Four Views on Moving beyond the Bible to Theology (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology) [Paperback]

Gary T. Meadors (Author), Stanley N. Gundry (Series Editor), Walter C. Kaiser Jr. (Contributor), Daniel M. Doriani (Contributor), Kevin J. Vanhoozer (Contributor), William J. Webb (Contributor), Mark L. Strauss (Contributor), Al Wolters (Contributor), Christopher J. H. Wright (Contributor)

Book Description

Series: Counterpoints: Bible and Theology | Publication Date: October 13, 2009

The Bible has long served as the standard for Christian practice, yet believers still disagree on how biblical passages should be interpreted and applied. Only when readers fully understand the constructs that inform their process of moving from Scripture to theology---and those of others---can Christians fully evaluate teachings that claim to be 'biblical.' Here, scholars who affirm an inspired Bible, relevant and authoritative for every era, present models they consider most faithful to Scripture: - Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.: A Principlizing Model - Daniel M. Doriani: A Redemptive-Historical Model - Kevin J. Vanhoozer: A Drama-of-Redemption Model - William J. Webb: A Redemptive-Movement Model Each position also receives critiques from the proponents of the other views. Moreover, due to the far-reaching implications this topic holds for biblical studies, theology, and church teaching, this book includes three additional reflections by Christopher J. H. Wright, Mark L. Strauss, and Al Wolters on the theological and practical interpretation of biblical texts. Four Views on Moving beyond the Bible to Theology empowers readers to identify, evaluate, and refine their own approach to moving from the Bible to theology.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stanley N. Gundry is executive vice president and editor-in-chief for the Zondervan Corporation. He has been an influential figure in the Evangelical Theological Society, serving as president of ETS and on its executive committee, and is adjunct professor of Historical Theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He is the author of seven books and has written many articles appearing in popular and academic periodicals.

Dr. Gary T. Meadors (ThD, Grace Theological Seminary) was professor of Greek and New Testament at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He is author of Decision Making God's Way and a contributor to the Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Dr. Meadors and his wife, Gloria Jean, have been married since 1967 and reside in Ft. Myers, Florida. SPANISH BIO: Gary T. Meadors, doctor en teologia, es profesor de griego y Nuevo Testamento en el Seminario Teologico Grand Rapids en Cornerstone University, en Michigan.

Walter C. Kaiser Jr. (PhD, Brandeis University) is distinguished professor emeritus of Old Testament and president emeritus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. Dr. Kaiser has written over 40 books, including Toward an Exegetical Theology: Biblical Exegesis for Preaching and Teaching; The Messiah in the Old Testament; and The Promise-Plan of God; and coauthored An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics: The Search for Meaning. Dr. Kaiser and his wife, Marge, currently reside at Kerith Farm in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin. Dr. Kaiser's website is www.walterckaiserjr.com. SPANISH BIO: Walter C. Kaiser, (hijo) (Ph.D., Brandeis University) es profesor distinguido de Antiguo Testamento en el Seminario Teologico de Gordon-Conwell.

Kevin J. Vanhoozer (Ph.D., Cambridge University) is Blanchard Professor of Theology at the Wheaton College and Graduate School. He is the author or editor of sixteen books, including The Drama of Doctrine and the forthcoming Remythologizing Theology.

William Webb is professor of New Testament at Heritage Theological Seminary in Cambridge, Ontario (Canada). He has also written Returning Home: New Covenant and Second Exodus as the Context for 2 Corinthians 6:14--7:1 (Sheffield) and Slaves, Women and Homosexuals (IVP).

Mark Strauss (PhD, Aberdeen) is professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary in San Diego. He has written The Davidic Messiah in Luke-Acts, Distorting Scripture?, The Challenge of Bible Translation and Gender Accuracy, and Luke in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary series. Forthcoming books include The Gospels and Jesus, Mark in the revised Expositor's Bible Commentary series, and Mark in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary series.

Al Wolters is professor of religion and theology/classical languages at Redeemer University College in Canada. His publications include Creation Regained: Biblical Basics of a Reformational Worldview, and The Song of the Valiant Woman: Studies in the Interpretation of Proverbs 31:10-31. He is working on a commentary on Zechariah.

Dr. Christopher J. H. Wright is International Director of the Langham Partnership International. He also serves as chair of the Lausanne Movement's Theology Working Group and chair of the Theological Resource Panel of TEAR Fund, a leading Christian relief and development charity. He has written several books, including Living as the People of God (An Eye for an Eye in the US), God's People in God's Land, Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament, Walking in the Ways of the Lord, Deuteronomy in the New International Biblical Commentary, The Message of Ezekiel in the Bible Speaks Today series, Old Testament Ethics for the People of God, The Mission of God, and The God I Don't Understand. Chris and his wife, Liz, have four adult children and six grandchildren. SPANISH BIO: Christopher J. H. Wright es director internacional de Langham Partnership International, donde tomo el cargo que ocupo John R. W. Stott durante treinta anos. Tambien sirve como presidente de la junta directiva del Grupo de Trabajadores del Comite Teologico Lausana y del Panel de recursos teologicos del fondo TEAR, una fundacion lider en la ayuda para cristianos y desarrollo caritativo. Es autor de un sinnumero de libros, incluyendo Conociendo a Jesus a traves del Antiguo Testamento, etica del Antiguo Testamento para log hijos de Dios, y el galardonado La Mision de Dios. Chris y su esposa, Luz, tienen cuatro hijos y cinco nietos.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan; 1 edition (October 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310276551
• ISBN-13: 978-0310276555
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #368,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark L. Strauss (Ph.D., Aberdeen) is professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary San Diego, where he has served since 1994. He is the author of various books and articles including, How to Read the Bible in Changing Times (Baker, 2011); Four Portraits, One Jesus: An Introduction to Jesus and the Gospels (Zondervan, 2007); "Mark," in the revised Expositors Bible Commentary (2010); How to Choose a Translation for All It's Worth (with Gordon D. Fee; 2007); The Essential Bible Companion (with John Walton; 2006); Truth and Error in the Da Vinci Code (2006); Distorting Scripture? The Challenge of Bible Translation and Gender Accuracy (InterVarsity, 1998); "Luke" in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary (Zondervan, 2002), and The Davidic Messiah in Luke-Acts (Sheffield Press, 1996). He was co-editor and contributor to The Challenge of Bible Translation. Communicating God's Word to the World (Zondervan, 2003), New Testament Editor of the Teach the Text Commentary Series, and Contributing Scholar for the Expanded Bible (Thomas Nelson, 2011). He also serves as Vice-Chair on the Committee for Bible Translation for the New International Version and as an associate editor for the NIV Study Bible.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In-depth, April 22, 2010

By 

Diglotting "Diglot" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Four Views on Moving beyond the Bible to Theology (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology) (Paperback)

This new book is a part of Zondervan's Counterpoints: Exploring Theology series. This series aims to provide a civilized discussion between Christians on various hot-button topics. Other topics included in this series are: Four Views on Hell; Three Views on Creation and Evolution; Four Views on God and Canaanite Genocide; and Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament.

This book gives four (somewhat) different views on moving beyond the Bible to theology, that is, four different views on the method that we use to interpret what the Scriptures says and does not say in order to give us an informed Christian opinion on modern issues that are not directly addressed in the Scripture. Essentially, it is the hermeneutic that we use for moving beyond the text of the Scripture to an actual theology for living out the life of Christ. Some examples of how we move beyond the text of the Scripture are given in the introduction, one of which is: "When you shake someone's hand at Church rather than greeting him or her with a holy kiss (1 Thess. 5:26), you have gone "beyond the Bible." You have decided that the holy kiss was a cultural expression and have chosen your own society's expression. The Bible never directed you or gave you permission to deviate form the command to greet one another in this manner; rather, you have merely assumed that times have changed and so has the manner of greeting." (pg 9)

The four views represented in this book are:

* Principlizing Model (PM) by Walter Kaiser
* Redemptive-Historical Model (RHM) by Daniel Doriani
* Drama-of-Redemption Model (DRM) by Kevin Vanhoozer
* Redemptive-Movement Model (RMM) by William Webb

Each of these four contributors presents their essay on their own view, and each also presents a shorter essay in critique of each others view. So there are four main essays with three responses to each. At the end of the book three other contributors offer their reflections of the essays. These contributors are Mark Strauss, Al Wolters, and Christopher Wright.

The first essay is by Walter Kaiser. Kaiser is a prolific author whose works are known as the benchmark in regards to such things as Old Testament theology and ethics. Essentially, Kaiser's Principlizing Model (PM) view is that we are to extract timeless truths or principles from the text of Scripture and apply them to modern ethical situations that we face. Kaiser then uses his PM to examine such current issues as euthanasia, the role of women in the church, homosexuality, slavery, abortion, and embryonic stem cell research.


The next essay is Doriani's Redemptive-Historical Model (RHM). Doriani is the author of Putting the Truth to Work: The Theory and Practice of Biblical Application. The essay starts off with the foundations for the RHM, which are: the authority of Scripture, the sufficiency of Scripture, and the clarity of Scripture. Doriani then gives an explanation in how to use the RHM in a four-step method. (1) Close, Accurate Interpretation. (2) Synthesis of Biblical Data. (3) Application of Scripture. (4) Adjusting a Traditional View of Application.Doriani then discusses the use of casuistry in going beyond the Bible when dealing with issues that are not directly addressed. He defines casuistry as, "the art of resolving particular cases of conscience through appeal to higher general principles." (pg 100)

The next essay is by Kevin Vanhoozer. He has written various books such as, First Theology: God, Scripture & Hermeneutics. In Vanhoozer's Drama-of-Redemption Model (DRM), he asserts that we need to see Scripture as a theodrama, and that Christians are actors who are improvising the final act of a play with a script to help us stay in character.Vanhoozer then addresses the specific issues of the immaculate conception of Mary and transsexuals using the DRM.

The final essay is Webb's Redemptive-Movement Model (RMM). Webb is the author of the well-known book Slaves, Women, and Homosexuals. In his essay, Webb starts off with a very interesting look at Deut 21:10-14, which addresses the issue of how the Israelites were to go about taking women from the nations they had beaten in war. Webb then uses the same kind of RMM reasoning to give an in-depth look at the issues of slavery and corporal punishment. I found this to be the most fascinating part of the entire book.

My overall summary on this book is that it presents a good detailed look at varied views on how we are to interpret Scripture for living the Christian life today. Vanhoozer bought up a good point though when he mentioned that the book could have benefited further if the perspective of a missiologist was present, because after all, they do take Scripture to entirely new cultural contexts, so perhaps that viewpoint would have been a pertinent one to include in this book. Regardless, this book gives four popular views on how to interpret the Bible and has many useful and profound nuggets of information to help us all look at Scripture with a fresh perspective on how to live out the Christian faith in today's society.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From the Bible to Theology and Beyond!, November 17, 2009

By 

Wesley Vander Lugt (St Andrews, Scotland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Four Views on Moving beyond the Bible to Theology (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology) (Paperback)

If you are interested in the question of how the Bible relates to your life as a Christian, then Four Views on Moving Beyond the Bible to Theology is a book for you.

This book probably should have been titled Moving Beyond the Bible to Ethics, since the authors deal almost entirely with ethical matters, including euthanasia, women in ministry, homosexuality, abortion, stem-cell research, slavery, weddings, gambling, architecture, transexuality, war ethics, and corporal punishment. So if the relationship between the Bible and theology sounds boring, don't worry! This book deals with where the rubber meets the road: daily Christian living. This book shows that the Bible is really relevant to the practical issues of our lives, even if there is debate about how it is relevant.

Reading this book will help you to become a better reader and doer of Scripture, more self-aware and methodical regarding how to move from the text to applying it in your own context. At times, the explanation of each view becomes a bit obtuse, but the response from each scholar help to sort through the obvious questions, and will help you to formulate your own opinions on each view. You will also benefit greatly from the reflections by Gary Meadors, Mark Strauss, Al Wolters, and Christopher Wright, all of whom add great perspectives to guide you in processing this important material.

Of course, the book does not deal with every possible view of moving beyond the Bible to theology and ethics, which explains why other important elements such as character formation, interpretation and application within community, and the role of the Holy Spirit are touched on at points, but not emphasized enough. Regardless of its weaknesses, however, Four Views on Moving Beyond the Bible to Theology is an important book regarding one of the biggest questions with which Christians should be wrestling: how does the Bible relate to our lives today?

0 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars personal library, March 1, 2010

By 

Donnie Lee Gamble "Gods Ambassador" (Houston, Tx) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Four Views on Moving beyond the Bible to Theology (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology) (Paperback)

An addition to personal library, do not know when chance will arise to read as seminary still requires another year of reading, no time for personal pursuits at this time.