What comes to mind when you think of theology? Tonsured older men draped in religious garb with their heads bent over thick tomes in candlelit rooms? Ecclesial forums splitting hairs over some ultra-niche term in Latin, Greek, or Hebrew?
Theology might not make the top ten on any list of popular courses for lay youth, but that is owing to its non-lucrative nature rather than its inherent value. What if I told you that theology is just as scintillating as big data, just as fascinating as psychology, just as riveting as literature, just as rewarding as medicine? Not for the same reasons, of course.
Why Youth Should Immerse Themselves in Theology
You Reach New Depths of Faith
The opposite of depth is superficiality. Societal pressures, misconceptions, and personal difficulties abound. Without deep understanding, you may find your faith assailed and buffeted by every wind that blows. If your faith is superficial, it can be easily shaken. If you engage in theology, you anchor yourself in the rich intellectual and spiritual tradition of the Church, which will empower you to respond articulately and thoughtfully to challenges, doubts, and the complexities of life rather than abandoning or questioning your faith during moments of despair.
Studying theology helps you move beyond a surface-level understanding of your beliefs and engage more deeply with the truths of the faith. Many young people know the basic tenets of Catholicism—attending Mass, praying, and following certain moral codes—but may not have wrapped their heads around the origins and the rationale behind these practices.
Theology introduces young Catholics to foundational doctrines such as the nature of the Trinitarian God, the Incarnation of Christ, the meaning of the sacraments, and the role of the Church. Studying these topics will take you from listlessly reciting to confidently professing the Nicene Creed at Mass with all your heart. As a further example, understanding the Eucharist theologically (as the real presence of Christ) will transform how you approach Communion. It will no longer be a symbolic meal, but the highest possible intimacy with your Creator and the love of your life.
You Make That Faith Personal
Theological study makes your faith mean something to you. Rather than simply accepting what your parents, teachers, priests, and nuns say, you as a young Catholic can explore why the Church believes what it does. You can wrestle with these truths, ask difficult questions, and seek answers. The fruit of this search and struggle is that you arrive at a deeper personal conviction and strengthen your relationship with God. What a joy it is to live a faith that is no longer borrowed, but your own!
Theology connects abstract doctrine to everyday life. It helps young lay Catholics understand how Christianity is not simply a Sunday obligation but a way of life that influences every aspect of their being—how they make decisions, conduct interpersonal relationships, and see the world. Finding God in all aspects of your life makes life worth living.
- The Doctrine of the Trinity (see Augustine’s De Trinitate) talks about how humans, created in the image of the Triune God, are called to reflect the love and unity of the Trinity in our relationships.
- The Doctrine of the Incarnation (see John Paul II’s Evangelium Vitae) emphasises that the Incarnation shows the immeasurable value of human life. This view informs our understanding of social justice, human rights, and the sanctity of life and forms our ethical stances on matters like abortion, euthanasia, and care for the marginalised.
- The Doctrine of the Eucharist (see John Paul II’s Ecclesia de Eucharista and Paul VI’s Mysterium Fidei) is spiritual nourishment that unites us with Christ and enables us to live out our faith in the world, just like Mother Teresa, who saw Christ in the Eucharist and then sought to see him in the people she served.
- The Theology of Creation (see Francis’ Laudato Si’) endows us with responsibility for the environment. When we see the goodness and beauty of the Creator in the creation, we conscientiously engage with issues like climate change, pollution, and environmentally insensitive lifestyles.
Your Faith Matures into Love
The end goal of systematically studying God is not scholarship. As little children, we memorised the answer to the question: Why did God create You? God created me to know Him, love Him, serve Him, and be with Him in this world and the next. Knowing God and loving God go together. When you move beyond vague, simplistic ideas of God as a distant, abstract figure, you discover the richness of His nature—His infinite love, mercy, justice, and omnipotence. You experience God as a loving Father, a redeeming Son, and a guiding Holy Spirit, and you are stirred to reciprocate that love in your little human way.
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