The Named God and the Question Of Being: A Trinitarian Theo-Ontology [Hardcover]

Stanley J. Grenz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2005 | ISBN-10: 0664222048 | ISBN-13: 978-0664222048

In this book, Stanley Grenz examines the long-standing trajectory of thought that has equated the concept of "being" with the God of the Bible--and thus claimed that the ontological category of being is the guiding concept by which God should be understood. Grenz extends the engagement between Christian theology and the Western philosophical tradition and focuses the discussion on the importance of naming, particularly given that the Christian God is both named and triune. In doing so, he organizes the book into three parts, forming an overarching story of the interplay between the named character of God and the question of being. First he analyzes the history of the philosophical concept of Being, then he shifts the focus to an exegesis of the "I Am" texts, and finally he moves to a renewed conversation between theology and ontological philosophy by means of the divine name.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"As always, Stanley Grenz is on the cutting edge of Christian and evangelical theology. He brilliantly discusses the current rebirth of Trinitarian theology by bringing into dialogue traditional and current philosophical thought with the scriptures. His historical erudition makes this volume a great resource. His systematic arguments carry the issues forward. The book is written with such clarity and purpose that I highly recommend it for any course on God, the Trinity, and theology." —Francis Schüssler Fiorenza, Stillman Professor of Roman Catholic Theological Studies, Harvard Divinity School

"In this, his last book, the late theologian Stanley J. Grenz demonstrates his skill as a constructive theologian. Not satisfied with mere reiteration or defense of conventional doctrinal formulations, he forges a new model of understanding the biblical God in relation to the perennial philosophical question of being. He draws together biblical exegesis, narrative theology, speculation and a synthetic vision of philosophy and theology to construct a new theo-ontology to replace the defunct onto-theology for the postmodern era. This is the saga of God's being as self-naming and giving of God's name that will stimulate further thought and conversation for years to come. It is also a classic of evangelical theology come of age." —Roger E. Olson, Professor of Theology, George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University

Praise for volume 1, The Social God and the Relational Self:

"This is an excellent book--a new step forward in the development of trinitarian theology." —Jürgen Moltmann

"Once again, Stan Grenz has demonstrated that our postmodern condition—far from threatening theological inquiry or rendering it irrelevant—actually underscores the necessity of developing specifically Christian perspectives on the intellectual issues of our day." —David S. Cunningham

"A new appraisal of the doctrine of the imago dei is indeed an urgent task, and Grenz provides one of the most erudite contributions available. —Wolfhart Pannenberg

About the Author

Stanley J. Grenz (1950-2005) was Pioneer McDonald Professor of Theology at Carey Theological College, Vancouver British Columbia, and Professor of Theological Studies at Mars Hill Graduate School, Seattle, Washington. In addition to the books in this series, he is the author of Welcoming but Not Affirming: An Evangelical Response to Homosexuality; What Christians Really Believe and Why; and Sexual Ethics: An Evangelical Perspective. With John R. Franke, he coauthored Beyond Foundationalism: Shaping Theology in a Postmodern Context.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press (November 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0664222048
• ISBN-13: 978-0664222048
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #646,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stanley J. Grenz (1950-2005) earned a B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1973, an M.Div. from Denver Seminary in 1976 and a D.Theol. From the University of Munich (Germany) in 1978, where completed his dissertation under the supervision of Wolfhart Pannenberg.

Ordained into the gospel ministry in 1976, Grenz worked within the local church context as a youth director and assistant pastor (Northwest Baptist Church, Denver), pastor (Rowandale Baptist Church, Winnipeg), and interim pastor. In addition he preached and lectured in numerous churches, colleges, universities and seminaries in North America, Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia.

Grenz wrote or cowrote twenty-five books, the most recent of which is Rediscovering the Triune God: The Trinity in Contemporary Theology (2004). His other books include The Social God and the Relational Self: A Trinitarian Theology of the Imago Dei (Westminster John Knox), Beyond Foundationalism: Shaping Theology in a Postmodern Context (with John R. Franke; Westminster John Knox), The Moral Quest: Foundations of Christian Ethics (IVP), A Primer on Postmodernism (Eerdmans), Women in the Church: A Biblical Theology of Women in Ministry (with Denise Muir Kjesbo; IVP), Revisioning Evangelical Theology: A Fresh Agenda for the 21st Century (IVP), and The Millennial Maze: Sorting Out Evangelical Options (IVP). He has also coauthored several shorter reference and introductory books for IVP, including Who Needs Theology? An Invitation to the Study of God (with Roger E. Olson), Pocket Dictionary of Ethics (with Jay T. Smith), and Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (with David Guretzki and Cherith Fee Nordling). He contributed articles to more than two dozen other volumes, and has had published more than one hundred essays and eighty book reviews. These have appeared in journals such as Christianity Today, The Christian Century, Christian Scholar's Review, Theology Today and the Journal of Ecumenical Studies.

For twelve years (1990-2002), Grenz held the position of Pioneer McDonald Professor of Baptist Heritage, Theology and Ethics at Carey Theological College and at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. After a one-year sojourn as Distinguished Professor of Theology at Baylor University and Truett Seminary in Waco, Texas (2002-2003), he returned to Carey and resumed his duties as Pioneer McDonald Professor of Theology. In 2004 he assumed an additional appointment as Professor of Theological Studies at Mars Hill Graduate School in Seattle, Washington.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, December 20, 2005

By 

Matthew L. Martinson (Bellingham, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Named God and the Question Of Being: A Trinitarian Theo-Ontology (Hardcover)

It was heartbreaking to lose Stan when we did, but his voice lives on in this brilliant book. The first third of the book is a history of ontology, from its pre-Christian origins to Christianty's merger of faith and philosophy in the writings of men like Augustine and Aquinas, all the way to Heidegger and Derrida. It's a fascinating review, or a wonderful way to learn about this history if you know very little about it.

The second third is when he really gets cooking, with a history of God's name, from Exodus 3 all the way to Revelation. The way he shows the unfolding of the "I AM" in this narrative is mind-blowing! It changed the way I read scripture! God is not some random deity who we can make theological claims about through analytical thought as much as he is the self-revealing Lord who has and shares his name with us!

Lastly, Stan shows how ontology and theology can again join in conversation. But unlike before, theology must influence ontology, rather than the other way around. We must develop a theo-ontology rather than an ontotheology. To demonstrate, he unpacks Acts 17, using Paul's discussion with the philosophers as an example for us to use and thoughtfully follow.

This is just a slight overview of what this book holds. It is ultimately about God's story, which we are invited into, which means our stories intertwine and tell a narrative much more grand than we could ever imagine. This is one of the most powerful books of theology I have ever read.