Journals

First Things is out: ‘Who Can Be Saved?’

The February 2008 edition of First Things is out and includes, among other articles, a piece by Richard John Neuhaus on Saved in Hope: Benedict’s Second Encyclical and a provocative piece by Avery Cardinal Dulles in which he explores the question, Who Can Be Saved?. Dulles writes:

The New Testament is almost silent about the eternal fate of those to whom the gospel has not been preached. It seems apparent that those who became believers did not think they had been on the road to salvation before they heard the gospel.

…

In several important texts, Vatican II took up the question of the salvation of non-Christians. Although they were related to the Church in various ways, they were not incorporated in her. God’s universal salvific will, it taught, means that he gives non-Christians, including even atheists, sufficient help to be saved. Whoever sincerely seeks God and, with his grace, follows the dictates of conscience is on the path to salvation. The Holy Spirit, in a manner known only to God, makes it possible for each and every person to be associated with the Paschal mystery. “God, in ways known to himself, can lead those inculpably ignorant of the gospel to that faith without which it is impossible to please him.” The council did not indicate whether it is necessary for salvation to come to explicit Christian faith before death, but the texts give the impression that implicit faith may suffice.

Vatican II left open the question whether non-Christian religions contain revelation and are means that can lead their adherents to salvation. It did say, however, that other religions contain elements of truth and goodness, that they reflect rays of the truth that enlightens all men, and that they can serve as preparations for the gospel. Christian missionary activity serves to heal, ennoble, and perfect the seeds of truth and goodness that God has sown among non-Christian peoples, to the glory of God and the spiritual benefit of those evangelized.

…

The universal evidences of the divine, under the leading of grace, can give rise to a rudimentary faith that leans forward in hope and expectation to further manifestations of God’s merciful love and of his guidance for our lives. By welcoming the signs already given and placing their hope in God’s redeeming love, persons who have not heard the tidings of the gospel may nevertheless be on the road to salvation. If they are faithful to the grace given them, they may have good hope of receiving the truth and blessedness for which they yearn.

…

Who, then, can be saved? Catholics can be saved if they believe the Word of God as taught by the Church and if they obey the commandments. Other Christians can be saved if they submit their lives to Christ and join the community where they think he wills to be found. Jews can be saved if they look forward in hope to the Messiah and try to ascertain whether God’s promise has been fulfilled. Adherents of other religions can be saved if, with the help of grace, they sincerely seek God and strive to do his will. Even atheists can be saved if they worship God under some other name and place their lives at the service of truth and justice. God’s saving grace, channeled through Christ the one Mediator, leaves no one unassisted. But that same grace brings obligations to all who receive it. They must not receive the grace of God in vain. Much will be demanded of those to whom much is given.

Read Dulles’ full article here.

Neue Zeitschrift für Systematische Theologie und Religionsphilosophie

The latest edition of Neue Zeitschrift für Systematische Theologie und Religionsphilosophie is out and includes two articles of interest to me:

‘Can the Electing God be God without us? Some Implications of Bruce McCormack’s Understanding of Barth’s Doctrine of Election for the Doctrine of the Trinity’, by Paul D Molnar (pp. 199-222)

Abstract:

This article is the attempt at a dialogue with Bruce McCormack about the position he espoused in The Cambridge Companion to Karl Barth concerning the relation between God’s Election of grace and God’s Triunity. I had criticized McCormack’s position in my book, Divine Freedom and the Doctrine of the Immanent Trinity (2002), but I did not elaborate on it in great detail. To develop the dialogue I will: 1) consider McCormack’s claim that in CD II/2 Barth made Jesus Christ “rather than” the Eternal Logos the subject of election; 2) consider what Barth means when he speaks of Jesus Christ “in the beginning”; 3) compare McCormack’s thesis that the Father never had regard for the Son, apart from the humanity to be assumed, with Barth’s belief that we must not dispute the eternal will of God which “precedes even predestination”; 4) analyze in detail McCormack’s rejection of Barth’s belief that the logos asarkos in distinction from the logos incarnandus is a necessary concept in trinitarian theology; 5) discuss Barth’s concept of the divine will in relation to the concept advanced by McCormack and suggest that McCormack has fallen into the error of Hermann Schell by thinking that God in some sense takes his origin from himself, so that God would only be triune if he elected us; 6) explain why it is a problem to hold, as McCormack does, that God’s self-determination to be triune and his election of us should be considered one and the same act; and finally 7) explain McCormack’s confusion of time and eternity in his latest article on the subject in the February, 2007 issue of the Scottish Journal of Theology, and his own espousal of a kind of indeterminacy on God’s part (which he theoretically rejects).

‘The Difference Totality Makes. Reconsidering Pannenberg’s Eschatological Ontology’, by Benjamin Myers (pp. 141-155)

Abstract:

Summary Wolfhart Pannenberg’s eschatological ontology has been criticised for undermining the goodness and reality of finite creaturely differentiation. Drawing on David Bentley Hart’s recent ontological proposal, this article explores the critique of Pannenberg’s ontology, and offers a defence of Pannenberg’s depiction of the relationship between difference and totality, especially as it is presented in his 1988 work, Metaphysics and the Idea of God. In this work, Pannenberg articulates a structured relationship between difference and totality in which individual finite particularities are preserved and affirmed within a coherent semantic whole. Creaturely differences are not sublated or eliminated in the eschatological totality, but they are integrated into a harmonious totality of meaning. This view of the semantic function of totality can be further clarified by drawing an analogy between Pannenberg’s ontological vision and Robert W. Jenson’s model of the eschatological consummation as a narrative conclusion to the drama of finite reality.

Journal of Reformed Theology is out

The latest edition of the Journal of Reformed Theology (Volume 1, Number 3, 2007) is out and includes the following articles:

‘A Search for Karl Barth’s ‘Public Theology’: Looking into Some Defining Areas of his Work in the post-World War II Years’, by Martin Laubscher

‘Vocation, Christendom, and Public Life: A Reformed Assessment of Yoder’s Anabaptist Critique of Christendom’, by Douglas J. Schuurman

‘Becoming One Self: A Critical Retrieval of ‘Choice Biography’’, by Frits de Lange

‘Reformed Theology in South Africa: Black? Liberating? Public?’, by Nico Koopman

‘Economic Justice as Social Justice in a Globalized World: A Theological Analysis’, by Gotlind Ulshöfer

‘A Theological Evaluation of the South African Constitutional Value of Human Dignity’, by Nico Vorster

‘How Shy Can A Reformed Theology Be?’, by Clive Pearson

‘Reviews in Religion & Theology’ is out

The latest issue of Reviews in Religion & Theology (Volume 15, Issue 1, January 2008) is now available and includes following reviews:

John L. Drury’s Karl Barth’s Trinitarian Theology: A Study in Karl Barth’s Analogical Use of the Trinitarian Relation by Peter S. Oh

Vítor Westhelle’s The Scandalous God: The Use and Abuse of the Cross by Adam Kotsko. [This is a book that I have enjoyed immensely, though not without some concerns]

After outlining the book’s contents, Kotsko concludes his review with the following critique:

Westhelle not only provides a strong argument for regarding the theology of the cross as a style of doing theology but also provides a good model. He is at his best when working within the Christian tradition, and he particularly shines in his reading of gospel texts. When he ventures outside of this familiar territory, however, his readings sometimes seem to move too quickly in assimilating the text to his own project. Another notable shortcoming stems from his desire to be faithful to Luther while remaining accountable to Latin American liberation theology. In his eagerness to portray Luther as a forerunner of liberation theology and a ‘contextual theologian’ (p. 58),Westhelle fails to even mention the well known facts of Luther’s political interventions against the peasants and tirades against the Jews. Given the ways that he later brings the theology of the cross into dialogue with liberation theology, Westhelle could likely have made a persuasive case that Luther’s own actions contradicted the true subversive force of his thought, but as it stands, his treatment of Luther seems like something of a whitewash. Overall, though, Westhelle has given us a thought-provoking and often quite poetic text, one that offers many suggestive avenues for further reflection.

Journal of Theological Interpretation

The latest edition of Journal of Theological Interpretation (1.2; Fall 2007) is out. The Table of Contents reads:

‘P. T. Forsyth, Scripture, and the Crisis of the Gospel’, by Angus Paddison

It is truly exciting to see a paper on Forsyth. They are an all-too-rare thing. I commend Angus’ paper to you, in which he examines Forsyth’s theological interpretation of Scripture. Scripture for P.T. Forsyth is a sacramental agent of the gospel and the NT writings are decisively incorporated within the redemptive activity of God in Christ. Forsyth’s location of authority in the gospel conveyed by Scripture allows him considerable flexibility in relation to two alternative sources of authority: biblical scholarship and biblical infallibility. An ecclesial reading of Scripture is beholden neither to the rationalism of the academy nor to mechanical theories of verbal inspiration. A church resourced by what Forsyth termed the “positive gospel” will read Scripture with decisiveness and litheness, giving space for the lively activity of the Spirit upon the Word. Moreover, the cross is the one super-historic principle capable of interpreting all history and human action. The essay then turns to the Jesus that Forsyth encounters in his preaching of John 12 and John 16. Forsyth’s powerful reading of the NT reinvigorates John’s language of judgment, conviction, and sin. The holiness of the Son moving through the world and dying on the cross is the crisis of the world and accomplishes the sinful world’s reconciliation with the Holy Father. Forsyth’s consistently theological interpretation demonstrates the potential of a theologian immersing herself in Scripture and concentrating on the resources of the gospel.

‘”Although/Because He Was in the Form of God”: The Theological Significance of Paul’s Master Story (Phil 2:6–11)’, by Michael J. Gorman

‘The “New Creation,” the Crucified and Risen Christ, and the Temple: A Pauline Audience for Mark’, by Andy Johnson

‘Apocalypticizing Dogmatics: Karl Barth’s Reading of the Book of Revelation’, by Joseph L. Mangina

‘The Hermeneutical Circle of Christian Community: Biblical, Theological, and Practical Dimensions of the Unity of Scripture’, by Charles J. Scalise

 

Journal of Anglican Studies

The latest edition of the Journal of Anglican Studies (1 December 2007; Vol. 5, No. 2) is now available online. It includes an article on William Paley by one of my former theology professors, Graham Cole (who is a genius! Cole did his doctoral work on Paley). The contents are: 

‘High Speed Conflict and Anglican Identity’, by Bruce Kaye (pp. 135–143) 

‘Introduction: Classic Texts and the Consensus Fidelium’, by Rowan Strong (pp. 145–148) 

‘Stephen Neill’s Anglicanism: An Anglican Classic’, by W.L. Sachs (pp. 149–162) 

‘Politics as the Church’s Business: William Temple’s Christianity and Social Order Revisited’, by Malcolm Brown (pp. 163–185) 

‘Grace and Nation: Coleridge’s On the Constitution of Church and State’, by Alan Gregory (pp. 187–208) 

‘William Paley’s Natural Theology: An Anglican Classic?’, by Graham Cole (pp. 209–225)           

Synopsis: ‘This article pursues the question of whether William Paley’s Natural Theology is an Anglican classic. I place Paley’s natural theology project in its historical context of skepticism about Christianity’s truth claims and in the context of Paley’s `system’. His teleological argument is briefly explained and four challenges, past and present, to its thesis are considered. The question of what makes a work a classic is explored in terms of its enduring interest, especially in the light of the controversy concerning Intelligent Design Theory, and its enduring value. It is argued that because of its enduring interest and value Paley’s Natural Theology may be judged a classic but not of a peculiarly Anglican kind.’

‘Jesus Christ – The Centre of Theology in Richard Hooker’s Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Polity, Book V’, by Egil Grislis (pp. 227–251)

Irish Theological Quarterly

A new issue of Irish Theological Quarterly (1 May 2007; Vol. 72, No. 2) is now available online

The Table of Contents reads:

Paul as Preacher: The Gospel Then and Now, by N.T. Wright [Abstract: What was Paul doing when he was `preaching’ the gospel? He was a pioneer missionary, whose message must have sounded very Jewish and very politically subversive. He was announcing news that was challenging at a public, not merely a personal, level. He was telling a story about the whole world, and about its creator revealing himself in a dramatically unexpected way. In Jesus, this God had put the world to rights, and was summoning all people to join in the community of those who hailed Jesus, not Caesar, as the true Lord. To announce this gospel in today’s world means confronting postmodernity, postsecularism and the new forms of empire with the same challenging word, the overarching narrative of new creation, and the generation of fresh community, to let today’s Caesars know that Jesus is Lord.]

Christology and the Jewish-Christian Dialogue: A Personal Theological Journey, by John Pawlikowski. [Abstract: The Canadian theologian Gregory Baum has argued that chapter four of Vatican II’s Nostra Aetate represents the most radical reformulation of the church’s ordinary magisterium to emerge from the Council. He is correct. For this chapter on the Church’s Relationship to the Jewish People undercut an understanding of that relationship that had persisted since patristic times. In the classical understanding the Church is presented as replacing the Jewish People in the covenantal relationship with God because of the supposed Jewish responsibility for murdering Jesus the Messiah. Traditional Christological proclamation in the Church was very closely connected with this reversal in covenantal membership. Hence the fundamental change of perception on the part of the Council regarding the Church’s relationship with Judaism poses a fundamental challenge. If Jews are now to be seen as remaining in a covenantal relationship with God after Christ, then Christological statement today needs significant reformulation. But it must be a reformulation that protects a continued universal dimension for the actions of Christ.]

Was Christ Sinless or Impeccable?, Oliver D. Crisp. [Abstract: A number of contemporary theologians deny that Christ is impeccable (incapable of sinning), opting instead for the weaker thesis that Christ was merely sinless (he could have sinned, but did not). In this article, Crisp argues against this position, and for the traditional claim that Christ is incapable of sinning.]

Pierre de Bérulle’s Apostolate of the Incarnate Word, by Myles Rearden. [Abstract: Pierre de Bérulle is the originator of the mystical and ascetical movement known as the French School of Spirituality. Although he had strong institutional concerns, the enduring value of his work lies in its radical Christocentricism. While his theology is not original, he uses it to develop the themes of contemplation and intimacy with Christ in writings of rare brilliance. His theology is eclectic, deriving from Augustinian, Thomist and Scotist sources. Some of his key concepts, however, do seem to be original: state, servitude/adherence and non-being. His works are little known in the English-speaking world.]

Newman’s Theology of Bishops, by Brian W. Hughes. [Abstract: Newman’s writings do not contain a developed treatise on the theology of the bishop. He has, however, a robust view of how bishops mediate the experience of God to believers with the aim of bringing about church unity. His theological view of bishops is a combination of patristic theology, a sacramental understanding of authority, and a spirituality of obedience. What connects these aspects together is what I describe as the bishops’ sacramental charisma.]

Dialog is out

The latest edition of Dialog: A Journal of Theology (Volume 46, Issue 3, Fall 2007) is out and focuses on the role of science within theology. It includes 3 articles by Ted Peters, as well as a host by others:

Theologians and Other Idiots, Ted Peters

Connie and Pastor Hochaltar, Ted Peters

Science: A Prescription for a Healthy Theology?, Ted Peters

Beyond Dialogue: The Role of Science Within Theology, Ernest L. Simmons

Five Key Topics on the Frontier of Theology and Science Today, Robert John Russell

Reforming Theology, Reframing Science, Ann Milliken Pederson & Philip Hefner

Theology’s Need for a New Interpretation of Nature: Correlate of the Doctrine of Grace, Lou Ann Trost

For a full listing visit here.

Latest IJST is out

The latest volume of International Journal of Systematic Theology (Volume 9, Issue 4, October 2007) is out and includes the following articles and reviews:

_________________________
Articles
_________________________

Calvin’s Christ: A Dogmatic Matrix for Discussion of Christ’s Human Nature
R. MICHAEL ALLEN

The Precarious Status of Resurrection in Friedrich Schleiermacher’s Glaubenslehre
NATHAN D. HIEB

Non-Penal Substitution (a good read, and includes an all-too-rare mention of Forsyth)
OLIVER CRISP

Barth’s Criticisms of Kierkegaard – A Striking out at Phantoms?
PHILIP G. ZIEGLER

Trinity and Ontology: Colin Gunton’s Ecclesiology
ROLAND CHIA

_________________________
Reviews
_________________________

From Feminist Theology to Indecent Theology – By Marcella Althaus-Reid
Tina Beattie

The Human Person in God’s World: Studies to Commemorate the Austin Farrer Centenary – Edited by Brian Hebblethwaite and Douglas Hedley
Robert MacSwain

In Search of Humanity and Deity: A Celebration of John Macquarrie’s Theology – Edited by Robert Morgan
Richard Clutterbuck

The Spirit Poured Out on All Flesh: Pentecostalism and the Possibility of Global Theology – By Amos Yong
Veli-Matti Karkkainen

The Eschatological Economy: Time and the Hospitality of God – By Douglas H. Knight
Murray Rae

Bonhoeffer on Freedom: Courageously Grasping Reality – By Ann L. Nickson
Julian Templeton

Being with God – By Aristotle Papanikolaou
Daniel Castelo

Radical Orthodoxy and the Reformed Tradition: Creation, Covenant, and Participation – Edited by James K.A. Smith and James H. Olthuis
Chris Hackett

Transforming Postliberal Theology: George Lindbeck, Pragmatism and Scripture – By C.C. Pecknold
Daniel Castelo

The Nuptial Mystery – By Angelo Cardinal Scola, trans. Michelle K. BorasDivine Likeness: Toward a Trinitarian Anthropology of the Family – By Marc Cardinal Ouellet, trans. Philip Milligan and Linda M. Cicone
Chris Hackett

Latest issue of Ecclesiology

A new issue of Ecclesiology (1 May 2007; Vol. 3, No. 2) is now available online and includes the following articles:

Editorial: What is the Church?, by Paul Avis

What Kind of Community is the Church?: The Richard Hooker Lectures 2005, by Oliver O’Donovan

Witness, Democracy and Civil Society: Reflections on John Howard Yoder’s Exilic Ecclesiology, by Richard Bourne

There’s also a review by Paula Gooder of Graham Stanton’s, Bruce W. Longenecker’s and Stephen C. Barton’s The Holy Spirit and Christian Origins: Essays in Honor of James D.G. Dunn.

SBJT, Substitutionary Atonement, and Metaphors of the Cross

The latest volume of the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology is out. And … surprise surprise … it’s dedicated to the crucial (pun intended) topic of substitutionary atonement. I suspect that there may be a wee run of journals dedicating an issue or two to this all important topic. For that I would be grateful. I do hope, however, that the attention on the substitutionary nature of the atonement would not be at the expense of the many other equally important realities of Christ’s atoning work.

One of the reasons that I love Forsyth so much is that he harnesses a broad range of metaphors – both biblical and extra-biblical – to talk about the work of Christ. Warfare, redemption, judicial and sacrificial dialects are all employed – as are dialects of poetry and the social and hard sciences – with the conviction that although no one group of metaphors can exhaust the atonement’s meaning, it is through metaphor that the Church has been able to say anything at all about the Cross. Moreover, Forsyth is concerned that no metaphor can translate the reality of the atonement. Christ did not die for a metaphor. The dominance of any metaphor risks distorting the reality which, like conversion itself, carries a totality in it, an eternal crisis, to which nothing in the world is comparable and all metaphor inadequate. Little wonder that Forsyth (like the Apostle Paul) wrestled for days on end to invent or discover ways – torturing language itself – of expressing what happened in the Crucified.

That said, I don’t normally read SBJT (nor do I have access to it) but I will be trying to chase down one or two of these articles:



Editorial: Stephen J. Wellum
“Articulating, Defending, and Proclaiming Christ our Substitute”
4
 Gregg Allison
“A History of the Doctrine of the Atonement”
20
 Peter J. Gentry
“The Atonement in Isaiah’s Fourth Servant Song” (Isaiah 52:13-53:12)
48
 Derek Tidball
“Songs of the Crucified One: The Psalms and the Crucifixion”
64
 Simon Gathercole
“The Cross and Substitutionary Atonement”
74
 Barry C. Joslin
“Christ Bore the Sins of Many: Substitution and the Atonement in Hebrews”
104
 The SBJT Forum
“The Atonement under Fire”

HT: Justin for pointing this out.

Modern Theology is out

Modern Theology (Volume 23, Issue 3) is now out and includes the following articles and reviews:

Articles

DIVINE CAUSALITY AND THE NATURE OF THEOLOGICAL QUESTIONING
PAUL D. JANZ

EBERHARD BETHGE: INTERPRETER EXTRAORDINAIRE OF DIETRICH BONHOEFFER
JOHN W. de GRUCHY

“DEPRIVE THEM OF THEIR PATHOS”: KARL BARTH AND THE NAZI REVOLUTION
REVISITED
ARNE RASMUSSON

BETWEEN BARTH AND WITTGENSTEIN: ON THE AVAILABILITY OF HANS FREI’S LATER THEOLOGY
JASON A. SPRINGS

TOWARDS A POETICS OF THEOLOGICAL CREATIVITY: ROWAN WILLIAMS READS AUGUSTINE’S DE DOCTRINA AFTER DERRIDA
JEFFREY McCURRY

Reviews

John Howard Yoder: Mennonite Patience, Evangelical Witness, Catholic Convictions – By Mark Thiessen Nation
Craig Hovey

Invitation to Dogmatic Theology: A Canonical Approach – By Paul C. McGlasson
William C. Placher

I’ve also written a brief review of this book here.

Subversive Orthodoxy: Outlaws, Revolutionaries, and Other Christians in Disguise – By Robert Inchausti
D. Brent Laytham

Cultural Transformation and Religious Practice – By Graham Ward
Randi Rashkover

Christ and Culture – By Graham Ward
Kathryn Tanner

Hans Urs von Balthasar and Protestantism: The Ecumenical Implications of his Theological Style – By Rodney A. Howsare
James J. Buckley

Postmodernity’s Transcending: Devaluing God – By Laurence Paul Hemming
John R. Betz

Kierkegaard and Socrates: A Study in Philosophy and Faith – By Jacob Howland
Jonathan Malesic

Latest IJST is coming

The forthcoming issue of International Journal of Systematic Theology contains the following tempting articles:

The Precarious Status of Resurrection in Friedrich Schleiermacher’s Glaubenslehre
NATHAN D. HIEB

Barth’s Criticisms of Kierkegaard – A Striking out at Phantoms?
PHILIP G. ZIEGLER

More Haste, Less Speed in Theology
JEAN-YVES LACOSTE

Exclusivist or Universalist? Origen the ‘Wise Steward of the Word’ (CommRom. V.1.7) and the Issue of Genre
TOM GREGGS

Calvin’s Christ: A Dogmatic Matrix for Discussion of Christ’s Human Nature
R. MICHAEL ALLEN

Non-Penal Substitution
OLIVER CRISP

God’s Attributes as God’s Clarities: Wolf Krotke’s Doctrine of the Divine Attributes
CHRISTOPHER R. J. HOLMES

The Heythrop Journal is out

The latest edition of The Heythrop Journal (Volume 48, Issue 3, May 2007) is out and includes some worthwhile reading.

THE DESIRE OF GOD
by GARRY J. DEVERELL (I particularly enjoyed this article. Thanks Garry)

KIERKEGAARD ON TAKING AN OUTING TO DEER PARK
by T. F. MORRIS

 ACKNOWLEDGING A HIDDEN GOD: A THEOLOGICAL CRITIQUE OF STANLEY CAVELL ON SCEPTICISM
by JUDITH E. TONNING

DIALECTICS OF DESIRE AND THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY OF ALTERITY: FROM LEVINAS TO KIERKEGAARD VIA LACAN
by BRIAN HARDING

WHOSE KENOSIS? AN ANALYSIS OF LEVINAS, DERRIDA, AND VATTIMO ON GOD’S SELF-EMPTYING AND THE SECULARIZATION OF THE WEST
MARIE L. BAIRD

CHRISTOLOGY FROM WITHIN
by ILIA DELIO

Also, for those interested in things closer to the Forsythian camp, there’s a review of Jeremy Morris’ F. D. Maurice and the Crisis of Christian Authority by Jan Marten Ivo Klaver