the present time; without distorted its meaning.
5. Practical >> It needs to be live out or apply as we have believe the doctrine.

Systematic theology is a doctrinal character of Christian faith, deals with the concept of God.
Biblical theology is not systematic theology in the sense of “true” or “pure”, because no contemporize approach were being used. So, biblical theology is based first and foremost to the Bible itself. The relationship between biblical theology and systematic theology, are the raw materials used to draw systematic theology.
As to historical theology, it helps us to be more self-conscious and self-critical of our own presuppositions since our thinking are influenced by our culture and we are not neutral; and learn how to do theology by studying hot others have done it before us so we don’t repeat their mistakes.
Lastly, systematic theology uses philosophical theology. Philosophy may supply content for theology, defend theology or establish its truth, and scrutinize its concepts and arguments. Philosophical theology used to justify the cogency of the Christianity concept, but it only contributes a little from general revelation compare to the special revelation in the Bible.
We need theology since:
Correct doctrinal beliefs are essential to the relationship of God and believer.
Truth and experience are related (experience comes from the truth).
Confusing alternatives and challenges abroad at the present time, so we don’t be confused and know which one is false.

Theology must start both from the Bible and the concept of God. It is because Christianity is a Christ-center movement that follows what God himself revealed in the Gospel, which is reliable. Next it will become our worldview, which can be tested for truth.

Theology is a science with its own uniqueness. As a science, theology follows the traditional criteria for knowledge (definite subject = God, objectives, definite method to investigate, method to verify its presuppositions, and cohere). Its unique status is the revelation of human from God, which have different reference from other disciplines.

The bible is the primary source of understanding, but it does not close other non-biblical resources such as nature and history; since God revealed Himself primarily in the Scriptures with general ways (such as nature and history) to help us to understand more about the principal revelation.