𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲: 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐧, 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲: 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐧, 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

Throughout church history, three prominent theological centers emerged in the ancient Christian world—Carthage, Alexandria, and Antioch. Each gave rise to a distinctive approach to theology and Scripture, shaped by its location, intellectual influences, and ecclesial mission. These schools played significant roles in shaping doctrinal formulation, hermeneutical methods, and pastoral theology. This essay will trace the origins and development of these schools and contrast them with the biblical theology of the early church as seen in the New Testament and in apostolic tradition, such as what is being rearticulated in modern times through the BILD framework.

1.       𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑆𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙: 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐿𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑖𝑔𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑦𝑟𝑑𝑜𝑚

The Carthaginian school of theology originated in North Africa, centered in the city of Carthage. Its most prominent early theologians include Tertullian and later Cyprian of Carthage. This school emphasized moral rigor, ecclesiastical discipline, and a confrontational stance toward pagan society. Tertullian, often regarded as the father of Latin Christianity, wrote extensively in Latin, creating a legalistic theological framework grounded in Roman law, justice, and apologetic confrontation. Carthaginian theology focused heavily on issues like repentance, church order, and martyrdom. It helped shape early Western Christianity’s emphasis on moral purity and sacramental rigor, particularly regarding penance and ecclesiastical authority.

2.       𝐴𝑙𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑆𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙: 𝐴𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑜𝑟𝑦, 𝑃ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑄𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

The Alexandrian school arose in the cosmopolitan intellectual center of Alexandria, Egypt. It became famous for its Catechetical School, which trained theologians and biblical scholars like Clement of Alexandria and Origen. This school was known for its use of allegorical interpretation, drawing from Platonic and Hellenistic philosophies to understand Scripture. Alexandrian theologians sought to integrate Christian doctrine with philosophical systems, often emphasizing the divinity of Christ and the mystical union of the soul with God. Origen, in particular, developed a complex cosmology and soteriology based on pre-existent souls, the Logos, and the process of spiritual ascent. The strength of the Alexandrian school lay in its intellectual depth and ability to engage with the cultural elite, but it sometimes veered into speculative and overly abstract theological constructions.

3.       𝐴𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑆𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙: 𝐻𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙-𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝐸𝑥𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡

In contrast to the Alexandrian approach, the Antiochian school—centered in Syrian Antioch—emphasized the literal, historical-grammatical interpretation of Scripture. Theologians like Diodore of Tarsus, Theodore of Mopsuestia, and later John Chrysostom promoted a more sober, historically grounded exegesis. They sought to preserve the historical reality of biblical events and were particularly concerned with affirming the true humanity of Christ, especially against Alexandrian overemphasis on Christ’s divinity. The Antiochian school contributed significantly to Christological debates in the fourth and fifth centuries, particularly through its influence on Nestorius. It provided a vital counterbalance to Alexandrian allegory and laid the foundation for a more contextual and textually faithful approach to Scripture.

4.       𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦: 𝐴 𝑅𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝐵𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝐹𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠

These three schools—Carthaginian, Alexandrian, and Antiochian—represent major theological streams that shaped both Eastern and Western Christianity. Yet, over time, their influence often led to theological systems increasingly removed from the biblical storyline and apostolic mission. Carthage tended toward legalism and institutionalism; Alexandria risked abstraction through allegory; Antioch, though more textually grounded, sometimes fell into theological fragmentation.

In contrast, the biblical theology of the early church—rooted in the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42), the grand redemptive narrative (Luke 24:27), and the Pauline model of church planting and leadership training (Acts 13–14)—provides a holistic framework centered on Christ, the gospel, and the community of faith. This theology was not speculative but practical, rooted in the story of Scripture and lived out in local churches. It offered a coherent vision of God’s purposes from creation to new creation.

Modern initiatives like BILD International’s “The Way of Christ and His Apostles” seek to recover this biblical-theological paradigm. Rather than merely drawing from systematic traditions rooted in the post-apostolic schools, BILD returns to the early church’s strategy of establishing believers in first principles, forming strong communities, and multiplying through trained leaders. This approach critiques the fragmentation of theological education and calls for a return to the pattern and priorities of the apostles.

𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛

While the Carthaginian, Alexandrian, and Antiochian schools made profound contributions to Christian thought, they also introduced patterns that, over time, departed from the simplicity and power of the apostolic way. The biblical theology of the early church—holistic, narrative-driven, community-based, and mission-focused—offers a more faithful path for theological reflection and church formation today. A return to this model is not only a critique of historical detours but an invitation to realign with the Way of Christ and His Apostles.

𝑅𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠:

1. Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation. HarperOne, 2010.
2. Kelly, J. N. D. Early Christian Doctrines. HarperOne, 2000.
3. Reed, Jeff. The First Principles Series (BILD International), especially The Story and The Essentials
4. McGrath, Alister E. Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought. Wiley-Blackwell, 2013.
5. Bavinck, Herman. Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 1–4. Baker Academic, 2003–2008.
6. Childs, Brevard S. Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments: Theological Reflection on the Christian Bible. Fortress Press, 1992.
7. Beale, G. K. A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New. Baker Academic, 2011.