Alan Torrance - Systematic Theology

How to comprehend religious doctrines, specifically Christian doctrines? Systematic theology seeks to organize, categorize, describe, explain, analyze and compare the constellation of doctrines that compose each religious tradition. But no systematic theologies are the same. And no Holy Scriptures are written in a systematic way, certainly not the Judeo-Christian bible.

[uremove]

I think Prof. Torrance is showing great generosity towards objectors to Systematic Theology. I passionately wish Theology relied less on biblically based scholarship, and took a more realistic account of Science or Philosophy and the universal nature of religious experiences eg. across all religions. So much of the Bible is forged (eg. many of Paul’s epistles), inconsistent or self contradicting, selected for political reasons (eg. AD 325), formulated by people who never knew Jesus (eg. Paul), and in many cases just... anachronistic! You have to cherry pick, to make any sense of it.

There is a huge spiritual thirst (‘God’ debates still get people fired up), yet a widespread belief that bible based religion is outdated superstition. IMO, it’s because Theologians are still trying using the Bible as the primary source of what to believe. It seems we are stuck between a philosophically doubtful substance dualism (detachable souls), and a highly dubious resurrectionism (literal Book of Revelation). However, purely mechanistic materialism is also starting to look inadequate. We need something that re-enchants the world yet makes sense to us in the 21st century, not the 1st. Can Theology help us?

[AarmOZ]

So many Torrances have become theologians. I have the works of his late uncle, Thomas F. Torrance.

[jamesruscheinski]

Systematic theology can help to deal with complexity; has to work harder to cover the whole system.

[samuelarthur]

"Systematic" is better than the alternate title "Dogmatics". It is clear that the biblical witness does not fit God in a box. Systematicians should add that caveat and perhaps concede that their conclusions are more generalizations that neatly boxed concepts!

[simelmar]

And if we open our heads and think instead of a God for each religion, in an energy put at the disposal of humans? In an unlimited raw material.
Or maybe...a simulation.

[charlesbrightman]

"IF" God truly exists AND God gave us the Bible to help guide us in this life, 'then' why didn't God put the entire Periodic Table of the Elements in the Bible and some of the basic laws of physics and things like the Earth is not flat and we exist in a helio-centric solar system? Surely God would know those things and surely those things would help us out in this life.

[ronjohnson]

Alexander, conquered the levant and found nothing of interest. As per usual, the greeks asked, What do you know"? So, what the locals knew was sky gods and bedtime stories. They told these stories because their entire world (Turkey, Egypt, Iran and Iraq, the Arab peninsula were basically the same stories, same doctrines, same rituals, same sacrifices and same laws. The occupation of Palestine by the greeks for 200 years greatly influenced the local culture. The locals picked over the stories and wove their mythology with the greek mythology. And, presto chango, a demigod was born of a virgin and fathered by a skygod. the end.

[Domispitaletti]

"Angeoligy"😂😂😂Ok, my field is Star-Trekology😂