Anyone can become a theologian
If you know the Our Father, you can do Theology.
If you know the Our Father, you can do Theology.
Theology is the Greek word for “knowledge of God.” Since we are all called to know God deeper, I believe anyone can do Theology.
If you don’t know me, my name is Patrick. I have a masters degree in systematic Theology from Franciscan University. A Systematic Theologian breaks down Theology into categories to make it easier to understand and study.
That is my mission with my X account, Substack, podcast, etc: make Theology accessible to people who don’t have the time or money to get a degree.
I break Theology down into 7 branches which correspond to the 7 petitions in the Our Father.
Hallowed be Thy Name
The first petition in the Our Father is a meditation on the holiness of God’s Name. The first branch of theology is simply called: Theology.
It is the study of God Himself
Theology asks three questions:
What is the Nature of God?
How is He three Persons?
How is He one Divinity?
Thy kingdom come
The second petition asks God to send His Kingdom. He did this first during Creation.
This branch of theology can be called “Anthropology” because it studies God in creation, particularly mankind.
Theological Anthropology asks:
How was the earth created and why?
How was mankind created and why?
How were angels created and why?
Thy will be done
We make this petition in reparation for our sins.
Despite the gift of creation, human beings rebelled. The third branch of theology studies sin and its effects, some call it “Hamartiology”
Hamartiology asks questions like:
What were we like in Eden?
How and why did we fall?
What are the consequences of the Fall?
Give us our daily bread
The “daily bread” in this petition is Christ
This is the central petition of the Our Father and the central branch of theology: Christology.
God answers this petition every day during Mass.
Christology asks:
Why was the Incarnation necessary?
What is the nature of Jesus Christ?
What role did Mary play?
Forgive us our trespasses
The fifth petition in the Our Father mirrors the third.
We ask for mercy, and God answers.
This petition corresponds to Soteriology, the study of grace and salvation.
Soteriology asks:
What forms does grace take?
How does grace justify us?
How does grace save us?
Lead us not into temptation
We received the gift of forgiveness, but now we need to keep it.
Christ answers by giving us the Sacraments to strengthen us (cf. 1 Kings 19:6) and help us avoid temptation. So, this petition corresponds to Sacramentology.
Sacramentology asks:
What is the nature of each sacrament?
What are their effects?
How do the sacraments organize the Church?
Deliver us from evil
Our ultimate deliverance from evil comes at the end of our life.
So, this petition corresponds to Eschatology, the study of the Last Things
Eschatology asks:
What happens after death?
What are Purgatory, Heaven, and Hell like?
What happens at the Resurrection of the Dead?
Important Note
Notice “study of the Bible” is not a branch of theology.
That’s because the Bible *is* Theology itself. Theology is the study of God and the Bible is God revealing Himself.
Early systematic theologians like Bonaventure and Aquinas didn’t consider the Bible to be a branch of Theology but a prerequisite to even doing Theology.
So if you want to study Theology, make sure you know Scripture well.