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Essentials of Evangelical Theology, Volume 1: God, Authority, and Salvation

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Bloesch wrote these 2 volumes from the perspective of the mainline Evangelical and Reformed tradition, and so he deals extensively with the liberal Protestant theological writers of the 19th and 20th centuries (Schliermacher, Kierkiegaard, Harnack, Tillich,) as well as neo-orthodox writers (especially Barth, Brunner, Bonhoeffer, Kung, and Cullmann). He comes out evangelical in his teachings on the primacy of scripture (yet reflecting his Barthian influences, he sees scripture as a medium of divine revelation rather than just flat out divine revelation), salvation by grace through faith, and the substitutionary atonement of Christ (a doctrine that is sometimes ridiculed as archaic and primitive in the liberal Protestant tradition).

In volume two, Bloesch contributes fascinating chapters on the cruciality of preaching (a much ignored subject in most systematic theologies), scriptural holiness (where Bloesch is influenced somewhat by the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition), and the personal return of Jesus Christ (where Bloesch comes out with an awkward position combining elements of amillennial and postmillenial thought). He also concludes the book with an insightful discussion on heaven and hell, and a closing chapter on the future of evangelicalism. I recommend these volumes highly, but especially to those who are in mainline denominations such as the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church, USA.

I can't add a lot to the excellent review by Marc Axelrod,
other than to say, "Amen!" Bloesch was and is a mentor,
teacher, and friend and I am so happy to have come across
his books while I was in theological school. They were
a great help to me then and continue to be a good resource
today. I frequently return to his works when I work on
sermons and Bible studies. I can't recommend his _Essentials_
and his current seven volume _Christian Foundations_ highly
enough.

Donald G. Bloesch (b. 1928) was from 1957 until his retirement in 1992 professor of theology at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa; he published this work in 1978.

He states in the Preface, "This book has been written in order to enunciate the salient tenets of evangelical faith. It is commonly said that evangelicalism connotes a particular kind of experience rather than a distinctive doctrinal stance. My contention is that to be evangelical means to hold to a definite doctrine as well as to participate in a special kind of experience. The experience of the forgiveness of sins through the atoning sacrifice of Christ and the assurance of salvation through the gift of the Spirt will always be paramount in evangelical religion. But doctrine is no less essential, since experience, even genuine experience, that is not rightly understood can promote heresy rather than orthodoxy." He admits that "My systematic theology will necessarily have a polemical ring, since in affirming certain truths I must also oppose competing interpretations."

He covers the following subjects: The Meaning of Evangelical; The Sovereignity of God; The Primacy of Scripture; Total Depravity; The Deity of Jesus Christ; The Substitutionary Atonement; Salvation by Grace; Faith Alone; The New Birth; Scriptural Holiness; The Cruciality of Preaching; The Priesthood of All Believers; Two Kingdoms; The Church's Spiritual Mission; The Personal Return of Christ; Heaven and Hell; How Distinctive is Evangelicalism?; Toward the Recovery of Biblical Faith. Here are some excerpts from the book:

"There are some things in the liberal tradition that can be appreciated and even belong to an ecumenical evangelical vision. Among these are the self-critical spirit, a sensitivity fo social injustice, an earnest desire to communicate to the world outside the church, an openness to truth wherever it appears, and a readiness to learn from other religious persuasions." (I, pg. 15)
"Historical criticism is not to be disregarded, but it has a secondary or ancillary role ... it cannot uncover the spiritual significance of the text, the meaning that was in the mind of the Holy Spirit..." (I, pg. 72)
"We do not discount certain legendary elements in the Virgin Birth stories as contained in Luke and Matthew, but it is to be remembered that these stories form part of the authentic New Testament witness and were overwhelmingly accepted by the apostolic church. Containing the ring of truth they are assuredly self-authenticating." (I, pg. 131)
"Christ is our eternal security, and we therefore have eternal security so long as we have faith in Christ." (I, pg. 240)
"(E)vangelicals should oppose the concept of verbal revelation, which ... rests the case for biblical authority on the errorlessness or faultlessness of the Bible's language or mode of expression.... The inerrancy of Scripture pertains to its teaching authority, not to the impeccability of its text or language." (II, pg. 3)
"Evangelical prayer is based on the view that a sovereign God can and does make himself dependent on the requests of his children." (II, pg. 58)
"The battle today is not so much for the Bible as for the Gospel, since the innermost content of the church's proclamation is being altered." (II, pg. 164)
"Whether God will ever ... as loving Father, transform into his likeness even the most rebellious of his enemies or, as omnipotent Creator, destroy those forms of life that are out of harmony with his new creation, we cannot know on the basis of what is revealed in Scripture." (II, pg. 227)
"Again, we as evangelicals need to reappropriate the mystical side of faith." (II, pg. 281)

Bloesch's work deserves a place in any well-rounded theological library.