Transcript HOLY SPIRIT - Erskine College

OLD TESTAMENT
THEOLOGY
O. T. Theology: Origin
Johann Gabler, in 1787, delivered an address on the
difference between Dogmatic and Biblical Theology
• Biblical Theology • Dogmatic Theology
– Simple
– Treats the religion of
the Bible
– Historical (discusses
what the sacred writers
thought of divine
things)
– *Special Revelation>
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– Complex
– Biblical Theology and
philosophy
– Didactic (what the
theologians think)
– *Special and General
Revelation>
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O. T. Theology: Definition
• Geerhardus Vos,
“Biblical Theology is
that branch of
Exegetical Theology
which deals with the
process of the self
revelation of God
deposited in the Bible.”
Biblical Theology, 13.>
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• John Murray, “Biblical
theology deals with the
data of special revelation
from the standpoint of its
history; systematic
theology deals with the
same in its totality as a
finished product. The
method of systematic
theology is logical, that of
biblical theology is
historical.” WTJ, 26:1,
33.>
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O. T. Theology: The Redemptive
Historical Framework
• Exegesis (then interpretation)
• Compare with other passages
• Formulate ideas without distorting the
facts
• Be aware of the flow of Biblical
revelation>
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O. T. Theology: Techniques
• Word Studies: key words; their theological thrust;
one cannot exegete without knowing the meaning of
the words
• Subject Studies: tracing the growth or
development of a subject; determining the key
verses
• Theology of Biblical Books: “What
does_____say?” Examines the book as a literary
unit. Determines the theme or themes. How do the
parts support that theme?
• Theology of the Old Testament: such as Vos,
Payne, etc.>
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O. T. Theology and Systematic
Theology
• Biblical theology is the ground for systematic
theology
• Biblical and systematic theology are
complementary, not antithetical
• There is a difference in method and nature of
the approach
• Biblical Theology- what has God revealed?
• Systematic Theology- what is true about
God?>
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O. T. Theology and Systematic
Theology
• The Value of
Systematic Theology
• The Danger of Systematic
Theology
– Theological drift: the
– It presents the results
system is substituted for
of Bible study in
Scripture
capsule form
– Strong denominationalism
– It is useful in combating leads to failure to recognize
heresy
the catholicity of the Church
– It provides conventional – Biased exegesis (the whole
language>
determines the meaning of
the parts)>
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O. T. Theology: History
• The Rise of Old Testament Theology
– Federal Theology: Cocceius (1603-1669)
• Attempt to escape from traditionalism and confessions to
purely Biblical orientation
• Developed theology around the structure of covenant
(foedus)
– Pietism: Spener and Francke- (1635-1705)
• Emphasized practical orientation of theology and the
devotional use of Bible
• Argued for historical interpretations as opposed to prooftexting
– Johann Gabler: Father of Biblical Theology, a
rationalist, seeking to explain the biblical religion
in terms of universal laws of reason>
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O. T. Theology: History
• The Triumph of Israel’s Religion:
Extreme Rationalism (1790-1830)
– Hermann Samuel Reimarus, 1694-1768
• Wolfenbüttel Fragments
– J.D. Semler, 1725-1792, canon the result of
human endeavors entirely
– Georg Lorenz Bauer, 1755-1806, rationalist
theology, Theologie des Alten Testaments
– W.M.L. de Wette, first to do Biblical
Theology under influence of Kantianism>
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O. T. Theology: History
• Rationalism under the influence of a
philosophy of religion (Historicists)
• Hegel: the dialectic
• Schleiermacher: the focus of theology
• Wilhelm Vatke: Biblische Theologie,
1835, developed the history of religions
approach (Religionsgeschichte)
• Bruno Bauer: a student of Vatke, wrote a
second “history of religions,” Old Testament
theology based on the Hegelian
philosophy>
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O. T. Theology: History
• Julius Wellhausen: wrote Prolegomena
zur Geschichte Israels, 1878
– Signaled a shift in Biblical Theology from
rationalism to the history of Israel's religion
– Based on Graf and Kuenen
– OT prophets lived before the giving of the
OT law.
– OT religion grew out of nature religion
– Behind the sacrifices and rituals of Israel lay
the agricultural feasts of her pagan
neighbors>
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O. T. Theology: Wellhausian Scheme
• Animism: moving objects are indwelt with
spirits
• Gen 14:7, spring of judgment
• Gen 12:6, oaks of Moreh; 13:18, oaks of Mamre
• Polytheism: Joshua 15:11, baals
– Totemism- some members of tribes related to
animals; Caleb-dog, or “el” names as descendants of
some god
– Taboo- certain prohibited foods (can't eat because
they belong to the tribal gods)
– Ancestor worship- Genesis 23
• Monolatry: recognize many gods, worship one
• Monotheism: eighth century, “J” documents>
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O. T. Theology: Key Themes in the
Religionsgeschichte Approach
• Late date assigned to ‘P’ document in
Pentateuchal criticism
• New picture of Israel’s religion, based on
documentary hypothesis
• Evolutionary model, based on Hegel and
Darwin>>
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O. T. Theology: History
The Conservative Reaction
• E.W. Hengstenberg: (ca 1835)
– Wrote Christology of the Old Testament
– This work held to conservative theological
viewpoints
– Major failing: did not reckon with the
nature of progressive revelation
– Nonetheless, he revived an orthodox view
of the Bible
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O. T. Theology: History
The Conservative Reaction
• Steudel didn't hold to inerrancy, but reacted
against the historical-critical method; affirmed
historical-grammatical method
• Gustav Oehler (1812-1872):
– Oehler was a student of Steudel
– Oehler wrote a famous Old Testament Theology
(published posthumously) still used by evangelicals
– Focused on the organic growth of Old Testament
religion, the outstanding work of the Heilsgeschichte
(“salvation history”) school>
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O. T. Theology: History
The Conservative Reaction
• Heilsgeschichte: “salvation history”
school focused on the story of
salvation
– J.C.K. Hofmann: ca 1841,
• Found in the Bible a record of the process
of saving or holy history that aims at the
redemption of all mankind
• Process not fully completed until
eschatological consummation>
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O. T. Theology: History
The Conservative Reaction
• Heilsgeschichte:
– The Erlangen School, including Hofmann, held
• Propositional statements in Scripture were not
meant to be an end in themselves nor an object of
faith, but
• Were designated to bear witness>the redemptive
acts of God
– Franz Delitzsch- Bible a witness to salvation,
an incomplete, usable source, witness of
ancient culture>
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O. T. Theology: History
The Renaissance of Biblical Theology
• Factors Contributing to the revival of
Biblical Theology (early 20th century)
– The loss of faith in evolutionary naturalism
– The reaction against the purported
“objectivity” in the study of religion-history
– The trend of Continental theology back to
Reformation theology (the movement known
as “neo-orthodoxy”)>
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O. T. Theology: History
The Renaissance of Biblical Theology
• Otto Eissfeldt:
– History of Israel’s religion and Old
Testament theology were separate
disciplines, with different goals and
therefore with different methods
– Theology deals with revelation, not
history (debated Eichrodt 1926-29)>
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O. T. Theology: History
The Renaissance of Biblical Theology
• Walther Eichrodt: Key theology 1933,
1939
– Made use of the covenant theme and
employed a cross-section methodology
– Argued that “Old Testament theologians
could get to the ‘essence’ of Old Testament
religion by means of the same historicalcritical methods investigators of the history
of religion used.” Smith, OTT, 39>
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O. T. Theology: History
The Renaissance of Biblical Theology
• Gerhard von Rad: (1957,1960) Theologie des Alten
Testaments, represented an approach to the Old
Testament that closely aligned Old Testament criticism
with Old Testament theology
– Hexateuch is a reworking of various tribal traditions which had
been transmitted orally
– Events are not historical but confessional
• “The OT possessed no central axis or continuity of a
divine plan; rather, it contained a narration of the
people’s religious reading of their history, their attempt
to make real and present older events and narratives.”
Kaiser, TOTT, 5>
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O. T. Theology: Recent History
• The Biblical Theology Movement: H.H. Rowley,
Alan Richardson, Norman Snaith, G. Ernest
Wright, B.W. Anderson, begins around 1950
• Five Key Ideas
– The rediscovery of the theological dimension
(message and mystery of the Bible)
– The unity of the Bible
– The Idea that revelation is historical
– The distinctiveness of Hebrew thought
– The uniqueness of Biblical faith vis-à-vis other
religions>
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O. T. Theology: Recent History
• Brevard S. Childs, Biblical Theology of
the Old and New Testaments, 1992
• “The challenge of Biblical Theology is to
engage in the continual activity of
theological reflection which studies the
canonical text in detailed exegesis, and
seeks to do justice to the witness of both
testaments in the light of its subject matter
who is Jesus Christ.” Childs, BTONT, 78
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O. T. Theology: Recent History
• Evangelical Contributions:
• Geerhardus Vos, Biblical Theology, 1948
• J. Barton Payne, The Theology of the Older
Testament, 1962
• Gerhard Hasel, Old Testament Theology: Basic
Issues in the Current Debate, 1972
• William Dyrness, Themes in Old Testament
Theology, 1977
• Walter Kaiser, Toward an Old Testament
Theology,1978
• Ralph L. Smith, Old Testament Theology, 1993
• Paul House, Old Testament Theology, 1998>
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OLD TESTAMENT
THEOLOGY