Spring 2006 · Vol. 35 No. 1 · pp. 127–33
A Systematic Theology in Outline
| Part One: History of Salvation Chapter 1: Eschatology: Living from God’s Future | |
| 1.1. | The final judgment |
| 1.1.1. | The final judgment speaks of the authority and sovereignty of God |
| 1.1.2. | The final judgment speaks of human dignity and responsibility |
| 1.1.3. | The final judgment is part of God’s justice and justification |
| 1.1.4. | The final judgment is based on praxis |
| 1.1.5. | The final judgment is final |
| 1.2. | Death |
| 1.2.1. | Death is the consequence of the fall |
| 1.2.2. | Spiritual death is the condition of natural human beings |
| 1.2.3. | Physical death is the turn from time to eternity |
| 1.2.4. | Death and personal eschatology |
| 1.2.5. | Death as last enemy |
| 1.3. | The resurrection |
| 1.3.1. | The resurrection of the flesh |
| 1.3.2. | Spiritual resurrection with Christ |
| 1.3.3. | Between death and resurrection |
| 1.3.4. | The glorious return of Christ |
| 1.3.5. | Left behind? |
| 1.4. | The future of the kingdom of God |
| 1.4.1. | Jesus and the future |
| 1.4.2. | The future of the apocalypse |
| 1.4.3. | Paul living in two worlds |
| 1.4.4. | Antichrist, Armageddon, the fall of Babylon, the binding of Satan |
| 1.4.5. | The millennium, the New Jerusalem, new earth, eternal Sabbath |
| 1.5. | The presence of the kingdom of God |
| 1.5.1. | Jesus brought the kingdom of God |
| 1.5.2. | The redeeming work of God marks the change of times |
| 1.5.3. | The “old age” does not yet accept defeat |
| 1.5.4. | The church is the visible showcase of the “new age” |
| 1.5.5. | If we do nothing in the present, we are betraying the kingdom of God |
| Part Two: Trinitarian Theology Chapter 2: Theology: The Creations of the Father | |
| 2.1. | God, the Creator of history |
| 2.1.1. | Who is God? |
| 2.1.2. | Philosophical thought about God: Philosophical proofs and attributes |
| 2.1.3. | How is God? |
| 2.1.4. | Creation “ex nihilo” through the Word |
| 2.1.5. | The triune God: Bible, Nicea, Chalcedon |
| 2.2. | Creation of the natural order |
| 2.2.1. | There is no natural law, just customs of God |
| 2.2.2. | Ecology and continued creation |
| 2.2.3. | Creation and general revelation |
| 2.2.4. | Creation, miracles, and science |
| 2.2.5. | Creation and providence |
| 2.3. | Created humanity |
| 2.3.1. | The Genesis report |
| 2.3.2. | Men and women, body, soul, spirit |
| 2.3.3. | Imago Dei and analogia relationis |
| 2.3.4. | The sinful and contradictory nature of humankind |
| 2.3.5. | The “Son of Man” and “Christian humanism” |
| 2.4. | The creation of God’s people |
| 2.4.1. | The missionary call of Abraham |
| 2.4.2. | Moses and the “manifest destiny” of Israel |
| 2.4.3. | David and the wisdom of the suffering servant |
| 2.4.4. | The culture of shalom |
| 2.4.5. | The Spirit, creator of peoplehood |
| 2.5. | New creations in Christ |
| 2.5.1. | Eschatological creation of new heaven and new earth |
| 2.5.2. | Creation through resurrection |
| 2.5.3. | Creation through conversion |
| 2.5.4. | Creation through new birth |
| 2.5.5. | A new culture called the “body of Christ” |
| Chapter 3: Christology: The Redemptions of the Son | |
| 3.1. | Redemption through incarnation |
| 3.1.1. | Why did God become human? |
| 3.1.2. | The humanity of Jesus |
| 3.1.3. | The divinity of Jesus |
| 3.1.4. | What is Jesus doing today—his three offices |
| 3.1.5. | Incarnation as missionary model |
| 3.2. | Redemption through the cross |
| 3.2.1. | Biblical images of the redemptive cross |
| 3.2.2. | The scandal of the wisdom of the cross |
| 3.2.3. | The politics of the cross |
| 3.2.4. | The cross changes realities |
| 3.2.5. | Costly grace—the cross and discipleship |
| 3.3. | Redemption through resurrection |
| 3.3.1. | The resurrection of Christ |
| 3.3.2. | Resurrection and theology of conversion |
| 3.3.3. | Resurrection, conversion, and new birth |
| 3.3.4. | The relation between cross and resurrection |
| 3.3.5. | Living in the power of the resurrection |
| 3.4. | Redemption through ascension |
| 3.4.1. | The ascension speaks of the divinity of Jesus |
| 3.4.2. | The ascension speaks of the humanity of Jesus |
| 3.4.3. | The ascension of Christ provides perspective and world vision (Weltanschauung) |
| 3.4.4. | The ascension reveals the movement and purpose of the history of salvation |
| 3.4.5. | The ascension counterbalances the incarnation in the redemption |
| 3.5. | Redemption and parousia |
| 3.5.1. | The kingdom of God: Present and future messianism |
| 3.5.2. | Messianic existence: Glorious incarnation and faithful humanity |
| 3.5.3. | The coming of the king as salvation |
| 3.5.4. | The king, judge of history |
| 3.5.5. | The king and his kingdom of peace |
| Chapter 4: Pneumatology: The Missions of the Holy Spirit | |
| 4.1. | The mission to inspire leaders |
| 4.1.1. | Leadership of the People of God in the Old Testament |
| 4.1.2. | The Spirit and leadership in the church |
| 4.1.3. | Spiritual gifts, leadership qualities, and the laying on of hands |
| 4.1.4. | Clergy and laity: A people of prophets, priests, and kings |
| 4.1.5. | The Holy Spirit, dialogue, decision making, and consensus |
| 4.2. | The mission to reveal the Word of God |
| 4.2.1. | The Spirit, revelation, and the knowledge of God |
| 4.2.2. | The inspiration of the biblical authors |
| 4.2.3. | The Word incarnated, the Word written, the Word preached |
| 4.2.4. | The critical spirit and the hermeneutical science |
| 4.2.5. | The hermeneutical community of the Spirit |
| 4.3. | The mission to make new births possible |
| 4.3.1. | The Holy Spirit, baptism, and the birth “from above” |
| 4.3.2. | The Spirit of Jesus and the “existence in Christ” |
| 4.3.3. | The Holy Spirit and renovation |
| 4.3.4. | The Spirit and the birth of new churches |
| 4.3.5. | The Spirit and the birth of contextual theologies |
| 4.4. | The mission to cross frontiers |
| 4.4.1. | The missio Dei of the Father |
| 4.4.2. | The apostolate of the Son |
| 4.4.3 | The cross-cultural drive of the Holy Spirit |
| 4.4.4. | The overcoming of ethnocentrism in the Community of the Spirit |
| 4.4.5. | Pentecost, bicultural identity, and cross-cultural communication |
| 4.5. | The mission to heal the creation |
| 4.5.1. | The Spirit of God and ecology |
| 4.5.2. | The Holy Spirit, prayer, and Christian worship |
| 4.5.3. | The Holy Spirit and the holiness of love |
| 4.5.4. | The Holy Spirit, doubts, and the certainty of the faith |
| 4.5.5. | The Holy Spirit and the pastoral work of hope |
| Part Three: Christological Method Chapter 5: The Church: The New Humanity of the Kingdom of Faith | |
| 5.1. | Biblical images of the church and the kingdom |
| 5.1.1. | The people of God |
| 5.1.2. | The body of Christ |
| 5.1.3. | The temple of the Holy Spirit |
| 5.1.4. | The bride without spot or wrinkle |
| 5.1.5. | The New Jerusalem from heaven |
| 5.2. | The life and purpose of the church |
| 5.2.1. | Latreia—worship |
| 5.2.2. | Koinonia—fellowship |
| 5.2.3. | Katartismos—enablement |
| 5.2.4. | Diakonia—service |
| 5.2.5. | Martyria—testimony |
| 5.3. | Signs of the true church |
| 5.3.1. | The true church is one |
| 5.3.2. | The true church is holy |
| 5.3.3. | The true church is catholic |
| 5.3.4. | The true church is apostolic |
| 5.3.5. | The true church is missionary |
| 5.4. | The missions of the church |
| 5.4.1. | The mission of the apostles |
| 5.4.2. | The mission of the prophets |
| 5.4.3. | The mission of the evangelists |
| 5.4.4. | The mission of the pastors |
| 5.4.5. | The mission of the teachers |
| 5.5. | The organization of the church |
| 5.5.1. | Organization and tradition: The Catholic-Anabaptist dialogue |
| 5.5.2. | The three classical types of church organization |
| 5.5.3. | Vision, mission, organization |
| 5.5.4. | Organization and gifts |
| 5.5.5. | Organization, history, and contexts |
| Chapter 6: Sacraments: The Priestly Practices of Hope | |
| 6.1. | The believers church: The messages of baptism |
| 6.1.1. | Voluntary baptism of faith through intervention of the Holy Spirit |
| 6.1.2. | Incorporation into the community of the redeemed sinners |
| 6.1.3. | Death to the old and resurrection to the new humanity |
| 6.1.4. | Forgiveness and washing of sins |
| 6.1.5. | The celebration of a covenant with God and the church |
| 6.2. | The church of peace: The messages of the Lord’s Supper |
| 6.2.1. | The message of the elements |
| 6.2.2. | The message of the participants |
| 6.2.3. | The message concerning the past |
| 6.2.4. | The message concerning the present |
| 6.2.5. | The message concerning the future |
| 6.3. | The church of justice: The messages of the “rule of Christ” |
| 6.3.1. | The church as a fraternity of judges and of righteous conditions |
| 6.3.2. | The sacrament of binding and loosing |
| 6.3.3. | Guidelines for church discipline |
| 6.3.4. | Authority and purpose in church discipline |
| 6.3.5. | Distinction between church and world as necessary for a priesthood of hope |
| 6.4. | The church of joy: The messages of the “rule of Paul” |
| 6.4.1. | Open assemblies—more than just a democratic regime |
| 6.4.2. | The church that gives voice to everyone |
| 6.4.3. | The sacramental dimension of Christian assemblies |
| 6.4.4. | Priestly economics of the gifts |
| 6.4.5. | Gifts of the Spirit as sacraments |
| 6.5. | The church of covenants and blessings |
| 6.5.1. | Foot washing and ordination for ministry |
| 6.5.2. | Marital vows and celibacy |
| 6.5.3. | The anointing of the sick |
| 6.5.4. | The liberation of the possessed |
| 6.5.5. | The absolution of sinners |
| Chapter 7: Ethics: The Prophetic Life of Love | |
| 7.1. | Koinonia-ethics |
| 7.1.1. | Christ, the measure of Christian ethics |
| 7.1.2. | Christ and the models of cultural transformation |
| 7.1.3. | The church, the ethical body of Christ |
| 7.1.4. | Ethics as contextualized theological praxis |
| 7.1.5. | Church ethics: Public, prophetic, transformational |
| 7.2. | The diversity and limitation of ethical systems |
| 7.2.1. | General concepts |
| 7.2.2. | Ethical systems of utilitarianism |
| 7.2.3. | Ethical systems of idealism |
| 7.2.4. | Ethical systems of dialectics |
| 7.2.5. | The Torah of the people of Israel |
| 7.3. | Body ethics |
| 7.3.1. | Ethics and world vision |
| 7.3.2. | The holiness of life |
| 7.3.3. | The holiness of sexuality |
| 7.3.4. | The beauty and aesthetics of creation |
| 7.3.5. | The equilibrium of creation as analogy |
| 7.4. | Work ethics |
| 7.4.1. | A theology of work |
| 7.4.2. | A theology of capital |
| 7.4.3. | A theology of the market |
| 7.4.4. | Economic evolutionism and the survival of the weakest |
| 7.4.5. | Community, division of labor, and the public good |
| 7.5. | Political ethics |
| 7.5.1. | Political evangelism as public calling of the church |
| 7.5.2. | Political ministries as called to service |
| 7.5.3. | Christian politics of justice |
| 7.5.4. | Christian politics of peace |
| 7.5.5. | Local churches: Sanctuaries of peace |
