We talk about theology A LOT on our podcast. We obviously think that it’s important, but why? Why should we study theology?

Is theology just for academics and pastors or is it also for the everyday Christian?

We often think of theology as this big, heady, dry, academic topic that’s reserved for those who are going into ministry in some capacity as a pastor, professor, full-time missionary, etc… 

Sometimes we don’t even realize what theology is and how much it impacts our everyday lives as believers. Theology is for every single believer seeking to grow and live out their faith. In a sense, we’re all called to be theologians.

Defining Theology

Let’s start with defining what theology is…

Simply put, theology is the study of God and His relationship with His creation.

When you’re studying theology you’re exploring the nature of God through Scripture, focusing on how to interpret the Bible accurately (according to the intended meaning when it was written), and discerning how to apply these beliefs and truths to your life.

There are also different branches of theology. Here are just a few of them:

Biblical theology: focuses on the study of the Bible as a whole––examines the historical and cultural contexts of the texts, greater themes and teachings, and how they all fit together to reveal God’s plan for humanity. 

Historical theology: how Christian thought and practice developed throughout history and continues to develop today.  This branch really focuses on the beliefs, practices, and controversies/issues of Christian traditions and how they’ve changed over time.

Systematic theology: takes the teachings of the Bible, which we call doctrines, and organizes them into categories/systems. I.e: “What does the Bible say about how we gain salvation?” This is answered in soteriology, a category of systematic theology.

Practical theology: applies theological concepts and principles to real-world situations. This branch takes all the other branches of theology to the application step.

Why Theology is Important

Let’s dive into the reasons why studying theology is important:

1. To know God more deeply, so you can love Him more richly

Our motto for the Theologian Haus (our membership with theology lessons and Bible studies) is actually “know God deeply, love God richly, live out the Gospel faithfully.” Studying theology is not just about knowing more about God. However, you can’t love someone that you don’t know.

Jesus reiterates Deuteronomy in Matthew 22:37 when He says: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

God reveals His character to us through the Bible, and as we study the Bible theologically, and with a heart seeking Him, we inevitably get to know Him more deeply.

We have to consistently be evaluating whether we’re desiring knowledge for the sake of knowledge, or for the sake of loving God (the true God as He reveals himself) more deeply and being more obedient to Him.

2. It helps us fulfill the Great Commission

The Great Commission commands us to teach and observe all that God has commanded

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

In order to effectively teach ourselves and to teach others what the whole Bible says, we must study theology. We must understand what the Bible teaches on particular subjects and know how to apply those teachings to our lives, and the lives of those around us.

Theology equips us to share the gospel with others and continue to disciple them well

Through studying theology, we can better understand and communicate the message of salvation to others. It helps us to have answers to questions that new or pre-believers may have.

3. Theology helps us discern the truth

Helps us weed out lies about Scripture that we’ve picked up in one place or another throughout or lives

As we talked about in Episode 22 “Do You Know what you believe”, false teachings are rampant in society and they’re more accessible to us than ever with social media and the internet.

We must be students of the Bible in order to recognize them when we hear them

There is so much “enlightened” theology being spewed on TikTok and Instagram, and a basic level of biblical literacy will generally weed out the majority of it.

If we don’t fully know what we believe about various doctrines, it will be easier to be swayed by the words of others that sound good, or justify our own desires and what we want to be true about the Bible.

4. To strengthen our faith

Theology goes hand-in-hand with apologetics (defending our faith). When we firmly know what we believe and why we believe that, we are able to articulate and defend our beliefs with confidence.  

We’re also less easily shaken by either false theologies parading as Christianity or blatantly non-Christian influences 

Ephesians 4:14-15 says, “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.”

5. It helps us develop and shape a Christian worldview

Studying theology helps us understand how the Bible and our faith as followers of Christ apply to all aspects of life and society: social, cultural, and political issues.

When we understand what the Bible says about different topics, we are able to see current events and every aspect of the world from a biblical perspective. This is our goal, we should be viewing these issues differently from the rest of the world.

How we should think about international crises, immigration, economies, etc… should be shaped by our theology. This is theology applied on the macro level.

6. Theology applies to our personal lives

In the same vein, studying theology helps us apply Scriptural truths to our everyday, practical lives. This is theology applied on the micro level.

What does the Bible say about husband-wife relationships, our relationship with food, and our bodies, and how we raise our children? What about how to save or tithe or be generous with our money? 

What you believe will transform how you live.

When you start immersing yourself in theology, you realize it’s for your every day. It’s practical and tangible and so much more than a collection of books on your shelf or notes from a class. It will quite literally change every crevice of your life.

We’ve said it before, but your “stated belief + actual practice = actual belief.” 

Practical Ways to Start Studying Theology

We’ve talked about why it’s important to study theology, so how do you actually do it?

Study your Bible.

Focus on what the original author would have been meaning to the original audience.

Insert shameless plug for the Theologian Haus Bible Studies: we focus on equipping you to learn how to read your Bible through a theological lens rather than just a daily, encouraging devotional style.

We also have a freebie guide on how to get started on studying your Bible theologically. Check it out here!

Read books from trusted authors/theologians.

Just a few that come to mind: John Piper. Tim Keller. Paul David Tripp. CS Lewis. David Platt. John Wesley. RC Sproul. Elisabeth Elliot. Jen Wilkin. AW Tozer. 

Even in this list, there are a wide variety of theological beliefs and views, but all within orthodoxy.

Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology is a great, readable place to start. I (Xan) bought it for myself to read and I love it!

We’re also working on creating a resource of our top book recommendations based on different subjects. It will be available in the Theologian Haus, so keep a look out for that!

Plug into the resources at your local church! – seminars, workshops, etc…

Community is important – to see other perspectives and to be corrected when we have a flawed understanding.

This is why it’s important to be in a theologically solid church where these resources and opportunities are available.

We created the Theologian Haus as an affordable, accessible resource to learn theology and be equipped with tools to study your Bible theologically. Our goal is not to be a substitute for your local church at all but to equip you with tools that you can bring to your small groups, Bible studies, etc… We want to create spaces to discuss theological topics with others who are seeking to grow in the same way.

One Degree Shift

Pick one thing you’re going to do today to grow in your theological knowledge.

Maybe it’s checking out a book from a trusted theologian/author. Maybe it’s joining the Theologian Haus. Or maybe it’s simply opening your Bible and reading it for yourself. 

Want to Stay a Little Longer?

• Listen to these other episodes on knowing what you believe, deconstruction, and biblical discipleship.
• Download this guide to get started on going deeper into reading your Bible!
• Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, we deliver one theological thought (among other things), once a week
• Follow along on Instagram for even more education, news, and fun!