What is theology? Why is theology important? How is it done?

You will be required to formulate a scriptural presentation detailing how a proper understanding of systematic theological doctrines answers questions posed by popular culture and postmodernism, in particular. Theology is commonly perceived as being boring and disconnected from the issues encountered in daily living. It has been the aim of this course to show that a solid theological foundation must be laid in order to correctly apply biblical principles in our everyday lives. 

This assignment is aimed to allow you to show others that theology is necessary and that it answers the most important questions of life. Since this will be an assignment that you could potentially use to teach others, it must be professional and relatable, and avoid using slang words. If you use theological words, be sure to offer a brief definition as your audience may consists of unbelievers and young believers. 

When doing your research and developing your final project, keep in mind the following:

Why is this topic important today?

What problems exist concerning this topic?

How is this topic dealt with in the Bible?

How do the answers to the question you chose help our understanding and deepen our faith?

What is theology? Why is theology important? How is it done?

It is imperative that you have a thesis statement because writing/presenting cannot be ‘A’ quality without a thesis statement. The thesis statement provides the destination of the paper or presentation. The topic/title of the paper or presentation should show you which direction you are heading (N, S, E, or W) and a thesis statement shows you the steps you will take to get to the destination. For the sake of this course, your thesis statement will start with these words: “This paper will…” or “In this presentation, I will...” Next, you will insert a verb and a direct object. (i.e., “This presentation will describe the proposed solutions to the problem of God’s love and justice” or “In this paper, I will offer a proposal for why theology is important for every believer”). You cannot write a strong conclusion without a strong thesis statement which drives the conclusion. If you know beforehand what you are trying to accomplish, then in your conclusion you can tell if you have accomplished this or not.

For the sake of formality, if you choose to do the paper, it should be formatted according to current Turabian guidelines. There will be a list of project topics provided within the Additional Resources folder in Blackboard. 

Specifics for the project are as follows:

The paper is to be 5-6 pages in length (typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font, and current Turabian formatting). 

You are to have a minimum of 7 scholarly sources for your paper, only 3 of which can be internet sources (Wikipedia does not count!). 

Accepted scholarly sources are course readings, lectures, and peer reviewed journal articles located through Liberty University’s Online Library journal database. For help on how to search for scholarly articles through the Library, review the following helpful information.

Sources must be cited in footnotes using current Turabian formatting.