UNIT A: Introduction to Theology

UNIT A: Introduction to Theology

("Words about God")

Contents and page numbers for Unit A

UNIT A: Introduction to Theology

Session 1: You too can be a theologian!

Session 2: You already are a theologian!

Session 3: Being a specifically Christian theologian

Session 4: Reading the Bible in a Christian way

Session 5: The Church of England and Christian theology

Right at the beginning of the Course you might be surprised to find the word ‘theology.’ This unit will show you that anyone who thinks about God is a theologian. They are using what they know from their own lives to know more about God. And we each bring our own experience, and our knowledge of the Bible, our Christian lives and the world around us to this task. In this unit everyone can be an expert at some point – everyone can say what they have known of God!

This unit has been prepared by Rev John Richardson, assisted by the CCS Revision Group

Session 1: You too can be a theologian!

Opening worship

The Aim of this first session is for members of the group to introduce themselves to each other and to find out what being a 'theologian.'

1. Group introductions

a.  Group members should introduce themselves — who they are, which church they belong to and where it is, etc., and say why they want to do the Course in Christian Studies.

b.  They might also like to add one amusing fact about themselves e.g.: ‘The best meal I ever had’, ‘The worst item of clothing I ever bought’, ‘The thing that made me laugh the most in public’.

c. Group members are invited to identify something in the news which has been about differing ideas about God.,

2. Group work: encountering theology

a.  Continue the group session with the following scenario: a Jehovah’s Witness comes to your door. What do you do?

i.  Tell them you’re busy, (but actually you might be be too nervous to try and argue with them).

ii.  Politely tell them you’re not interested because you’ve spoken with Witnesses before and think it is a waste of time.

iii.  Argue with them, because you enjoy a good argument.

iv.  Engage them in conversation because it will stop them visiting other people in your street who might be persuaded by them.

v.  Seek to share the gospel with them because Jehovah’s Witnesses need saving too.

vi.  Some other response.

The example of Jehovah's Witnesses has been chosen because they do talk to strangers, visiting door to door. But perhaps there are other groups who do this in your area, either Christian or non Christian? If so, you could think about your experiences of talking to them. Take some time to tell your story and to listen to other people’s.

b.  Going on from the scenario above, for whatever reason, you find yourself in conversation with the visitor. If it is a Jehovah's Witness she may say that Christians who believe in the Trinity are wrong. “After all,” she says, “the literal translation of the first verse of John’s Gospel should be ‘the word was “a” god’, not ‘the word was God’. The Greek text doesn’t have an article before the word ‘god’, so it should be ‘a god’. This means that Jesus is a divine being, but he is not God.” (This is how Jehovah's Witnesses actually argue. Non Christian religions also do not believe in the Trinity) What are you thinking?

i.  I’ve no idea what the Greek text says. Are they right about that?

ii.  I don’t care what the Greek text says, I just assume that’s what Christians are supposed to believe because that’s what we say on Sundays in the Creed.

iii.  I’m not so sure about the Trinity myself.

iv.  I know they’re wrong about the Trinity, and if this woman will stop talking long enough I’ll try to show her why.

v.  I don’t think it matters what you think about the Trinity.

c.  Discuss the following points:

i.  Are these visitors very different from other people in their age, class, race, gender, education or background, or are they much the same?

ii.  Why do you think it is that Jehovah’s Witnesses and others are so ready to argue for their beliefs and so confident in doing so, when so few Christians seem able to do this?

iii.  Can we be as good at talking about God in our own way as Jehovah’s Witnesses are in theirs? What might be stopping us?

2. Tutor input

The tutor should:

a.  Explain the meaning of the word 'theology' and encourage students to think about how they can do ‘theology’.

b.  explain what the students will need for the adventure ahead of them, becoming ‘theologians’. What attitudes, resources, etc. should they bring to the task?

3. Group work

a.  Share some of the words you already use about God. These may be in favourite hymns or prayers, for example, or a Bible verse that means a lot to you.

b.  Share one or two things that you would like others to pray for you as you begin this Course in Christian Studies.

Closing worship: as you close, pray together for God’s help in this new venture of discovery.

4. For reflection:

"Mission goes out from God. Mission is God's way of loving and saving the world..." (Lambeth Conference 1998, Section II p121).
As Christians we follow Jesus who said "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." (John 20.21). We are called to serve God's mission by living and proclaiming the good news. "It's not the church of God that has a mission, but the God of mission who has a church".

https://www.churchofengland.org/our-faith/mission/missionevangelism.aspx
Do you think God could ever use you to "live and proclaim the good news"? What might stop you speaking out about God's love for the world?
Make some notes in your journal on what you think so far about the journey towards becoming a ‘theologian’.

Preparation for Session 2 (do this at home)

a.  Consider the following words said to God, all taken from Genesis:

i.  Genesis 3:10: I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.

ii.  Genesis 18:15: I did not laugh.

iii.  Genesis 18:25: Far be it from you to do such a thing — to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

iv.  Genesis 28:20-22: If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.

b.  Make notes on the following for each passage:

i.  Why is this person talking to God in this way?

ii.  What ‘theology’ do they have — i.e. what do their words say about God,

iii.  about themselves and about their relationship with God?

iv.  What practical difference does this make to them?

v.  Any thoughts, questions or challenges this exercise prompts for you.

Session 2: You already are a theologian!

Opening worship

The Aim of this second session is to see how our experiences and the world around us reveal what God is like.

Group work

a.  Take plenty of time to share your conclusions about the four Bible passages studied in your preparation. The tutor should be present to help you reflect on this.

b.  Are there times you have found yourselves in the same ‘shoes’ as some of the characters you have studied — saying similar things, thinking similar thoughts, having the same relationship with God? Share an ‘encounter’ you have had with God — how it has shaped the way you think and speak about God.

• Tutor input

a.  So far, the Course members have spoken largely from their own experience. It is time to consider how ‘doing theology’ can draw on more than personal experiences and opinions. The tutor and course members should read the following passages (this should be done from an actual Bible to allow reflection on the wider context):

i “Natural theology” is talk about God that starts from reason and our experience of the natural world. What are the possibilities and limitations of ‘natural theology’? The tutor could help the group members to compare Psalm 19 with Romans 1:18-20, for example.

ii. How does God use the Scriptures to speak to us? How has God spoken to us “through the prophets” and “by his Son”? Compare what Hebrews 1: 1-2 has to say with 1 Peter 1:10-12.

iii. What is the role of the Church and tradition in passing on the Gospel? How are we able to have the “knowledge of the Son of God” through the ministries Christ has given to the Church, and what is the outcome of this? Compare Ephesians 4: 11-13 with 1 John 1:1-4.

3. Group work

a.  Reflect briefly on what you’ve just been discussing and hearing. Are there any thoughts you’d want to share, clarifications you’d like to seek, etc?

b.  People often speak of Scripture, Tradition and Reason forming the basis for Anglican theology like a ‘three-legged stool’ – much more stable than a one-legged one!. To this we might also add Experience, as we have seen from our own examples and the examples in Genesis. Discuss together the following points:

i.  Are these four all ‘equal’ resources for our theology?

ii.  How do they work together?

iii.  When do we give priority to one or the other?

Closing worship

5. For reflection

Does the word 'theology mean anything different after these two sessions? When we 'do theology' what are the sources of our knowledge and understanding of God in general and as revealed to us through his Son, Jesus, in particular? Make notes in your journal.

1.  Preparation for Session 3

The world is full of people doing ‘theology’, but they aren’t all Christians. Not even everyone who uses the Bible is a Christian. What we call the Old Testament also forms the Jewish scriptures and is revered by Muslims. So we now have to begin to think what is distinct about Christian theology.

Consider Hebrews 12: 2-3:

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

What does the writer say about Jesus and the cross?
How does he apply this to his audience?

Now consider the following quote from the 16th century Reformer, Martin Luther:

"Living, or rather dying and being damned make a theologian, not understanding, reading or speculating." *

In the light of what it says in Hebrews, why do you think Luther makes so much of “dying and being damned” rather than “understanding, reading or speculating” when it comes to being a specifically Christian theologian?
How does the cross of Christ shape our theology — our understanding of God, of ourselves and of life — and help us interpret our experience? Make notes.

*(WA 5/163:28-29 — This is the standard way of referencing original sources of the works of Martin Luther, in the so-called Weimarer Ausgabe or ‘Weimar Edition’.)

Session 3: Being a specifically Christian theologian

Opening worship

The Aim of this session is to explore what the life death and resurrection of Jesus teaches us about being a Christian theologian.

1. Group work

a.  Look at and share any questions raised by your preparation. You may want your tutors’ help on this.

b.  Acts 11:26 tells us that the disciples were first called “Christians” at Antioch. Clearly people were beginning to realize that their attitude to Christ was what made them different. Read the following from Paul’s letter to the Colossians: (Chapter 1:15-20)

He [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

In your own words, what things does the Apostle say about Christ, about the world, about the Church and about our relationship with God?
In the light of this passage, can you say why Christ is the centre of Christianity? Is there anything here that excites you that you would want to share with others?

2.  Tutor input: the person and work of Christ

a.  The tutor should say more about the person of Christ and why who He is is important to his work and to what we sometimes call the missio Dei — the ‘mission of God’ to the world.

b.  The tutor should take the group through 1 Corinthians 15:1-4:

Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.