Book Review: The Domain of the Word: Scripture and Theological Reason

Abstract

The Domain of the Word: Scripture and Theological Reason. By John Webster. TT chapters 1 and 8 represent fresh contributions. In spite of its mode of composition, however, The Domain of the Word reads like a wellordered whole.Chapter I contains a dogmatic account of Holy Scripture. Webster situates this account relation to God's fulsome Triune life. The missions of the Son and the Holy Spirit-which rest upon their eternal relations to the Father-are the comprehensive context which addresses rational creatures through Holy Scripture. Locating scripture this context orients us to God's purposes for it. Through scripture wills for creatures what he wills for them the economy more generally: to regenerate them and call them into knowledgeable fellowship with himself (pp. 7-8). Instructively, Webster insists that talk of the creatureliness of scripture-for example, its production, transmission, and so on-does not call into question the effectiveness of scriptural instrumentality publishing the Word of God. Rather, realities are rightly understood as signs pointing us to their deep ground God (p. 14); so orders, sanctifies, and inspires his creatures that they are moved toward him fulfillment of their natures. Hereby Webster reveals the inadequacy of the assumption-latent much biblical scholarship-that creaturely and divine are competitive categories vying for recognition at the expense of the other.Chapters 2 and 3 flesh out the claim that the missions of the Son and the Holy Spirit are of immense significance explaining what is involved the hearing of scripture. The hearing of the Word takes place in the domain of the revelatory presence of (p. 38), and is thus an act ordered toward the living Lord who presides over this hearing. The risen and exalted Christ is not done with his communicative activity to creatures, but is alive and eloquent. …