Thoughts on Chapter 1 - Introduction to Systematic Theology

One of the first things that Grudem does is to define the term Systematic Theology that he will use in the book as 'any study that answers the question "What does the whole Bible teach us today?" about any given topic.'

This is clearly a major undertaking as it requires a grasp of the whole of scripture to ensure that any relevant passages are included in the understanding of doctrine. It is also very exciting in that it envisages a thorough treatment of the text and should lead to a position that takes into account all of the different perspectives presented in the Bible.

It is an important approach in that it does not focus on particular verses or passages but more seeks to ensure that the entirety of scripture is considered.

There may - however - be an issue with the approach outlined on pages 35-36 in section 5 of outlining how we should study systematic theology. The method presented seems to focus on looking at the key verses that provide insight to a particular subject and ensuring that the doctrine around that subject takes these into account. While this is clearly important there is a risk of just focussing on the verses and not the context in which they are written (context is mentioned as a way of increasing understanding).

The question which this raises is whether it is appropriate to just take verses from different passages and use them to develop a doctrine or whether it is important to understand what 'story' the writer was trying to tell when he wrote them and to ensure that this is taken into account when developing the systematic theology around a subject.

It will be interesting to see how this issue is addressed as the book unfolds.