The Word of God for the People of God: An Entryway to the Theological Interpretation of Scripture

by J. Todd Billings

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 2010

Overview

Discover the importance of theological interpretation. Though there is a large body of material on the theological interpretation of Scripture, most of it is highly specific and extremely technical. J. Todd Billings provides a straightforward entryway for students and pastors to understand why theological interpretation matters and how it can be done. A solid, constructive theological work, The Word of God for the People of God presents a distinctive Trinitarian, participatory approach toward reading Scripture. Billings’ accessible yet substantial argument for a theological hermeneutic is rooted in a historic vision of the practice of scriptural interpretation. It engages a wide range of contemporary issues and includes several exegetical examples that apply to concrete Christian ministry situations.

Key Features

• Emphasizes the importance of the theological interpretation of Scripture
• Provides a straightforward method for theological interpretation
• Engages with a wide range of contemporary issues

Contents

• Reading Scripture on the Journey of Faith Seeking Understanding
• Learning to Read Scripture Closely
• Revelation and Scripture Interpretation
• The Impact of the Reader’s Context
• Treasures in Jars of Clay
• Scriptural Interpretation and Practices

Top Highlights

“For Reformers such as Luther and Calvin, sola Scriptura was not an appeal to the neutrality of readers, as if we should read the Bible without theological preunderstandings. Rather, it was an appeal to the Bible as the primary source and final authority for one’s theological affirmations.” (Pages 21–22)

“Interpreting Scripture cannot be reduced to method or technique, because it is nothing less than a part of our life of participation in Christ through the Spirit, a means by which God nurtures our love of God and neighbor.” (Page 195)

“Living in the rule of faith means that we know where the center of Scripture is, and where the limits for our journey are. As Christians, our map for the journey is that Jesus Christ is the road, the Spirit is the one who illuminates and empowers, and we are on the way to a transforming vision of the triune God.” (Page 27)

“We are people who interpret Scripture ‘in Christ,’ as those united to the living Christ by the Holy Spirit’s mediation and power.” (Page xiii)

“Following Augustine’s general approach, I am suggesting that what is central is that we find salvation in Jesus Christ, and that we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk the transforming road of life in Christ, which leads to a vision of the triune God. Along the way, we are rediscovering our true selves, who we were created to be: persons who love God and neighbor.” (Page 24)

Product Details

• Title: The Word of God for the People of God: An Entryway to the Theological Interpretation of Scripture
• Author: J. Todd Billings
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 2010
• Pages: 253
• Christian Group: Reformed
• Resource Type: Topical
• Topic: Theology

About J. Todd Billings

Dr. Billings approaches the discipline of theology with a commitment to the ministry of the church. His varied experience in Christian ministry includes work in community development in Uganda, teaching theology in Ethiopia, working on staff at a Boston-area homeless shelter, and serving his local church in various leadership roles. He is an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America. Dr. Billings’s special interests include Reformed theology, the sacraments, salvation, and theological hermeneutics. His first book, Calvin, Participation, and the Gift: The Activity of Believers in Union With Christ (Oxford, 2007) won a 2009 Templeton Award for Theological Promise, awarded internationally for the best first books of scholars in theology and religious studies. He is also author of The Word of God for the People of God: An Entryway to the Theological Interpretation of Scripture (Eerdmans, 2010), and co-editor of Calvin’s Theology and Its Reception: Disputes, Developments, and New Possibilities (Westminster John Knox, 2010). Dr. Billings has lectured in Europe, South Africa, and the United States, and has published in a variety of journals, including Modern Theology, Harvard Theological Review, Missiology, and International Journal of Systematic Theology, as well as periodicals such as Christianity Today, The Christian Century, and Sojourners. II