Kirjahaku

Southwestern Journal of Theology 2024 Book of The Year • Christianity Today 2024 Theology Book Award • The Gospel Coalition 2024 Biblical Studies Book AwardReading the Bible to the glory of God.In 1952, C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity eloquently defined the essential tenets of the Christian faith. With the rise of fractured individualism that continues to split the church, this approach is more important now than ever before for biblical hermeneutics.Many Christians wonder how to read the text of Scripture well, rightly, and faithfully. After all, developing a strong theory of interpretation has always been presented by two enormous challenges:A variety of actual interpretations of the Bible, even within the context of a single community of believers.The plurality of reading cultures—denominational, disciplinary, historical, and global interpretive communities—each with its own frame of reference. In response, influential theologian Kevin J. Vanhoozer puts forth a "mere" Christian hermeneutic—essential principles for reading the Bible as Scripture everywhere, at all times, and by all Christians.To center his thought, Vanhoozer turns to the accounts of Jesus' transfiguration—a key moment in the broader economy of God's revelation—to suggest that spiritual or "figural" interpretation is not a denial or distortion of the literal sense but, rather, its glorification.Irenic without resorting to bland ecumenical tolerance, Mere Christian Hermeneutics is a powerful and convincing call for both church and academy to develop reading cultures that enable and sustain the kind of unity and diversity that a "mere Christian hermeneutic" should call for and encourage

Although Paul Ricoeur's writings are widely and appreciatively read by theologians, this book offers a full, sympathetic yet critical account of Ricoeur's theory of narrative interpretation and its contribution to theology. Unlike many previous studies of Ricoeur, Part I argues that Ricoeur's hermeneutics must be viewed in the light of his overall philosophical agenda, as a fusion and continuation of the unfinished projects of Kant and Heidegger. Particularly helpful is the focus on Ricoeur's recent narrative theory as the context in which Ricoeur deals with problems of time and the creative imagination; and it becomes clear that narrative stands at the crossroads of Ricoeur's search for the meaning of human being as well as his search for the meaning of texts. Part II examines the potential of Ricoeur's narrative theory for resolving certain theological problems, such as the dichotomy betweens the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith.

Although Paul Ricoeur’s writings are widely and appreciatively read by theologians, this is the first book to offer a full, sympathetic yet critical account of Ricoeur’s theory of narrative interpretation and its contribution to theology. Unlike many previous studies of Ricoeur, Part I argues that Ricoeur’s hermeneutics must be viewed in the light of his overall philosophical agenda, as a fusion and continuation of the unfinished projects of Kant and Heidegger. Particularly helpful is the focus on Ricoeur’s recent narrative theory as the context in which Ricoeur deals with problems of time and the creative imagination; and it becomes clear that narrative stands at the crossroads of Ricoeur’s search for the meaning of human being as well as his search for the meaning of texts. Part II examines the potential of Ricoeur’s narrative theory for resolving certain theological problems, such as the dichotomy betweens the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith. In so doing Vanhoozer relates Ricoeur’s work to that of theologians such as Barth, Bultmann, Tillich, Pannenberg, Frei and Tracy.

The rise of modern science and the proclaimed 'death' of God in the nineteenth century led to a radical questioning of divine action and authorship - Bultmann's celebrated 'demythologizing'. Remythologizing Theology moves in another direction that begins by taking seriously the biblical accounts of God's speaking. It establishes divine communicative action as the formal and material principle of theology, and suggests that interpersonal dialogue, rather than impersonal causality, is the keystone of God's relationship with the world. This original contribution to the theology of divine action and authorship develops a fresh vision of Christian theism. It also revisits several long-standing controversies such as the relations of God's sovereignty to human freedom, time to eternity, and suffering to love. Groundbreaking and thought-provoking, it brings theology into fruitful dialogue with philosophy, literary theory, and biblical studies.

Observing a strange disappearance of doctrine within the church, Kevin Vanhoozer argues that there is no more urgent task for Christians today than to engage in living truthfully with others before God. He details how doctrine serves the church--the theater of the gospel--by directing individuals and congregations to participate in the drama of what God is doing to renew all things in Jesus Christ. Taking his cue from George Lindbeck and others who locate the criteria of Christian identity in Spirit-led church practices, Vanhoozer relocates the norm for Christian doctrine in the canonical practices, which, he argues, both provoke and preserve the integrity of the church's witness as prophetic and apostolic.

In this volume, highly esteemed scholar Kevin Vanhoozer introduces readers to a way of thinking about Christian theology that takes the work he began in the groundbreaking 2005 book, The Drama of Doctrine, to its next level. Vanhoozer argues that theology is not merely a set of cognitive beliefs, but is also something we do that involves speech and action alike. He uses a theatrical model to explain the ways in which doctrine shapes Christian understanding and forms disciples. The church, Vanhoozer posits, is the preeminent theater where the gospel is "performed," with doctrine directing this performance. Doctrines are not simply truths to be stored, shelved, and stacked, but indications and directions to be followed, practiced, and enacted. In "performing" doctrine, Christians are shaped into active disciples of Jesus Christ. He goes on to examine the state of the church in today's world and explores how disciples can do or perform doctrine. Written in an accessible and engaging style, Faith Speaking Understanding sets forth a compelling vision of what the church is and what it should be doing, and demonstrates the importance of Christian doctrine for this mission.Disciples who want to follow Christ in all situations need doctrinal direction as they walk onto the social stage in the great theater of the world. The Christian faith is about acknowledging, and participating in, the great thing God is doing in our world: making all things new in Christ through the Holy Spirit. Doctrine ministers understanding: of God, of the drama of redemption, of the church as a company of faithful players, and of individual actors, all of whom have important roles to play. In an age where things fall apart and centers fail to hold, doctrine centers us in Jesus Christ, in whom all things hold together.

"This is a book on theological hermeneutics. It is a plea for being hermeneutical about theology and for being theological about hermeneutics. It is an argument for treating the questions of God, Scripture and hermeneutics as one problem. This one problem defines what I call 'first theology.' " (from the Preface)In thirteen chapters, Kevin Vanhoozer explores various dimensions of doing first theology and illuminates not only how we can talk about God but how we can begin with the Word of God and act on the basis of that Word. Blazing a pathway for recovering the unity of biblical studies and theological reflection, he addresses the challenges presented by the contemporary so-called postmodern situation, especially deconstructionism. Not only does a way of doing God-centered biblical interpretation come to light through Vanhoozer's explorations, but the triune identity of a God who is communicative, loving and sovereign also comes into focus. This is a book for students, pastors and teachers who have an interest in the character of God, the nature of Scripture, Christian theology, our approach to hermeneutics and how they are all necessarily interrelated to the glory of God.

Many Christians are held captive by a picture of the imagination as a purveyor of false images, prone to idolatry. We live in a society fixated on images that have little or no significance. We are surrounded by models of the world that are not in touch with any truth outside of themselves. But we lack the resources to see and imagine things differently.Kevin Vanhoozer calls the church to a more biblical and premodern picture, one that sees every particular person, thing and event in the light of God's act of reconciling the world to himself in Christ. Through essays on the church's worship, witness and wisdom, Vanhoozer shows us how a poetic imagination can answer the questions of life's meaning by drawing our attention to what really matters: the God of the gospel.

The rise of modern science and the proclaimed 'death' of God in the nineteenth century led to a radical questioning of divine action and authorship - Bultmann's celebrated 'demythologizing'. Remythologizing Theology moves in another direction that begins by taking seriously the biblical accounts of God's speaking. It establishes divine communicative action as the formal and material principle of theology, and suggests that interpersonal dialogue, rather than impersonal causality, is the keystone of God's relationship with the world. This original contribution to the theology of divine action and authorship develops a fresh vision of Christian theism. It also revisits several long-standing controversies such as the relations of God's sovereignty to human freedom, time to eternity, and suffering to love. Groundbreaking and thought-provoking, it brings theology into fruitful dialogue with philosophy, literary theory, and biblical studies.

Christianity Today Book Award WinnerA Jesus Creed Church History Book of the YearIn recent years, notable scholars have argued that the Protestant Reformation unleashed interpretive anarchy on the church. Is it time to consider the Reformation to be a 500-year experiment gone wrong?World-renowned evangelical theologian Kevin Vanhoozer thinks not. While he sees recent critiques as legitimate, he argues that retrieving the Reformation's core principles offers an answer to critics of Protestant biblical interpretation. Vanhoozer explores how a proper reappropriation of the five solas--sola gratia (grace alone), sola fide (faith alone), sola scriptura (Scripture alone), solus Christus (in Christ alone), and sola Deo gloria (for the glory of God alone)--offers the tools to constrain biblical interpretation and establish interpretive authority. He offers a positive assessment of the Reformation, showing how a retrieval of "mere Protestant Christianity" has the potential to reform contemporary Christian belief and practice.This provocative response and statement from a top theologian is accessibly written for pastors and church leaders.

The foundation of discipleship is sound, scriptural doctrine. The value of sound doctrine is often misunderstood by the modern church. While it can be dry and dull, when it flows from the story of Scripture, it can be full of life and love. This kind of doctrine, steeped in Scripture, is critical for disciple-making. And it's often overlooked by modern pastors. In Hearers and Doers, Kevin Vanhoozer makes the case that pastors, as pastor-theologians, ought to interpret Scripture theologically to articulate doctrine and help cultivate disciples. scriptural doctrine is vital to the life of the church, and local pastor-theologians should be the ones delivering it to their communities. With arresting prose and striking metaphors, Vanhoozer addresses the most pressing problems in the modern church with one answer: teach sound, scriptural doctrine to make disciples.

Many Christians are held captive by a picture of the imagination as a purveyor of false images, prone to idolatry. We live in a society fixated on images that have little or no significance. We are surrounded by models of the world that are not in touch with any truth outside of themselves. But we lack the resources to see and imagine things differently. Kevin Vanhoozer calls the church to a more biblical and premodern picture, one that sees every particular person, thing and event in the light of God’s act of reconciling the world to himself in Christ. Through essays on the church’s worship, witness and wisdom, Vanhoozer shows us how a poetic imagination can answer the questions of life’s meaning by drawing our attention to what really matters: the God of the gospel.

Skrift og tradition er Kevin J. Vanhoozers bearbejdelse af det reformatoriske slogan “Skriften alene”. Det er en undersøgelse af bibelsk autoritet og hermeneutik. I dialog med moderne hermeneutik trækker han det protestantiske princip fra 1500-tallet ind i det 21. århundrede. Kevin J. Vanhoozer har igennem sit mangeårige akademiske arbejde skaffet sig et ry som en både toneangivende, dygtig og kreativ teolog, hvis ideer primært har været henholdt til lange akademiske bøger. Med Skrift og tradition fås de nu i kort og tilgængelig form på dansk. “Vi lever i en tid, hvor den lutherske tale om ”Skriften alene” er under pres. I store dele af den akademiske verden har man opgivet troen på det meningsfyldte i at trænge ind i, hvad tekster og historiske dokumenter har på hjertet. Og viser opsplitningen efter reformationen ikke også, at ”Skriften alene” er et ødelæggende princip? Der er folk, der tyr til den katolske kirke for at få fast grund under fødderne. Kevin Vanhoozer giver med denne lille bog en rig- tig god hjælp til at takle disse udfordringer. Han viser, hvor vigtig Bibelens overordnede plads i kirken er, samtidig med at han viser, hvor meget dens autoritet netop involverer en kirke og dens både fortidige og nutidige arbejde med at give denne autoritet stemme og krop. Kevin Vanhoozer har gennem mange år skrevet tykke bøger om dette emne. Her er muligheden for at få det i kort form, uden at det går ud over nuancerne. Det er simpelthen god teologi!” - Asger Chr. Højlund, Professor emeritus, teol.dr. “Kevin Vanhoozer er en af tidens mest indflydelsesrige og kreative evangelikale teologer. Hans præcisering af det protestantiske princip om Sola Scriptura er et friskt indspark i en dansk kirkelig kontekst, hvor skriftens øverste autoritet problematiseres fra flere sider. Skrift og tradition kan derfor anbefales til enhver, der interesserer sig for spørgsmålet om Bibelens autoritet.” - Emil Børty Nielsen, Ph.d.-studerende, cand.theol.

Is there a meaning in the Bible, or is meaning rather a matter of who is reading or of how one reads? Does Christian doctrine have anything to contribute to debates about interpretation, literary theory, and post modernity? These are questions of crucial importance for contemporary biblical studies and theology alike.Kevin Vanhoozer contends that the postmodern crisis in hermeneutics—”incredulity towards meaning,” a deep–set skepticism concerning the possibility of correct interpretation—is fundamentally a crisis in theology provoked by an inadequate view of God and by the announcement of God’s “death.”Part 1 examines the ways in which deconstruction and radical reader–response criticism “undo” the traditional concepts of author, text, and reading. Dr. Vanhoozer engages critically with the work of Derrida, Rorty, and Fish, among others, and demonstrates the detrimental influence of the postmodern “suspicion of hermeneutics” on biblical studies.In Part 2, Dr. Vanhoozer defends the concept of the author and the possibility of literary knowledge by drawing on the resources of Christian doctrine and by viewing meaning in terms of communicative action. He argues that there is a meaning in the text, that it can be known with relative adequacy, and that readers have a responsibility to do so by cultivating “interpretive virtues.”Successive chapters build on Trinitarian theology and speech act philosophy in order to treat the metaphysics, methodology, and morals of interpretation. From a Christian perspective, meaning and interpretation are ultimately grounded in God’s own communicative action in creation, in the canon, and preeminently in Christ. Prominent features in Part 2 include a new account of the author’s intention and of the literal sense, the reclaiming of the distinction between meaning and significance in terms of Word and Spirit, and the image of the reader as a disciple–martyr, whose vocation is to witness to something other than oneself.Is There a Meaning in This Text? guides the student toward greater confidence in the authority, clarity, and relevance of Scripture, and a well–reasoned expectation to understand accurately the message of the Bible. Is There a Meaning in This Text? is a comprehensive and creative analysis of current debates over biblical hermeneutics that draws on interdisciplinary resources, all coordinated by Christian theology. It makes a significant contribution to biblical interpretation that will be of interest to readers in a number of fields. The intention of the book is to revitalize and enlarge the concept of author–oriented interpretation and to restore confidence that readers of the Bible can reach understanding. The result is a major challenge to the central assumptions of postmodern biblical scholarship and a constructive alternative proposal—an Augustinian hermeneutic—that reinvigorates the notion of biblical authority and finds a new exegetical practice that recognizes the importance of both the reader’s situation and the literal sense.

Everyday theology is the reflective and practical task of living each day as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. In other words, theology is not just for Sundays, and it's not just for professional theologians. Everyday Theology teaches all Christians how to get the theological lay of the land. It enables them to become more conscious of the culture they inhabit every day so that they can understand how it affects them and how they can affect it. If theology is the ministry of the Word to the world, everyday theologians need to know something about that world, and Everyday Theology shows them how to understand their culture make an impact on it. Engaging and full of fresh young voices, this book is the first in the new Cultural Exegesis series.

This convenient text utilizes material from the award-winning Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible (DTIB) to introduce students to the Bible and theological interpretation through a comprehensive book-by-book survey of the New Testament. The articles, authored by respected scholars, make unique contributions to the study of theological interpretation of Scripture.Theological Interpretation of the New Testament provides a history of interpretation and covers major theological ideas for each book of the New Testament. Contributors include David E. Garland, Robert H. Gundry, I. Howard Marshall, Francesca Aran Murphy, Max Turner, and N. T. Wright. Students of the New Testament, pastors, and lay readers will appreciate this affordable volume. It will also serve as an excellent supplementary text in New Testament/Bible survey courses.

The groundbreaking Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible (DTIB) introduced readers to key names, theories, and concepts in the field of biblical interpretation. It has been well received by pastors and students, won book awards from Christianity Today and the Catholic Press Association, and was named the ECPA 2006 Christian Book of the Year. Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament features key articles from DTIB, providing readers with a book-by-book theological reading of the Old Testament. The articles are authored by leading scholars, including Daniel I. Block, Tremper Longman III, J. Gordon McConville, Walter Moberly, Richard Schultz, and Gordon J. Wenham. This handy and affordable text will work particularly well for students in Old Testament/Bible survey courses, pastors, and lay readers.

Evangelicalism has long been a hotly disputed label, and what counts as evangelical theology is often anyone's guess. Is evangelicalism a static bounded set defined by clear doctrinal limits, or is it a dynamic centered set without a discernible circumference?In this Studies in Christian Doctrine and Scripture volume, Kevin Vanhoozer and Daniel Treier present evangelical theology as an "anchored" set, rooted in the Trinity. In response to increasing evangelical fragmentation, Theology and the Mirror of Scripture offers a clarion call to reconceive evangelical theology theologically by reflecting on the God of the gospel as mirrored in Scripture. Such "mere" evangelical theology will be an exercise in Christian wisdom for the purpose of building up the fellowship of saints.Studies in Christian Doctrine and Scripture, edited by Daniel J. Treier and Kevin J. Vanhoozer, promotes evangelical contributions to systematic theology, seeking fresh understanding of Christian doctrine through creatively faithful engagement with Scripture in dialogue with church.

Many pastors today see themselves primarily as counselors, leaders, and motivators. Yet this often comes at the expense of the fundamental reality of the pastorate as a theological office. The most important role is to be a theologian mediating God to the people. The church needs pastors who can contextualize biblical wisdom in Christian living to help their congregations think theologically about all aspects of their lives, such as work, end-of-life decisions, political involvement, and entertainment choices. Drawing on the Bible, key figures from church history, and Christian theology, this book offers a clarion call for pastors to serve as public theologians in their congregations and communities. It is designed to be engaging reading for busy pastors and includes pastoral reflections on the theological task from twelve working pastors, including Kevin DeYoung and Cornelius Plantinga.

"What can I give him?"Growing up in her native Provence, in southern France, Sylvie Vanhoozer learned about the traditional Proven al cr che. These nativity scenes were peopled by santons--"little saints"--each bringing their unique gifts to the baby Jesus. As her own life took her around the world, to England, Scotland, and the United States, she kept up the tradition of her native cr che in her own home, adding to it souvenirs from each new place where she found herself.In The Art of Living in Season, Vanhoozer invites readers to join this communion of little saints and to follow them not only at Christmas but throughout the whole year. Each chapter introduces a new santon and opens up another aspect of our annual pilgrimage toward Christ. Structured as weekly reflections and illustrated with Vanhoozer's own botanical illustrations, this book invites us to follow Christ in our own places and seasons of life, beginning by keeping in step with the rhythms of nature and the church calendar.The Art of Living in Season is a companion for everyday saints who wonder how they can follow Jesus--and what they can give him--wherever, whenever, and whoever they are.