The Theology department of the Evangelical Alliance works closely with Public Affairs in serving the constituency of the Alliance and the wider Christian community. The Head of Theology is Dr Justin Thacker. Email Justin Thacker at j.thacker@eauk.org
What is Theology?
Theology (theo-logia in Greek) simply means God-talk. So on one level, whenever you talk about God, you’re doing theology.
Having said that, the term ‘theology’ is often used in a more restricted sense to refer to systematic, coherent accounts of Christian doctrine. In this sense, ‘theology’ tends to mean academic theology ie. that done in universities or colleges where a certain style of presentation and depth of thinking is required.
Others would define theology not so much in terms of its style, as in relation to its content. Given that the God revealed in Jesus Christ is the only God there is, only that which comes from this God and concerns this God is properly called ‘theology’. In other words, something is not ‘theology’ because it is about any ‘god’, but it is theology only when it derives from God’s Word and is inspired by his Spirit. Such theology may be cast in academic or more popular terms. However, the defining mark of such theology is not its style or form of language, but its biblically faithful basis. As Thomas Aquinas said, “Theology is taught by God, teaches of God, and leads to God.”
This is what we, in the Evangelical Alliance, mean by ‘theology’. So, on these pages you will find theology that is written in an accessible popular style, as well as theology that is more academic in nature – but we hope above all that you will only find theology that is rooted in God’s self-revelation of himself to us. Or as Karl Barth has said, “Knowledge of God cannot at any moment or in any respect try to understand itself other than as the knowledge made possible, realised and ordered by God alone.”
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