John Goldingay, who has already produced a three-volume theology of the Old Testament and another on Isaiah’s theology among many other works, has now broadened his sights to the theology of the entire Bible. Because of his stature in the scholarly world, I predict this will become an influential volume.

As for me, I picked it up with a fair amount of skepticism. As a staunch conservative,   I find Mr. Goldingay sometimes on the other side side of the tracks. (There is a debate out there about whether he is really an evangelical or not). For the record, I found several sentences that were subversive to my eyes in this book. I thought I should pick one such statement for this review to prove my point. On page 74 in an explanation of Jesus as the I AM he says, “… The New Testament’s references to ‘worship’ of Jesus need not imply that he is seen as divine.” Are you kidding? To be fair, in the next paragraph, he returns to a more orthodox description, yet he has some such statements along the way. He is clearly a provocative writer, but where he succeeds as a writer may also be where he fails. As a provocateur he should stop short of inciting cardiac arrest in his readers!

Not that I am the standard, but I found myself disagreeing with many of his conclusions  along the way too. I only mention that because of what I want to say next.

This book threw away the mold of traditional theologies. I had never noticed before just how close a script all such volumes had in the past. From differing theological perspectives, they all present the same way. Here’s the Doctrine of God and off they go …1, 2, 3. Goldingay, for the better or worse, wrote his own script. That approach makes for creative new Approaches to study, even if you are a conservative like me who says often as you go, “O, you’re wrong again there, Mr. Goldingay.”

If you are as conservative as me, this is not going to be your first choice for a theology on your shelf. But if you are like me, you are going to make it one of a handful you always consult just to help you think outside the box. He simply made me think about things that I had never thought of before. I like that! I’ll make my own conclusions anyway, thank you. So I unashamedly give 4 out of 5 stars and recommend a book that I thought I might not.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

This book is special. Its title might not suggest the wallop it packs, though the subtitle “Blueprints For Sanctification” at least sends you the right direction. When the author says he is going to approach his subject by doing some expositions of the key NT passages you still might realize what you are in for. It’s only when you actually start reading and the chapters add up that you see the treasure you have. Those passages he expounds are ones we read over too quickly and their incredible value he simply unfolds. Along the way, the book proves itself an instant classic. That might be cliché, but I believe time will prove it true.

There’s an appendix that lists the “Blueprint Passages” at the end, and he has something to say on each, but he soared in Romans 12, Galatians 2:20, and especially Romans 6. He really helped me see the role the Law has in the life of the Christian today. He steered away from extremes that find so many adherents these days.

I could not say that I agreed with every sentence in the book, but he always carefully explained himself and made you do your own thinking. I can’t follow all reformed conclusions that were made, but I think most Bible believers will be helped and everyone needs this book. I challenge you to see if you can’t agree with his final chapter on the ultimate goal. I sure did.

I must give you warning. This book is not for casual reading. It demands slow, reflective reading. You invest that effort and you will be rewarded immensely. This is one of the great ones.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Here is a paperback reprint of a classic. It’s been held in high regard for several years and has not yet been superseded. As I have delved into it, I am most amazed by its depth and scope. Some have found it too detailed, and I suspect we might want to use it more as a reference tool than for fireside reading, but it still holds great value as you track down theological themes in the New Testament.

When we say detailed, we mean 1000 pages. It actually takes through page 74 to describe how he thinks NT theology should be approached! He covers every topic thoroughly. You will know pretty much all that the New Testament has to say on the subject when you are done. I once read a criticism of this work that it doesn’t do too well in pointing out specific contributions to the whole each section makes. For example, you might not easily find what Paul added to the discussion. The truth is, there are many such volumes that explain those distinctions, but very few that give this comprehensive viewpoint. For that reason, this book remains indispensable to the theology section of your library.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

What is called a theological companion turns out to be an astute theological dictionary from a seasoned theologian. The scope of this fine volume is so massive that it is hard to believe that one writer gave us the entire volume. Most dictionaries are compiled by a host of scholars who can even contradict themselves across entries, but here we have a unified approach to all things theological.

The book begins with a timeline of theologians to help you place the many theologians that will receive a biographic entry in the volume. That is a great help in seeing who was contemporary with each other. Next, there is a list of entries which is much easier than flipping through the large volume itself. Still, the majority of the book is a-to-z entries.

In addition to influential theologians, he gives almost every theological word imaginable whether common like “justification”, or biblical like “abba”, or of a modern scholarly bend like “open theism”, or even esoteric like “womanism.” Exhaustive is a fair description.

The articles are of various lengths following a logical approach to their complexity and importance. You might occasionally disagree with his choice, or find something missing like the “New Perspective on Paul”, but it is broad enough to cover most everything you might need in such a volume. You might even disagree on a theological conclusion, but you will never find him careless, naive, or harshly dogmatic. His lifetime in theology is apparent.

Quite simply, I must rate this a winner and consider it a jewel to have on your shelves.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Likely the most important book of its kind for this generation, this massive volume covers the doctrine of Scripture from every conceivable vantage point. Edited by the redoubtable D. A. Carson, this book maintains a consistently high level of scholarship. Though I did not read every page (I wanted to provide somewhat of a timely review),  I read much and was impressed throughout.

The volume begins with a spectacular introductory essay by Carson that was fascinating. He at once laid bare the lines of debate and an outline of the history. Starting a trend that carried through the book, he named names. He was never ugly, but he put people with positions and then evaluated positions in this successful romp through the issues.

Next comes nine chapters on historical topics. There might be more information than you feel the need to know, but in any future historical questions you will likely find your answers here.

The heart of the book was chapters 11-24 on biblical and theological topics. These articles were excellent even if certain parts were somewhat esoteric. Still, the great subjects were fully addressed. The next section on philosophical and epistemological topics carried the theological discussion forward. The section on comparative religion topics was much less interesting to me, but that is likely a matter of taste. The book ends with Daniel Doriani encouraging us to think holistically and then some FAQ by Carson.

This book is a major publishing event. Pastors will find some that is helpful clarification, but some that is needless complication. We must remember, though, that the book is dedicated to scholarly concerns in addition to what is helpful to us. There were statements that I could not agree with in these pages, but this book is a presentation of the conservative position. To that end, it was just what was needed in our complicated days.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.