What value do you see in studying theology in concerns to Christianity?

[EgoDeath]

Serious question. How many of us actually care to study theology? Theology can be defined as the study of religious belief; though it's said to be the study of the nature of the divine, among other things.

So do you have or have you ever had an interest in theology? Why or why not?

Personally, I find it to be an interesting topic, but more from a historical point of view. To me, it's interesting to think about how religion has shaped the world. Outside of that, I couldn't care less. And I think, at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. Science is superior to religion in terms of attempting to explain the world around us, if that is what religion is attempting to do.

I certainly wouldn't devote an entire college education to it. But would maybe read a few books on theology... specifically written from a secular perspective? Sure.

What do you guys think?

[GrandizerII]

I'm the same as you. I find theology more interesting from a secular and historical perspective in that I'm interested to know how theological thinking has evolved over the centuries, specifically how theologians have attempted to answer the difficult questions pertaining to God.

The problem is I don't have the time in the world to read about everything I enjoy and ultimately studying theology is meaningless to me beyond the joy of studying. The theologian's God is at best superfluous and, because of limited lifespan, would rather spend the time studying things that make me more and more knowledgeable about the way the world works or about important events that have occurred in the history of this universe.

[downbeatplumb]

Theology is not a thing to study in itself.
Ist more a mix of history, philosophy and psychology.

[Fake Messiah]

I don't see any value in theology and, to be honest, every theologian I've met or heard about was a total moron. Their solution to everything is "Pray", "Pray More" and "Go to church".

[Belacqua]

If you're going to talk about Christianity on the Internet, it makes sense to know what you're talking about.

Studying theology would prevent silly errors like "all Christians believe in an angry man in the sky."

If you don't want to discuss Christianity on the Internet, and don't care about the subject, there's not much reason to study it.

[GrandizerII]

If you're going to talk about Christianity on the Internet, it makes sense to know what you're talking about.

Studying theology would prevent silly errors like "all Christians believe in an angry man in the sky."

If you don't want to discuss Christianity on the Internet, and don't care about the subject, there's not much reason to study it.

You don't need to [thoroughly] study theology in order to understand what Christianity itself entails overall. And only a few, if any, really believe that Christians believe in an angry man in the sky.

It's also misleading to imply that the theologian's God is the same as the philosopher's God because they're not. The theologian's God is somewhat the philosophical God + some other attributes/properties/acts that are exclusively Christian-based, and in many respects is closer to the Bible God than to the philosophical God.

[John 6IX Breezy]

I think most pastors have to major in theology to get that position.

[Belacqua]

You don't need to [thoroughly] study theology in order to understand what Christianity itself entails overall. 

Well, sure. Nobody needs to detail the difference between Aquinas and Duns Scotus to have a serious grasp of Christianity. But some sense of the non-stupid version allows us to have non-stupid discussions.

And only a few, if any, really believe that Christians believe in an angry man in the sky.

I know that, and you know that.... Eventually I hope other people will stop saying it. When thoughtful Christians get accused of believing in pixies, it is just an insult to shut down understanding, not related to real religion.

It's also misleading to imply that the theologian's God is the same as the philosopher's God because they're not. The theologian's God is somewhat the philosophical God + some other attributes/properties/acts that are exclusively Christian-based, and in many respects is closer to the Bible God than to the philosophical God.

Understood. 

Even the God of the philosophers has many variations. And of course the God of the Christian theologians will include Jesus, whereas Spinoza's doesn't. 

In an effort to get away from the sky-daddy-is-angry version, it has sometimes seemed to me useful to speak about the general outlines of the better version[s]. There are things that many of the better versions have in common, like impassibility. 

Once we can get people to stop saying that God is always the Kim Jung Il of the skies, we can work on the differences between Augustine and Spinoza. 

But I have few allies in this.

[Acrobat]

Serious question. How many of us actually care to study theology? Theology can be defined as the study of religious belief; though it's said to be the study of the nature of the divine, among other things.

So do you have or have you ever had an interest in theology? Why or why not?

Personally, I find it to be an interesting topic, but more from a historical point of view. To me, it's interesting to think about how religion has shaped the world. Outside of that, I couldn't care less. And I think, at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. Science is superior to religion in terms of attempting to explain the world around us, if that is what religion is attempting to do.

I certainly wouldn't devote an entire college education to it. But would maybe read a few books on theology... specifically written from a secular perspective? Sure.

What do you guys think?

If you want to understand, one of the prevalent and perhaps bizarre features of human existence, religion, beliefs in the sacred, that understanding the nature of the thoughts that go into religion would be pretty important to grasping it.

The alternative is silly conclusions like religions were just quasi science. Or that people in the past were some kind of mutants, with very little relationship to us now.

Understanding theology, religions, also connects to understanding the nature of meaning, why we’re drawn to narratives, art, hope etc.. cast our lives in them, why atheists and other value truth the way they do, see it as source of liberation, a breaker of bondage, connected to morality, why evil is seen an ignorance, and goodness as truth.

Etc...

Science for the most part probably will give you decent perspective of how reality is outside of yourself, theology will cast the mirror unto yourself, a peering inward.

It’s a study in humanness, the meaning of men becoming divine, perfected, made whole, and incomplete.

[downbeatplumb]

If you're going to talk about Christianity on the Internet, it makes sense to know what you're talking about.

Studying theology would prevent silly errors like "all Christians believe in an angry man in the sky."

At least some Christians believe in the angry man in the sky.
To be honest Christianity is such a catch all bag of beliefs that you pretty much have to ask individually what people believe.

If you don't want to discuss Christianity on the Internet, and don't care about the subject, there's not much reason to study it.

I find all sorts of myths interesting.