The word divinity comes from the Grecian words theos intending God and logos significance word. Christian divinity can hence be defined as talk and contemplation centred on the Christian God, His nature and attributes in the visible radiation of Christian belief and pattern.
Definitions such as this have developed over the history of Christianity. In analyzing divinity the beginnings on which it is based, the fortunes environing the ways in which it has emerged, the ways in which theological thoughts relate to one another and the ways it is applied to the Christian religion all need to be taken into consideration.
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Christianity ab initio existed in a polytheistic universe and because of this it became of import for early Christian authors to separate the Christian God from other Gods. A defined position of Christian divinity became necessary and this has continued to be reviewed and updated of all time since. In the 12th century divinity focused on practical affairs such as issues of supplication and spiritualty. It was during the 13th century that the word divinity came to be used as a term depicting a theoretical instead than a strictly practical topic by theologists such as Thomas Aquinas.
The word divinity is non scriptural but its early usage can be traced to the beginning of the patristic period ( c100-c700 ) . Writers during this period made the contrast between theologia and mythologia which was the work of heathen authors. Clement of Alexandria in the late 2nd century saw a clear differentiation between divinity mentioning to ‘Christian claims about God ‘ and heathen narratives of mythology. Theology at this clip was non used to depict the full organic structure of Christian idea.
During the eighteenth century the prominence given to theology peculiarly in universities was questioned on the footing that academic enquiry should be free from any external authorization. Today the survey of divinity is chiefly carried out in seminaries due partially to the politically right universe in which we live.
Theology has a construction based on a figure of countries which are related, these edifice blocks of divinity include scriptural surveies, systematic divinity, philosophical divinity, historical divinity, pastoral divinity and spiritualty or mystical divinity. Biblical surveies sites the Bible as the premier beginning of Christian divinity and recognizes that it is the Bible which provides the greatest beginning of information we have sing the life, decease and Resurrection of Jesus Christ along with the history of Israel. It is hence widely agreed that scriptural unfavorable judgment and reading or hermeneutics are of critical importance in theological survey.
Systematic divinity provides the organisation of the philosophies or beliefs of the church into a logical and apprehensible agreement. Philosophical divinity is concerned with happening connexion between the Christian religion and other countries of rational activity every bit good as clear uping thoughts.
Historical divinity looks at the manner in which thoughts came about in visible radiation of peculiar historical contexts and in add-on recognizes the demand for altering theological positions in the visible radiation of history. Pastoral divinity high spots the fact that the Christian religion is pastoral in nature whilst spiritualty or mystical divinity focal points on the importance of devotional pattern within the Christian religion.
Christian divinity is derived from a figure of beginnings and the four chief beginnings are Bible, tradition, ground and experience. To be explained!
Christian divinity used to be known as the queen of scientific disciplines and it is apparent that as a topic it has many aspects which need to be considered.
One of the issues that Alister McGrath screens is that of committedness and neutrality in divinity, which considers whether the survey of Christian divinity requires a committedness to the Christian religion. McGrath concludes that although the statements for and against have their virtues, the single perusal divinity without a Christian religion would ‘not be able to understand the motive for theological development ‘ . McGrath goes on to explicate that this is due to the fact that the foreigner would non ‘share the interior kineticss of the Christian faith – such as its life of supplication or worship ‘ ( McGrath pg 113 ) .
Theology and its survey, I believe, are merely genuinely understood with the bosom every bit good as the caput. Anselm of Canterbury ( c1033-1109 ) famously remarked that divinity was ‘faith seeking understanding ‘ . This statement would propose that religion is necessary if the most is to be gained from the survey of divinity.
Theology so is a topic with many elements and is derived from assorted beginnings. I believe that divinity and my survey of it is cardinal in assisting me to understand coherently and comprehensively the universe in which I live and the manner in which I live my life in the visible radiation of the cognition of God and the message of the Gospel. Theology draws on the traditions and history of the Christian religion to help us in turn toing our present demands and understand better or present state of affairs. As human beings we have large inquiries that most of us ask at peculiar times in our lives, such as where have we come from, what is life truly approximately and what happens after we die? Theology helps us seek to do sense of these issues. Through the Bible, church history and the ideas of old theologists we can see how others before us have wrestled with similar issues and we can hopefully derive a better apprehension of possible replies to those inquiries from their decisions. Theology assists us in giving grounds for our religion in order that they can be used in treatment with the remainder of humanity.
My personal definition of what divinity is holding studied this faculty would be that it is reflecting on and believing about God ‘s word, all that God is and what that means to my ain religion every bit good as to the universe and its people in the visible radiation of Christian history and the history of the church.
Having looked at what divinity is the inquiry is so asked in this assignment, why does theology affair? I believe that divinity affairs because the Christian religion by its very nature is relational. As a Christian I have faith in God, but because of that religion I of course want to cognize more about what I believe and trust every bit good as cognition of who God is and why I trust him. As Christians we need to reflect on what divinity teaches us, what difference that learning makes to our religion and the manner we live our lives every bit good as how, in visible radiation of that religion, we interact with the universe around us.
By analyzing divinity and the penetrations of theologists in the past our religion is both stirred and challenged. We can see how theologists before us have wrestled with the large inquiries of life and can add our ain positions to their decisions. Theology besides aids our defense mechanism of Christianity and its credibleness intellectually. This defense mechanism has been a necessity throughout the history of the church and even today the positions of authors such as Richard Dawkins are being addressed through theological statement which highlights the fact that it is as of import today as it has ever been.
Theology refines the rational thought of the church. It is through Christian divinity that the church has its credos and philosophy which ground our belief and guarantee that the churches apprehension of the Christian religion is established.
As an person, my personal positions sing religion are of course influenced by my past experiences and the instruction that I have received to day of the month. However, divinity ensures that a more comprehensive and critical history of religion is provided, unrestrained by the positions of my ain, or others, single apprehension. Theology hence provides a more balanced apprehension of God, his Word and nature. This apprehension is, and should be, open to public argument as Trevor Hart points out ‘The message which Christians profess, which is the footing of their transformed lives, lays claim to the position exactly of ‘public truth ‘ , that is to state something which is every bit true in all times and all topographic points, and for all people. To maintain quiet about it, or to put aside one ‘s committedness to it in public contexts, hence, would look to be rather incorrect, for exactly what we are called upon to make is to portion it, to put it before others for their consideration ‘ ( Hart, Faith Thinking, pg 19 ) .
Theology is non worked out entirely, but in coaction within the Body of Christ to construct understanding. As an illustration the philosophy of the Trinity is the consequence of sustained and critical contemplation over many centuries by Christians taking into consideration both the ways in which God has revealed himself in Scripture and how that disclosure has shown itself in the visible radiation of Christian experience. It is in relationship with God and others that divinity is practiced.
Theology gives the church a clearer thought of its naming and intent and that intent is non merely about the here and now, it is besides a intent of the hereafter. The naming of the church is to look frontward to God ‘s new land and divinity helps us to see that future more clearly.
