Series on Theology at Renton New Life

I had a great time at Renton New Life last night, with Pastor Troy Jones and a "small group" of about 100 avid students of theology - it was a lot of fun! We talked about the basis, benefits and dangers, and tasks and tools of theology. As noted by a number of people, understanding that things we believe to be true can fit into three categories was a significant take-away. These categories are

• Dogma - something essential to the faith. Denying this is in essence excluding yourself from the classification of "Christ-followers."
• Doctrine - something important to a specific group of believers (church, denomination, etc.) but not essential to the faith. Significant disagreement here might mean you'd be better off with a different group of worshipers, but doesn't mean you're not a Christian.
• Opinion - something of interest to you, but definitely not worth dying for.

Next week we'll be tackling theology proper: what we understand about God from his revelation of himself in his works and his word.

If you're a part of that group (or are interested in theology and want to enter the conversation), use the comments feature of this blog to facilitate interaction. I'm looking forward to learning with you!