Finished reading: Stewards of Eden by Sandra L. Richter š
As a work of biblical theology, it offers a fairly shallow treatment of Scripture, especially the New Testament. Still, Stewards of Eden provokes some worthwhile reflection on environmental stewardship, a much-neglected topic for Christians.
Currently reading: The Doctrine of Scripture by Brad East š
Finished reading: The Church’s Book by Brad East š
Meticulous, verbose even, but engaging and well-reasoned. Even for this theology nerd it was tough sledding at points, probably owing to the fact that it’s really a meta-analysis (i.e., reflection about our theologizing). Brad’s central point is well taken: what we think about the church matters for what we think about the Bible. By the end, it did feel like a lot of work simply to unearth where the conflict really lies in our theological interpretations. Of the three authors he treats (Webster, Jenson, Yoder), I’d only read Webster before. Moving forward, I’m most interested in digging into Jenson. But, I’m also curious to hear Brad’s constructive proposals for bibliology. He seems to have certain catholic ecclesial sensibilities resting alongside some very baptist, Yoderian impulsesāa seemingly unstable concoction. I’ll be curious to see how he weaves those things together in The Doctrine of Scripture.
The great hermeneutical virtue of the church, therefore, is patience. It is not lethargy or sloth that animates the church’s lumbering and sometimes generationally delayed response to the intellectual Zeitgeist, certainly not in the realm of history and biblical exegesis. It is wisdom. It is a feature of the church’s teaching office, not a bug.
On the Bank of the River by Paul Signac (from MIA)
Currently reading: Stewards of Eden by Sandra L. Richter š
Brad East, in discussing the difficult question of reading Yoder, gives this very useful description of the task of a theologian:
If the subject matter of theology is the living divine reality revealed in the person and work of Jesusātogether with the whole penumbra of witnesses and mediators, histories and texts, communities and practices that provide access to that revelationāthen what theologians offer in their work is contemplative and hermeneutical insights into that reality. They glimpse some detail or truth, some connection or imperative, some implication or sublimity, and bring it to light for the rest of us. We their readers, for our part, sift the wheat from the chaff, testing their offerings not only for goodness, truth, and beauty, but also for usefulness, clarity, and edification. I submit that the theological writings Yoder left behind offer insights into the reality of Christ worth receiving, however critically, both now and into the future. I leave it to others to decide whether that judgment is accurate.
