A plurality of voices
I apologise for this post as it may well insult the intelligence of many of you, but I've got some questions.
Is not the bible, in relation to many theological hot-topics (e.g. hell, marriage and divorce, tithing, reception of the Spirit, etc.), a plurality of voices? And if so, can the bible be put together into a systematic theology at all? If systematising is the goal, wont it always mean stressing some aspect of the biblical narrative at the expense of another – or, as in many of my evangelical circles, pushing one proof-text over another?
What is the way forward? An anti-foundationalist, narrative, progressive revelational, missional approach? Or what?
In this regard, at a more popular level I'm reading some broadly 'emergent' authors, but also Tom Wright, Brueggemann, Walsh and Keesmaat's Colossians Remixed, and Franke's The Character of Theology - although I really want to get my grubby hands on the all too expensive The Drama of Doctrine by Vanhoozer. Got any other recommendations?
posted by Chris Tilling @ 12:59 AM
6 comments
6 Comments:
You might want to check out Joel B. Green and Max Turner (eds.) Between Two Horizons: Spanning New Testament Studies and Systematic Theology. esp the Article by John Goldingay, 'Biblical Narrative and Systematic Theology'. You might also like to check out Out of Egypt: Biblical Theology and Biblical Interpretation edited by Bartholomew and his crew
Richard Hays writes, "Is the New Testament a complex polyphonic chral composition scored by God and performed by human voices under the direction of the Holy Spirit? Or is the New Testament a chaotic cacophany of many voices uncoordinated?" (The Moral Vision of the New Testament, 188)
Hi Eddie. Yea, thanks. Max being my supervisor and all, I've got the Between Two Horizons, but I've only read the Bauckham article on monotheism in Out of Egypt, so I'll have another look there. Thanks.
And as for the Hays quote, thanks for finding that. And I would like to say his first option! However, I wonder what such a difference (between a polyphonic composition and chaotic cacophany) would look like in practise.
Im not too keen on the idea of doing systematic theology in the strict sense. Can we not be satisfied with a little ambiguity?
You could also have a look at Goldingay's Theological Diversity and the Authority of the Old Testament. I have found that it brings some needed clarity to the issues.
As soon as we drop the descended from heaven bound in black leather approach perspective on the Bible, the presence of plurality of voices makes some sense, and can be accounted for.
Eddie wrote: As soon as we drop the descended from heaven bound in black leather approach perspective on the Bible, the presence of plurality of voices makes some sense, and can be accounted for.
I couldn't agree more!
PS. Thanks for the Goldingay book suggestion. I've just ordered it from the library.
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