I'm coming around the final bend...

I'm kind of coming around into getting my usual overall take on a subject regarding theology. I usually see things in terms of history, imaginative literature, and philosophy. That trinity. Prior to learning theology from systematic theologians I kind of already got the imaginative literature part via Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, perhaps Milton's Paradise Lost, but also in probably a bigger way than I may have previously thought of: Grail Romance. And then maybe some works I can't think of at the moment. But those are the main ones for the imaginative literature angle on the Bible.

Then I launched into the big systematic theology thing. A large mass of sources. But eventually I focused on a single book like a Manual of Christian Doctrine (almost symbolically representing all my effort in those sources, but I DID read it complete and kind of learn it more complete than any other single source). So that was the 'philosophy' angle on the subject of the Bible.

Now I can see I'm in the midst of completing this trinity with Edwards' History of the Work of Redemption. It obviously is the 'history' angle to the Bible. Sacred history. Interestingly I came into the sacred history sources last (but I think you simply need to know the actual Bible and even basic theology first before you can even understand or get anything from the history part of the trinity).

If anybody reading me these last three or so years (maybe four, gasp) that I've been into all the theology had run into me perhaps three or four years from now you'd have gotten the consolidated foundational insights and clear recommendations (i.e. understanding) on this subject rather than have to get all the mess and so forth that is inevitable when you are in the midst of learning and sorting everything out and developing real understanding of something big like theology and the Bible.

I had the Work in understanding prior to being on the internet. I had to learn the theology in the open. Destroying my ability to claim I never have to learn anything, that I just know everything. But with the Bible and doctrine we are all - humans and angels even - at the mercy of the Holy Spirit for illumination...