A Theology of Word and Spirit: Authority Method in Theology (Volume 1)

by Donald G. Bloesch

Recipient of a Christianity Today Critics Choice Award In the inaugural volume of his seven-volume systematic theology, Christian Foundations, Donald Bloesch surveys his method. His approach is conversant with up-to-the-minute theological concerns but also vitally grounded in the Reformation emphasis on biblical revelation illumined by the Holy Spirit. In A Theology of Word Spirit Bloesch draws out the contemporary implications of the biblically founded theology of Augustine, Luther, Calvin and Barth. He also offers fresh and faithful discussions of relativism, the present church conflict over biblical authority, fideism and rationalism, feminine-gender language for God, narrative theology, and the hermeneutical problem. Harvesting the fruit of a lifetime of devoted scholarship and passionate dialogue, Bloesch offers his assessments and reflections at a time of extraordinary change and challenge. In A Theology of Word Spirit he points the way toward a confessional theology for the 21st century.

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction, Christian

336 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1992

Reviews

[James Korsmo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Theology of Word and Spirit is the first volume in Bloesch's Christian Foundations series, a seven-volume systematic theology. In it he outlines the methodology behind his theology, looking at a umber of important issues in the way theology is done.

Bloesch takes on some very important theological issues in this opening volume of his series, such as the role of rationality and the mind in faith and the place of natural theology. His discussions are much too comprehensive to simply summarize here, but we can at least illumine a few of his main themes. One of the most important is his understanding of the role of the mind in faith, what he calls "fedeistic revelationalism," a position that intentionally stands between "fedeism" (faith is an act of the will apart from rational thought, or in fact an irrational decision) and "rationalism" (faith is a reasoned decision based on the evidence). For Bloesch, both of these positions preserve important facets of how we believe, but also distort the truth of the gospel. Bloesch emphasizes that faith is a response to God's revelation, not simply a summing up of the evidence, nor a decision that is made completely without warrant. God's Spirit plays a key role in this whole process. This points to another important theme in Bloesch's theology, that it is a theology "of Word and Spirit." He is committed to a theology that is anchored to God's Word, Jesus Christ, revealed in Scripture, and always gives full credit to the moving of God's Spirit, who illumines God's words and guides God's people. This makes for a theology that is Christ-centered, Scripture-based, and always sensitive to God's Spirit.

Bloesch is a "mediating theologian," an evangelical that finds himself in between the progressive theology of liberalism and the conservatism of much evangelical theology. In his irenic theology, he dialogues with both, but points out extremes and misunderstandings in both systems of theologizing. His theology shows much evidence of the stamp of Karl Barth, and in many ways it is an "evangelical" morphing of Barth's theology, especially as it is an outworking of Barth's threefold doctrine of the Word of God. In many ways, I think this is a profound strength, in carrying out a profoundly evangelical theology that is based on God and his revelation found in his Word, instead of based primarily on a rationalistic doctrine of Scripture. Bloesch can uphold the importance of Scripture as a locus of God's revelation and the norm for theology without flirting with bibliolotry. How successful he is will have to be decided after a more careful look at the second volume of his Christian Foundations on Holy Scripture.

Over all, Bloesch's A Theology of Word and Spirit is a very worth-while exercise in theology. It gives evidence of a lifetime of prayerful reflection on these things, and is truly a mature theology that is aware of the great thinkers of theology through the centuries.

[James Horgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

If Torrance was much better to read than I expected, this was much tougher, it felt like a slog all the way through. (Hey, I slogged through Proust this year but some slogs are rewarding and some are just a slog.)

Semi-Barthian Bloesch summarises numerous theological approaches to the doctrines mostly from modernistic theologians. He is more evangelical than Barth but much less satisfying than a warm Reformed approach.

Lots of gravel to chew. Look elsewhere for a Biblically centred take on these issues.

[Frank Stafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based!!!

[Glenn Crouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book about 20 years ago, shortly after it was released and it had quite an impact on me. I was thinking many things similar to what the Author argues for here but, of course, not as precise and well stated. Over the next decade or so I read all the other volumes in this series, having to wait until many of them were written but it was very worthwhile.

I thought it would be worthwhile to read them all again, in succession, and see how much I have changed.

Well, I still thoroughly enjoy reading Bloesch and find his approach to a confessional theology quite satisfying. Not saying that I always agree with the Author (after all that would be quite boring) rather that I can just about always appreciate his arguments. I also find that he is reasonably gracious to those he disagrees with, which is something I always liked in the works of F. F. Bruce and something I do struggle with in the works of Luther.

In particular I enjoyed the Author's discussion on the role of Apologetics - which is definitely worth the read for those who enjoy Apologetics.

I would not necessarily recommend this book to young Christians nor to those who are new to Theological works - however it is an accessible book that is well referenced - once could say that it is "easy meat" (1 Cor 3:2) as opposed to "tough meat" ;-)

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite in the 7 volume series. Bloesch sets forth his theological method arguing for a revelational fideism. He emphasizes the experience of faith but reminds us that faith has an objective, external reference point in the God's historical revelation in Christ.

[Tom Clawser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donald Bloesch's seven-volume systematic theology was required reading in seminary. I became a fan. A big fan.