Why Theology Matters for Christian Women | She's a Theologian: Learning to Know God as Christian Women

Artwork Credit: Mary Magdalene Kneeling, Study for The Christ and Mary Magdalene (1890) by Albert Edelfelt (1854–1905). Public domain image accessed via Artvee.com.

 

   The word theology might sound distant or academic to many of us. Perhaps it brings to mind long books, old terms, or people debating doctrine in rooms we will never enter. Yet when we speak of theology, we are not talking first about scholars. We are talking about knowing God.

    Theology comes from two Greek words—theos, meaning “God,” and logos, meaning “word” or “reason.” At its most basic, theology is the study of God. And so, whether we are opening the Bible at our kitchen table, listening to a sermon, or studying a passage with hunger to understand who God is, we are doing theology. It is not reserved for formal settings. It happens wherever truth meets the soul.

    To know God rightly is not optional. It is part of our calling as believers. Jesus said that eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent (Jn 17:3). Paul prayed that the church would grow in the knowledge of Him (Eph 1:17). Peter urged believers to be diligent in their pursuit of grace and knowledge (2 Pet 3:18). We may observe from these verses that theology is not just for those who teach or lead. It is for all who belong to Christ.

    Still, some may wonder whether it is necessary to study doctrine deeply. Is it not enough to simply love God and follow Him? But Scripture does not separate love from truth. In fact, it warns against zeal without knowledge (Rom 10:2) and encourages testing every spirit, because false teaching is real and dangerous (1 Jn 4:1). Love without truth is easily misled. Truth without love becomes prideful. But truth and love together produce discernment and faithfulness.

    Women are not exempt from this. In 2 Timothy 3, Paul speaks of those who creep into households and capture gullible women, weighed down with sins and led away by various passions. He describes them as "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim 3:6–7). This is not a flattering picture, but it may serve as a warning. We do not want to be those who read, follow, and absorb content without discernment. We want to be women who test what we hear, who love the truth, and who fear the Lord.

    Theology is not about trying to become clever. It is about loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mk 12:30). We cannot separate right worship from right belief. Even the early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching before anything else (Acts 2:42). They knew that the strength of their devotion flowed from the truth they believed.

    For some of us, the word theology may carry heavy or painful memories. We might have once been taught false doctrine. We might have lived for years believing things that sounded right but did not match Scripture. We might still be healing from the confusion that followed. If that is where we are, then studying theology is not a burden. It is part of our healing. As the psalmist said, “The entrance of Your words gives light” (Ps 119:130). Where we lacked clarity before, God's Word brings understanding.

    Theology matters because truth matters. And truth matters because God is truth. As Christian women, we are not studying ideas. We are seeking to know a Person. May we learn with reverence. May we read with care. May we correct what must be corrected in ourselves and hold fast to what is good (1 Thess 5:21). And above all, may we glorify Him who has made Himself known.