Biblical theology examines how Christians understand God’s nature and redemptive work through Christ, exploring how foundational doctrines like incarnation, atonement, and resurrection are interpreted across diverse cultural contexts and theological frameworks. The domain investigates central questions: how faith relates to sacramental practice and liturgical participation; what God’s kingdom means in a world marked by both suffering and divine providence; how scriptural authority functions within tradition and worship; and what moral obligations flow from theological conviction, especially toward the vulnerable. These interpretations vary significantly across cultures – guilt and justification frameworks in the West, honour-shame categories in others, fear-power dynamics in still others – revealing how context shapes theological understanding. This matters profoundly because biblical theology determines not just Christian doctrine but how believers worship, practise justice, interpret scripture, and embody faith in the world. ## Concepts *8 full, 30 stubs* - [[Athanasian Creed]]: “A detailed early Christian creedal statement affirming the doctrines of the Trinity and Incarnation as central to Christian faith.” - [[Atonement]]: “The theological understanding of how Christ’s death reconciles humanity with God, understood differently across cultural and religious paradigms.” - [[Faith and Sacraments]]: “Whether sacraments require faith, produce faith, or operate independently of personal conviction; the relationship between sacramental efficacy and personal response.” - [[Gentile Inclusion in Salvation]]: “The extension and inclusion of all nations in God’s covenant blessing through Christ.” - [[Incarnation]]: “The doctrine of God becoming human in Jesus Christ, understood as the eternal Word of God becoming flesh.” - [[Incarnation and Epiphany]]: “God becoming human in Christ and manifesting Christ’s glory and salvation to all peoples.” - [[Infant Baptism]]: “The practice of baptising infants and the theological understanding of how baptismal grace operates before the child can exercise personal faith.” - [[Scripture and Liturgical Worship]]: “The role of biblical texts and proclamation within the liturgical framework, particularly Paul’s emphasis on intelligible worship.” ### Stubs - [[Adoption into God's Family]]: “The spiritual status granted through baptism of becoming a child of God with the right to address God as Father.” - [[Apocryphal Authority]]: “The status, authenticity, and liturgical use of non-canonical biblical texts in the Christian church.” - [[Biblical Canon]]: “The determination of which books are considered authoritative sacred scripture within the Christian tradition.” - [[Biblical Typology and Covenant]]: “Understanding the New Testament as fulfilment of Old Testament promises to Abraham, David, and the prophets.” - [[Creation Theology and Praise]]: “The Benedicite as expression of God’s glory and goodness manifest in the created order.” - [[Defilement and Purity]]: “Religious paradigm concerned with cleanliness, purity laws, and spiritual defilement as frameworks for understanding divine obligation and holiness.” - [[Divine Providence]]: “God’s purposeful direction and providential plan for history and human affairs.” - [[Ethics of Power and Leadership]]: “The moral constraints on wielding political or social power, including whether just ends can justify unjust means.” - [[Evangelical Theological Framework]]: “The theological paradigm dominant in modern Western evangelicalism, emphasising guilt, legal justification, and individual conversion, which has become globalised through evangelistic tools and English-language scholarship.” - [[Faith and Trust]]: “Reliance upon God’s provision and faithfulness rather than human resources or institutional dependency.” - [[Fear and Power Paradigm]]: “Spiritual framework emphasising divine power, fear and reverence of God, and supernatural forces as central to religious understanding.” - [[Gospel Proclamation]]: “The proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ and his redemptive work, distinct from cultural or institutional forms.” - [[Guilt and Righteousness Paradigm]]: “Western Christian framework emphasising guilt, sin, and moral accountability as the primary categories for understanding wrongdoing and salvation.” - [[Incarnation and Eschatology]]: “The theological reality that Christ’s incarnation and salvation do not remove believers from the present age where suffering and spiritual struggle remain constant.” - [[Incarnational Piety]]: “Spiritual devotion grounded in the conviction that God’s love for humanity is revealed through Christ’s incarnation and presence on earth.” - [[Justice and Concern for the Vulnerable]]: “The moral imperative to act justly and protect those without power or resources from exploitation and oppression.” - [[Justification]]: “God’s declaration that sinners are righteous through Christ’s obedience and sacrificial work.” - [[Justification by Faith]]: “The doctrine that salvation comes through faith in Christ, with good works as the necessary fruit and evidence rather than the cause of justification.” - [[Kingdom of God]]: “The theological concept of God’s sovereign rule and realm, as distinct from human political kingdoms and Christendom.” - [[Pentecost and Holy Spirit]]: “The gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost empowering the Church for ministry and witness.” - [[Pentecost and Linguistic Inclusion]]: “The Acts 2 model of hearing God’s word in one’s own language as theological warrant for vernacular liturgy.” - [[Pentecost as Reversal of Babel]]: “Theological interpretation of Pentecost as divine reversal of Babel’s judgement through unified communication in many languages.” - [[Resurrection]]: “The rising of Christ on the third day, the foundational event of Christian faith commemorated weekly on Sundays.” - [[Right Understanding of God]]: “Avoiding distorted theological views that undermine authentic prayer and relationship with the divine.” - [[Salvation]]: “The state of being reconciled to God and made whole through Christ’s redemptive work and faith.” - [[The Lord's Prayer]]: “The prayer taught by Jesus as a model for Christian prayer, uniting fixed form with proper understanding and intent.” - [[Theodicy]]: “Theological reflection on why suffering and evil exist in the world and how God’s providence and care relate to human affliction.” - [[Trinity]]: “The doctrine that God exists as one substance in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” - [[Union with Christ]]: “The spiritual reality of believers being united with Christ through faith and sacramental participation, dwelling in him and he in them.” - [[Wisdom Literature]]: “Biblical and apocryphal texts valued for moral instruction, practical guidance, and spiritual wisdom.” ## Prominent Sources - *How to Use the Book of Common Prayer: A Guide to the Anglican Liturgy* (25 concepts) - *The Crescent through the Eyes of the Cross* (14 concepts) ## Selected Quotes > ‘To be sure, a person doesn’t have to know all the technicalities of the Athanasian Creed in order to be saved- the thief on the cross did not have to memorize this creed before Jesus could say to him, “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43 RSV).’ > > *How to Use the Book of Common Prayer: A Guide to the Anglican Liturgy*, p. 55 > ‘But what the prayer book does do is closely tie baptism and its benefits to personal faith.’ > > *How to Use the Book of Common Prayer: A Guide to the Anglican Liturgy*, p. 64 > ‘One is the arrival of the wise men, the first Gentiles to appear in the Christmas story.’ > > *How to Use the Book of Common Prayer: A Guide to the Anglican Liturgy*, p. 115 > ‘But not just one arrival.’ > > *How to Use the Book of Common Prayer: A Guide to the Anglican Liturgy*, p. 112 > ‘If the baptized child is like an infant who inherits a are like the trustees who care/.! great estate, the godparents for the estate until the child reaches maturity.’ > > *How to Use the Book of Common Prayer: A Guide to the Anglican Liturgy*, p. 69 ## Related Domains [[Liturgical Studies]] (9 shared) · [[Christian Worship]] (7 shared) · [[Spiritual Formation]] (3 shared) · [[Church History]] (1 shared) · [[Ecclesiology]] (1 shared) · [[Interfaith Studies]] (1 shared) · [[Pastoral Theology]] (1 shared) · [[Reformation Studies]] (1 shared) · [[Theology of Prayer]] (1 shared)