What Does theology Mean
The term theology has its origin in the Latin theologia . This word, in turn, comes from the Greek concept formed by theos ( "God" ) and logos ( "study" ). Theology is, in this way, the science that is responsible for the study of the characteristics and properties of divinity . It is a group of techniques typical of philosophy that seek to generate knowledge about God and the rest of the entities classified as divine. Ernest F. Kevan defines it as the science of God that has been revealed through his word.
For example: "This writer is an expert in theology" , "If you want to enroll in this school, you will have to study a lot of theology" , "I am a believer, but I don't care about theology . "
The term was coined by Plato in his work "The Republic" . The Greek philosopher used it to name the understanding of the divine from the use of reason.
Later Aristotle adopted the concept with two meanings: theology as the central division of philosophy and theology as the name of the thought proper to mythology that preceded philosophy.
For the theology proper to Catholicism, the object of direct study is God . The reason of the human being and the revelations made by the divinity are the criteria that allow this theology to reach the truth. Since the Church is its main community, Catholicism delegates to it the power to set criteria related to the reflection of theology.
Catholic theology, on the other hand, is founded on two mysteries: the Christological Mystery (the life of Jesus Christ, who is born, dies and rises again) and the Trinitarian Mystery (the recognition of a single God in 3 different persons who can be differentiated: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
Some classifications can be established within this term, such as: biblical and systematic theology .
Biblical theology receives this name because it is based on the study of the doctrinal content in the Bible. Investigate those events narrated in the books that are part of this library on which the religious base their beliefs, and establish an interpretation for each of them. The textual criticism is part of biblical theology and its main objective is to relate the current events narrated in the Bible in order to obtain clarity on the interpretation thereof. For its part, high critics are in charge of understanding the authorship of each of the books that make up the Bible, their dates and authors.
Systematic theology consists of the most structured part of theology, which is based on a method for its realization. Try to find a logical clarity on the facts to understand the data that is revealed in the scriptures. This classification includes historical or dogmatic theology (the one that studies doctrines , placing them in the trajectory of history ranging from the apostolic period to the present and the consequences that certain events have had on the life of the Church. Study symbols, creeds and other doctrines) and apologetics or ethics (theology in action, is what unifies the doctrine in daily life. It studies the role of the pastor in the life of thecommunity ).
It is important to mention that the study of all concepts related to theology has as its fundamental objective to help better understand the pastoral task, it is a theory that only makes sense (according to religious criteria) if it is properly put into practice. In addition, knowledge of theology is based on the a priori deductive method (biblical theology) and the a posteriori inductive method (systematic theology.)
Returning to what Kevan affirms about this science, we can say that he defines the branches of theology in the following way: the biblical one is the one that provides materials for the construction , the historical one files them and the systematic one is in charge of raising the building . Finally, practical theology is what determines how one should live within that building.
Theological systems
According to the beliefs, the ideological inclination and other aspects of the approach to theology there are several theological systems , in turn each one is divided into sub-systems, however we will name only the three great systems, these are:
*La Teología Católico-Romana: se rige por la comprensión del canon alejandrino de los libros bíblicos. Se aferra a las verdades supuestamente reveladas pero que no han sido escritas sino transmitidas por vía oral que se comparten de forma tradicional a través de la Iglesia. La Iglesia es el foco que ilumina la Biblia y no al revés.
*La Teología Subjetiva: un enfoque liberal de la teología, el liberalismo teológico es el principal representante de esa teología. Para ella la autoridad de Dios no se manifiesta a través de la Iglesia, sino de las facultades del alma humana, tales como razón, sentimientos y conciencia.
*La Teología neo-ortodoxa: es aún más liberal que el liberalismo teológico. Es tributaria de la filosofía existencialista y enfoca la teología no ya desde el hombre sino de la soberanía de Dios y para conseguir entender los deseos y la esencia de ese ser supremo se basa en las herramientas que ofrece la teoría existencialista.
*La Teología Evangélica: Procede de la gran Reforma del siglo XVI cuyo objetivo era volver a los orígenes. Proclama la importancia de respetar la autoridad soberana de Dios que se encuentra citada en los libros de la tradición Hebreo-cristiana. Propone escuchar la voz de Dios a través del Espíritu a través de la palabra revelada en dicha tradición.