Beginning Theology

Welcome to Beginning Theology! We are looking forward to having you on the course.

This is your module page for Theology Talk and the perfect course companion. This page will have any handouts, PowerPoints or audio from each session for you to catch up on.

If you have any questions, please email us at beginningtheology@stmellitus.ac.uk

In this module, we will explore key elements of Christian thought and theology and figures that have influenced the church in profound ways. We will spend the first half of the term unpacking the Trinity and the second half looking at key ‘influencers’ over the last 2000 years.

This session will introduce the discipline of theology and discuss how we might begin to think theologically. It will look at (1) the aims and scope of theology, (2) the sources for thinking theologically, and (3) the role of character formation in Christian theology.

Suggested Reading:

• David Ford, Theology: A Very Short Introduction, 1999
• Anna Hutchinson, The Influence of the Doctrine of Scripture: How Beliefs about the Bible Affect the Way It Is Read, 2023

This will be the first of a 3-week series on the Trinity, looking at the oneness of God and God the Father.

Click here for handout. 

Click here for the PowerPoint.

Suggested Reading:

• Dan Migliore, Faith Seeking Understanding, 4th Edition (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2023), chapter 4.
• Karl Barth, Dogmatics in Outline, (London: SCM Press Ltd, 1947) chapter 6.

This will be the second of a 3-week series on the Trinity, looking at God the Son and the incarnation.

Click here for Handout

Click here for PowerPoint

Suggested Reading:

• Alister McGrath, An Introduction to Christian Theology, chapter 10
• T.F. Torrance, The Mediation of Christ.
• Frances Young, The Making of the Creeds

This will be the final of the 3-week series on the Trinity, looking at the Holy Spirit and Pneumatology.

Suggested Reading:

• Simeon Zahl, The Holy Spirit and Christian Experience (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020)
• Daniel Castelo, ‘Holy Spirit’, in The New Cambridge Companion to Christian Doctrine, ed Michael Allen (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023).

This session will give you an overview of 2,000 years of church history. We will unpack some significant moments along the way, and give you an overview as to how the church got to where it is today.

Suggested Reading:

• Dairmaid MacCulloch, History of Christianity
• Henry Chadwick, The Early Church
• Tom Holland, Dominion

Suggested Reading:

• Alex Irving, We Believe: Exploring the Nicene Faith (IVP, 2021)
• Michael Leyden, Faithful Living: Discipleship, Creed and Ethics (SCM, 2019)
• Also look out for Jane Williams’ forthcoming book on the Holy Spirit in the Creed: Giver of Life (SPCK, 2025)

Suggested Reading:

• Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, An Introduction to Ecclesiology: Ecumenical, Historical & Global Perspectives, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2021).
• David Emerton, Types of Ecclesiology: Five Theological Approaches (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024).

Suggested Reading:

• Taylor, Charles. The Ethics of Authenticity. Cambridge, Mass. ; London: Harvard University Press, 1991.
• Tomlin, Graham. Why Being Yourself Is a Bad Idea and Other Countercultural Notions. London: SPCK, 2020.