Rethinking biblical and systematic theology / by Ben Witherington III.
| Author/creator | Witherington, Ben author. |
| Format | Book |
| Publication | Eugene, Oregon : Cascade Books, [2026] |
| Copyright Date | ©2026 |
| Description | xii, 217 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| Subjects |
| Contents | Part one: What have they done to biblical and systematic theology? Defining biblical theology : how does it differ from systematic theology or canonical theology? ; Systematic theology by definition ; The Diatesseron Disease : synthesis at the expense of particularity, and adding to the Apostolic tradition at the expense of proper exegesis of that tradition ; Semper reformanda or systemic problems -- Part two: Toward a proper approach to biblical and systematic theology. Abstract art : denuding theology of its narrative thought world ; The imports : the promise and problems of Greek philosophy vis-à-vis Jewish ideas and stories ; The exports : where did the ethics go? What if they are theological ethics? ; Human logic or the logic of God? ; Putting the emphasis on the wrong syllable : adjectives at the expense of nouns ; Anachronism at the expense of history : the problem revisited ; Tradition at the expense of Scripture or in the service of Scripture? ; Intertextuality and dubious theories of meaning ; The Jenson tonic : a proper approach to systematics ; Concluding unscientific postscript. |
| Abstract | In this volume Ben Witherington seeks to clarify the differences between biblical and systematic theology and deal with the many factors that have to be taken into account to do either of these forms of theology well. He points out the problems with abstracting ideas or concepts from the narrative thought world that exists in the Bible, which results in ignoring or distorting the original historical, rhetorical, ethical, and linguistic contexts, not to mention the way God's revelation is progressively revealed. Furthermore, systematic theology cannot just be biblical theology summarized with a passing glance at theological developments in later historical, Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant theologies. It needs to take into account engagements of the Bible with science, with philosophy (particularly epistemology), with apologetics, and with theories of meaning. Very few scholars have enough breadth of knowledge to even undertake systematic theology on these terms. In this landmark work, Witherington makes clear the pitfalls to avoid in doing theology that is properly grounded in the Bible, while providing a précis of how biblical and systematic theology can be done well and with insight. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 213-217). |
| ISBN | 9798385260782 |
| ISBN | 9798385260799 (hardcover) |
| ISBN | (ebook) |
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