New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ (Hardcover)

by Thomas R. Schreiner (Author)
Key Phrases: contra luz, shares divine status, man committing incest, Jesus Christ, Son of Man, Holy Spirit (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In this substantial volume, Thomas Schreiner takes up the study of New Testament theology, looking for the themes that emerge from a detailed reading of the whole rather than considering the individual writings separately. Two themes in particular emerge. The first concerns redemptive history and the kingdom of God. The New Testament writers adopt the Old Testament vision of God's reign and affirm that it has come in Jesus Christ, although final fulfillment is yet to come. Second, the ultimate goal of the kingdom is God's glory. Schreiner goes on to relate these themes to the life of the believer and the community of faith. Pastors and students will find this a comprehensive and illuminating survey of the unifying themes found throughout the New Testament.

From the Inside Flap
"Scholars frequently focus so tightly on the details of the New Testament documents that they miss the big picture. On the other hand, all too often attempts to summarize the message of the New Testament ignore the particular expressions and diverse emphases of its twenty-seven books. Without losing the trees for the wood, Schreiner's New Testament Theology offers a superb exposition of the New Testament's central message, the glory of God in Christ. Pastors and students will find it an invaluable resource for answering the question most readers are asking: what is the New Testament about?"--Brian S. Rosner, senior lecturer in New Testament and ethics, Moore Theological College

"Schreiner's New Testament Theology has long been awaited by colleagues, friends, and students. The appendix, which provides a helpful survey of the discipline of New Testament theology, and the discussion of justification, which contains a summary of the modern debate and a defense of a forensic interpretation of the Pauline teaching, are alone worth the price of the book."--Robert H. Stein, senior professor of New Testament interpretation, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 976 pages
• Publisher: Baker Academic (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801026806
• ISBN-13: 978-0801026805
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #101,635 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A first-class NT theology, July 14, 2008

By	William Muehlenberg (Melbourne Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is certainly the newest and perhaps most comprehensive New Testament theology to come from the conservative/Evangelical camp. Other recent volumes include those by Achtemeier, Green and Thompson, (Introducing the New Testament, 2001); Marshall (New Testament Theology, 2004); and Thielman (Theology of the New Testament, 2005).

Older but still helpful volumes include those by Ladd (1974); Hasel (1978); Guthrie (1981); Morris (1986); and Caird and Hurst (1994). Of all these volumes, Schreiner's is certainly the most extensive, reaching nearly 1,000 pages.

Most NT theologies approach the task in a book by book examination. Some take a more topical/thematic approach. Schreiner combines the best of both worlds. He looks at major NT themes, such as God, the Kingdom, Christology, sin, salvation, eschatology, and so on, but does so by focusing on main author clusters, such as the Synoptics, or Luke-Acts, or Paul, or John, etc.

Thus all the main themes of the NT are capably dealt with, but the canonical structure to the NT is not lost. As to the centre of NT theology, Schreiner states his view in the opening lines: "NT theology is God-focused, Christ-centered, and Spirit-saturated, but the work of the Father, Son, and Spirit must be understood along a salvation-historical timeline; that is, God's promises are already fulfilled but not yet consummated in Christ Jesus" Indeed, the subtitle of this book is Magnifying God in Christ.

Schreiner is of course a leading NT scholar, and relatively youngish (54). He lectures at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and has penned a number of helpful volumes in the past, including an important volume on Pauline theology (2001), a major commentary on Romans (BECNT, 1998), and various volumes on issues in Pauline thinking.

Indeed, like Frank Thielman, he has written much on the place of the law in Pauline thought. His The Law and it's Fulfillment: A Pauline Theology of Law (1993) is an important contribution to this debate, as is Thielman's 1994 volume, Paul and the Law.

Thus his understanding of the place of the law in the whole of the NT is quite helpful, and his discussion on this vital topic - like that of other topics in this volume - is informed both by the latest scholarship, as well as pastoral concerns. Indeed, his examination of NT ethics is also very useful, dealing with how the NT writers inform us of how God's people are to live in God's world.

Theologically, Schreiner is conservative and moderately Reformed. But he is judicious in handling varying points of view, and does a good job of allowing the NT writers themselves to determine the flow of theology in this volume.

That he is not a hard-core Calvinist is evident in various ways, including his treatment of the warning passages in Hebrews. For example, he takes it that those being warned about falling away are in fact actual believers, and that they can indeed turn away from their salvation.

His conservatism is seen in various places, for example, in his treatment of women in the church and in the home. He takes the complementarian (or traditional) position here, as opposed to the egalitarian (or liberationist) view. Of course such controversial issues will result in differing opinions, but as mentioned, Schreiner is fair to his debating partners in these various discussions.

Altogether, this is really an outstanding volume, covering all the bases, and providing both theological detail as well as the big-picture framework. It is a solid work by a solid NT scholar, and well worth a careful read. Pastors, students and scholars alike will benefit greatly from this tremendous work.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Resource!, June 3, 2008

By	A. Blake White (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews

Schreiner's NT Theology is simply excellent. He takes a thematic approach with God magnifying himself in Christ through the Spirit as the center of the NT. I found the thematic approach particularly helpful. Thielman is also a great resource, but the book by book approach reads more like a NT Intro text. Themes that were especially clear and helpful were Schreiner's work on righteousness, already/not yet (Part 1), Christology (most of the book), faith and obedience, and the Law in salvation history. I've only read chunks of Ladd, but if I could own only one NT theology, Schreiner's is the one I'd want to have.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best NT theology, April 27, 2009

By	Vaidas Krasauskas "Vaidas Krasauskas" (Lithuania, EU) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Thomas Schreiner's New Testament Theology is one of the best I've ever read. Very useful addition to your library. It is good for scholars, pastors and for laypersons to deepen their knowledge in the NT field and to grow in Christian faith.