What on Earth is Theology Network?

If you've been following me on Twitter for a little while, especially recently, you might have seen me tweeting, etc, about Theology Network.

But what on earth is Theology Network, I hear you cry? 

Simply put, TN (shorter) is UCCF's inspired ministry to theology students, and also the theological wing of UCCF for and in student mission. 

Or, to quote;

"Christian Theology is the most exciting thing possible because its simply about knowing God better, loving Jesus more, and joining the revolution to bring God's Word to God's World"

Theology Network takes that vision seriously, getting excited about theology that exalts Jesus and motivates mission, and passionate about throwing our whole selves, empowered by the Holy Spirit, into loving Jesus with our minds as we study theology.

For Theology Students, TN runs groups, provides resources, and puts on events aimed at keeping Jesus at the centre of our study, and a passion for the mission of the Gospel to our departments. The theological world is an interesting one - whether it be the outlandish theories of some researchers, the challenging questions raised in diverse disciplines, or the disputable matters of Christian denominations - and navigating the first few years of theological study (particularly in a secular university, where faith is neither assumed or necessarily encouraged) can be difficult. I've had the privilege of being the Associate Staff Worker for Theology Network (or, ASW TN!) in Nottingham for the last two  years or so. It has been a joy to see two great student leaders emerge and initiate the group, and to hand it over to a new ASW and three fantastic new student leaders. I'm excited to hear what happens in Nottingham, as well as the other groups springing up and continuing around the country, even as I've moved to London and am excited about seeing what God will do with TN in the various and diverse theological departments of our capital cities.

New TN Notts leader Joe and ASW Josh demosntrating some classy theological behaviour.

For everyone - and especially students engaged in mission at universities - the TN website, theologynetwork.org, offers a treasure trove of resources and thought-provoking theological nuggets. With a wide range of topics, and a simple system to work out whether you are 'starting out', 'gettting stuck in' or 'going on', (demonstrated here regarding 'Doctrine of God') I believe the TN website is a brilliant resource, hence why it made it into my recent roundup of accessible theology websites. Student mission (and, indeed, all mission!) is utterly theological, motivated as it is by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and the overflowing and wild love of God for his people. The TN website can be a catalyst for student leaders to go deeper, to be equipped to face certain challenges and questions, and begin to think theologically about their subject or passions. For apologetics, UCCF also has an excellent website called 'bethinking.org' which is a slightly fresher design, focusing on apologetics.

A screenshot of the brilliant TN website.

I hope some of my passion for this ministry comes across in this short post. If I've whet your appetite you might like to read about the TN Day Conference that the Nottingham Group ran earlier this year, or book reviews of relevant tomes by Kelly Kapic and Joe Thorn, which are great reads for those studying theology. You may also enjoy the scripts of two talks I did for TN Notts, our launch event 'Theology: More than an academic subject' and 'Great Theologians: John Calvin'.

I'd love to engage with you if TN interests you, particularly if you are interested in TN in London. Connect with me via Twitter, Facebook, or leaving a comment here. Nationally and generally please do follow the Theology Network Twitter account!