Theology, Systematic

As Theology is the study of God, Systematic Theology is a more thorough, in-depth, analytical study of God. Typically this involves dividing the study of God into categories such as Who is God?, What does He do?, What is Man? What is Sin? etc.

The Gospel Coalition defines Systematic Theology as…

…the attempt to organize all Christian doctrines in a logical order. The Christian church has been practicing this type of theology since the very early stages of the Church, although the form in which we see it today developed in the middle ages. Major works of systematic theology were also produced throughout the Reformation, with the Institutes of the Christian Religion (John Calvin) and the Westminster Confession of Faith being two well-known examples. Systematic theology often starts with the doctrine of God or the doctrine of Scripture, with the latter being more common in modern works. These sections are then followed by sections on the work of God in creation and providence, on the Fall and the nature of sin, on the work of God in redemption, and finally on the nature of the church and the end of history. Within Evangelical circles, this last section is currently the most debated, as it touches on the gifts of the Spirit and the second coming of Christ.

One of the more well-known works on Systematic Theology is the wonderful book by Louis Berkhof written in 1932, yet still used today. You can find it online at https://SystematicTheology.us (Yes, it’s a site by the same developer as this site). Also recommended by many sources are…

• Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin (also available for free, online.)
• Institutes of Elenctic Theology by Francis Turretin, 3 vols. (1679-85)
• Systematic Theology by Charles Hodge, 3 vols. (1871-73)
• Outlines of Theology by A.A. Hodge, (1860) [This is a link to archive.org, which has several digital versions]
• …and many more.