Dr. Thomas C. Oden's Analysis

When studying the word of God one is invited to the joy of revelation through scripture. However, the study of theology is almost comedic due to the effort of one trying to simply understand and share what is simply indescribable and unfathomable. Nonetheless, the Church still tries to discover, learn, and grow. The study of theology is an exposition of divine revelation. This is accomplished through the study of scripture, tradition, and historical reflection. One man that demonstrates a remarkable and honorable example of this process is Dr. Thomas C. Oden. Oden is a contemporary theologian that has made a substantial impact upon the scholarly world. Oden was born October 21 1993 in Atlus, Oklahoma and since then has made a ginormous impact …show more content…
Oden argues the modern theology is very instable and extremely faddish and trendy to what is popular. Along with that Oden states that there is also a large lack of clarity in what the current though of today’s church is. It appears that as the church has moved on that it has forsaken scripture and chosen tradition. What one finds in the common church is that there is a lot of unity but there is not a unity that has a clear understanding of what is believed. That as the years have passed the church has gone from stewards of the word and focusing on the purpose of the church; what the early church was, to stewards of what the church does. That tradition has trumped scripture. Contemporary theology has lost its traditional sources and audience. Due to this is has clarity and the nerve to stand against opposing thoughts. The result of this sad theology, as argued by Oden, is one that it is depressing and flashy. It has lost its focused purpose and foundation. To combat this revolutionary thought within the church Oden has wrote two volumes on his systematic theology. What Oden does in these books is offer the classic ecumenical consensus that the church has forgotten. This consensus on God and Christ is what brings the church to a point of unity. This theology is one that is very heavy and full of life. Within these volumes Oden handles classic questions of theology. Not only does he make answers upon a common consensus but also he fights to bring to revelation the shared rootage of early exegesis that can bring clarification to the common church. By going back to the ground roots of the early church Oden believes that we can not only bring unity within the current church but that we can build a solid foundation that can become more empowering to share Christ with this world. The beauty of looking back to the early exegesis is that it is humbling to theologians,