The Vagaries of Theology

The discipline of systematic theology or Christian dogmatics is routinely critiqued for being esoteric and abstract, in short, impractical. This is opposed to the discipline of Practical Theology, which is said to be a part of the theological curriculum that applies the fruit of systematic theology to practical issues. The systematic theology of Thomas F. Torrance is representative of the task of dogmatics, and various forms of Indigenous or contextual theology are representative forms of Practical Theology. It will be argued that systematic theology is not impractical and that Practical Theology, as it is often practiced today, is at risk of being atheological. An argument will be made for the practical nature of systematic theology as illustrated by the fecundity of Torrance’s theology for pastoral theology.