Podcast Summary: Doctrine Matters with Kevin DeYoung – “What is Theology Proper?”

Date: February 3, 2026
Host: Kevin DeYoung
Podcast Produced by: Crossway

Episode Overview

In this foundational episode of Doctrine Matters, Kevin DeYoung moves from introductory theological material (prolegomena) to the central topic of “theology proper”—the study of the being and works of God. DeYoung aims to make complex theological concepts accessible, breaking down how Christians have historically spoken about God and what it means to say “God is spirit.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining Theology Proper

• Timestamps: [00:47] – [01:50]
• Theology proper is the category concerned specifically with the being and works of God, distinct from other theological themes.
• DeYoung wants listeners to gain clarity on foundational theological categories for better understanding and worship.

2. How Do We Speak About God? (The Language of Theology)

• Timestamps: [01:50] – [10:45]

Kevin DeYoung unpacks three philosophical categories that theologians use for talking about God:

a. Univocal Language

• Words have only one meaning.
• Example: “God is good” means the same as “the flowers are good.”
• Why it fails: There is an ontological gap between God and creation; “goodness” doesn’t apply to God in the same sense as to created things.

• “God does not belong to the same genus as his creation. That is, he is not in the same class of things as any other thing.” ([03:43])

b. Equivocal Language

• The same word has totally different meanings.
• Example: The word “bank” can refer to a riverbank or a financial institution.
• Why it fails: If “God is good” is entirely different from “Sam is good,” then meaningful communication about God is impossible.

• “…why even bother doing theology? If 'God is good' means nothing like 'Sam is good,' how can we say anything meaningful about God with human language?” ([06:50])

c. Analogical Language

• Words partly correspond: not identical, not completely different.
• There’s both similarity and difference when applied to God and created things.

• “There is a great ontological distance between God and man, which means our words for God are never exactly the same… And yet there is a similarity between God and human beings. After all, we are made in his image.” ([08:40])

• Our speech about God is “analogical,” conveying true but not exhaustive knowledge.

Archetypal vs. Ectypal Knowledge

• Archetypal knowledge: The way God knows himself (complete, perfect).
• Ectypal knowledge: The way creatures know God (real, but derivative and limited).

• “God is not incomprehensible, but he is inexhaustible. We can’t know everything about Him.” ([10:41])

3. The Biblical Definition: “God is Spirit” (John 4:24)

• Timestamps: [10:45] – [16:30]

a. Immateriality

• “God is spirit” means God has no physical form—he is an immaterial, invisible being.
• Supporting texts: Exodus (no physical form at Sinai), Isaiah 31, 1 Timothy 1:17

• “He is invisible [which] means he is also free from the limitations of time and space. So eternal, immortal, invisible.” ([12:24])

b. Spirituality: More Than Non-Physical

• It’s not just about being invisible; God is “spirit itself”—the most pure, absolute spirit.

• “God’s spirituality is not only his non-physicality. ...But there are important points that the confession is trying to underscore.” ([12:48])

c. Substantiality and Personality

• Substantiality: God is a real being, not just a force or an idea; he exists as an essence or substance—ens.

• “What we want to say by substantiality is that He is, and here’s a Latin word: ens, which is Latin from the verb esse, ‘to be’, meaning as a spiritual substance.” ([14:22])

• Personality: God is personal—possessing self-consciousness, self-knowledge, and will.

• “By personality, we mean here that God is a personal being. ...He is a knowing subject. He knows things and he is an object that can be known. He’s aware of himself. He’s aware of others.” ([15:05])

d. Preparation for Trinitarian Discussion

• The concept of God’s “personality” is crucial groundwork for future conversations about the Trinity.
• God is one personal being, with one will and consciousness, eternally existing as three divine Persons.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There is a great ontological distance between God and man, which means that our words for God are never exactly the same thing as those words we use for man. And yet there is a similarity between God and human beings. After all, we are made in his image.” – Kevin DeYoung ([08:40])

• “God is not incomprehensible, but he is inexhaustible.” ([10:41])

• “God’s spirituality is not only his non-physicality... He is still a real being. That’s what we’re trying to get at with this term.” ([14:22])

• “He is self-aware and self-determined. ...God has agency. His decisions are freely chosen, self-directed.” ([15:34])

• “Or as Jesus put it, God is Spirit—and we want to affirm he is Spirit, absolutely.” ([16:20])

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------| | 00:47 | Introduction of theology proper | | 01:50 | Explaining how language for God works | | 03:43 | Why univocal language fails | | 06:50 | Why equivocal language fails | | 08:40 | Introduction of analogical language | | 10:41 | Archetypal vs. ectypal knowledge | | 10:45 | “God is Spirit” and its implications | | 12:24 | Eternal, immortal, invisible | | 14:22 | Substantiality and God’s real being | | 15:05 | God’s personality | | 16:20 | Summing up: “God is Spirit, absolutely.” |

Summary

This episode of Doctrine Matters offers a lucid guide to the deep waters of theology proper. Kevin DeYoung demystifies technical language, explaining how Christians can meaningfully talk about a God who is both infinitely beyond us and yet personally knowable. He grounds Christian talk about God on the analogical use of language, and points listeners toward both the majesty (his being as pure spirit) and nearness (his personality and self-revealing nature) of God. The conversation lays the foundation for deeper discussions of Trinitarian theology to follow.