What Is Personal Theology, and How Can I Write My Own?

What does “personal theology” mean?

Personal theology means the beliefs and commitments through which an individual understands God and lives within the Christian faith. It is personal because you are accounting for what you believe and why; it is theology because its subject is God, religious belief, and the practice of faith.

The St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology describes Christian theology as encompassing the study of God, religious beliefs, and faith practice. It also identifies revelation, reason, tradition, and experience as sources and principles involved in theological thinking. These are not four interchangeable answers. They are ways Christians draw on, interpret, and test what they believe.

Personal theology is not the same as academic theology. The academic field includes biblical, historical, systematic, and practical theology, and Christian theology also takes place in worship, everyday faith, and public life. A personal statement can borrow the care of those disciplines without pretending to be a scholarly work.

It is also more than a list of labels. Calling yourself Protestant, Catholic, evangelical, or another name does not explain what you believe about prayer, Scripture, the church, or salvation. A useful statement makes those convictions visible and gives their reasons.

How is personal theology different from a church’s doctrine or a denomination’s statement of faith?

Personal theology records an individual’s beliefs; church doctrine and denominational statements describe shared teachings a community uses to define and pass on its faith. The two can overlap, but they serve different purposes.

A personal statement can include unresolved questions and different levels of confidence. An official confession is a communal document, shaped to teach or define beliefs for a church or tradition. It is not simply one member’s private summary.

Historic creeds show how shared statements can help. Covenant Theological Seminary presents creeds and confessions as summaries that help the church interpret and teach Scripture across generations. It describes them as subordinate to Scripture, not replacements for it. The Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, and Creed of Chalcedon address central claims about the Trinity and Christ’s divinity and humanity.

This shared authority matters when personal conviction and church teaching differ. First name the exact disagreement. Then ask whether it concerns a central doctrine, an interpretation, a practice, or a question your church leaves open. A difference calls for honest study and conversation; it does not automatically settle whether someone belongs in that church.

How can I write a personal theology statement if I’m unsure what I believe?

You can write a personal theology statement by recording what you currently believe, why you believe it, and what remains open, without pretending to have certainty. Start with a short outline, then add confidence and reasons to each statement.

Avery Foley’s guide for Answers in Genesis describes a statement of faith as a concise set of affirmative statements about core spiritual beliefs. It suggests covering God, humanity, Scripture, the church, and salvation, and connecting claims to biblical references. Use that as a starting structure, not a requirement to claim certainty on every point.

1. Choose the scope. Start with a one-page draft about core beliefs rather than trying to resolve every theological question.
2. Write a plain claim. For example, note what you currently believe about God or Scripture. Keep each statement clear enough that you can explain it.
3. Record the reason. Note the biblical passages, teachings, experiences, or conversations that have shaped the belief. Distinguish the belief itself from the reason you hold it.
4. Mark confidence and open questions. Use words such as “settled,” “developing,” or “uncertain,” and name what you still need to examine.
5. Review and revise. After study or a meaningful conversation, update the wording and note why it changed.

A simple entry might read: “I believe ____. I hold this because ____. My confidence is ____. I am still asking ____.” The blanks are useful. They keep a draft honest when conviction and uncertainty sit side by side.

If you are new to Scripture, a reading plan can give your questions a starting point. The guide Where Should I Start Reading the Bible If I Have Never Read It Before? addresses how to begin. A pastor or theological study resource can help when you need context or want to compare interpretations.

What questions should I ask myself about God, prayer, Scripture, church, and life after death?

Ask what you believe in each area, what supports the belief, and where your confidence ends. The aim is a faithful account of your present understanding, not a complete answer to every question Christians debate.

Use these prompts to shape a first draft:

• God: What do I believe about God’s character and relationship to creation? Which parts of Christian teaching about the Trinity do I understand, and what needs more study?
• Prayer: What do I believe prayer is for? How do Scripture, worship, or personal experience shape the way I pray?
• Scripture: What authority do I believe Scripture has? How do I read a passage in context, and where do I seek help understanding it?
• Church: What do I believe a church is for? Which teachings or practices are shared in my community, and where do I have questions?
• Life after death: What do I believe about resurrection, judgment, or hope beyond death? Which convictions come from Scripture or shared Christian teaching, and which remain uncertain?
• Daily life: How should my beliefs shape choices, relationships, worship, and care for others?

For each answer, separate the claim, its basis, and your confidence. A belief supported by several strands of study may still leave a question open. That is more useful to record than turning uncertainty into a firm declaration.

Personal experience belongs in reflection, but it need not stand alone as proof. The St Andrews Encyclopaedia’s account of theological sources includes experience alongside revelation, reason, and tradition. Put those sources in conversation: ask what Scripture says, how Christians have understood it, whether your reasoning follows, and what your experience contributes.

People’s sense of change is not uniform. In a nationally representative survey of 11,201 U.S. adults conducted July 31–August 6, 2023, Pew Research Center found that 41% said they had become more spiritual over their lifetimes and 24% said they had become more religious; 13% said they had become less spiritual and 33% less religious. The survey did not define “spiritual” or “religious,” so respondents may have understood those terms differently. The findings describe varied reports, not a rule for how any one Christian’s beliefs should develop.

Keep dated versions of your statement, or add a brief note when you revise it. This turns change into something you can examine: what shifted, what informed the shift, and what still needs attention. A personal theology statement is most useful when it tells the truth about both belief and growth.