Good Theology

Good theology is not something we invent. Good theology is a response to the actions of a good God who reveals himself to us in Jesus. Good theology does not guess who God is but is a rational reflection and response to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are free to speak about God any way we choose, but good theology is grounded in our responsibility to answer to God for what we say about him. We are accountable and cannot just say anything.

Good theology describes what Christians believe about God to be true and then invites those outside the Christian community to believe in this truth. However, before these truths become meaningful to nonbelievers, they must share the experience of knowing the resurrected Jesus. Good theology, then, leads us into evangelism, sharing the good news of Jesus in words and deeds.

Theology is a summary of Scripture. Theology is not a substitute for Scripture but an assistant for reading it. Theology helps us make sense of the generous revelation God has given us. Just picking up the Bible and reading Genesis through Revelation, especially for the first time, will be very confusing. Good theology helps us to understand who God really is as we read and engage with Scripture.

In good theology, we do not just believe in God, we believe certain things about him. Words about God (theology) is the way we talk about God. The majesty and wonder of God often reduces us to silence, unable to put into words our experience of God. But we must speak about him, even when we acknowledge how limited our words are. That is why we continue writing theology because we continue to encounter him in our lives and in Scripture.