Defining Systematic Theology
B. A. Demarest defines systematic theology as "the attempt to reduce religious truth to a coherent and relevant whole for the church."[1] This is done by combining the information learned from three other theology disciplines: biblical, historical, and philosophical.
Biblical theology is the theological content found in both the Old and New Testaments. Systematic theology works closely with biblical theology and draws much information from it. What is learned in biblical theology is usually the building block on which systematic theology builds.
Historical theology studies the systematic theologies held and taught by various theologians throughout the church's history. There are two main ways in which to approach historical theology. The first approach is to study the “theology of a given time or a given theologian or school of theology with respect to several key areas of doctrine.”[2] The second approach is to “trace the history of thought regarding a given doctrine down through the periods of the church’s life.”[3]
Historical theology can be extremely helpful for a systematic theologian. One reason is that it helps us be aware of our own presuppositions, which we all bring to our biblical studies. We can be aware of these by seeing how culture can impact one’s systematic theology. Another way historical theology can be helpful to a systematic theologian is that “we can learn to do theology by studying how others have done it before us.”[4]
Systematic theology also uses philosophical theology. Although it is debated how it should be used, most theologians still use philosophical theology to support or defend their systematic theological beliefs. While the general revelation of philosophical theology can help support systematic theology, it is a small contribution compared to the contribution special revelation can make.
So, systematic theology relates to all the other disciplines of theology by drawing information from all of them and compiling it together to produce a religious truth that is both coherent and relevant to the church.
