Biblical Theologians Research Articles

I. “But Who Do YOU Say I Am?” (Mk 8:29a): Raymond Brown and New Testament Christology

Fifty years ago, Raymond Brown had already established his position as one of the world's leading Catholic New Testament scholars. His magisterial two-volume commentary on John's gospel remains an invaluable reference for scholars. At a time when American Catholics were still “minor leaguers” in contrast to British, German, and French exegetes, biblical theologians, Fr. Brown along with Joseph A. Fitzmyer, SJ, and Roland E. Murphy, OCarm. had produced the Jerome Biblical Commentary (1968) to provide a solid foothold for students in the best of historical-critical research into the books of the Bible, their history, religion, and theological concepts. Like his coeditors, Brown remained convinced that careful historical-critical study was our surest way of understanding what the Bible's authors sought to communicate. Where that analysis unseated naïve or literalist dogmatic “proof-texting,” it requires a correction in theological argument but will not require rejection of the foundational dogmas of the church.

Diskursus Kritik Naratif Sebagai Metode Hermeneutis Biblis Menurut Kajian Teolog Biblika

This article describes narrative criticism as a Scripture hermeneutical method according to a literature review as a result of research by several Biblical theologians. As for the substance of the biblical literature and the theologians' perceptions reviewed, the researchers selected randomly. This study uses a qualitative method built by a literature study that is in sync with the research problem. The final result of this study shows how theologians express their perception of narrative criticism as a method of biblical interpretation that emphasizes the historical story of God's salvation. The final results also show that with various perceptions, all theologians recognize the benefits of narrative interpretation of the Bible as an important part of explaining God's initiative in revealing Himself and communicating with humans. Researchers also point to a variety of strengths and weaknesses in the theologians' perceptions of the research problem. This will provide opportunities and possibilities for further research in this field, both scientifically and practically.

LESSING AS A PHILOSOPHICAL THEOLOGIAN

The article concerns philosophical and theological views of G.E. Lessing. It was in the German Enlightenment that what today we call philosophical theology was born and began to actively develop. This concept was formulated in its expressed form by Kant. He also owns a brief but profound description of the essence of philosophical theology and its functions, as well as main features distinguishing it from biblical theology. Kant draws attention here to the freedom as an essential characteristic of a philosophical theologian, but also emphasizes that the results of philosophical research should be offered to biblical theologians as recommendations, but not as imposed truths. Likewise, biblical theology must give philosophical theology freedom of consideration, but must itself stand guard over the salvation of the souls of its entrusted flock. Within the framework of the philosophy of I. Kant, such an approach is based on the division he proposes between the private and public use of reason. However, we see that Kant for that matter is rooted in the philosophical and theological tradition that preceded him. No less a philosophical theologian can be considered G.E. Lessing. Despite the fact that Lessing himself herein does not use the concept directly, his position on issues of religion and faith and their philosophical understanding on that completely coincides with Kant’s. It can be seen especially clearly in the dispute that took place between him and Goeze in the framework of one of the most interesting and lively discussions of the German Enlightenment, namely the Fragmentenstreit. The article considers in detail the key stages of development of the discussion, as well as the positions of the parties. As a result, the author of the article comes to the conclusion that the discussion position defended by Lessing can be characterized as philosophical theology

Review Article

Review Article

From timely exegesis to contemporary ecclesiology: Relevant hermeneutics and provocative embodiment of faith in a corona-defined world – Generosity during a pandemic

In a world where economies have no moral conscience, biblical theologians can challenge local cultures with ancient wisdom about generosity and equity. Systemic solutions require changes in the habits of virtue, and this study focuses on the habit of generosity. Building on the work of Stephan Joubert’s Paul as Benefactor, this study concentrates on Paul’s collection in one notable instance: what he says about generosity in 2 Corinthians 8-9 and, in particular, what he means by isotēs in 2 Cor 8:13–15. Does it mean “equality” or “equity”? Beginning with a reinvigorated interest in the economic vision of the apostle Paul about what is meant by “weak” and “good works” and what the Pastoral Epistles communicate with eusebeia (not “godliness” but “social respectability and civility”), we reconsider the collection as an act on the part of the Pauline mission churches to express more than ecclesial unity. This act embodied a theology of grace in mutual reciprocity and in equitable provision on the part of the wealthy for the poor, not least and not limited to those in their own Christian assemblies. The term isotēs is too easily glossed over when translated as “fair balance”, “fairness”, and so the translation of the term with “equity” or “equality” comes closest to the vision of the apostle. Too few studies on this term baptize it sufficiently in the economics of the ancient world and the early Christian radical vision of siblingship and family.Contribution: From the perspective of the Historical Thought and Source Interpretation of the work of Paul, the question of systemic equality or equity is as crucial to navigating the current economic climate as it has ever been. Equality or equity is not limited to Christian communities but following the early church in embodying a theology of grace.

John Rechy’s Sodomites

Abstract Current church debates and queer scholarship unearth Sodom as a site for contesting the relationships between sexuality, religion, queerness, and destruction. In John Rechy’s novels City of Night and Numbers, the Sodom story provides an archetype for the books’ hustler narrators, whose insatiable desires draw them repeatedly back into ‘the city of night of the soul’, and ultimately, oblivion. Drawing on Heather Love and Catherine Keller, I read Rechy as adapting the Sodom story rather than rejecting it in favour of progress or liberation, as do many queer biblical interpreters and theologians. Rechy’s hustlers display a sodomitic subjectivity in their refusal to be whole, which has made his relation to gay/queer and Chicanx literary canons uneasy. Precisely in his ‘backwardness’, Rechy illustrates how theological categories continue to shape gay/queer identities in the 20th century and today.

Theology of the Hebrew Bible, volume 1: Methodological Studies

Theology of the Hebrew Bible, volume 1: Methodological Studies

O gênero apocalíptico na literatura judaica intertestamentária: reflexões à luz da teoria literária em diálogo com a teologia

Neste artigo, propõe-se discutir a formação, composição e características do gênero apocalíptico. Para isso, são feitas considerações sobre o conceito de gênero literário à luz da Teoria Literária (COELHO, WELLEK; WARREN, MARCUSCHI, ZILBERMAN) e dos estudos da Teologia e da Hermenêutica (COLLINS, COSTA, KOSTENBERGER; FEE; STUART, PATTERSON, OSBORNE, ROWLEY, RYKEN). A princípio, levou-se em consideração as propostas da Teoria Literária e de teólogos bíblicos serviram de referencial teórico para o desenvolvimento das discussões conceituais do gênero. Em seguida, avaliou-se o contexto histórico do Período Interbíblico (aspectos sociais, culturais e religiosos), com vista a observar sua relação com a configuração interna do gênero apocalíptico (texto-contexto, forma, conteúdo, função). E, por fim, verificou-se que o gênero apocalíptico apresenta características específicas que o singularizam e que puderam ser descritas com base nas discussões propostas nesta pesquisa. Dentre esses elementos destacam-se: um meio de comunicação visionário ou revelatório; linguagem simbólica, figurada e metafórica; dualismo entre as realidades terrena e celestial.

Menjembatani Teks dan Konteks

Although efforts to construct Old Testament theology in Indonesia started in the 1970s, as attested in the number of theses and dissertations written by Indonesian scholars, the shape of contextual biblical theology itself remains dominated by a one-way model. The Bible is taken to be source, inspiration, evaluator, or teacher, while readers merely listen, imitate, and adhere to it. Yet readers today, who come from dynamically variegated contexts, are inevitably required to bridge-build between biblical texts and their own respective contexts. In view of this, dialogue in its broadest sense becomes the key to constructing a biblical theology overall, including OT theology. This paper challenges biblical theologians to find available approaches and, deploying them properly, to construct contextual Old Testament theology in Indonesia.

Ecofaith: Reading Scripture in an Era of Ecological Crisis

This essay outlines the emerging field of ecological theology (ecotheology) with a primary focus on the methods of ecological hermeneutics developed by biblical scholars, ethicists, and theologians. This relatively new approach to reading ancient sacred texts has emerged in tandem with, and partially as a result of, increased public, political, and scientific consensus on the impacts of anthropogenic global warming and the ranging environmentally related effects (e.g., reduction of biodiversity and ecosystems, deforestation, loss of fertile lands, and so forth). The demands of our current context have challenged scholars to consider how religious anthropocentric worldviews have influenced historical readings of the Bible in ways that have contributed to the crisis and constricted the ecological contours of the ancient text. In order to place these developments within a broader historical context, the first section summarizes the history and trajectory of ecological hermeneutics over the past four decades. The main section of this work outlines and summarizes the different types of reading strategies being considered and debated among scholars today and includes promising examples of ecocritical readings of biblical texts. These readings are based on a constructive and critical engagement of ancient texts in light of the modern environmental challenges.

Jesus, the Spirit, and the Unforgivable Sin

ABSTRACT In Matt 12:22–32 (and parr.: Mark 3:20–30; Luke 12:8–10), the confrontation between the Pharisees and Jesus reaches fever pitch and Jesus pronounces over them the judgment of the unforgivable sin, namely, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This logion has perplexed biblical commentators and theologians alike, as evidenced by the conflicting interpretations of the episode in the literature. Reading this text through the lens of a biblical and Trinitarian Spirit Christology provides a key interpretive paradigm by which to make full sense of this messianic disclosure episode within the Gospel narratives as a whole. The mighty works of Jesus were portals through which the presence of the Spirit might be viewed; they point to who Jesus is and demand a response in light of this revelation. This contribution from Spirit Christology helps to interpret the pericope in a way that takes full account of the response of the Pharisees in the context of messianic disclosure expectations. The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and the unforgiveable sin logia further reveal the messianic identity of Jesus and as such form an important part of the Gospel witness to Jesus the Christ.

Temple Theology, Holistic Eschatology, and the Imago Dei: An Analytic Prolegomenon

In this paper, I offer something of a prolegomenon, outlining some areas in which certain strands of biblical theology and analytic theological reflection can be mutually informative. To do so, my paper unfolds in three ways. In the first section, I provide some reasons to think that biblical theologians are onto a reading of Scripture that merits the attention of analytic theologians. In section II, I outline some areas in the biblical theological data that would benefit from analytic exploration and reflection. Finally, in sections III and IV, I present a test case: the imago Dei and the importance of the future bodily resurrection. This should help show how this strand of biblical theology and analytic theological reflection can be mutually informative.

The Path of Holiness: Perspectives in Wesleyan Thought in Honor of Herbert B. McGonigle

The Path of Holiness: Perspectives in Wesleyan Thought in Honor of Herbert B. McGonigle

Biblical Theology and Preaching: A Survey of Resources

Preachers will benefit from lifelong study that seeks to read the texts of Scripture in light of the larger theological witness of the Bible. This essay introduces a number of significant resources for preachers written by biblical theologians who are concerned to undergird the ministry and proclamation of the church.

What Do I Fear When I Fear My God? A Theological Reexamination of a Biblical Theme

ABSTRACTS Many commonly misunderstand "the fear of God" as a biblical trope. Systematic and constructive theologians have often left it unexamined; biblical theologians have explicated it from one of three perspectives: either as a response to "the Holy" (drawing on Rudolf Otto), as a human emotional reaction to God, or as human obedience to God. This essay argues against the first two options and for the third as the best understanding of the scriptural term and does so on the basis of theological exploration of the Torah and the Gospel of Matthew. The account concludes that fear of God is a human disposition encouraged, learned, and grown within the covenant people of God. Fear of God might be summarized therefore as an appropriate relational disposition toward God, involving obedience to God above all others; furthermore, this obedience to God implies being just and loving toward others. Fear of God does not paralyze or overwhelm the human creature but is the basis for proper human acting and thinking. This disposition of fearing God leads to human flourishing, but sees this human flourishing as genuine only when understood against the greater horizon of meaning that is God and God's kingdom. Thus fear of God, far from being the hiatus of human agency, is the form of sociality given by God for humanity.

What Do I Fear When I Fear My God? A Theological Reexamination of a Biblical Theme

ABSTRACTS Many commonly misunderstand "the fear of God" as a biblical trope. Systematic and constructive theologians have often left it unexamined; biblical theologians have explicated it from one of three perspectives: either as a response to "the Holy" (drawing on Rudolf Otto), as a human emotional reaction to God, or as human obedience to God. This essay argues against the first two options and for the third as the best understanding of the scriptural term and does so on the basis of theological exploration of the Torah and the Gospel of Matthew. The account concludes that fear of God is a human disposition encouraged, learned, and grown within the covenant people of God. Fear of God might be summarized therefore as an appropriate relational disposition toward God, involving obedience to God above all others; furthermore, this obedience to God implies being just and loving toward others. Fear of God does not paralyze or overwhelm the human creature but is the basis for proper human acting and thinking. This disposition of fearing God leads to human flourishing, but sees this human flourishing as genuine only when understood against the greater horizon of meaning that is God and God's kingdom. Thus fear of God, far from being the hiatus of human agency, is the form of sociality given by God for humanity.

선교적교회론과 선교적해석학 - GOCN의 연구를중심으로

The research on mission in the Bible has gradually shifted for last decades. The focus has been changed from searching literal meanings to provide legitimacy of mission itself or objectives for certain mission enterprises to prove the mission of God through reading the bible with historical criticism. Before 1980s, especially in British-America, the subject had dealt mainly by missiologists with missionary perspective more than Biblical theologians, which limited the biblical understanding arbitrary and narrow. For example, the old testament was considered as not related to mission until recent years. Also, for leaning on the existing historical criticism, the Biblical theologians both failed to read the Bible in missionary perspective and developing a hermeneutics for mission fields. For last five decades, Western Church has made “Missional Church” a major subject in mission. The result has caused by a correlation between introspection of current situation of the church through missionary perspective and mission recovery movement. To set the biblical ground of Missional Church Movement, GOCN in North America and Australia utilizing the Missional Hermeneutics. In Korea, Missional Church are debated academically and various missional churches are rising. Missional Church must build a standard based on the Bible that emits the values of the kingdom of God to eliminate the worldly values in institutional and ossified church Korea for its revival. At this point, myself will examine the biblical research on the basics of church and mission which is the core of Missional Church through missional hermeneutic. The study will briefly show various missionary understandings of the Bible and the importance of missional hermeneutics in Missional Church. Then the paper will classify the hermeneutics into four types according to Hunsberger and introduce the ideas of Christopher Wright, Darrell Guder and Michael Goheen, Michael Barram, and James Brownson.Hunsberger sees each types of hermeneutics not exclusive nor competitive but mutual dependant that creates a synergy. The ideas offer the bases for the future development of the hermeneutics such as the framework(narrative of the Mission of God), aim(church formation for witnessing), approach(questions from each social locatedness), and matrix(Gospel as the key of hermeneutics).

Hoagies and Tacos: Food and Men’s Unquenchable Hunger

This paper explores the relationship between men and food. Building on James E. Dittes’s work, it suggests that men’s desire for food is indicative not only of their hunger, but also of an unquenchable sense of hope and a longing for significant relationships. Based on the insights of several biblical scholars and pastoral theologians, this paper also suggests that a greater understanding of how and why men eat can contribute to a more pertinent pastoral ministry with men.

The Relationship Between Old And New Testament: A Study On Contemporary Debate Of Methodology Of The Old Testament Theology

From the beginning of the discipline, biblical theologians have differed in their understandings of an accredited basis, task, and method for doing biblical theology. In accordance with the existing problems, the purpose of writing this paper are: In accordance with the existingproblems, the main motive and purposes of writing this research are: First of all, to show the continuity of the relation between the Old Testament and New Testament. Secondly, to explain methodology in doing Old Testament Theology through the investigation of historical and biblical understanding. Finally, to call and challenge every leader and church congregation together to analyze methodology of biblical theology in order to develop the proper methodology in doing Old Testament Theology. The conclutions are: The relationship between the Old Covenant and the New can be presented as follows: God has only one covenant of grace, and only one eternal people - in which a person obtains a share through faith in Christ alone, the Covenant Head and the Adam of the new humanity. Herein lies the unity of God's eternal plan of salvation, and of the Word as His special revelation to man. It must be put in mind that the God of the Old Testament is also the God of the New Testament. It should be clear that the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ is the same God who created man and woman, who established marriage, and who redeemed Israel through the Exodus, foreshadowing the redemption of believers through Christ. The Lord Jesus’ concept of God as Father contained a truth not characteristic of the Old Testament, but yet not negating any Old Testament teaching about God.

The Relationship Between Old And New Testament: A Study On Contemporary Debate Of Methodology Of The Old Testament Theology

From the beginning of the discipline, biblical theologians have differed in their understandings of an accredited basis, task, and method for doing biblical theology. In accordance with the existing problems, the purpose of writing this paper are: In accordance with the existingproblems, the main motive and purposes of writing this research are: First of all, to show the continuity of the relation between the Old Testament and New Testament. Secondly, to explain methodology in doing Old Testament Theology through the investigation of historical and biblical understanding. Finally, to call and challenge every leader and church congregation together to analyze methodology of biblical theology in order to develop the proper methodology in doing Old Testament Theology. The conclutions are: The relationship between the Old Covenant and the New can be presented as follows: God has only one covenant of grace, and only one eternal people - in which a person obtains a share through faith in Christ alone, the Covenant Head and the Adam of the new humanity. Herein lies the unity of God's eternal plan of salvation, and of the Word as His special revelation to man. It must be put in mind that the God of the Old Testament is also the God of the New Testament. It should be clear that the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ is the same God who created man and woman, who established marriage, and who redeemed Israel through the Exodus, foreshadowing the redemption of believers through Christ. The Lord Jesus’ concept of God as Father contained a truth not characteristic of the Old Testament, but yet not negating any Old Testament teaching about God.