Core Tenets Of Christian Theology
Core Tenets of Christian Theology
Christian theology is rooted in the biblical narrative and has been systematically articulated throughout history. At its core, Christian theology encompasses several key tenets, including the nature of God, the person and work of Jesus Christ, and the role of humanity.
The doctrine of God is foundational, emphasizing God's existence, attributes, and relation to the world. According to Charles Hodge, Theology Proper includes all that the Bible teaches about God's being and attributes, as well as the threefold personality of the Godhead [3]. This Trinitarian understanding is a cornerstone of Christian theology.
The person and work of Jesus Christ are central to Christian theology. Jesus' resurrection is a key tenet, underscoring the Christian faith [2]. The significance of Christ's life, death, and resurrection is multifaceted, providing redemption and reconciliation for humanity. Hodge notes that the life of Christ is considered Christianity's fundamental aspect by some theologians, such as Dr. Ullmann, who states, "The life of Christ is Christianity" [4].
The relationship between God and humanity is another crucial aspect. Humanity is created in God's image and is called to a personal relationship with God. Torrey's Topical Textbook highlights various aspects of this relationship, including believing in, fearing, loving, and obeying God and Christ [1]. The Christian life is characterized by a deepening relationship with God through faith, prayer, and obedience.
Different traditions within Christianity have articulated these core tenets in various ways. For instance, Reformed theology, as represented by Charles Hodge and John Calvin, emphasizes the sovereignty of God and the importance of Scripture [3, 7]. Patristic thought also contributes to the understanding of Christian theology, with early Church Fathers like Gregory Thaumaturgus discussing the excellence of the Christian philosophy [5].
The development of Christian theology has been shaped by historical controversies and councils. The understanding of Christ's person, for example, was refined through debates and creedal formulations. Hodge discusses the Lutheran and Reformed perspectives on Christology, highlighting the complexities and nuances within Christian theology [6].
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Conduct, Christian — Believing God -- Mr 11:22; Joh 14:11,12. Fearing God -- Ec 12:13; 1Pe 2:17. Loving God -- De 6:5; Mt 22:37. Following God -- Eph 5:1; 1Pe 1:15,16. Obeying God -- Lu 1:6; 1Jo 5:3. Rejoicing in God -- Ps 33:1; Hab 3:18. Believing in Christ -- Joh 6:29; 1Jo 3:23. Loving Christ -- Joh 21:15; 1Pe 1:7,8. Following the example of Christ -- Joh 13:15; 1Pe 2:21-24. Obeying Christ -- Joh 14:21; 15:14. Living To Christ. -- Ro 14:8; 2Co 5:15. To righteousness. -- Mic 6:8; Ro 6:18; 1Pe 2:24. Soberly, righteously, and godly. -- Tit 2:12. Walking Honestly. -- 1”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 24:5: 24:5-7 Jesus had told his followers many times that he would rise from the dead (see 9:22, 44; 17:25; 18:31-34). Jesus’ resurrection is a key tenet of the Christian faith (see 1 Cor 15:3-7, 12-57).”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 14: § 4. Christian Theology . As science, concerned with the facts of nature, has its several departments, as Mathematics, Chemistry, Astronomy, etc., so Theology 32 having the facts of Scripture for its subject, has its distinct and natural departments. First — Theology Proper, Which includes all the Bible teaches of the being and attributes of God; of the threefold personality of the Godhead, or, that the Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct persons, the same in substance and equal in power and glory; the relation of God to the world, or, h”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 28: original idea of humanity as God made flesh. The watchword of this whole system is, in the language of Dr. Ullmann, “The life of Christ is Christianity;” i.e ., the one indivisible life of Christ; the life of God in the form of humanity. And that life as communicated to men brings them to this real, substantial life union with God. “What,” asks Dr. Ullmann, “is that in the personality of Christ by which He is constituted a perfect Saviour in the way of atonement and redemption? We reply generally, his own substantial nature, at once human”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 6: Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius, Julius Africanus, Methodius, Arnobius — CHAP. I.--THE EXCELLENCE OF THE CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY; THE ORIGIN OF HERESIES AMONGST CHRISTIANS.: THE philosophy of the Christians is termed simple. But it bestows very great attention to the formation of manners, enigmatically insinuating words of more certain truth respecting God; the principal of which, so far as any earnest serious purpose in those matters is concerned, all will have received when they assume an efficient cause, very noble and very ancient, as the originator of all things that have existenc”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 85: § 9 . Modern Forms of the Doctrine. Dorner, in the first edition of his work on the “Person of Christ,” says that the Lutheran theology carried the attempt to preserve the unity of Christ’s person, on the Church assumption that He possessed two distinct natures, to the utmost extreme. If that attempt be a failure, nothing more remains. He holds it to be a failure not only because it involves the impossible assumption of a transfer of attributes without a change of substance, but also because it is one-sided. It refuses to admit of the com”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 14: 31 GENERAL INDEX OF CHAPTERS. BOOK FIRST. OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE CREATOR. Eighteen Chapters 1. Connection between the Knowledge of God and the Knowledge of Ourselves. Nature of the connection. 2. What it is to Know God. Tendency of this Knowledge. 3. The Human Mind naturally imbued with the Knowledge of God. 4. This Knowledge stifled or corrupted, ignorantly or maliciously. 5. The Knowledge of God displayed in the fabric and constant Government of the Universe. 6. The need of Scripture as a Guide and Teacher in coming to God a”