The study of theology often involves study about God, religious scripture, doctrine and tradition, as well as a reflection on the role these aspects play in contemporary society. While many people believe that theology degrees are only suited to Christians, or other religious people, this is not the case.
Theology degrees are an academic pursuit like any other that allow for further learning and critical analysis of a given topic.
With the undergraduate and post-graduate theology courses Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australian Catholic University, Monash University, Charles Sturt University and University of Queensland offer, there are various fields within theology that can be explored.
As mentioned, there are a lot of preconceptions surrounding theology degrees, so to assist students considering studying theology, a brief description of some of the key topics is listed below.
Systematic Theology: Takes an inherently Christian standpoint while categorically systemizing biblical texts into different systems. In this manner, the study of systematic theology can put a considered focus on any aspect of bibilical teachings and compile on information on that one topic.
According to renowned theologian Wayne Grudem, systematic theology is driven by finding “concordance” in biblical texts, and subsequent analysis.
Biblical Theology: Is a fundamentally Christian theology that studies the contextual implication of the biblical readings. Biblical theology is framed within a Christocentric belief system and as such the study recognises and accepts the overarching narrative of the Bible before delving further into investigation.
Covenant Theology: Is the dominant theoretical framework used by Protestants to interpret the scriptures. Meaning is ascertained through several covenants, or formal agreements, between a God and a religious community.
Natural Theology: Is a theology holding that knowledge of God may be acquired by human reason alone without the aid of revealed knowledge. That is to say that divine intervention or revelation do not constitute a basis for belief, but rather that belief can be rationalised and defined through an individual’s mental reasoning.