Historical theology
Historical theology is the study of the history of Christian doctrine. Grenz, Guretzki and Nordling describe it as, "The division of the theological discipline that seeks to understand and delineate how the church interpreted Scripture and developed doctrine throughout its history, from the time of the apostles to the present day. The twofold function of historical theology is to show the origin and development of beliefs held in the present day and to help contemporary theologians identify theological errors of the past that should be avoided in the present."[1]
As a branch of theology it investigates the socio-historical and cultural mechanisms that give rise to theological ideas, statements, and systems. The field focuses on the relationship between theology and its contexts, as well as on the major theological or philosophical influences upon the figures and topics studied. Its methodological foundation and aims are similar to those used by intellectual historians researching historical epistemology, particularly those such as Matthew Daniel Eddy, who investigate the cultural connections between theology and other disciplines that existed in the past.[2][page range too broad]
See also
References
- ^ Grenz, Guretzki, and Nordling (1999). Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. p. 59.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Eddy, Matthew Daniel (2016). "The Cognitive Unity of Calvinist Pedagogy in Enlightenment Scotland". In Kovács, Ábrahám (ed.). Reformed Churches Working Unity in Diversity: Global Historical, Theological and Ethical Perspectives. Budapest: L'Harmattan. pp. 46–60.
Further reading
- Finlayson, R. A. (1969). The Story of Theology (2nd ed.). London: Tyndale Press. ISBN 978-0-85111-029-5.
- Richardson, Alan (1979) [1935]. Creeds in the Making: A Short Introduction to the History of Christian Doctrine. London: SCM Press. ISBN 978-0-334-00264-2.
- Noble, T. A. “Historical Theology.” Edited by Martin Davie, Tim Grass, Stephen R. Holmes, John McDowell, and T. A. Noble. New Dictionary of Theology: Historical and Systematic. London; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press; InterVarsity Press, 2016.
External links
- HistoricalTheology.org - a site dedicated to the study of historical theology
- Doctoral Study in Historical Theology at Saint Louis University
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