Why Systematic Theology Needs Scripture

An excerpt from the book I am currently writing about the theology of reading Scripture

At a Christian college open house a young recruiter, newly graduated from the college, is learning how to pitch the school to prospective students (and more importantly to their parents who will foot the bill). The recruiter is eager and enthusiastic, and his recent graduation gives him an air of authority: he knows what he is talking about because he has lived it. As the session pivots from a discussion of the benefits of Christian education to specific degree programs, the recruiter fields a question from a teenager: what is the difference between the biblical studies major and the theology major? The recruiter recites the talking points he has learned that summarize the learning objectives of the two programs; and then, going off script, he says, “If you love the Bible, go into biblical studies; if you want to talk about Christianity without reading the Bible, go into theology.”

As a theologian, I want my first and only reaction to be a resounding, “Hey! I resent that characterization.” But there’s also a part of me that has to admit that there is some truth to that statement. For too long, theology and biblical studies have been not only separate but also siloed disciplines. And worse than the separateness and siloed nature of the two disciplines, there is also a snobbery inherent in both silos. The result is that theology has, sadly, developed a reputation for being sufficient apart from scripture. Theology volumes will cite scripture, chapter and verse, in parenthetical references, but the main text reads like the parenthetical citations were added afterward rather than being the foundation of the theological claims. In many ways, the argument in the theology volume would not change if the parenthetical references were omitted.