신학은 학문인가? : ‘현대주의 신학’의 신학 이해와 비평

Abstract

Enlightenment, which began in Europe in the 18th century, gave rise to the emergence of modern science, which takes human objective reason and universal experience as the academic methodology. Rational empirical methodology of modern science has much influenced theology as well, as the result the Western theology, which has been the mainstream of Christian theology for long time, has been deteriorated into an academical and speculative study while loosing its original spiritual vitality. We call the modern western society the post-christendom society or the post-christendom era. The post-christian theology with the theology that changed in this era is ‘the modern theology’ itself. The Post-christian Era, Western church which has also gradually pursued rational faith under the control of ‘the modern theology’, has lost its spiritual vitality resulted in the degeneration of faith. Abstract Theology is only possible to know God and God's will revealed in the Scripture for the regenerated reason by the illumination of the Holy Spirit through the eyes of faith. the main method of theology is by the special illumination of the Spirit through faith. For a correct understanding of the theological identity of “the Reformed Life Theology” as “the movement of restoring theology”, one must have a conviction that “theology is truly not science” following the academic view and methodology of modern science. Instead, one must pursue the academic nature of theology from establishing its own academic methodology. For Calvin’institutes, theology is not merely learning but spiritual, the subject of theology is not human being but God, and theology is not something meritorious of human being but gracious gift of God. This understanding of Calvin’s theology corresponds to that of the Reformed Life Theology. Theology has its own academic methodology.