THEO 202 Klopfenstein
The Sources of Study within Theology
The legitimate role of tradition within theology is necessary to have because it shows the
behaviors, doctrines, and practices of Christians that exist to help explain reality through biblical
wisdom so that one may live out a better Christian lifestyle. Christians are constantly analyzing
theological traditions through tearing them down or building them up so that the kingdom of God
is sought through the best possible practice.
Experience within theology is something that is inevitable; experience shapes our
humanistic view of theology as a whole. Whether we as humans acknowledge it or not, this
experience is a key part to our everyday decisions as we go about reading the bible. Our life
experiences, social and cultural lifestyles influence our theology overall.
Natural theology is the created universe is studied to determine certain truths about God
and about human nature (Erickson, 2015). In natural theology, one would ask what the word
“God” means and if He exists and really is all-knowing. In a sense, one would question the
entirety of God and His existence. Erickson states that “at the core of natural theology is the idea
that it is possible, without a prior commitment of faith to the beliefs of Christianity, and without
relying on any special authority, such as an institution (the church) or a document (the Bible), to
come to a genuine knowledge of God on the basis of reason alone” (2015). The reason that is
discussed here refers to the human ability and capacity to discover, understand, interpret, and
evaluate the truth.
Some studies have stated that revelation and reason contradict, but both are necessary for
understanding theology. In theology, reason is the human mind used to discover religious truth
either by way of discovery or way of explanation. Reason objects to perception, feeling, and
desire by which fundamental truths are understood. As Christians, we can understand more about
THEO 202 Klopfenstein
the revealed truth by looking into general revelation, which explains the worldwide phenomenon
of religion and religions. All persons are religious because all have a type of knowledge of God.
From this indistinct and perhaps even unrecognizable revelation, religions have been constructed
that unfortunately are distortions of the true biblical religion (Erickson, 2015). Truth that has
come from special revelation is still God’s truth.
THEO 202 Klopfenstein
References
Erickson, Millard J. ed. Hustad, Arnold L. 2015. Introducing Christian Doctrine, Third Edition.
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. 6.
