Friday, May 11, 2007

THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS

Systematic Theological, Church History and Missiology

BY: Peter Qeko Jere. Doctoral student. University of Fort Hare


Theology is the science of God and His relation to the world
Theology begin with the existence of God that He alone is the cause and genesis of all things
In theology, God reveals Himself to humanity
In Theology man expresses his thoughts about God and the world

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY AND CHURCH HISTORY

Before we look into this, lets see the following:

(A). That Systematic Theology involves the collecting, understanding and summarizing of
Biblical doctrines

(B). That Church History involves the communication of research Christian thoughts in all
ages, which includes biblical doctrines

Since Systematic Theology collect, understands and summarizes biblical doctrines, these same doctrines (many of them) were formed and created by our Church fathers during a specific time in the development of the church and systematic Thus Theology arranges these doctrines, adds and rectifies them into true and sound biblical doctrines.

Systematic theology collects, organizes and arrange biblical doctrines (from church historians) in a chronological way for them to make sense. S

So without church history, systematic theology will has no real assignment because all its works is by and large based on doctrines. At the same time, without Systematic Theology, these doctrines will not make any sense because church historians just form and develop doctrine and its systematic theology which carries out the final task of putting it together.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SYTEMATIC THEOLOGY AND MISSIOLOGY

To begin with, systematic theology is about the collecting, organizing and summarizing of biblical doctrine while missiology is about the study, which involves the propagation of the gospel as commissioned by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now the gospel being propagated includes various doctrines i.e. Trinity, the humanity and divinity of Christ and the Holy Spirit and Triune God, which are arranged and organized in chronological order by systematic Theology. At the same time, systematic theology depends on missiology as its market tool, which carries it in all parts of the world. Missiologist carry the already baked word (even doctrines) as part of the dish to be given in the various mission fields.

Thus systematic theology acts as a reassembling point where doctrines manufactured by church historians are put together in chronological order while missiologist acts as a distributor of the doctrines to many mission fields.

Therefore, these two need each other. Missiology need systematic to orderly arrange and organize doctrines so that they make sense before those in mission use them in the field.

Systematic Theology’s job is to make sure that doctrines are of sound quality and that they are clear and not conflicting.

Systematic theology is there to make biblical theology and other theologies easy and simple as they arrange them accordingly.

Note that systematic Theology does not create doctrines as such but collects, organizes and summarizes the already forms doctrines so that they make sense.

At the same time Note: that missiology does not arrange, organizes or summarizes any doctrine but use the already made and arranged doctrines, which they propagate them.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SYTEMATIC THEOLOGY, CHURCH HISTORY AND, MISSIOLOGY.

Systematic theology involves the collecting, organizing and summarizing of biblical doctrine while Church History involves the communication of research Christian thoughts in all ages, which includes biblical doctrines and at the same time missiology involves the propagation of the gospel as commissioned by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Firstly church history creates and forms doctrines which systematic theology organizes and summarizes before missiologists propagate and spread them to many parts of the world.

Secondly is that church history depends on both systematic theology and missiology for summarizing, arranging and propagation of the doctrines so formed. This is because, doctrines are formed so that they be used and applied in people’s lives the work of which is done by systematic theology and missiology.

Thirdly systematic theology depends on church history and missiology for doctrinal formation and propagation. This is because doctrine are not only organizes but they need to be propagated and spread so that they can be evaluated.

Finally missiology depend on church history and systematic theology for the formation and clarify of doctrines before they are propagated.

NOTE THE FOLLOWING

(A). CHURCH HISTORY:
It only forms and creates doctrines.
It does not chronologically arrange or even propagate or spread them.

(B). SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY
Its main task is to collects, arrange and summarize biblical doctrines
This does not form or create doctrine or even propagate or spread them

(C ). MISSIOLOGY
This propagates and spread the gospel including various biblical doctrines.
This does not form, create or arranges and even summarizes doctrines.

THE ROLE OF SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY AND MISSIOLOGY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY

(A). SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY:
- It opens people’s eyes that they understand and see evils in their context and
- Resolve to take a step to solve them.
It makes people see and emulate Christ and get involved in the problem solving process as Christ did (i.e., the Trinity)
- -Enables people to transform and reform their lives and environment i.e. 1992-94 was a systematic theology case study where people realize that something was terribly wrong with their surrounding and needed a solution to it.

(B). MISSIOLOGY
-Provides strategies on how humanity could be transformed through the word. This include heart transformation which is significant for any transformation i.e. nation.

THE ROLE OF SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY AND CHURCH HISTORY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY.

SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY
- Enables people to transform and reform their lives and environment i.e. 1992-94 was a systematic theology case study where people realize that something was terribly wrong with their surrounding and needed a solution to it.

CHURCH HISTORY

-Enables people to see where they are coming from and how they can solve the present and at the same time how to plan for the future.

HOW DO YOU TEACH AT UNIVERSITY AND THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY:

Its accommodates all religions and doctrines and does not segregate
Not limited to the needs of a particular people but all

THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE
Does not accommodate but is limited to the need of a particular need.
Ie Catholic College propagates their doctrines while Presbyterian propagates their doctrines too.
Its there to meet specific need.

HOW DO YOU SUPERVISE RESEARCH
Lay out proposal and see that it is thoroughly done and addresses the need to be researched.
The poor the proposal the poor the outcome. Clarify is vital because students need to have a clear idea of what they need to do and the problem they want to solve.





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