263 Theological Questions & Answers
General Questions about Theology
(Prolegomena)
- What is theology?
- Who is a theologian?
- What is Tabloid Theology?
- What is Folk Theology?
- What are the other ways people “do” theology?
- What are the different categories of theology?
- What are the categories of systematic theology?
- What is biblical, historical, philosophical, creedal, and apologetic theology?
- How does one “do” theology right?
- Why are there so many different theologies out there?
- What is the study of the way people come to know truth?
- What is the difference in relative truth and objective truth?
- What is Postmodernism?
- Where did Postmodernism come from?
- What are the key characteristics of Postmodernism?
- What difficult questions was the church challenged by with moderns?
- What difficult questions is the church challenged by with postmoderns?
- What is the basic difference between modernism and postmodernism?
- What is the modern view of truth?
- What is the postmodern view of truth?
- What is the Christian view of truth?
- What truths are relative and what truths are objective?
- What truths are relative?
- What truths are objective?
- What truths are essential for a believer to hold to be considered orthodox?
- How certain should we be about our beliefs?
- What is the “big picture” difference between Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism?
- How do Protestants view Church History?
- How do Roman Catholics view Church History?
- How do Eastern Orthodox view Church History?
- Why are there so many Protestant denominations?
- Where do we go for truth?
- How do the various Christian traditions view truth? Part 1
- How do the various Christian traditions view truth? Part 2
- How do my traditions, reason, experiences, and general revelation contribute to my theology?
- What do emotions and special revelation contribute to my theology?
- Does God still speak today?
- Why do some people believe that God still speaks today?
- Why do some people say that God does not speak through prophets today? Part 1
- Why do some people say that God does not speak through prophets today? Part 2
- What is the Soft Cessationist view of prophecy?
- Can we have unity and diversity in the Church? Part 1
- Can we have unity and diversity in the Church? Part 2
- How do we do theology in our culture today?
- How do Christian traditions have unity and diversity?
Questions about Authority and the Bible
(Bibliology)
- Who do we trust for Christian authority?
- What is Tradition?
- What are the five main view for Christian authority?
- Is the Scripture all we need?
- What are the arguments for Sola Ecclesia (the Roman Catholic view of authority in the Church)?
- What are the arguments against Sola Ecclesia (the Roman Catholic view of authority in the Church)? Part 1
- What are the arguments against Sola Ecclesia (the Roman Catholic view of authority in the Church)? Part 2
- Is the Bible alone the only infallible source for authority (sola Scriptura)?
- Has the text of Scripture changed since it was first written?
- How was the text of Scripture transferred from one generation to the next? Part 1
- How was the text of Scripture transferred from one generation to the next? Part 2
- How was the text of Scripture transferred from one generation to the next? Part 3
- How accurate are Scriptures?
- Do we have the right books?
- What are the facts concerning the canon?
- What are the tests of canonicity?
- What are the arguments for the inclusion of the Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal books of the Roman Catholic Bible?
- What are the argumentsagainst the inclusion of the Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal books of the Roman Catholic Bible?
- What is the Old Testament canon?
- How were the New Testament books decided upon? Part 1
- How were the New Testament books decided upon? Part 2
- How were the New Testament books decided upon? Part 3
- What is the doctrine of inspiration?
- What is the biblical view of inspiration?
- What are the different theories of inspiration?
- How does inspiration occur?
- What is the most common mistake that evangelicals make with regard to their understanding of the inspiration of the Scriptures?
- How do we know the Bible is inspired?
- What is the internal evidence for the inspiration of Scripture? Part 1
- What is the internal evidence for the inspiration of Scripture? Part 2
- What is the external evidence for the inspiration of Scripture? Part 1
- What is the external evidence for the inspiration of Scripture? Part 2
- Does the Bible err?
- How is inerrancy different from infallibility?
- Chicago Statement of Biblical Inerrancy
- What are the objections and responses to inerrancy?
- What about all the “contradictions” in the Bible?
- How have people historically interpreted Scripture?
- How did the Rabbis interpret the Old Testament in Christ’s day?
- How did the Apostles interpret the Old Testament?
- How did the early Church interpret Scripture?
- How did people interpret Scripture during the medieval period?
- How did the Reformers interpret Scripture?
- What is the modern way of interpreting Scripture?
- What are the basic principles of biblical interpretation?
- What are some common interpretative fallacies?
Questions about God
(Theology Proper)
- What is a worldview?
- What is a theistic worldview?
- What are deistic, pantheistic, and panentheistic worldviews?
- What are polytheistic, naturalistic, and pluralistic worldviews?
- Can finite humans understand the infinite God?
- Is human language adequate to describe God?
- Why do people object to the study of God’s existence? Part 1
- Why do people object to the study of God’s existence? Part 2
- Why do people object to the study of God’s existence? Part 3
- Can we prove that God exists?
- What are the arguments against the existence of God?
- What are the arguments for the existence of God? Part 1
- What are the argumentsfor the existence of God? Part 2
- What makes God, God?
- How is simplicity an attribute of God?
- How is the simplicity of God to be defined?
- What are the objections to simplicity?
- How is eternality an attribute of God?
- How is immutability an attribute of God?
- What are the objections to immutability?
- How is omnipresence and attribute of God?
- What is the doctrine of aseity?
- How is omniscience and attribute of God?
- How is omnipotence an attribute of God?
- How is sovereignty an attribute of God?
- Other communicable attributes of God?
- An evaluation of Openess Theology?
- How did the early church understand the Trinity?
- What are the early Trinitarian heresies? Part 1
- What are the early Trinitarian heresies? Part 2
- What is the importance of the ecumenical councils?
- What are some of the difficulties in communicating the doctrine of the Trinity?
- Does the Bible teach the Trinity?
- What does the Old Testament say about the oneness of God?
- What does the New Testament say about the oneness of God?
- Is Jesus God?
- Did Jesus ever claim to be God?
- Is the Holy Spirit God?
Questions about Christ
(Christology)
- How did the early Church understand the humanity of Christ?
- What is Apollinarianism?
- What is Nestorianism?
- What is Monophysitism?
- How did the Council of Chalcedon affect Christology?
- What are the different interpretations of Chalcedon?
- What do the Scriptures say about the humanity of Christ?
- Why was Christ born of a virgin?
- What does it mean that Christ “emptied Himself”?
- Was Christ able to sin?
Questions about Humanity and Sin
(Anthropology and Harmartiology)
- What is Anthropology?
- Why did God create man? Part 1
- Why did God create man?, Part 2
- What is our essential nature?
- What is Monism?
- What is Trichotomy?
- What is the constitution of man?
- What is the response to trichotomy?
- What is dichotomy?
- What is conditional unity?
- What is Gnostic dualism?
- What are the negative effects of Gnosticism?
- When and how was our soul created? Part 1
- When and how was our soul created? Part 2
- What does it mean that we are in the image of God?
- What else does it mean to be created in the image of God?
- What are the aspects of the image of God within man?
- How did the Fall affect the imago dei?
- How far did we fall?
- What does Scripture say about the Fall? Part 1
- What does Scripture say about the Fall? Part 2
- What are the different types of sin?
- What is Pelagianism?
- What is Augustinianism?
- What is the Augustinian view of Original Sin? Part 1
- What is the Augustinian view of Original Sin? Part 2
- What is the Arminian view of Original Sin?
- What is Original Sin?
- Is there such a thing as Free Will? Part 1
- What are the different positions on Free Will?
- What are the different Free Will views of responsibility?
- What are the problems with the different views of Free Will?
- Is there such a thing as Free Will? Part 2
- What is the theological difference between men and women?
- What are the two main theological positions on the difference between men and women?
- What is the Egalitarian view?
- What is the response to Egalitarianism?
- What is Complementarianism?
- What is the defense of Complementarianism? Part 1
- What is the defense of Complementarianism? Part 2
- What is the response to Complementarianism?
Questions about Salvation
(Soteriology)
- What does it mean to be “saved”?
- What is salvation?
- What is the process of salvation (ordo salutis)?
- How do various Christian traditions view salvation differently?
- What does it mean to be predestined?
- What is the doctrine of election?
- What is a defense of unconditional election?
- Is election conditioned upon my choice?
- What is a defense of conditional election?
- What are the arguments against conditional election?
- Is predestination fair?
- Does God predestine people to Hell?
- Why did Christ die on the Cross?
- What is the Recapitulation theory of the Atonement? Part 1
- What is the Recapitulation theory of the Atonement? Part 2
- What is the Ransom to Satan Theory of the Atonement?
- What is the Satisfaction Theory of the atonement?
- What is the Moral Example Theory of the atonement?
- What is the Governmental Theory of the atonement?
- What is the Substitution Theory of the atonement?
- For whom did Christ die?
- Can we say “no” to the Gospel?
- What does “born again” mean?
- Does regeneration precede faith?
- What does it mean to have faith?
- What does it mean to repent?
- Can someone be saved without repenting?
- What does one ultimately have to do to be saved?
- How is a person justified before God?
- What is the Eastern/Greek Orthodox view of justification?
- What is the Roman Catholic view of justification?
- What is the Protestant view of justification?
- How does one become a better Christian?
- What are the basic principles of sanctification?
- Can a believer lose their salvation?
- What are the arguments of those who say you can lose your salvation?
- What are the arguments of those who say you cannot lose your savation?
Questions about the Church
(Ecclesiology)
- What is the story of Christianity?
- What is the Church?
- What is the nature of the Church?
- How do the various traditions view the nature of the Church differently?
- What is the Dispensational and Replacement views of the Church?
- What is the relationship between the Church and Israel?
- What is Replacement Theology?
- What is Classic Dispensationalism?
- A defense of Classic Dispensationalism
- What is Progressive Dispensationalism?
- What is Progressive Covenantalism?
- What is the difference between Israel and the Church?
- What is the purpose of the Church? Part 1
- What is the purpose of the Church? Part 2
- Why is the Church here and not in heaven?
- What purposes are limited to those that can be accomplished only on the earth?
- What are the ministries of the Church?
- What ministries does your local church have?
- What constitutes a local church? Part 1
- What constitutes a local church? Part 2
- What constitutes a local church? Part 3
- What is worship, teaching, fellowship, evangelistic outreach, and in-reach?
- What is an ordinance/sacrament? Part 1
- What is an ordinance/sacrament? Part 2
- What is baptism?
- What is the Lord’s Supper?
- How is the Church equipped to accomplish its ministry?
- What are the different views of spiritual gifts?
- What are spiritual gifts?
- How many spiritual gifts are there? Part 1
- How many spiritual gifts are there? Part 2
- What are the marks of a false church? Part 1
- What are the marks of a false church? Part 2
- What are different models of church government?
- How should the church organize its government? Part 1
- How should the church organize its government? Part 2
Questions about the End Times
(Eschatology)
- What is eschatology?
- What are the different views of the millennium?
- What are the arguments for postmillennialism?
- What are the arguments for amillennialism?
- What are the arguments for premillennialism?
- What are the different views of the rapture?
- What is the pre-tribulational view?
- What is the mid-tribulational view?
- What is the post-tribulational view?
- Questions about Heaven and Hell
11 Comments
These lessons are one of the biggest blessings in my life! Each topic is thoughtfully and honestly presented and they have helped me to be further grounded in my faith. I like the fact that the presentations point out the various views of scripture within the realm of orthodoxy. Some of this is difficult subject matter but is alwyas explained in comprehensible form. I have told many of my friends about this opportunity and I hope they take advantage of this website. Thanks RTM!
We’re so glad these have been a blessing to you!
Thanks for posting these Q&A sessions. The intellectual honesty displayed in these videos are a great example for others to follow. Unfortunately many Christians, engage in name calling and other not-so-Christian behavior, while discussing doctrinal view points different than the once they hold. Especially eschatology, seams to be such a divisive subject amongst Christians. I am trying to study the various positions, and find problems with most, though I have a slight lean towards the amill position, even though most of my church hold a dogmatic pre-mill dispensational view. Even when I raise questions, of passages that seam to contradict parts of it to the Pastor or Elders, they seam find it threatening, and then give a long monologue intended I am sure to enlighten me, but with no interest in further questions. I have been studying the pre-mill dispensational view for over a year, it is not as clear to me as to others in my church. Anyway; it is in my studies I found this website through the video on youtube. Unlike other videos you are displaying the fruit of the spirit, in these videos, and show a sincere honest pursuit of truth. Thank you and may God bless you and this ministry and I hope many more find the great resources you have made available.
[...] found a great resource over at Reclaiming the Miinds for all those interested. It is a running collection of, at the moment 263, questions about [...]
[...] Answers to 263 Theological Questions [...]
#23 Under Sotierology you said born of water to mean physical birth. Do you know who the first person in History
was that interpreted that verse that way??
Of everything in your teachings, that one is the most obvious
to have absolutely no historical precedent of any kind………
#41 How did the early church interpret scripture?
You said Tradition must be taken from Scripture. Which is of course impossible, because the Church existed prior to the written New Testament. Holy Scripture is a “part” of Tradition, it is contained within the life of the Church and it was compiled and preserved and interpreted within the life of and within the Tradition of the Church.
The proper “interpretation” of Scripture must agree with the Faith that was once for all handed down to the Saints and
vice versa.
On the topic of original sin you stated, “there are 3 views throughout church history, Augustinian – Pelagian and Armininan.
You conveniently left out the 4th view which is older than all 3 of those. The Orthodox view that there is no such thing as
Original Sin!! The view that Adam inherited Death from Adam, not sin or guilt.
The Bible “specifically says” death spread to all men, not sin or guilt. Death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, not sin reigned. The sting of death is sin, not the sting of sin is death.
Death is the reason we sin, that is the historical view.
please correct my last post, I meant to say WE inheritied death from Adam, not ADAM
In Numbers 21:5-9 why does the King James Version say brass instaed of bronze concering the snake on the pole?
Wow, thanks for making such a great resource available! Just a comment: in “General Questions about Theology” in “What is Folk Theology?”, the idea of angels having wings is said to be “folk theology” and without a bases. Just to kindly point out, while it may be folk theology, it seems to have its basis in Isaiah 6:2 (ESV) “Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.”