The Nature of Theology
How should we define theology?
The Definition or Nature of
Theology
by Dr. William Ames
1. Theology is doctrine or
teaching of living to God. John 6:68, "The words of eternal
life..."; Acts 5:20, "The words of this life..."; Romans
6:11, "Consider yourselves...alive to God."
2. It is called doctrine,
not to separate it from understanding, knowledge, wisdom, art, or
prudence--for these go with every exact discipline, and most of all with
theology--but to mark it as a discipline, and most of all with
theology--but to mark it as a discipline which derives not from nature
and human inquiry like others, but from divine revelation and
appointment. Isaiah 51:4, "Doctrine shall go forth from
Me..."; Galatians 1:11-12, "The Gospel...is not according to
man. For neither I received it from man, nor was taught it, but it came
through a revelation."
5. Since the highest kind of
life for a human being is that which approaches most closely the living
and life-giving God, the nature of theological life is living to God.
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