ZONDERVAN
Understanding Biblical Theology
Copyright 2012 by Edward W. Klink III and Darian R. Lockett
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EPub Edition SEPTEMBER 2012 ISBN : 978-0-310-49224-5
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Klink, Edward W., III.
Understanding biblical theology : a comparison of theory and practice / Edward W. Klink III and Darian R. Lockett.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-310-49223-8 (pbk.)
1. Bible Theology. 2. Bible Hermeneutics. I. Lockett, Darian R. II. Title.
BS543.K63 2012
230.041 dc23 2012014668
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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To our wives: Laura Klink and Nicole Lockett
CONTENTS
Introduction
A SPECTRUM OF BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
Part 1
TYPE 1: BIBLICAL THEOLOGY AS HISTORICAL DESCRIPTION
Chapter 1. Biblical Theology as Historical
Description: Definition
Chapter 2. Biblical Theology as Historical
Description: James Barr
Part 2
TYPE 2: BIBLICAL THEOLOGY AS HISTORY OF REDEMPTION
Chapter 3. Biblical Theology as History of
Redemption: Definition
Chapter 4. Biblical Theology as History of Redemption:
D. A. Carson
Part 3
TYPE 3: BIBLICAL THEOLOGY AS WORLDVIEW-STORY
Chapter 5. Biblical Theology as Worldview-Story:
Definition
Chapter 6. Biblical Theology as Worldview-Story:
N. T. Wright
Part 4
TYPE 4: BIBLICAL THEOLOGY AS CANONICAL APPROACH
Chapter 7. Biblical Theology as Canonical Approach:
Definition
Chapter 8. Biblical Theology as Canonical Approach:
Brevard Childs
Part 5
TYPE 5: BIBLICAL THEOLOGY AS THEOLOGICAL CONSTRUCTION
Conclusion
UNDERSTANDING BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
ABD | The Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman, 6 vols. (New York: Doubleday, 1992). |
BBR | Bulletin for Biblical Research |
BT | Biblical Theology |
CSCD | Cambridge Studies in Christian Doctrine |
CurBR | Currents in Biblical Research |
DTIB | Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible, ed. Kevin J. Vanhoozer (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005). |
DTS | Dallas Theological Seminary |
ExpTim | Expository Times |
HTS | Harvard Theological Studies |
IDB | The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, ed. George Arthur Buttrick, 4 vols. (Nashville: Abingdon, 1962). |
IJST | International Journal of Systematic Theology |
Int | Interpretation |
JETS | Journal of the Evangelical Theology Society |
JR | Journal of Religion |
JSOT | Journal for the Study of the Old Testament |
JSOTSup | Journal for the Study of the Old Testament: Supplement Series |
JTI | Journal of Theological Interpretation |
NDBT | New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, ed. T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000). |
NSBT | New Studies in Biblical Theology |
NT | New Testament |
OT | Old Testament |
PTR | Princeton Theological Review |
SBET | Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology |
SHS | Scripture and Hermeneutics Series |
SJT | Scottish Journal of Theology |
ST | Systematic Theology |
STI | Studies in Theological Interpretation |
SVTQ | St. Vladimirs Theological Quarterly |
TynBul | Tyndale Bulletin |
WTJ | Westminster Theological Journal |
I s the Bible for the church or the academy, for the people of faith or the scholars of ancient history? Should we read the Bible as the Word of God for the church or as an artifact of history? Ironically, biblical theology has been used for all of these divergent perspectives and agendas. Biblical theology has become a catchphrase, a wax nose that can mean anything from the historical-critical method applied to the Bible to a theological interpretation of Scripture that in practice appears to leave history out of the equation altogether.
We suspect that on the ears of many the term biblical theology might seem more obvious than it is in actuality. Is not biblical theology a theology that is characterized by the Bible (thus, a theology described by the attendant adjective)? Viewed in this light, biblical theology is a theology that accords with the Bible, scriptural theology. Whether neoorthodox theology or evangelical theology, from Paul Tillich to Wayne Grudem, each theologian will declare that their theology is seeking to understand biblical revelation. We might say that Wayne Grudems theology is biblical in comparison to Paul Tillichs theology, but both in their own way are seeking to understand the Bible and thus articulate a biblical theology.
Rather than describing a modern work of theology as either biblical or something else, here biblical theology is the theology contained within the Bible. Within this understanding of biblical theology is the implicit distinction between the theology of the Bible itself the Bibles own theology and the way that theology is to be understood and applied today. In other words, this view recognizes a distinction between a