Understanding Biblical Theology: A Comparison of Theory and Practice

by Edward W. Klink III; Darian R. Lockett

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 2012

Overview

Cutting through the confusing array of interpretive strategies that claim the term “biblical theology,” Edward Klink and Darian Lockett consider five schools of thought regarding biblical theology and handle each in turn, defining and giving a brief developmental history for each one, and exploring each method through the lens of one contemporary scholar who champions it. Using a spectrum between history and theology, each of five “types” of biblical theology are identified as either “more theological” or “more historical” in concern and practice. The five approaches to biblical theology include:

• Biblical Theology as Historical Description—James Barr
• Biblical Theology as Historical Redemption—D. A. Carson
• Biblical Theology as Worldview—N. T. Wright
• Biblical Theology as Canonical Approach—Brevard S. Childs
• Biblical Theology as Theological Construction—Francis Watson

Klink and Lockett conclude by suggesting ways by which students of the Bible can learn from these approaches.

Contents

Top Highlights

“Stated succinctly, the task of BT1 is to affirm the exegetical or descriptive nature of biblical theology and deny the theological or normative nature of biblical theology.” (Page 31)

“Stated succinctly, the task of BT2 is to discern the historical progression of God’s work of redemption through an inductive analysis of key themes developing through both discrete corpora and the whole of Scripture. Major themes such as covenant or kingdom constitute the theological connecting fibers between the Old and New Testaments, and these themes necessarily run along a historical trajectory, giving fundamental structure to the theology of the Bible.” (Page 61)

“The overall task of BT2 is to discern the coherence of the whole Bible as it unfolds over time.” (Page 60)

“The effect is that roughly from the time of Gabler up until the twentieth century, biblical theology and systematic theology were viewed in sharp contrast with one another.” (Page 15)

“BT3 assumes a narrative unity as the starting point for reading the Bible as a whole.” (Page 93)

Product Details

• Title: Understanding Biblical Theology: A Comparison of Theory and Practice
• Authors: Edward W. Klink III, Darian R. Lockett
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Print Publication Date: 2012
• Logos Release Date: 2013
• Pages: 192
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Bible › Theology; Bible › Hermeneutics
• ISBNs: 9780310517528, 9780310492238, 0310517524, 0310492238
• Resource ID: LLS:NDRSTNDNGBBLCTH
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T01:45:49Z

About the Authors

Edward W. Klink III received his PhD from the University of St. Andrews and is associate professor of New Testament at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He is the author of The Sheep of the Fold: The Audience and Origin of the Gospel of John, editor of The Audience of the Gospels: The Origin and Function of the Gospels in Early Christianity, and is currently writing a commentary on the Gospel of John for the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament series.

Darian R. Lockett received his PhD from the University of St. Andrews and is associate professor of New Testament at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He is the author of Purity and Worldview in the Epistle of James and is currently writing an introduction to the Catholic Epistles for the T&T Clark Approaches to Biblical Studies Collection. He has contributed several chapters on James and Jude to the SBL Methodological Reassessments of the Letters of James, Peter, and Jude series.