Models for Scripture

by John Goldingay

Overview

"This learned, important, and stimulating work will be invaluable to all concerned to formulate and foster the authority of Scripture in today's church. It makes available a rich range of resources for all concerned to reclaim, rediscover, and re-present Scripture as the revealed word of God." Alister E. McGrath Oxford University "John Goldingay has given us a richly textured study of scriptural models that reflect the Bible's own language and usage. The author has mastered a vast literature on contemporary discussions of Scripture and cut through current controversies by focusing on several scriptural models and the implications each holds for various types of biblical writings…. This book is a splendid achievement. It will provide much-needed future guidance for discussions about the nature of Scripture and the most appropriate ways of describing it." Donald K. McKim Memphis Theological Seminary "No issue is of more importance for the church at this time than that of understanding how its Scriptures are 'authority,' 'canon,' and 'revelation.' Taking a fresh approach to the questions by utilizing the biblical materials themselves, this book can aid the church in thinking through and formulating that important understanding. Elizabeth Achtemeier Union Theological Seminary in Virginia "A study of the doctrine of Scripture that moves us decisively beyond both the old defensive conservatism and the old rationalistic liberalism has long been urgently needed. John Goldingay has provided it." Richard Bauckham

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798385232024
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	09/30/2024
Pages:	436
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.94(d)

About the Author

John Goldingay is Senior Professor of Old Testament and David Allan Hubbard Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Now living in Oxford, he continues to write commentaries and books on the theology and message of the Old Testament.

Table of Contents

1.	Introduction: Scripture's Varied Forms	1
	Categories for a Doctrine of Scripture	1
	Models for Scripture	7
	Reconsidering Models for Scripture	12
Part I	Scripture as Witnessing Tradition	19
2.	Witness and Tradition	21
	The Nature of Scriptural Faith and the Nature of Scripture	21
	Biblical Narrative as Witness and Tradition	25
3.	The Factuality Involved in Witness	29
	As Witness Scripture Asks to Be Investigated Critically (Even If It Implies a Critique of Criticism)	30
	Investigating the Witness of the Second Testament	34
	Investigating the Witness of the First Testament	39
	Living in Trust and Living with Ambiguity	42
	As Witness Scripture Invites Us to Learn from the Events Themselves to Which It Points	46
4.	The Interpretation Involved in Witness	49
	The Gospels as Interpretative Witness	49
	Witness and Tradition: Fact and Interpretation	52
	The Theological Nature of the Witnessing Tradition's Interpretation	58
5.	Witness in the Form of Story	61
	History and Story: How Stories Work	61
	The Place of "Fiction" in a Historical Story	67
	The Witness of "Pure" Fiction	71
6.	Scripture as a Whole as Witnessing Tradition	77
	The Authoritative Canon as Witness	78
	The Inspired Word as Witness	78
	The Experienced Revelation as Witness	80
Part II	Scripture as Authoritative Canon	83
7.	Authority in Scripture	85
	Worshipping by Scripture and Living by Scripture: Psalm 119	87
	Worshipping by Scripture and Living by Scripture: The Example of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11)	89
	The Bible's Approach to Biblical Authority	93
8.	Scripture as a Whole as Authoritative Canon: Narrative and Prophecy	99
	"It Is Written"	99
	Scripture and Canon	102
	Biblical Narrative as Authoritative Canon	108
	The Inspired Word as Authoritative Canon	115
9.	Scripture as a Whole as Authoritative Canon: Norms for Christian Doctrine	117
	The Crisis of Authority	117
	Authority and Scripture	121
	The Experienced Revelation as Authoritative Canon	125
	The First Testament as Authoritative Canon for Jesus and the Second Testament Writers	131
10.	The Development of a Canon of Jewish Scriptures	138
	From the Beginnings to the Persian Period	138
	Jewish Canons in the Greek and Roman Periods	142
	Developments during the Christian Era	145
11.	The Development of a Second Testament	151
	The First Two Christian Centuries	151
	The Crises of the Late Second Century	155
	The Catholic Church's Response	158
	A Canon of Second Testament Scriptures	164
12.	The Bounds of the Canon	168
	Which Books Belong in the First Testament?	168
	Criteria for Inclusion: Canon, Prophets, and Apostles	171
	The Determination and the Openness of the Canon	177
13.	Scripture as Resource and Norm	183
	Tradition	183
	Reason and Secular Thought	187
	Human Experience	189
	Our Commitments	194
	Scripture as Resource and Norm	196
Part III	Scripture as Inspired Word	199
14.	The Words of God in Human Words	201
	The Word of God at the Critical Moment: Jeremiah 36	201
	Prophecy as the Inspired Word of God	204
15.	An Effective and Meaningful Word	209
	The Word of God: Certain to Come About	209
	The Inspired Word: Significant beyond Its Original Context	215
	The Inspired Speaker of God's Word	219
16.	Forms of Inspiration	222
	Inspiration as God Using an Instrument	223
	Inspiration as God Dictating to a Messenger	227
	Inspiration as God Standing behind a Prophet's Own Words	231
17.	Understanding the Inspiration of a Text	237
	The Inspiration of Scripture in the Light of the Incarnation	238
	The Inspiration of Scripture in the Light of the Spirit's Involvement in the Church	241
	The Inspiration of Scripture in the Light of Creative Inspiration	244
	The Inspiration of Scripture in the Light of the Nature of the Sacraments	246
	The Inspiration of Scripture in the Light of God's Acts in History	248
18.	Scripture as a Whole as Inspired Word	252
	Extending the Model of Inspired Word of God: Its Application to Narrative	252
	Authoritative Canon and Experienced Revelation as Inspired Word of God	257
19.	Inspiration and Inerrancy	261
	Attitudes to Factual Accuracy over the Centuries	261
	The Nineteenth-Century Elaboration	266
	Difficulties with Inerrancy and Approaches to Solving Them	268
	Difficulties in Principle and Disadvantages in Practice	273
	The God-Givenness of a Broadly Accurate Text	279
Part IV	Scripture as Experienced Revelation	285
20.	Revelation in Theology and in Scripture	287
	Revelation as a Theological Theme and as a Scriptural Theme	288
	Revelation in the Apocalypses	292
21.	Revelation: Personal, Propositional, Historical, and Reasonable	299
	Personal Revelation?	299
	Propositional Revelation?	302
	Revelation in History?	304
	Revelation and Reason	311
22.	The Truth of Revelation	314
	The Place of Imagery in Scripture	314
	The Logic of Scripture's Language about God	319
	The Truth of Daniel 10-12	322
	The Symbolism of Patriarchy	326
23.	Scripture as as a Whole as Divine Revelation	329
	Revelation Elsewhere in Scripture	329
	Diversity and Unity in the Scriptural Revelation	332
	Theological Inerrancy	338
	Progressive Revelation and Divine Condescension	341
	The Clarity of the Scriptural Revelation	345
24.	Human Experience and Theological Reflection in the Two Testaments	348
	Human Experience in Scripture	348
	The Experience of Israel and Christian Experience	351
	Theological Reflection and the Christ Event	355
25.	Scripture as a Manual of Theological Reflection	360
	The Reflective Nature of Scripture as a Whole	360
	Modes of Theological Reflection in Scripture	364
	Abbreviations	372
	Bibliography	374
	Index of Authors	404
	Index of Scriptural and Other Ancient Jewish and Christian Writings	412

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“This learned, important, and stimulating work will be invaluable to all concerned to formulate and foster the authority of Scripture in today’s church. It makes available a rich range of resources for all concerned to reclaim, rediscover, and re-present Scripture as the revealed word of God.”

Alister E. McGrath

Oxford University



“John Goldingay has given us a richly textured study of scriptural models that reflect the Bible’s own language and usage. The author has mastered a vast literature on contemporary discussions of Scripture and cut through current controversies by focusing on several scriptural models and the implications each holds for various types of biblical writings…. This book is a splendid achievement. It will provide much-needed future guidance for discussions about the nature of Scripture and the most appropriate ways of describing it.”

Donald K. McKim

Memphis Theological Seminary



“No issue is of more importance for the church at this time than that of understanding how its Scriptures are ‘authority,’ ‘canon,’ and ‘revelation.’ Taking a fresh approach to the questions by utilizing the biblical materials themselves, this book can aid the church in thinking through and formulating that important understanding.

Elizabeth Achtemeier

Union Theological Seminary in Virginia



“A study of the doctrine of Scripture that moves us decisively beyond both the old defensive conservatism and the old rationalistic liberalism has long been urgently needed. John Goldingay has provided it.”

Richard Bauckham

Editorial Reviews

This learned, important, and stimulating work will be invaluable to all concerned to formulate and foster the authority of Scripture in today’s church. It makes available a rich range of resources for all concerned to reclaim, rediscover, and re-present Scripture as the revealed word of God.”

Alister E. McGrath

Oxford University



“John Goldingay has given us a richly textured study of scriptural models that reflect the Bible’s own language and usage. The author has mastered a vast literature on contemporary discussions of Scripture and cut through current controversies by focusing on several scriptural models and the implications each holds for various types of biblical writings…. This book is a splendid achievement. It will provide much-needed future guidance for discussions about the nature of Scripture and the most appropriate ways of describing it.”

Donald K. McKim

Memphis Theological Seminary



“No issue is of more importance for the church at this time than that of understanding how its Scriptures are ‘authority,’ ‘canon,’ and ‘revelation.’ Taking a fresh approach to the questions by utilizing the biblical materials themselves, this book can aid the church in thinking through and formulating that important understanding.

Elizabeth Achtemeier

Union Theological Seminary in Virginia



“A study of the doctrine of Scripture that moves us decisively beyond both the old defensive conservatism and the old rationalistic liberalism has long been urgently needed. John Goldingay has provided it.”

Richard Bauckham

From the Publisher