THEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT edited by Kevin J. Vanhoozer with assistance from Daniel J. Treier and N.T. Wright (original) (raw)
Related papers
"The Character of Theological Interpretation of Scripture" IJST, 12/2 (April, 2010)
Recent proposals for reading Scripture have increasingly focused on the role of divine agency. Greater attentiveness to the complexity and place of divine agency results in an irruption in the relationship between theological hermeneutics and theological interpretation and a challenge to the dominant way of perceiving their relationship since the rise of modernity. Thus it is increasingly recognized that Scripture is not read like other books. The unique character of theological interpretation necessarily originates in the unique character of the God who speaks the Word of the holy canon of Scripture: the Trinity. Our methodological formulations and hermeneutical understandings of theological interpretation must go beyond the formal acknowledgement of divine causality that remains in these recent proposals to thick confessional and dogmatic reflections on the character of the Trinity and the practices of reading which faithfully reflect that character.
Scripture: A Very Theological Proposal (review)
Toronto Journal of Theology, 2011
Angus Paddison's work builds upon a recent trend that seeks a ''theological (re)engagement of Scripture'' (1). One sees behind this effort the influence of ressourcement in Catholic theology and beyond, that is, the desire to reclaim scriptural exegesis as true ''theology'' or ''words about God.'' More acutely, one senses here the contemporary discontent among many Christians who are tired of the ills of modernity's influence on their churches. Paddison, in this context, promotes a scripturally informed theology inseparable from the life of the ekklesia as rooted in its liturgical traditions. Paddison's book includes five chapters. The first lays a solid foundation for the particular hermeneutical stance that is the volume's presupposition. Paddison argues convincingly that Scripture is a text sifted, composed, and embraced by the people of God, and therefore can be rightly interpreted only through that community's eyes of faith. This faith is enacted in the praxis of worship, since the Church is expressed in its fullness in the gathering of the people of God, the proclamation of the word, and the breaking of the bread. Even if the bias of historical criticism seeks to find meaning in the text by digging into its original socio-cultural context, such criticism is truly relevant for scriptural exegesis only as the Church is oriented towards the eschaton. The Church transcends time, even as it is embedded in specific times and cultures; thus its exegesis is nurtured by the signs of the times, while it keeps its focus on eternity. The locus of scriptural interpretation is the Church's prayer, but God's word is pivotal for other dimensions of the Christian life. Paddison underlines ethics and doctrine in particular. The second chapter reflects on how Scripture, Church, and Christian ethics mutually inform each other, since Scripture provides the Church's system of meaning or ''imaginary,'' and the disciples' becoming like Christ transforms their life choices and actions. Thus, Scripture is the logos or reasoning of Christian ethics, just as scriptural reasoning promotes a stance of patience in Christians, who wait for the world and each other to be transformed by God's grace. Patience is nowhere more necessary than in questions of doctrine. This is the focus of the third chapter. Not only is there no such thing as sola scriptura divorced from the Church's history of scriptural reasoning, but the heritage of rich interpretation is the Church's deposit of faith. Thus, Scripture's claims make sense only as informed by the Church's ongoing reflection on the words of God, just as theology divorced from its grounding in Scripture loses its relevance. Paddison's argument gains practical traction in the final chapters, which tackle two principle contemporary contexts in which scriptural hermeneutics takes concrete form: preaching and academic scholarship. If Scripture is the book of the Church, then the homily is the natural environment for its proclamation. Homiletics cannot be reduced to formulas or rhetorical techniques, for breaking open the word of God is a task of contemplation and a gift of the Holy Spirit. Above all, preachers must be men and women of prayer who guide their congregations' rich engagement with the word of God through attentive listening. Lastly, Paddison stresses the university's need for the existential voice of theology born out of a participatory engagement with Scripture. He criticizes the academy's dogmatism and the fragmentation of its scholarly disciplines, and argues that theology must witness to a holistic vision of the world and of our place in it. Accordingly, theology itself must be healed of its brokenness by being teleologically oriented in the service of true human flourishing. Paddison's work is highly recommended for students of ministry and theology, who many times are baffled by the fragmentation in their programs of formation. In its spirit, it
Biblical Theology is a much talked-about enterprise pursued with little agreement on method or goal. Biblical Theology’s lack of definition is out of proportion to the potential importance of its findings both for the academy and the church. Rather than offering a new definition of Biblical Theology, this paper sketches a framework for such a definition by describing various theories and practices of “whole Bible” Biblical Theologies published since 2000. Using the categories developed in Understanding Biblical Theology (Zondervan, 2012), this paper categorizes a range of recent offerings by plotting them on a spectrum extending from more historical to more theological. Noting especially how each work settles issues of historical diversity versus theological unity, the descriptive versus prescriptive nature of the discipline, whether Biblical Theology is an academic or ecclesial discipline, and especially the kind and degree of unity/disunity between the Old and New Testaments, this paper will isolate the weaknesses of each work. Here a pervasive weakness surfaces, namely, the failure to consider the canon as a criterion for Biblical Theology. Upon isolating this and other shortcomings, the paper will conclude by arguing for a broader, more eclectic approach to Biblical Theology—one that balances both historical and theological concerns as a fitting way forward.
New Testament Theology: Too Theological, Too Difficult, and Too Repetitive
Religions, 2022
This essay argues that New Testament Theology (NTT) is an indispensable mediating discipline between historical exegesis and systematic theology. It defends NTT against claims that: (1) NTT should be replaced by the study of early Christian religion; (2) The NT is too diverse and disparate to sustain any unifying theology; and (3) NTT has been over-done so that there is nothing new to be said. The essay proceeds to the defense of NTT by contending that theology is part of the substance and significance of the NT. In addition, the NT contains several varieties and unities that can simultaneously challenge and aid theological reflection. Finally, the essay proposes a fresh approach to explicate the theological texture and religious impetus of the NT with a view to renewing living faith communities.
Review of Understanding Biblical Theology
Recent years have witnessed an astounding growth of interest in biblical theology both on the popular and scholarly levels. New series, dictionaries, and monographs continue to be written and read. The explosion of published works has been in no sense monolithic, resulting in a multitude of definitions of, approaches to, and methods for biblical theology. Many find it difficult to get a grasp on what exactly is intended when an author describes her work as "biblical theology." Indeed, two writers can use the same term and mean very different things. One problem, particularly for beginning students, is that there has been no resource to use as an entry-point into the discussion. The authors of Understanding Biblical Theology have sought to fill the need for an introductory text by presenting a descriptive work that leads readers to encounter five approaches to the discipline.