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LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

FINAL ESSAY EXAM

SUBMITTED AS PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF


THEO 626

JAMES W. FOGAL
AUBURN, AL
OCTOBER 12, 2013

INTRODUCTION
The doctrine of God is a major part of Christian theology. Such belief impacts aspects of
how people live their life. Thus, this is an important doctrine to be taught within Christian
churches. This brief essay exam will cover several issues. It will discuss the top three issues
relating to the doctrine of God that evangelical Christians need to address in the church and in
the academy. Within these several pages, a rationale for the above will be stated. In addition,
two to three books that I plan to read will be listed and discussed. Lastly, any actions that I plan
to take in response to this class will be discussed.

TOP THREE ISSUES IN THEOLOGY


At the conclusion of the THEO 626 class this semester, many topics were discussed and
studied. Specifically, the issues studied were the existence of God, the attributes of God, the
Trinity, and God in relation to the creation and preservation of the universe. Of these topics, the
topics I intend to continue studying is the first three. The reason I selected these three issues is
that I hope to pursue a PhD degree in philosophical theology after the completion of my current
seminary degree. Typically, the three issues I identified are standard topics studied in such a
doctoral program.
In addition to the fact that I am interested in doctoral studies, it is also important that
good theology needs to be preached and taught within churches. If pastors are properly educated
on systematic and historical theology, then they are in a proper position to ensure that orthodox
theology is taught. Such pastors would have the proper formal education and also the authority
to ensure that such educational standards are enforced.

BOOKS I PLAN TO READ TO CONTINUE MY EDUCATION


Below are several books in the field of historical theology that will likely continue my
education on the early church and the development of Christian theology.

Charles Freeman, A.D. 381: Heretics, Pagans and the Dawn of the Monotheistic State (New
York: Overlook Press, 2009).
In this book, Charles Freeman writes about the events surrounding the Council of Constantinople
in A.D. 381 in which the Nicene Creed was finalized. This creed provided a major statement that
forever influenced the development of the doctrine of the Trinity. To truly understand the
development of this important doctrine of God, it is important to understand the events that
surrounded the Council.

Hubertus R. Drobner, The Fathers of the Church: A Comprehensive Introduction (Peabody, MA:
Hendrickson, 2007).
This 600-page treatise provides an overview of the church fathers and the literature they wrote.
It is these men who God used to develop the creeds that were the foundation of modern
systematic theology. Such a work will help to expand my understanding of the important people
and literature important to be education about this important creative period of theological
formation.

Peter J. Leithart, Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of
Christendom (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2010).
This book discusses the issues involved in the development of the Nicene Creed and the doctrine
of the Trinity. Roman Emperor Constantine was a pivotal figure in the early church and was the
reason for the calling of the Nicene Council. It is asserted that this book sheds new light upon
the important emperor.

WHAT I PLAN TO DO AS A RESULT OF THIS CLASS


I am an advocate for Christian theology being taught in churches. As a pastor at a
church, I try my best at integrating theological concepts in most, if not all, sermons and teachings
at the church. The reason for this is that most parishioners will not study theology on their own,
therefore I do my best to teach it from the pulpit. If members and attendees of the church hear
theology integrated into the sermon on a regular basis, they should be able to learn how to
integrate it into their daily faith. The more educated that Christians are the better a church will
be. Therefore, my plan is to attempt regular sermons to introduce concepts I learned in seminary.

CONCLUSION
This course was helpful in that it provided an opportunity to study in more depth the
Trinity, the existence and attributes of God. I included three books that will be read during the
next year and sermons are planned for the upcoming year that will introduce concepts from this
class. The class was a useful academic exercise to help deepen my understanding of God.

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