Kevin J. Vanhoozer

"And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." --John 17:3 In Your Light We See Light: A Reformed Theology of Divine Illumination argues that the doctrine of illumination is Trinitarian and participatory. We cannot know God apart from God. The Triune God transfers us from darkness to light, so we may see him, ourselves, and the world anew. Illumination is not merely cognitive; it turns a heart of stone into a heart of flesh. It involves life with God--hearing and being transformed by God's word. Paul C. Uyen begins with Scripture before retrieving the doctrine of illumination from Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Reformed traditions, and revealing their areas of tension. Uyen articulates a Reformed perspective in conversation with other traditions.

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.

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.

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.

Theological interpretation of the Bible is key to the health and vitality as well as the belief and practice of the church. Just how it is done has been the subject of much discussion and debate over the centuries. In Reading Scripture with the Church, four leading biblical scholars make the case for theological interpretation. Each author is given the opportunity to interact with the other three, and all four interact with premodern, modern, and postmodern approaches to biblical interpretation. This is an important book for pastors, teachers, and other serious students of the Bible who will be motivated to embrace the task of interpreting the Bible with greater energy, caution, and precision.

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.

"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 twelve 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-centred 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 nature of God, the nature of Scripture, the nature of theology, and the nature of hermeneutics and how they are all necessarily interrelated to the glory of God.

The doctrine of providence is often too abstract, complex, or detached from real-life situations for introductory students. Drawing on years of experience in the classroom and the church, Adamson Co offers an introductory guide that uses the creation motif of the Bible to highlight the importance of providence for the Christian life.Co begins with a brief introduction to providence to give students the "state of the question." He then explores the classical theme of the seventh and eighth days of creation as a helpful way to understand providence. He sets providence and human existence within the metanarrative of the Bible while explicating the doctrine in an overview fashion. Co demonstrates how the seventh and eighth days of creation bring clarity to traditional issues raised in systematic theology, such as preservation, governance, and concurrence; the problem of evil; and divine sovereignty and human free will.Providence in the Story of Scripture challenges readers to live out a life of partnership with God in his providence and shows how the blessed hope of the Christian faith is God's life-transforming providence for today. The book includes a foreword by Kevin J. Vanhoozer.

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

"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.

Over One Million Copies Sold For half a century, J. I. Packer's classic has helped Christians around the world discover the wonder, the glory, and the joy of knowing God. Stemming from Packer's profound theological knowledge, Knowing God brings together two key facets of the Christian faith--knowing about God and knowing God through a close relationship with Jesus Christ. Written in an engaging and practical tone, this thought-provoking work seeks to renew and enrich our understanding of God. Knowing God was named by Christianity Today as one of the top fifty books that have shaped evangelicals. With a companion Bible study, devotional journal, and study guide, readers can explore these biblical themes for themselves in this new fiftieth anniversary edition.Also available: Knowing God Study Guide, Knowing God Devotional Journal, Knowing God Bible Study.

Over One Million Copies Sold For half a century, J. I. Packer's classic has helped Christians around the world discover the wonder, the glory, and the joy of knowing God. Stemming from Packer's profound theological knowledge, Knowing God brings together two key facets of the Christian faith--knowing about God and knowing God through a close relationship with Jesus Christ. Written in an engaging and practical tone, this thought-provoking work seeks to renew and enrich our understanding of God. Knowing God was named by Christianity Today as one of the top fifty books that have shaped evangelicals. With a companion Bible study, devotional journal, and study guide, readers can explore these biblical themes for themselves in this new fiftieth anniversary edition.Also available: Knowing God Study Guide, Knowing God Devotional Journal, Knowing God Bible Study.

Christianity Today Book Award of Merit—Popular Theology The Gospel Coaltion Award of Distinction—Popular Theology Every generation faces the temptation to wander from orthodoxy—to seek out the jolt that comes with false teaching, and to drift with cultural currents. And so every generation must be awakened again to the thrill of orthodoxy, and experience the astonishment that comes from stumbling afresh upon the electrifying paradoxes at the heart of the Christian faith. In The Thrill of Orthodoxy, Trevin Wax turns the tables on those who believe Christian teaching is narrow and outdated. Returning to the church's creeds, he explains what orthodoxy is and why we can have proper confidence in it, and lays out common ways we can stray from it. By showing how heresies are always actually narrower than orthodoxy—taking one aspect of the truth and wielding it as a weapon against others—Wax shows us that false teaching ultimately proves bland and boring, and that orthodoxy is where true adventure can be found.

The Trauma of Doctrine is a theological investigation into the effects of abuse trauma upon the experience of Christian faith, the psychological mechanics of these effects, their resonances with Christian Scripture, and neglected research-informed strategies for cultivating post-traumatic resilience. Paul Maxwell examines the effect that the Calvinist belief can have upon the traumatized Christian who negatively internalizes its superlative doctrines of divine control and human moral corruption, and charts a way toward meaningful spiritual recovery.

An overview and analysis of John Webster's seminal contributions to Christian theology At the time of his death, John Webster was widely hailed as one of the leading Christian theologians in the world. Over the course of three decades, he produced groundbreaking studies on the theologies of Eberhard J ngel and Karl Barth and, especially since the turn of the millennium, numerous books and essays on various themes in Christian dogmatics. He then intended to write an encyclopedic systematic theology--a project he was unable to complete. No substitute is possible for that lost opus, but the contributors offer this volume as an homage to Webster and an aid to those who want to learn from him. A Companion to the Theology of John Webster begins with an introductory section on Webster's theological development, then continues into an extensive overview of Webster's contributions to contemporary discussions of particular doctrines. An epilogue suggests how Webster's theology might have unfolded had he lived longer and imagines the continuing influence of his work on the enterprise of Christian dogmatics. Readers hoping to understand the legacy of this great theologian, and also those eager for fresh insights into the present state and future trajectories of contemporary Protestantism, will find much to offer here.

New Calvinism and the Victim endeavors into the overlapping areas of psychological trauma and systematic theology by investigating the dynamic interplay between the psychology of holding maximalist theological beliefs and recovery from abuse trauma. Maxwell examines the effect that the Calvinist belief can have upon the traumatized Christian who negatively internalizes its superlative doctrines of divine control and human moral corruption. The project seeks to understand these intersecting realities by investigating a triptych of inquiries: From a theological perspective, can a Christian lose his faith because of a traumatic experience? Moreover, what are the consequences of such a loss? And, how could Reformed theology exacerbate this religious detachment? Ultimately, the research suggests that there are experiential harmonies between the belief in Reformed theology and the experience of trauma, which are neither existentially necessary nor therapeutically negligible—rather, they are conceptually likely based on both philosophical analysis and psychological research.

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.