UNDERSTANDING BIBLICAL THEOLOGY

What is biblical theology? Is it a historical study of the Bible as an historical artifact or a theological interpretation of the Scripture? Does the Bible contain its own theology that needs to be unearthed? Did it speak only to the audience back then or does it also speak to the contemporary readers? Is it descriptive (historical description) or prescriptive (contemporary application)? In their Understanding Biblical Theology, Klink and Lockett “attempt to draw attention to some of the central issues attending the task of biblical theology” (p.183).

Klink and Lockett recall J.P Gobler’s inaugural address at the University of Altdorf in 1787 that claims biblical theology is pure historical argument independent from the church’s dogmatic. Interestingly, about a century later, Geerhordus Vos in his inaugural address at the Princeton Theological Seminary in 1892 argues that biblical theology and systematic theology are siblings (pp.14-15). Hence, biblical theology and systematic theology work in a parallel motion in which systematic theology relies heavily on logic whilst biblical theology relies heavily on history (p.16). In order to validate their arguments, besides laying out their theory in five categories of doing biblical theology, they also include modern theologians who they think to be the practitioners of the biblical theology within their category. However, it is important to note that this history-theology parameter serves only as “cartograph”, never “intended to be a definitive account of biblical theology” (p.21). They hope that their book helps to explicate “why the academy finds it so hard to make sense of the differing versions for “biblical” in biblical theology” and “how the church has and should continue to express their “theology” by means of biblical theology” (p. 185).

In their thesis, Klink and Lockett use history and theology as the bipolar parameters to understand biblical theology. They highlight the major issues pertaining biblical theology – Old Testament’s connection to the New Testament, historical diversity versus theological unity, scope and sources of biblical theology, its subject matter and who should work on biblical theology - the academy or the church. They attempt to classify biblical theology into five categories by evaluating the theory and practice of the practitioners. As they have explicitly pointed out, the five categories are meant for study purpose, “hoping to encourage its practice in the life of both the academy and the church (Klink and Lockett, 185).

The two diagrams below succinctly summarize Klink and Lockett’s five categories of biblical theology:

BT 1 (Historical Description), the prominent characteristic of BT1 is its descriptive approach as advocated by Krister Stendahl (29). It understands that the task of biblical theology is to discover “what it meant” and leave “what it means” to systematic theology. Due to its historical and descriptive nature, the sources of BT1 are the Christian canon and all related texts (extracanonical) for historical excavations. Its subject matter is the “life situation of the documents” (p.39). James Barr’s methodology of biblical theology matches BT1 as he believes biblical theology has to be executed by “professional historians” (p.45). For Barr, historical criticism is the tool to access the narrative or story of the bible (p.53). The story serves as the “raw material” for theology (p.54). Therefore, such strenuous work of doing BT1 can only be carried out by the academy.

BT 2 (History of Redemption) emphasizes on God’s redemptive work in human history revealed in the Bible. The Old Testament and the New Testament present God’s progressive redemptive acts in a narrative. The varieties of BT2 are placed into three schools of thoughts – the Dallas School (from text to themes), the Chicago School (from themes to text) and the Philadelphia School (macro context synthesis) (p.67). BT2’s subject matter is “the progressive unity of God’s redemptive acts” in Jesus Christ (p.74). D. A. Carson is the practitioner theologian of this type. He focuses on “salvation-historical study of the biblical texts” built on “coherent and agreed canon” using inductive method to excavate the text (p.82). The final purpose of biblical theology is for preaching and teaching in the church (p.84).  

BT 3 (Worldview-Story) attempts to balance history and theology in light of the narrative. It views the whole Bible in light of the story line (the main plot) as a coherent whole. For example, N. T. Wright focuses on the Second Temple Judaism as the worldview story (historical) and repentance (theological) as the response in order to gain restoration. Canon is not only its source but it also includes extra-canonical sources as well. In this approach, both the academy and the church have their contribution to biblical theology.

Well, it may be difficult to draw a clear line between BT 2 and BT 3 meaning can we exclude Christ as the climax of the story? If we take out Christ from being the climax of the story, the narrative in BT 3 is reduced to mere story from Creation to New Heaven and New Earth. Frankly, it is difficult to maintain the main plot if we take away God’s redemptive acts through Christ from the narrative.

BT 4 (Canonical Approach) brings together history and theology under the umbrella of the canon. It embraces both descriptive (historical) and prescriptive (theological) nature of Scripture as the canon contains both history (historical process) and theology (theological reflection (p.143). Christ is the subject matter of BT 4 (p.135). The Bible has to be read within the relationship of the readers with God and His Church as its main purpose is towards an understanding of God (p.151).

BT 5 (Theological Construction) rejects historical criticism and lays heavily on theological approach. Its primary subject matter is God and his work and its secondary subject matter is the people of God. The theology of the church serves as a tool to study the Bible. For Francis Watson, the historical background of the Bible does not truly matter, what matters most is its contemporary message. In other words, the ecclesial community is “the primary point of reference” (p.179).

Jakarta Selatan, 29 Nopember 2013 

Johan Newton Crystal

 

 

LOGIC OF THE SPIRIT

James Loder presents his Logic of the Spirit by intermarrying psychology and theology in order to redefine “the meaning and purpose of human development” (p. ix). Loder’s writing is an exploration on the spiritual dimension of human development by looking at the very purpose of life – the meaning of life. Loder attempts to answer the perennial questions of human beings – “What is a life time?” and “Why do I live it?” Quoting Camus’s surly and ironic question, “Does life deserve to be lived?” Loder believes this is “an outcry of the human spirit” meant to call someone or someplace beyond the self. Also quoting Miguel de Unamuno, the great philosopher who says, “what distinguishes human beings from other creatures is that human beings have a unique practice of burying their dead” (p. 4). Loder is trying to demonstrate the uniqueness of human beings should make us aware or lead us to the study of the human spirit.

Loder offers two approaches to look at the human spirit. First approach is what he calls “from below” meaning from the standpoint of science and experience and the second approach “from above”, viewing from the standpoint of God through His self-revelation in Jesus Christ as well as His relation to His creation.

In his first view, Loder delineates that the human spirit is expressed or manifested in arts, music, literature, sculpture, painting, drama, dance and the like explains “the expansiveness, transcendence, inclusiveness and inspiration” visible in human existence. Loder attempts to provide two vignettes to explain his first approach (from below). These two vignettes are Wolfhart Pannenberg’s “exocentricity” (the human spirit) and Wilder Penfield “strange loops in the brain” (the transcendence of the “I”). Loder parallels the universe with human nature which he calls “the two infinities” – “the big infinity” and “the little infinity” (p.7). In his parallelization, Loder presents four points of relevant connectivity, first “the emergence of order in the universe and of congruent orders of mind in human development”, second, “the analogical connection between entropy and death” third, “transformation and new order” and last, “relationality as ontologically prior to rationality” (p.7-8). All these point toward the Creator-God.

Let us turn to Loder’s second view, the view from above. Loder explains that the Author God enters His own Creation by revealing Himself in Jesus Christ as well as continuing to work in the Creator Spirit in order to bring ultimate harmony between the created and contigent order with the divine order. As human spirit is separated from its ultimate ground in the Spirit of God therefore human spirit is constantly in the state of “bewilderment, blundering briliance” crying for wisdom to an “unknown God” (p.10). Only the Creator-Spirit is capable of freeing the human spirit from “self-inflation, self-doubt, self-absorption and self-destruction” (p.10).

These two views are complimentary and it is asymmetry as well. Loder proposes, the view from above should serve as the priority or basis for the bipolar relationship of these two views. The Creator Spirit is working to “transform the negation, the nothingness, the frightening abyss that pervades and haunts human development as a whole” (p.14). The dark side, the fatalism, the nihilism, the emptiness and meaninglessness of human spirit needs total transformation solely provided by the Creator Spirit.

Distinguishing from traditional approach of human development that tend to “focus on defining and mapping stages”, Loder offers to “focus on the dynamics of development within and beyond the context of stages” (p.18). Loder prefers to concentrate on “how” the environment and persons interact resulting the personality of a human person (p.20). Loder thinks that psychological approach is too preoccupied with adaptation which may prevent a better understanding on the more profound issues of human existence (pp.26-27). And hence, he suggests incorporating theological anthropological perspective into the study of human development.

Loder sets out by laying out a succinct summary of four fundamental theological arguments by Wolfhart Pannenberg, Karl Barth, T. F. Torrance and George Hendry. Loder’s argument bases on many aspects of Pannenberg’s theology without rejecting Barth’s contribution. He grounds his argument on “what God means by human and what God means by God” (p.30). What distinguishes Loder’s approach to Pannenberg’s approach is that Pannenberg takes the approach of methods supplies material whilst Loder’s prefers the material supplies method.

Loder vividly states his theological stance as follows:

1. He takes the method and material from below and above at the same time
2. Science may inform theology as subscience and theology serves as the basis to understand and even to transform the understanding of science.
3. The expansive self-transcending power of human spirit drives toward the transformation of every obstacle in human development.
4. Differentiation of the Creator Spirit with human spirit.
5. The analogia spiritus – the analogy between the human spirit (creativity) and the Holy Spirit (transformation).
6. The new creation in Christ (I not I but Christ or I not I but God).

Loder’s methology is based on three crucial points:

1. Human science serves as subscience to the science of theology meaning its rejection of theology must undergo transformation.
2. The bipolar unity of science and theology must be based on the person of Christ who is both fully divine and fully human as the living reality.
3. The essential character of this bipolar relational unity is what Karl Barth describes as “Indissoluble differentiation”, “inseparable unity” and “indestructible order”.

Loder uses his counseling experience for a girl named Hellen to demonstrates the interaction between human spirit and Creator spirit. Using neurological terms, Loder defines the two into two systems. The first system is the ergotropic system (ET) which “combines the left hemisphere, which is analytical, linguistic, and linear, with the sympathetic nervous system and the central nervous system”. The second system is trophotropic (TT), a combination of “the right hemisphere which is holistic, analogical, and spatial with the parasympathetic and central nervous systems” (p.57).

This practice of spirituality will consequently deepen the sense of a dialectical identity in which the Divine Presence becomes the fundamental basis for one’s identity. “I-not I-but Christ becomes the way one thinks of oneself” (p.60).

THE GROWTH OF LOVE

Inspired by Dr. Frank Lake, Bruce Reed, James Loder, Paul Tournier and R.S. Lee, Keith White explores and engages on Child Theology. White’s understanding on parenting goes beyond nuclear family, for the development of a child substantially happens and interweaves among family, religion and education. In other words, the whole environment in which a child grows are impacting the child’s life. Keith emphasizes that “individuals grow within community” (p.12).

Using the terms “village” and “villagers” metaphorically, Keith urges us to play our roles “in creating the environment in which love can thrive” (p.12). Children need a child-friendly society or a social canopy in which the children can grow in love. We all have the responsibility to construct and nurture such an environment. Peter Berger has “the Sacred Canopy”, we probably may want to have “love-canopy”.

Keith explains his purpose of choosing the five motifs or themes – security, boundaries, significance, community and creativity “to enable an interplay and, in some cases, integration between different perspectives and traditions (p.30). These five words are memorable and relevant to daily life. These five words enable interdisciplinary interaction between theology and child development theory. It is important because it helps to hold the tension between “the individual and the collective, the now and the not yet, the planned and the unplanned, the conscious and the unconscious, the functional and the spontaneous, the latent and the manifest and the forces of life and death”. It helps to interwoven the two modes of existence (p.31-32). These five words are also “open, fluid and expansive” as life is very dynamic. These five themes except for security cannot be understood as human needs for it is more than human needs explained by Dr. White. (p.36).

The five words are not intended to be another version of Erickson’s stages of growth or Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. However, White emphasizes that he purposely chooses to start with security for he believes it is the most fundamental need of human beings as “life begins with the fundamental longing for security” (p.33). Dr. White’s friend, Dr. Jo-Joy Wright demonstrates that the five themes are in fact a progression although it may not comprise a systematic of growth (p.33).

In order to create and experience security, boundaries have to step in. Keith White delineates that “patterns, structures and predictability” are very vital in child development. In the process, a child will find his or her significance. Jo-Joy Wright points out what Grotberg describes as “I am; I can; I have” (p.34).

White highlights that his thesis is drawn from biblical insights as well as psycho-social theory and his practical experience. Inspired by Karl Barth reflected in James Loder’s The Logic in Spirit, White explores the fundamental questions of life such as death, nothingness, suffering and the meaning of life in light of theology in which God revealed Himself through Jesus Christ (p.42). White highlights his thesis succinctly,

“these biblical insights are set within the understanding of human nature and development that sees our ultimate security and significance in God’s love, mercy and forgiveness and grace; his boundaries as those within which we best thrive; the new community modeled and established in and through the life, death, resurrection of Jesus Christ as the one in which we can be truly human; and his creation as the primary realm in which we little creators find greatest joy and fulfillment, when our secondary creations resonate with his” (p.45).

These five themes or what White also calls as “the five fingers” are used to play the melody calls “love”. White says, “Love is given and received, often unconsciously and unexpectedly; it emerges through relationship, knowing, trusting, belonging, community, creativity and so on” (p.46). This explains why White gives the title to his book as well as why he chooses the five themes.

White suggests using the term covenant to understand love with marriage as its best example to demonstrate this idea of love within covenantal relationship. Theologically speaking, divine love is reflected in the symbol of marriage (p.201). A children’s environment has to consist of not only children but also adults, both males and females. In other words, this village of love must consist of the whole community. Activities which are done together in this village of love using theological practices such as celebrations, pilgrimages, camps, retreats, baptisms, holy communions etc become children’s learning experience.

White prefers not to include spirituality in the five themes because he believes spirituality is not conducive to be put into words in a book. Instead he prefers “silence, music, colour and poetry” as better vehicles to convey spirituality. Children learn spirituality from what they see and experience in their environment or village (using White’s term). Particularly, they learn from how their parents such as the way their parents internalize prayers and Bible reading (p.206).

Both spirituality of children and love is essentially rooted in its relatedness or connectedness. Children live in the “little family” (nuclear family) and the “bigger family” (local fellowship of Christians). Within this village, children learn about love. This loving village is what White hopes to describe. It is a “place or a setting in which a child experiences healthy patterns of life, each day, each week, each month, each year and through the stages of life” (p.207). Very often, a child is often regarded as disturbance of religious life and expected to be quarantined from the worship community. White urges us to take children as part of the family and community and thus, they should not be segregated from the “bigger family”.     

As the children of God who is love we are commanded to love one another. Our culture has to be characterized by love. Creating, nurturing and living in this village of love demonstrates our Village Chief (God) is Love.

Batam, 18 Juli 2013

Johan Newton Crystal