Systematic Theology & Theology of Culture
Systematic Theology & Theology of Culture is ‘faith seeking understanding’(fides quaerens intellectum) of a Christian in face of the spiritual truth of the self-revealing God embodied in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. It consists of systematic theology that investigates ‘sacra doctrina’ of the seeds of truth, and cultural theology that offers a ‘prolegomena’ about the analyses of spiritual soil for the seeds.
A bicycle has two wheels, a bird has two wings, and a glasses has two lenses. Likewise, Jesus teaches a Samaritan woman to worship God “in spirit and in truth” simultaneously (John 4:24). Truth is like the unchanging light of God, whereas spirit is like the ever changing shadow of God’s light on earth.
Systematic Theology & Theology of Culture has two poles. One pole is ‘hermeneutics of truth’ to investigate the substance or seeds of Christian revelation, and the other pole is ‘cultural theories of spirit’ to investigate cultural soil or forms for the seeds. Systematic Theology & Theology of Culture aims at the confluence or fusion of horizons between hermeneutics of truth and cultural theories of spirit.
In particular, systematic theology offers a comprehensive systematic interpretation of ‘sacra doctrina’ handed down to us from the apostolic tradition and universal church on the foundation of ecumenical perspectives, including theories of revelation, God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Trinity, church, eschatology, theological methodology. Theology of Culture offers a preliminary analysis or ‘prolegomena’ of the Korean culture to make sure the seeds of truth to be firmly embodied in our contemporary society, including theories of Korean religions, arts, and world views. In sum, systematic-cultural theology wants to bear the sacred task of theology as a ‘doxology of truth and spirit’ in process of synthesizing two poles, the seeds of truth and the soil of spirit, sacra doctrina and prolegomena, religious identity and cultural identity, Christianity and Korea simultaneously.