Class Notes for 11/12 January 2012:
Theology is the reflective element of religion/faith
It is an attempt to think and talk about our faith rationally. Our reflection on our faith is largely enriched and influenced by the experiences of many other people throughout human history. Over the years these stories and writings form what we call a tradition.
Values of studying theology: 1) Most people throughout human history have been religious, or have believed in God. Atheism and skepticism are relatively new phenomena in human history. 2) It's important to have an understanding of the sources, history, and development of Christianity and other religions in the world. 3) Most of Western Civilization has been shaped by the Judeo-Christian tradition in some way. Religious values have impacted secular values and laws; e.g. "justice" in the Hebrew Bible. And 4) if you're going to interact with other people effectively in this world, it's good to have some knowledge or understanding of various worldviews, religions, traditions, and philosophies.
Four subdivisions of Christian Theology: 1) Biblical Studies: how the documents in either the Hebrew/Christian scriptures were formed, how they were selected, cultural context, history, etc. 2) Historical Theology: studies how Christian faith developed in the post-bibical era. Studies the history of the Church, Christian thought, movements, etc. 3) Fundamental, Constructive, Systematic, or Dogmatic Theology: studies the basic formulations of Christian belief and how they relate to one another. Using reason to think about our faith. 4) Moral/Ethical Theology: focuses on the values arising from Christian beliefs and attempts to identify behaviors and actions that are congruent with these beliefs/values; i.e., "how we ought to act."
An explanation of Thomas Aquinas' argument based on Contingency:
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