The Revelation of God (Contours of Christian Theology) [Paperback]

Peter Jensen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 20, 2002 | Series: Contours of Christian Theology

In modern times the Christian faith's claim to possess a unique revelation of God has faced numerous challenges. A central issue has been the role of the Bible. While some have continued to defend the view that the Bible, inspired by God, is God's self-revelation in a direct way, others, have argued that God's self-revelation is to be found primarily in divine action or in the person of Jesus Christ, rather than in the Scriptures as such. In a fresh approach, Peter Jensen argues that it is better to follow the biblical categories of the knowledge of God and the gospel than to start from "revelation" as an abstract concept. First, Jensen focuses on revelation, whether special or general, from the viewpoint of the knowledge of God through the gospel. Next, he examines the nature and authority of Scripture and our approach to reading it. Finally, he turns to the revelatory work of the Holy Spirit through illumination. The result is a creative and compelling exposition of the evangelical understanding of revelation for the contemporary scene.

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About the Author

Jensen is archbishop of the Diocese of Sydney, Australia. He was formerly principal of Moore Theological College, Sydney.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic (August 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830815384
• ISBN-13: 978-0830815388
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #217,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Bible, the Gospel and Christ are loci of revelation, August 23, 2004

By 

Scott Kimbrough (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Revelation of God (Contours of Christian Theology) (Paperback)

Peter Jensen, formerly Principal of Moore Theological College, Sydney, Australia has written a fine book. He attempts to give a biblical theological appraisal of divine revelation using the Bible and the Gospel as his guide while critiqueing Schliermacher, Barth and experientialist views of revelation.

The writing is clear and understandable, though a bit repetitive at times. But his general thesis is that the revelation of God is percieved primarily through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but contra Barth, actually has a locus in Scripture itself. He defines the Gospel in terms that are fairly typical of the Sydney Anglicans (Goldsworthy, Dumbrell). Primarily for Jensen, the Gospel is about the establishment of the Kingdom of God, through the King-Savior-Judge Jesus Christ.

He sets out to define the Gospel in the first part of the book by looking at the work of Christ in a redemptive-historical and soteriological fashion. He concludes by stating that the Gospel, therefore, is revelation because in it God's Kingdom-establishing project is revealed.

The next two parts of the book talk about hermeneutics and the place of experience in the Christian life. This was the more enjoyable part of the book for me because the first section was more of a review for me. He discusses general revelation, general religious experience and the reality of particular Christian experience. He concludes by saying that Christian experience must be understood in terms of the Gospel as revelation. With respect to general revelation, he holds to a less than optomisitic view that it can be redemptive for people in any complete way - only the Gospel can function as saving revelation. There is also a chapter on the authority of Scripture which is interesting for an evangelical to read to get a different perspective on the authority of Scripture that isn't so widely expressed.

I felt that at certain points Jensen could have been more thorough in his discussion. I'm still not quite clear on what similarities and differences he has with Barth. Also, he does make reference toward the end of the book to Post-modern hermeneutics and it is clear that Kevin VanHoozer's "Is There a Meaning in this Text" is very important in his thinking.

Overall it's a good read and one that ordinary readers will be able to appropriate without too much trouble and one that could be used in theological education at the undergraduate level.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good and Helpful, March 23, 2010

By 

Brett M. Sweet "bmsweet" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Revelation of God (Contours of Christian Theology) (Paperback)

Of the books in this series that I have read (Doctrine of Humanity by Sherlock, Person of Christ by MacLeod, Work of Christ by Letham, and Providence of God by Helm) this has undoubtedly been the best. Jensen's constant gospel-centeredness is wonderful example of how we should inform our theology around the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. His constant meditation on the need of sinners for a savior is precisely what is helpful in a book on the word of God.

A few specific comments: Jensen argues convincingly that you cannot, cannot, cannot, claim to be a Christian without accepting the inerrancy of Scripture (in the original manuscripts). His argument revolves around the reality that the fact that we know that Jesus is the Messiah comes from the testimony of the Bible particularly the Old Testament- you cannot have one without the other. While some men differ in this view, I don't know how they could convince me otherwise. Second, Jensen argues that God's word can be trusted due to the wonderful promises God makes to us- relating the testimony of Scripture to the character of our wonderful God. Finally, Peter Jensen uses a great deal of Scripture to support his claims. Until this volume I have considered this a weakness in this series.

My only hesitation in recommending this without qualification is that I differ with the good Archbishop on his view of charismatic gifts. Intriguingly, his opposition to Grudem's view of prophecy (which I find most Biblical and convincing) he admits to being without Scriptural support, but only philosophically in tension. But I agree wholeheartedly that the Word always is sufficient, authoritative, and final over other revelation. Please read this book and apply it carefully to your life

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Reformed View of Scripture, October 4, 2007

By 

G. Smith (Auburn) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Revelation of God (Contours of Christian Theology) (Paperback)

Peter Jensen's The Revelation of God was a helpful book on understanding a Reformed perspective on revelation. Early in the book Jensen makes his reformed beliefs clear in stating that humans are unable to find God on their own (38). He then moves into a detailed and holistic description about the nature of the Gospel, stressing especially its covenantal nature. Such Gospel-centered discussions are refreshing.

Jensen strikes a good balance in this book in many ways, especially in connecting issues of Lordship with the Word. He reminds us that when we obey and trust the Word, we are obeying and trusting Christ since He rules His people by His given Word (88, 212). Thus, it is completely inconsistent to accept Jesus as Lord and not accept His Word (153). We cannot separate Christ's authority in our lives from biblical authority in our lives. He also strikes a balance between experience and the Word, again putting priority in the Word. Jensen shows that while people do encounter God, our experience must be shaped and tested by the Word, not the reverse (131). He also gives an indictment on many churches today in noting that the lack of experiencing God is deadening. (138). Jenesen's balance also appears when he warns about the dangers of either letting tradition determining interpretation or tradition having no say (171). As he reminds us, innovations in theology imply that all the previous generations have misunderstood God.

Jensen also is great at revealing the heart of issues related to revelation. He states that people who reject the authority of the Bible are doing so out of a desire for human autonomy more than out of having problems with the Bible itself (153). Similarly, he shows that people who raise questions about the unity of the Bible do so because they do not believe in inspiration (186). I found such statements insightful and helpful in knowing how to respond to people who raise such objections.

While I found all of these points helpful, I must say that I was disappointed in the final two chapters. Back in chapter 6 I began to pick up on his cessationist views. However, Jensen makes such views clear in his chapter on the role of the Holy Spirit and on contemporary revelation. While evangelicals may disagree on these issues, I did not feel that Jensen's final chapter dealt fairly or completely with the issue. After accusing Grudem of providing "insufficient" Scriptural evidence for his views (270), Jensen discounts Grudem's beliefs without using any Scripture himself. He goes on to say that Grudem's view directs us away from the Word of God (270) but gives little explanation. My continuationist beliefs drive me back to the Word, not away from it. Similarly, discounting tongues and prophecy by pointing to counterfeit examples and failed prophecies does little more than build a straw man to destroy. Does not the enemy counterfeit many truths? Does not Paul tell us to test prophecies (implying that they can be wrong and that the Word is our standard)? I still struggle to see biblically how Jensen can conclude from the evidence he provides here that it is a myth to believe that God speaks to people today by His Spirit.