When Did the Term “Biblical Theology” First Appear?
The phrase “biblical theology” is now common in Christian scholarship and ministry, but it has not always been part of theological vocabulary. Its earliest use in a formal sense can be traced to the late 17th century, at a time when the Protestant world was developing new academic approaches to theology. The term reflected a growing interest in organizing the study of Scripture in a way that emphasized its historical unfolding and its unique voice, distinct from dogmatic systems.
While the terminology emerged in the early modern period, the idea behind biblical theology—studying the whole Bible in its historical and literary unity—has roots in the church’s earliest interpretive practices. Understanding when and why the term first appeared sheds light on the trajectory of the discipline and its importance for the church today.
1. First Recorded Use in 17th-Century Scholarship
The earliest known appearance of the term “biblical theology” (theologia biblica) comes from the title of a work published in 1607 by Johann Christoph Dannhauer, a Lutheran theologian. This use was part of a broader Protestant effort to distinguish between theology drawn directly from the Bible and theology formulated through philosophical systems or ecclesiastical tradition.
While Dannhauer’s work did not define the discipline in the modern sense, it marked an early recognition that Scripture should be studied as its own coherent source of theology, not merely as a collection of proof texts for dogmatic assertions.
2. Development in the Age of Protestant Orthodoxy
During the 17th century, Protestant orthodoxy emphasized confessional precision and systematic theology. In this context, “biblical theology” began as a branch of theological study aimed at supporting doctrinal formulations. It was used to:
Collect and organize biblical passages relevant to particular topics.
Demonstrate that doctrinal positions had solid scriptural grounding.
Serve as an apologetic tool in theological debates.
Although this was a valuable service, it did not yet represent the historical and redemptive-historical approach to biblical theology that would emerge in later centuries.
3. Shift Toward a Historical Discipline in the Enlightenment
By the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the intellectual climate of the Enlightenment began reshaping theological studies. Scholars started to think of biblical theology not only as a repository of proof texts but as a historical discipline.
This shift involved:
Recognizing the progressive nature of revelation.
Studying each biblical author within their own historical and cultural context.
Differentiating between the descriptive work of biblical theology and the prescriptive task of dogmatic theology.
This historical awareness set the stage for Johann Philipp Gabler’s influential definition of biblical theology in 1787, which would dominate scholarly discussions for generations.
4. Influence of Confessional and Academic Contexts
The emergence of the term “biblical theology” was closely tied to the Protestant confessional context. Post-Reformation theologians wanted to show that their doctrinal positions were rooted in Scripture, especially in debates with Roman Catholic theologians.
At the same time, the rise of modern universities provided a setting where theology was increasingly treated as an academic discipline. This encouraged more specialized approaches to the Bible, including the separation of biblical theology from systematic theology.
5. Early Thematic and Redemptive-Historical Concerns
Even in its earliest uses, “biblical theology” carried the seeds of the redemptive-historical approach that would later flourish. Early Protestant scholars recognized that:
The Bible tells one unfolding story of God’s covenant dealings with His people.
Key themes—such as creation, fall, promise, redemption, and consummation—run from Genesis to Revelation.
Christ is the fulfillment of God’s promises and the center of the entire biblical narrative.
These emphases anticipated the fuller developments of biblical theology in the 19th and 20th centuries.
6. Significance for the Bigger Gospel Today
The fact that the term “biblical theology” arose in a Protestant context is not incidental. It reflects a conviction that Scripture itself must shape the church’s theology. For those committed to the bigger Gospel—the proclamation of Christ’s reign from creation to new creation—biblical theology provides the framework to:
Keep the unity of God’s redemptive plan in view.
Show how Old Testament promises are fulfilled in Christ.
Connect the church’s mission to the unfolding biblical story.
Recovering the term’s historical origins can help today’s church appreciate that biblical theology is not a modern invention but a return to the Bible’s own way of telling God’s story.
Conclusion
The term “biblical theology” first appeared in the early 17th century, with Johann Christoph Dannhauer’s usage marking a milestone in Protestant scholarship. Initially serving as a tool to support doctrinal arguments, it evolved into a historical discipline that sought to understand the Bible in its own terms and within its redemptive-historical flow.
This development reminds us that the church’s theology must remain anchored in the whole counsel of God’s Word. For the sake of proclaiming the bigger Gospel, biblical theology is indispensable—uniting the diverse voices of Scripture into the one story of the God who redeems and reigns.
