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2017-08-16

Whatis theology?  什麽是神學?

 作者: John Hendryx     譯者: 駱鴻銘

 神學(theology)這個詞來自希臘文的“神”(theos)和“道”(word)或“知識的主體”(body of knowledgelogos);因此,其字面的意義就是:“關於神的知識”(the body of knowledge about God),或者更簡單地說,是“對神的研究”。因此,就其嚴格的意義來說,神學只和「神的本質的知識」有關,與聖經中其他的教義無關。不過,許多世紀以來,“神學”這個詞已經有了更廣大的涵義,通常被用來指與基督徒世界觀有關的整個知識體系,包括聖經中的各樣真理,以及教會在其歷史過程中,從研讀聖經所得出的所有基督徒教義。The term theology comes from the Greek words for God (theos) and word, or body of knowledge (logos); hence, it means, literally, the body of knowledge about God, or, more simply, the study of God. Therefore, in its strict sense, theology has to do only with the knowledge of the Godhead, and not with the other doctrines found in the bible. However, for many centuries, the term “theology” has had a broader connotation, and is often used to refer to the entire body of knowledge related to the Christian worldview, including all the various truths that are found in the scriptures, and the Christian doctrines which the Church has derived from the study of the scriptures over the course of her history.

因為“神學”這個詞有這麼廣的涵義,在習慣上,經常被人用來特指神的教義,或只是三一真神的第一位格(也就是父神)的教義,即“神學本體”(theology proper)。因此,“神學本體”(意思是“對神的研究”),就成為“神學”(意思是對所有基督教教義的研究)的一部分。所以,“神學”就包括了“基督論christology”(對基督的研究);“聖靈學pneumatology”(對聖靈的研究);“聖經論bibliology”(對聖經的研究);”“人論anthropology”(對人的研究);“天使論angelology”(對天使的研究);“罪論hamartiology”(對罪的研究);“救恩論soteriology”(對救恩的研究);“教會論ecclesiology”(對教會的研究);以及“末世論eschatology”(對末後的事的研究)。Because the term theology has such a broad connotation, it has been customary to refer to the doctrine of God specifically, or sometimes just the doctrine of the first person of the trinity, that is, of God the Father, as “theology proper”. Thus, “theology proper,” meaning the study of God, is a subset of “theology,” meaning the study of all the doctrines of Christianity, including “christology” (the study of Christ); “pneumatology” (the study of the Holy Spirit); “bibliology” (the study of the bible); “anthropology” (the study of man); “angelology” (the study of angels); “hamartiology” (the study of sin); “soteriology” (the study of salvation); “ecclesiology” (the study of the Church); and “eschatology” (the study of last things).

以上的分類構成了所謂的“系統神學”,這是把神學中所碰到的教義加以組織的一種方式。但是神學教義也可以用其他方式來安排,包括“聖經神學biblical theology”,即研究神學如何在救贖歷史裏逐漸啟示出來;“歷史神學historical theology”,即研究教會歷史中不同時期的神學發展;“教義神學dogmatic theology”,即研究不同宗派和運動的神學教導,以及“當代神學contemporary theology”,即研究目前正被廣泛討論和爭論的神學議題。 The categories listed above all pertain to “systematic theology,” which is one method of organizing the doctrines encountered in theology. But theological doctrines may be arranged in other fashions as well, including “biblical theology,” the study of theology as it is progressively revealed in redemptive history; “historical theology,” the study of the development of theology in different periods of church history; “dogmatic theology,” the study of the theological teachings of different denominations and movements; and “contemporary theology,” the study of the theological issues currently being discussed and debated on a wide scale.

[編按:順便摘錄一些神學家對神學的定義。資料來源:第三千禧年神學教育資源中心課程,《建立你的神學》]
Richard Pratt 在《建立你的神學》課程中提到,可以從“學術取向”和“人生取向”來定義什麼是神學。

1. 中世紀天主教神學家阿奎拿(A.D.1225-1274
“神學是總體的科學,這科學把一切事情都放在上帝的觀點之下去看,這些事情要麽因為論及上帝本身,要麽因為涉及到上帝。”

2. 19世紀更正教神學家查爾斯?賀智(Charles Hodge):
神學是:“神的啟示,是有關神的本質和我們與祂之間的關係的科學事實。”
以上兩個定義偏向於“學術取向”。

3. 16-17世紀的清教徒神學家威廉姆?阿穆斯(William Ames)的定義:
神學是:“為神而活的教義或教導。”
4. 約翰.傅瑞姆(John Frame
神學是:“人將神的話語應用在人生的每一個層面中。”
這兩個定義偏向於“人生取向”。

 5. 另外,有一句流傳很廣的話(據說是阿奎拿說的):
    神學是神的教導,教導關於神的事,領我們認識神(西一28)。
   (原文如下: Theology is taught by God, teaches of God and leads to God.  Aquinas, Thomas