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Ultimately with R.C. Sproul

What Is the Difference between Theology and Religion?

Ultimately with R.C. Sproul

Ligonier Ministries

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.91.2K Ratings

🗓️ 26 May 2023

⏱️ 6 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What makes the study of theology different from the study of religion? Today, R.C. Sproul illustrates that one of these fields of study is man-centered and the other is God-centered.

A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://gift.ligonier.org/1529/ultimately

If this podcast has been a blessing to you, try these other podcasts from Ligonier:

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Transcript

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0:00.0

There is a huge difference between the science of theology and the science of religion.

0:10.7

The study of religion is the study of human behavior and what a long way that is from the

0:20.3

study of God.

0:24.8

Many years ago, there was a well-known Christian college that had an extremely high academic

0:33.7

standard and a superlative reputation for scholarship.

0:40.9

And they were without a president.

0:43.9

And while they had a search committee looking for a new president, the school underwent

0:50.7

a self-evaluation program.

0:55.5

And so I was invited by the dean to come to this campus and to address the faculty and

1:04.4

administration on the question, what is a Christian college?

1:13.4

That is, what distinguishes a Christian college from any other kind of college or university

1:20.7

and when I arrived at the campus, the dean gave me the cook's tour of the marvelous buildings

1:30.7

there and the library and he escorted me through the classrooms section and also the faculty

1:40.4

offices and I noticed in passing that there was a department of astronomy, a department

1:47.0

of mathematics, department of psychology, department of philosophy, just like any other

1:53.9

liberal arts college.

1:55.3

But then I was stunned when I saw the one office that said, department of religion, I didn't

2:04.3

say anything, but I sort of tucked that into the back of my brain.

2:10.1

And so that evening when I was called to address the faculty on what it meant to be a Christian

2:15.1

college, I said to them, before I begin this address, I'd like to get some information

2:21.5

from you, I'd like to ask you a question and I told them, I'd been walking across the

2:25.1

campus, I said, and I noticed that there was this alter to an unknown, no, I said, I noticed

...

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