Biblical Theology refers to intellectual discourse concerning the Christian faith that relies on interpretation of text within the Bible to better understand, help promote and defend Christianity against critics. In particular, Biblical Theology tries to understand passages in the Bible in relation to the biblical text that came before and after it.
In a sense, Biblical Theology studies the Bible and its meaning from a more holistic standpoint, studying the connections and interrelatedness of all the books in the Old and New Testaments in order to understand how each part ultimately points towards the fulfillment of God's promise of salvation to humankind through his Son, Jesus Christ. Biblical Theology aims to understand the intended meaning of a Biblical text by understanding what the text points toward or back to.
As a discipline, Biblical Theology employs different systems of biblical studies to push forward its goal of unfolding and elucidating Christian faith and divine revelation over the course of history, as mentioned in the Bible.
Perhaps the most comprehensive system of study of Biblical Theology may be found in a seminary, where priests-to-be engage in comprehensive biblical studies. Seminarians rigorously study the contents and the origins of the Bible, and analyze Scripture's contents to inquire how divine revelation progressed over the course of the Bible - starting from the book of Genesis and ending with the book of Revelation - as part of their courses in Exegetical Theology.
At a lower level, students in Christian universities, colleges and schools take part in studies of select passages of the Bible to understand how Jesus Christ was promised in the Old Testament by God himself to be mankind's savior and messiah, as part of their Christian education. Select, critical biblical passages may be found in Christian books that provide the most important insights in Biblical Theology. While the passages found in Christian books are selective and their biblical studies not as comprehensive as the studies being done in seminaries, Christian students are nonetheless given the necessary exposure to understand how the promise of Jesus Christ unfurled throughout the Bible.
These days, information and communication technology has also permeated Biblical Theology, with several positive repercussions for the discipline. Christians all over the world can now participate in discourses in Biblical Theology through online bible studies and online bible forums offered by different Christian groups. These online bible studies have effectively widened the following of Biblical Theology, with the potential of expanding the scope and broadening the depth of the intellectual discourse.
Online bible studies have cleared geographical and temporal barriers to Biblical Theology. Enrollment to Christian educational institutions and membership in Christian fellowships are no longer necessary to engage in Biblical Theology. Anyone interested in understanding the Bible and immersing in its deeper meaning can log into any online bible study or forum from anywhere in the world and at any given time. These online systems of learning will undoubtedly keep Biblical Theology as alive as ever.
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