TH111 Doctrine of God and Creation: A Reformed Perspective
Overview
What is the relationship between Holy Scripture and Christian tradition, and how do you use both to live in the world as Christ’s disciple? These are some of the questions Dr. Michael Allen explores in TH111. Using John Calvin’s image of theology as spectacles, Dr. Allen shows how Scripture and theological tradition work together to shape how we see, interact with, and serve the world in our own unique time and place. After defining and explaining different theological methods, Dr. Allen provides an in-depth look at the character of God—in particular God’s triunity—in order to explain the relationship between God and humanity. Dr. Allen shows how our creaturely origins inform our rightful dependency on God and God’s unique covenant with humanity. He also explains how being created in God’s image affects our understanding of relationships, morality, and missions. This course concludes with a reflection on sin’s impact on God’s covenant with humanity and our vocation as divine image bearers.
Top Highlights
“No; clarity is confessed because of the character of God and because God, who called light to shine out of darkness in the events of creation itself, now brings that same power and force, that same resolve and determination, to shine that very light into our hearts, giving knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (source)
“Systematic theology is meant to enable better interaction between men and women today and their Bibles. It’s not meant to lead away from biblical study; it’s, rather, meant to serve biblical study. It’s meant to enable you to do exegesis or interpretation with a sense of the whole, not looking at a particular tree apart from understanding where it fits in the wider forest.” (source)
“Theologians have often spoken of how God alone has perfect theology [or] what’s called ‘archetypal theology’ by post-Reformation scholastic theologians. Humans at best can have what’s called ‘ectypal knowledge’ or ‘ectypal theology’—that is, the type of knowledge of God or of theology that comes from ek (the Greek preposition), [meaning it] comes from God. It’s always dependent. It’s always derivative. It’s always secondary. It’s never as good or as full as God’s own knowledge of Himself. But it’s still real theology. It’s still authentic. It’s genuine.” (source)
“John Calvin, in the beginning of his famous work, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, uses the image of spectacles. He describes how the Bible serves as a pair of lenses through which we view the entire world; through which we engage with God, with our neighbor, with ourselves, in light of God’s truth. Not only that, but Calvin describes how theology—or careful thoughts; studied reflection—enables us, like another pair of spectacles, to look at the Bible more closely. It’s that double function that I’d like to explore with you briefly.” (source)
- Title: TH111 Doctrine of God and Creation: A Reformed Perspective
- Author: R. Michael Allen
- Series: Logos Mobile Education
- Publisher: Lexham Press
- Print Publication Date: 2017
- Logos Release Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Courseware
- Subjects: Education › Theology, doctrinal; Election (Theology); God (Christianity); Sin › Christianity; Theological anthropology › Christianity; Theology, doctrinal; Trinity
- Resource ID: LLS:TH111ALLEN
- Resource Type: Courseware Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2019-06-21T19:17:22Z
R. Michael Allen teaches systematic (or dogmatic) theology and theological ethics as a way to train students to delight in the study of God’s mighty deeds (Psalm 111:2). He hopes that integrated study of Bible and theology will help students prepare for faithful ministry in the local church by considering our worship and witness in light of God’s Word. He is especially interested in how Christian doctrine relates to other theological disciplines: biblical theology, historical theology, and moral theology. He grew up in both the South and in South Florida as the son of a Presbyterian pastor. He is presently a candidate for ordination as a teaching elder in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
In addition to his work in the seminary, he enjoys serving in local churches: teaching classes for children and adults, preaching, and working in the nursery. Prior to joining the faculty at Knox, he taught undergraduate and graduate students at Wheaton College for two years. He has also been active in the American Academy of Religion, the Evangelical Theological Society, and the Society of Biblical Literature.