Theology is the study of religious belief and God. The word 'theology' originates from the Greek word for God 'theos'. It is an academic discipline seeking to answer questions such as how is God involved (or not) in the world today? What should we teach our children about the meaning of life? What moral standards should we live by? Are euthanasia and homosexuality morally acceptable? How do we understand death? How do we explain evil? How do we interpret religious texts? What is my vocation in life?
Q: How is theology different to philosophy?
As we can see, theology is focused on the questions of religious belief. Philosophy is a lot broader - it asks questions about belief in general. This includes questions of epistemology (knowledge) and ontology (the nature of being). Whilst this blog is focused on theology - and so the questions of belief and morality - there will, inevitably, be plenty of philosophy involved!
Q: Why does theology matter to us?
You might think that in a world where religion seems to have less influence than ever before, theology no longer matters. Science has challenged many of the core religious teachings, and offered better explanations and answers to humanity's big questions. This perspective is understandable, but mistaken! Theology could not be more important to humankind than it is today! We need it to understand who we are as a species, how we should live our lives, and what morals we should stand for. Whether you believe in God or not, theology has a role to play in both your life and in society at large.
Q: Who are the main thinkers in theology?
Where do we start?!?! The stars of Christian theology include the great Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato, the icons that are St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas, and the modern heavyweights including Paul Tillich and Karl Barth. The opinions of David Hume, Richard Dawkins, Ludwig Feuerbach and Karl Marx must also be considered in our theological debates and discussions.
Q: So what is theology...TODAY?
Today's theology is fascinating. On the one hand, we have some very traditional theological approaches being taken by Islamic scholars in the Middle East, as well as by the Catholic Church in the Western World. On the other, we have modern and exciting movements in theological belief and understanding - these include the Liberation Theology movement which originated in Latin America, and also Feminist and Queer (LGBT+) Theology. The one thing about theology - and philosophy - is that everyone has a different opinion and perspective on its central questions about God, meaning, life, death, morality and ethics. There's always a new perspective to consider or a challenging counter argument to respond to.
Q: Why read Theology Today?
Theology Today is about making theology fashionable. It's about getting theological debates, discussions and ideas into the mainstream of our thinking. That's why this blog is about making theological discussions and questions accessible and interesting, and bringing to life the ideas of thinkers from the past 2000+ years. You'll find the latest news from theology and philosophy, alongside insightful profiles of theologians and features designed to get you thinking about the big questions humans must tackle in life. In short, Theology Today will give you real food and thought and fascinating insight into the big questions being asked in our world today.
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