Scripture Principle, The,: Reclaiming the Full Authority of the Bible [Paperback]

Clark H. Pinnock (Author), Barry L. Callen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0801031559 | ISBN-13: 978-0801031557 | Edition: 2

This balanced approach to understanding the inspiration and authority of the Bible presents a "middle" position on biblical inerrancy that steers clear of pitfalls common to both ends of the spectrum. The authors defend the full authority and trustworthiness of the Bible against those who limit or dismiss its authority, yet they also reject the oversimplifications and false dichotomies found in fundamentalist appeals to verbal inerrancy in defense of the Bible's authority. They consider the whole doctrine of Scripture, including divine authority, human character, and spiritual dynamic, to resolve the biblical authority debate and provide the searching believer a discerning, functional trust in the Bible's relevance to everyday life. First published over twenty years ago--but all the more relevant for today's context--The Scripture Principle has now been revised to speak with new clarity on this perennial issue.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The common options set forth regarding the inspiration and authority of the Bible are usually excessive, either on the "liberal" or "inerrancy" side, leaving division and confusion for those who reverence the Bible but do not wish to look blindly at the text.

In The Scripture Principle, Clark Pinnock and Barry Callen present a balanced "middle" position on biblical inerrancy that steers clear of pitfalls common to both ends of the spectrum. The authors defend the full authority and trustworthiness of the Bible against those who limit or dismiss its authority. Yet they also reject the oversimplifications and false dichotomies found in fundamentalist appeals to verbal inerrancy in defense of the Bible's authority.

This new edition offers a position that needs fresh attention on the contemporary scene. The authors show proponents of the Scripture principle how to respond cogently to biblical criticism while keeping all the necessary elements in perspective. They consider the whole doctrine of Scripture--including divine authority, human character, and spiritual dynamic--to resolve the biblical authority debate and provide readers with a discerning, functional trust in the Bible's relevance for everyday life.

"Although discussions on the nature and authority of Scripture have changed in focus since this volume's first edition in 1984, the topic remains as important as ever. This comprehensive revision, while retaining the original's basic structure and outlook, interacts with ongoing developments, providing a valuable synthesis of continuity and change in this crucial conversation."--Thomas Finger, author of A Contemporary Anabaptist Theology

About the Author

Clark H. Pinnock (PhD, University of Manchester) is professor emeritus of systematic theology at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario, and has written or edited eighteen books, including Most Moved Mover. Barry L. Callen (DRel, Chicago Theological Seminary) is University Professor Emeritus of Christian Studies at Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana. He is editor of the Wesleyan Theological Journal and author or editor of over twenty books, including Authentic Spirituality.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Baker Academic; 2 edition (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801031559
• ISBN-13: 978-0801031557
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #506,526 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Clark H. Pinnock is professor of theology at McMaster Divinity College.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiration alone is not sufficient, September 3, 2007

By 

Glenn (Reading, PA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Scripture Principle, The,: Reclaiming the Full Authority of the Bible (Paperback)

I read this book over the summer and finished it last week. I feel like Clark Pinnock is a kindred spirit, and that he sums up the whole of Messiah College's Bible major in one work. He is not afraid to contemplate parts of the Bible being written as legend, while still seeing that literary form as a way God speaks to us. Neither is he afraid to affirm the extraordinary (miracles) as quite authentic and believeable, but he points out that merely accepting the account as true does not mean that God is speaking to us.

Two small examples from the book: Instead of looking at Bible-reading as an interaction between text and reader, we should include the role of the Holy Spirit as indispensable. Instead of merely seeing God's role in inspiring the Scriptures via the writers, we should value God's role as the illuminator of the Scriptures to the readers.

Cover to cover, it is an awesome book Pinnock has written, and should be read and understood by every critic of fundamentalist beliefs. It takes a great mind to get past the modernist framing of what the Bible is all about, but it takes an even greater mind to put all of that cross-worldview understanding into words as Pinnock has done in this amazing opus!