- Theophilus
Another new systematic theology... Really?
On why the world, and the church, may need another trilogy.
Some things – getting married; building a house; becoming a Christian – should be done only once; other things – reading Scripture (or Calvin's Institutes); celebrating the Lord's Supper; loving your neighbor – ought to be done on a regular basis; and some other things – bungee jumping; reading the whole of Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics; writing bucket lists – may never need to be done at all.
Into which of these three categories does "writing a three-volume systematic theology" belong?
Some other things – bungee jumping; reading the whole of Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics; writing bucket lists – may never need to be done at all.
It's a fair question.
The Theophilus Project
The Theophilus Project is about loving God with all one's mind, heart, soul, and strength, and about directing this effort into writing a systematic theology. As such, it is as a spiritual and intellectual journal as well as a writing log and progress report. Doing theology – speaking well of God and living well to God – involves the whole person, and whole persons in community.
Why "Theophilus Project"? The obvious reference is to Luke 1:1-4 and Acts 1:1, both instances where Luke gives to Theophilus ("lover of God") an "orderly" – or, why not, systematic – account of the gospel of Jesus Christ and its aftermath. What Luke sets out to do in narrative, the systematic theologian sets forth in ... what, exactly? The answer to that these pages will show. It suffices at present to say that theology is from Theophilus to Theophilus. Inasmuch as systematic theologies exist for the sake of edifying Theophilus, every generation needs them.