Christopher Watkin - Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bibles Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture

Watkin turns and overturns the tables of todays culture-changers by examining various critical theories through biblical lenses rather than vice versa. Biblical Critical Theory is an important update of Augustines City of God , a proposal for making biblical sense of what is happening in contemporary culture. This is the ultimate how-to book for disciples looking to beat ideological swords and other weapons in the popular culture wars into gospel plowshares, tools for making sense of, and reconciling, the contradictions of our present moment.

Kevin J. Vanhoozer, research professor of systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

I am so thankful to God that this long-awaited book has finally arrived at this particular moment in our late modern world. For those of us who have been advocating the imperative of biblically faithful cultural critique and construction, Chris Watkin has taken away our blunt machete and given us a scalpel; indeed, hes given us a whole set of diagnostic and surgical tools. Biblical Critical Theory will become a seminal text for us: part manifesto, part Bible overview (the most maximal one imaginable), part blueprint for civilization. Its a revelation about the implications and applications of Gods revelation and how Jesus Christ is the subversive fulfilment of all and every culture. In terms of Christian doctrine, Watkin admits that he is saying nothing new, but the arrangement of the material is menthol fresh, his interlocutors are the heavyweights, and his writing is a model of elegance, engagement, and empathy. From first steps in Christian discipleship, through catechesis and seminary, and to the highest level of academic research, Watkins work in Biblical Critical Theory will be a foundation and frame for years to come. Absolutely essential reading.

Dan Strange, director of Crosslands Forum

Commendations of this book will likely sound like wild exaggerations. They are not. Christopher Watkin has done something remarkable. He has given thoughtful believers and doubters a whirlwind tour of both the biblical narrative and the myriad ways that narrative critiques, commends, and completes the best thoughts of thinkers from Plato to Popper. Watkin is a thoroughly reliable guide to complex biblical material, whether the patriarchal narratives, eighth-century prophets, or apocalyptic literature. And when he steps onto the field of his main expertisemodern intellectual historyhe truly shines. He does not attempt to dazzle us with his intimate knowledge of often-impenetrable thinkers like Heidegger, Marx, and Foucault. Instead, he shows why such figures deserve their place among the greats, how their ideas continue to influence contemporary life, and why they are wrong when they are wrong, only because they preserve a half-truth that is found complete in the Bible. This book is a magnificent achievement. It is a must-read for Christian leaders wanting to think biblically about our deChristianising world. It is also a gift for those who arent sure what to make of the Christian faith. Here is a total defence and commendation of Christianity like no other. Buy it. Read it. Ponder it. Pass it on.

John Dickson, author and historian, host of Undeceptions , Jean Kvamme Distinguished Professor at Wheaton College

We not only read the Bible; the Bible reads us, challenging familiar assumptions about the way things are. A careful scholar of both horizons, Watkin guides us upstream from politics and culture wars. This isnt just another survey or apologetic for a biblical worldview. Rather, Watkin provides a fascinating and bracing exploration of key points at which the biblical story calls into question fundamental preunderstandings we take for granted even before we engage the culture. Biblical Critical Theory doesnt just give us answers; it helps us to come up with better questions. The components arent new, but the way hes put it all together offers an innovative and immensely fruitful paradigm.

Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California

Many of us find critical theory confusing, intimidating, or even suspect territory. Chris Watkin is well travelled in these places where many fear to tread, and you could not ask for a more affable or informed guide to show you around. Starting from the premise that the Bible offers the most expansive and generative account of reality, he engages both head and heart with humor and humility and maps out a path over some of the most fundamental impasses of our time. Urgent and weighty, Biblical Critical Theory is also, simply, a tremendously exciting read. Here is masteryof an astonishing range of materialthat, instead of asking the reader to strain and slog, brings the most complex ideas within reach and makes the whole thing feel like a glorious adventure.

Natasha Moore, senior research fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity

Watkins Biblical Critical Theory reveals how the whole of Scripture presents a lens through which we canand shouldsee all of reality. It is an exercise in understanding the now and the not yet. Incisive, accessible, and astonishing in scope, this book is sure to be an immensely valuable Christian resource.

Dolores G. Morris, associate professor of instruction at University of South Florida, author of Believing Philosophy: A Guide to Becoming a Christian Philosopher

Where was this book when I was floundering in a sea of humanities all those years ago? Christopher Watkins Biblical Critical Theory equips Christians to walk confidently as they appropriate and advance the ideas of our cultural milieu. Watkin will capture your intellect and imagination. This book is a must-read for all serious thinkers.

Sam Chan, City Bible Forum, author of Evangelism in a Skeptical World and Topical Preaching in a Complex World

This is a brilliant and unique book. Inspired by Augustines City of God , Watkin has written a tour de force, diagonalizing a biblical path through rival narratives and ideologies. Biblical Critical Theory combines rich biblical theology with penetrating philosophical reflection; the result is a wonderful example of how cultural engagement should be done. It is the most biblical, up-to-date, and comprehensive analysis of contemporary Western culture that I know of. And to top it all off, Watkin can turn a phrase.

Joshua Chatraw, executive director of the Center for Public Christianity

This is the best yet most accessible exploration of the intersection between Christianity, culture, and philosophy I've read in recent years. Christopher Watkin invites readers through a tour of the Bibles philosophical depths and implications, while demonstrating persuasively that the Christian worldview subversively fulfills major philosophies, ancient and modern. Further, it applies the theology of neo-Calvinism for a contemporary audience. I cant be more excited about Watkins work. Run, dont walk, to get this book!

Nathaniel Gray Sutanto, assistant professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Washington, DC

With astonishing breadth and depth, Biblical Critical Theory gives readers a fresh way of seeing the world, life, culture, and the Bible. Watkins scholarship is impressive, taking what is valuable and true wherever he finds it and making it accessible to the reader. I highly recommend this book for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of our time and culture.

Alan Noble, associate professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University, editor in chief at Christ and Pop Culture , author of You Are Not Your Own

This book is a feast. Chris Watkin accomplishes what few have. He combines wide-ranging knowledge of resources with a lucid and accessible style. More important, he digs deep into critical thinking that is so necessary if we are to make sense of our times and speak the gospel into them. He avoids two pitfalls: (1) rejecting critical theory altogether, dubbing it Marxist and therefore offensive, and (2) accepting its insights without endorsing all its presuppositions. Refreshingly, Watkin opts for a third way, a more biblical one: criticism with hope. To substantiate this, he walks the reader through all the episodes of redemptive history, showing how at every point the Bible is subversive of the worlds ways, but always with faith. Though there is a good deal here, deep calls forth unto to deep, and I would urge readers to wrestle with the depth and develop their own applications of healthy criticism. The gospel is in this.