You are a theologian.
You may not think of yourself as a theologian, but the truth is you are one. Theology is the study of God; since you are bound to have some opinions, beliefs, or practices related to who God is and what he has done, you are a theologian. Good theology can give a person peace in a time of tragedy, hope when things seem hopeless, and grace when a person should feel guilt. On the other hand, poor theology is toxic for the soul, leading individuals down paths that are dangerous both spiritually and also practically. As I teach and study theology, I do so from a lutheran perspective. There might be a variety of things that come to mind when people think of lutherans, so I want to do a series to talk about some of the specifics of lutheran theology.
The "What is a Lutheran" series is about having a good theology. When Martin Luther broke away from the Catholic Church, he did so because they held a dangerous and toxic theology that was leading people away from Christ and not towards Him. This series will dig into the core doctrines of the Christian faith.
"Let your wife worry about your clothes. Buy books and study. We don't need any more well-dressed, hip, funny, heretics. Who cares how you say it if what you're saying is wrong." - Matt Chandler, Pastor at The Village Church
It is important to understand going into this series that the theological perspective that I will write from is as a lutheran Christian, specifically a member of the LCMS. While this is true, these posts represent my personal views and opinions and do not necessarily represent those of Faith Lutheran Church or the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
This post will serve as a general table of contents for all posts in the series.
Table of Contents:
1. 3 Solas
3. Law & Gospel
4. The Art of Distinguishing Law & Gospel
5. What do Lutherans believe about baptism?
7. Objective and Subjective Justification
8. Pre-Destination vs. Free Will [infographic]
Do you have anything specifically that you'd like to learn about, let me know in the comments.