historical, and philosophical sources. It further stresses a need for coherence or consistency. It is this last point that gives rise to most criticism. First, “system” may suggest a static “freezing” of theology, whereas most theologians today would recognize its living, organic character. Second, “system” may suggest a finished and closed arrangement of doctrine, as if new insights from the Bible and experiences of God were excluded, let alone changes in the concepts used by a given culture. But