Transcript Preconditions of Evangelical Theology

Lecture 5:
The Importance of
Preconditions
The Importance of
Preconditions:
1. There is a mind capable of sending a message.
2. There is a mind capable of receiving a message.
3. There is a common mode of communication (like
a language shared by both persons).
The Importance of
Preconditions:
Without those three preconditions, evangelical
systematic theology is not possible.
Preconditions of
Evangelical Theology
The Bible is an infallible, absolutely true
communication in human language that
came from an infinite, personal, & morally
perfect God.
The Bible is an infallible, absolutely true
communication in human language that
came from an infinite, personal, & morally
perfect God.
1. Tbere is a theistic God who created the world and
can miraculously intervene in it.
2. A God who has revealed Himself in both general
& special revelation.
The Bible is an infallible, absolutely
true communication in human
language that came from an infinite,
personal, & morally perfect God.
3. Revelation is subject to the laws of logic and
contains objectively meaningful statements
that are true objectively and exclusively and
can be understood in analogous language
(God-talk).
The Bible is an infallible, absolutely
true communication in human
language that came from an infinite,
personal, & morally perfect God.
Evangelicals believe that the Bible is God’s Word in
human words. Therefore we must have the belief that
finite human language is capable of meaningfully
expressing the nature of the infinite, personal God,
which is displayed in both general and special
revelation
The objectivity of truth that Christianity
embraces is based on the premise that
meaning is objective.
The nature of truth is crucial to the Christian faith. Not only
does Christianity claim there is absolute truth (which is true for
everyone, everywhere, always) but it also insists that truth is that
which corresponds to the way things really are.
Revelation is subject to the laws of
logic:
All claims of logic are subject to the basic laws of
thought: Contradictions cannot both be true and
false. Methods used in doing theology are both
deductive-and inductive-type logic.
Revelation is subject to the laws of
logic:
Systematic theology begins with an inductive study of
both special revelation (in the Bible) and general
revelation (in nature), it makes deductions from
them, and these are put together in a unified and
systematic theology.
The Bible is an infallible, absolutely
true communication in human
language that came from an infinite,
personal, & morally perfect God.
4. The meaning and truth of revelation can be
understood objectively including those elements
relating to historical events. Christian faith is
rooted in real history and can be understood from
history.
The Bible is an infallible, absolutely
true communication in human
language that came from an infinite,
personal, & morally perfect God.
5. Revelation can be systematized by a complete and
comprehensive theological method.