Theology Thursday: The relationship to Exegesis

There is a clear path for Systematic Theology and I believe that path is by the way of exegesis and Biblical theology! In The Moody Handbook of Theology, Paul Enns not only provides a super clear sequence chart, but he also states: "Biblical theology is preliminary to systematic theology; exegesis leads to Biblical theology which in turn leads to systematic theology." 

I believe any serious theologian allows scripture to lead the dance!

The Moody Handbook of Theology - Paul Enns

I don't have a hard copy of Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology book, but I was able to download the PDF version. And, what's nice about the PDF version is we are able to search for all and any mention of the key word exegesis and my search findings are below:

We affirm that the text of Scripture is to be interpreted by grammatical historical exegesis, taking account of its literary forms and devices, and that Scripture is to interpret Scripture.

A good theological analysis must find and treat fairly all the relevant Bible passages for each particular topic, not just some or a few of the relevant passages. This often means that it must depend on the results of careful exegesis (or interpretation) of Scripture generally agreed upon by evangelical interpreters or, where there are significant differences of interpretation, systematic theology will include detailed exegesis at certain points.

Incompetent exegesis can be found in the writings of the less competent scholars in any field of biblical studies, not just in systematic theology, but those “bad examples” constitute an objection not against the scholar’s field but against the incompetent scholar himself.

Another technical term often used in discussions of biblical interpretation is “exegesis,” a term that refers more to the actual practice of interpreting Scripture, not to theories and principles about how it should be done: exegesis is the process of interpreting a text of Scripture. Consequently, when one studies principles of interpretation, that is “hermeneutics,” but when one applies those principles and begins actually explaining a biblical text, he or she is doing “exegesis.” The existence of many disagreements about the meaning of Scripture throughout history reminds us that the doctrine of the clarity of Scripture does not imply or suggest that all believers will agree on all the teachings of Scripture. Nevertheless, it does tell us something very important—that the problem always lies not with Scripture but with ourselves. The situation is in fact similar to that of the authority of Scripture. Whereas we affirm that the words of Scripture have all the authority of God himself, we also realize that many people do not acknowledge that authority or submit themselves to it. Similarly, we affirm that all the teachings of Scripture are clear and able to be understood, but we also recognize that people often (through their own shortcomings) misunderstand what is clearly written in Scripture.

Interdependence of theological disciplines

I believe any serious theologian allows scripture to lead the dance!

In conclusion, I believe any competent serious theologian allows scripture to lead the dance, select the music and adjust the sound. 

Do you see the relationship of exegesis to theology and why it's imperative for any type of theology to follow or be intertwined with the study of scripture?