How are we doing theology?

The following is an excerpt from the 3rd chapter of The Rise and Fall of the Complementarian Doctrine of the Trinity. This chapter examines how evangelicals "do" theology? Somewhere along the way, this methodology led a large number of very intelligent theologians down a path contrary to the historic Christian church. How was this possible? Kevin Giles examines this by taking a look at the presuppositions in Grudem's Systematic Theology.

Grudem says he works from two presuppositions:

1. that the Bible is true, and that it is, in fact, our only absolute standard of truth.

1. that the God who is spoken of in the Bible exists, and he is who the Bible says he is, the creator of heaven and earth and all things in them.

The possibility that other presuppositions may impinge on his interpretation and systematizing of Scripture and on his theological conclusions is not seen as a possibility. The implication is that if you affirm that the Bible is inerrant you will be able to give inerrant accounts of any doctrine by appeal to the Bible alone. Our fallen nature will be saved from itself.¹ 

Giles then quotes Abraham Kuyper:

There is to be sure, a theological illusion abroad... which conveys the impressions that, with the Holy Scriptures in one hand, one can independently construct theology... [T]his illusion is a denial of the historic and organic character of theology, and for this reason is inwardly untrue. No theologian following the direction of his own compass would ever have found by himself what he now confirms and defends on the ground of Holy Scripture. By far the largest part of his results is adopted by him from theological tradition and even the proofs he cites from Scripture, at least as a rule, have not been discovered by himself, but have been suggested to him by his predecessors.²  

mic drop.

1. The Rise and Fall of the Complementarian Doctrine of the Trinity, Kevin Giles, 2017, Cascade Books, pg. 68. (emphasis in original)
2. Ibid. pp. 69-70. (emphasis mine)