I expect the theology class to be no different from other sciences subjects in essence, while the only difference would be the focus of study. Just like biology is the study of “bios,” or living things, theology would be the study of “theos,” which I believe in Greek means “God.” Therefore, theology is simply the study of God in various aspects. I belief these aspects would include the most basic: the theories to prove the existence of God. Although for some God is a concept of faith, I think theology should go beyond that level and explore in theory why there is supposed to be a God. After the issue of existence, the next big issue would naturally be: what is God like. The image of God has been extremely enriched and expanded through people’s imagination and artworks. God is also portrayed in different movies. Sometimes as the kind and loving man, other times divine and ruthless. Theology must attempt to establish some universal truth about what God is like.
I expect a lot of different classes of scholars with their varying opinions arguing about theology issues. In theology, it seems that more than one theory is allowed to make sense to explain the same event. The last and also a very important topic that I expect to learn from this class is the relationship between God and the humans, the world, and history. If God created the entire universe, how is he running it, if he is doing so at all. I also wonder if the class will cover the topics of Jesus and how he acted as the bridge between men and God. Also, theology must deal with the issue of coexistence with modern science and technology. Since the Origin of Species, the existence of God has been challenged by modern science. In the 21st century, there is an emerging trend of abandonment of religious beliefs, which is another challenge for theology and religion. Also, the issue of the existence of different “Gods” in different cultures is also intriguing, and I want to see how theology addresses this issue.
As a student from a city named Chongqing, in the southwestern part of China, I have grown up surrounded with close to no religious influence. While some consider Confucianism as the religion of China, they probably refer to the social norms and cultural aspects more than the theological aspect. Despite his greatness, Confucius is still largely perceived as a human being. However, I have read and heard stories from the bible since a very young age. Some of the intriguing ones, such as Noah’s Ark, and Adam and Eve seduced by the snake in the Garden of Eden, still have a mark in my memory. I think nowadays most Chinese people are too busy dealing with the stuff on earth to wonder about a God, which is highly imaginary and requires, I believe, a lot of faith and mental power to sustain in people’s minds. This is why I am intrigued by the theology class, since I want to understand how religion and the belief works and how it has grown into something so influential around the globe.
Although I don’t consider myself to be religious, I do have some faiths and ethos that I apply to make sense of the world. I believe in being kind and always lend a hand when help is needed. I believe it is right to feel happy for other people’s good fortune, and wrong to mock at their misfortune. I also believe in the realization of persona value through hard work. I consider everyone on the planet as an organic part of the history, myself included, and everyone can become substantial if given the opportunity. One question I want to ask about God is: is God something that resembles the human consciousness? I find the two to share many commonalities. For example, both do not have physical proof, yet both a solid existence in theology. Furthermore, if the answer to this question is yes, then does it mean that people’s consciousness would live on after they pass away?