Introduction to Theology: For Ministry

The word theology comes from the Greek words theos (God) and logos (word, discourse). Literally, we could define theology as words about God or the study of God and the things of faith. It is a reflective process in which we consider the beliefs or teachings (doctrines) of the Christian faith, how they relate one to another, how they developed, and how they are applied and practiced in each generation anew. To study theology is to undertake a journey that engages our hearts, minds, spirits, and bodies as we grow in understanding and in accepting the mystery that shrouds the fullness of God. As finite human beings, we do not possess the capacity to grasp the fullness of God. Psalm 8, for example, declares, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, / the moon and the stars that you have established; / what are human beings that you are mindful of them, / mortals that you care for them?” (Ps 8:3–4). Similarly, Paul writes to the Corinthians that we “see in a mirror, dimly” (1 Cor 13:12), as our human understanding is limited by our finitude. Like the universe that surrounds our planet, God is wider and deeper and vastly more complex than is evident from our small place on the earth. Theology is like a telescope peering into the farthest reaches of the cosmos, glimpsing unfathomable wonders, yet unable to grasp and know the universe fully. Like the astronomer, we cannot know the full expanse of the subject of our study; but if we continue to search, study, and learn about God, we will discover new mysteries and wonders, and we will be better prepared for the challenges of ministry.