Seven theological disciplines for pastors AND church members
Seven theological disciplines that should form part of a pastor’s training are:
Exegetical theology
Biblical theology
Systematic theology
Historical theology
Practical theology
Pastoral theology
Public theology
These are also disciplines that would be good for the members of your local church to have at least a basic grasp of too.
Exegetical Theology
Why exegetical theology? Because you want them to be able read and understand Scripture for themselves.
Biblical Theology
Why biblical theology? Because you want them to know the storyline of Scripture and how the major themes develop and find their fulfilment in Jesus Christ.
Systematic Theology
Why systematic theology? Because you want them to be able to sum up what all of Scripture teaches on a particular subject.
Historical Theology
Why historical theology? Because you want them to remember that they are not the first to people to try and understand the truth of God found in His Word, and that there is much to learn from those who came before them.
Practical Theology
Why practical theology? Because you want them to not just be hearers of the Word but doers who obey everything Jesus commands, and who live as Christians in every area of their lives.
Pastoral Theology
Why pastoral theology? Because you want them to be able to recognise what Scripture says a healthy church with qualified elders who faithfully preach and teach God’s Word and care for His people looks like.
Public Theology
Why public theology? Because you want them to respond to what is going on in public life and engage with the issues society faces in a way that is faithful to what Scripture says.
Do the members of your local church have a basic grasp of each of these seven disciplines? What can you do to help them to grow in each of them?
Field Notes
A reminder that every Saturday I send out a Substack with 10 links from around the web worth checking out and the latest resources I’ve produced at Blog of Dan (my online Notion page).