Stanley J. Grenz and Roger E. Olson’s book, Who Needs Theology (1996) asserts, that all people are theologians. They develop this point by offering clarity on the word theology by stating that the term comes from the Greek words: theos, meaning, “God,” and logos, meaning “reason.” Thus theology plainly means “reasoning about God”. However, Grenz and Olson differentiates between, “Worldviewish theology,” which they define as, “wondering and thinking about life’s ultimate questions” (Grenz and Olson 15) and “Christian theology,” which means, “faith seeking understanding” (Grenz and Olson 16). The writers contend that Christian theology looks to God for answers to life’s crucial questions. As a result, Grenz and Olson posit that there are types of Christian theologies. They claim that the types of theologizing can be discovered along a spectrum of Christian reflection. Therefore, the writers identified five types of theologies: folk, lay, ministerial, professional and academic theologies. Nevertheless, the authors postulate that folk and academic theologies offer little value, however, lay, professional and academic theologies are considered beneficial …show more content…
Grenz and Olson contend that the tools for the theological enterprise include: “the biblical message, the theological heritage of the church and the thought-forms of contemporary culture” (Grenz and Olson 92). The writers state that the Bible is primary source because it is fundamental to the discipline. The theological traditions of the church is also crucial to the theologian, because it serves as a reference point to what was done before. Additionally, the point is made that in order for theology to be relevant, the theologian must pay attention to sources that provide insight on the culture. However, they assert that theological art comprises of a joining of all three sources which leads to good