Theological Method

At the core of our graduate program’s theological method is a commitment for each course to pay conscious attention to how biblical, systematic, historical, and practical theology integrate, both methodologically and practically, in our course content. 

Philosophically this method reflects: first our commitment to the authority of Scripture; second our belief that systematic doctrinal formulations must be scriptural, reasonable, historical, and experientially feasible while addressing contemporary issues; third our awareness that we stand in a millennia-long stream of Judeo-Christian interpreters from whom there is much to learn; and fourth our passion that our lives and ministries should flow out of our theological commitments rather than be pragmatic responses to the exigencies of our time. 

Since the Holy Spirit uses Scripture as the prime means of the believer’s sanctification (John 17:17; 2 Cor. 3:18), that is, his/her restoration into full Christlikeness (Col. 3:10), Scripture must not be merely foundational but must be structurally constitutive of the believer’s beliefs and behavior. Scripture as both ground and substance of our formulations is itself essential to the grand consensus of Judeo-Christian understanding (Isa. 8:20; 1 Thess. 2:13). Thus our approach is firmly rooted in the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3).

We understand Biblical Theology to encompass exegesis, the theological affirmations of Scripture, and the necessary implications of those affirmations. Systematic Theology utilizes all the data of biblical theology both to generate an orderly topical account of Scripture’s teaching upon God, man, sin, salvation, etc., and to provide answers to contemporary issues in theology, ethics, theodicy, and so on. Historical theology traces the history of the interpretation of Scripture and of theological formulations from their earliest stages through the modern period. Practical theology seeks to apply theological truth to all of life, particularly the life and work of believers as the body of Christ.

Course requirements and their associated grading rubrics are, therefore, developed to highlight the expectation that students think

1. biblically, not only in terms of specific relevant texts, but also in terms of the comprehensive biblical storyline;
2. systematically in recognizing the theological entailments of the biblical text;
3. historically with an eye to the history of interpretation, theological formulation, and practical application; and
4. practically in applying truth to their life and the life of the church. In this way, students will integrate biblical, systematic, historical, and practical theological analysis in their academic products.

While this does not mean that every course will give equal attention to these four theological domains, it does mean that attention to them in proportions appropriate to the nature of the subject under study will be given in each course. During each course, students will be made aware of where and how the subject matter they teach fits within these theological domains.

For example, in practical theology courses, where skills development is the focus, the emphasis will naturally fall on practical application and implementation. Nonetheless, we avoid pragmatism by formulating our application and implementations within a framework of conscious attention to Scripture, its theological entailments, and the way in which godly persons have implemented truth throughout history. This may look like requiring students in a homiletics course to access ancient, medieval, or reformation commentary or sermons on the text they are preaching (historical theology), use the index of systematic theology texts to observe the ways in which the text has been used in systematic theology, note the biblical theological contexts of their passage, while giving focused attention to shaping the application in ways accessible by the modern audience.