Theology as Revisionary Metaphysics: Essays on God and Creation

by Robert W. Jenson, Stephen John Wright (Editor)

Modern Protestant theology has tended to shun metaphysics. The philosophical underpinnings of our theological traditions have cracked under the weight of modern scrutiny. Robert Jenson is a theologian who has embraced the critique of inherited metaphysics, but who then finds contained within the gospel itself the basis for further and more specific the story of Jesus of Nazareth. Jenson argues that the appropriate response of theology to the contemporary situation is not to reject metaphysics, but to develop new and more radical metaphysical proposals. For several decades now, he has been pursuing a theological program of "revisionary metaphysics"--an attempt to speak about the gospel in a society more and more characterized by epistemological disquiet. Gathered together in this volume is a collection of his proposals for theology laboring under this task of revisionary metaphysics.

Genres: Theology

242 pages, Paperback

First published July 22, 2014

About the author

Robert W. Jenson was a student of Barth's theology for many years, and his doctoral dissertation at the University of Heidelberg earned Barth’s approval as an interpretation of his writings. A native of Wisconsin, Dr. Jenson attended Luther College in Iowa and Luther Theological Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, before studying at Heidelberg where he was awarded his Doctor of Theology, summa cum laude. After doing graduate work at the University of Basel he returned to the United States. He taught theology for many years at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and St. Olaf College. Dr. Jenson also served as Senior Scholar for Research at the Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton, NJ. He died in 2017.

Reviews

[Christopher Gow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fire. To me, this is a better version of the ambitious theology done by Radical Orthodoxy people. Both RO and Jenson push the idea that theology can (should) speak to and shape all other fields of knowledge, but Jenson does it with a better Christology/Trinitarian theology. Where RO tries to deconstruct philosophical errors upstream of most of our modern social theories (and things get really nit-picky), Jenson just starts with the creed that says that God was born, died, resurrected and works from there.

So the essays are prompted by questions like:
If God lives in time what is history?
If Christ was born, how is he eternal?
If God is triune, why do our atonement theories only talk about reconciliation to the Father? (!)
If God is the ground of all being, what is Evil?
If God has a body, what is his relationship to Culture?
If God -- who has a body -- is beautiful, what is art?

It's dope. Here's some teaser quotes:
"The Spirit is God's ability to surprise Himself"

"without fully exploiting the fact of Christ's active and identifiable presence in Israel... doctrines of his pre-existence will always be biblically rootless. We must not merely note that Christ is present in the OT; we must shape our understanding of his person and work to his life there." (122)

"since God truly finds himself in the thing on the cross... he has himself to laugh at. And his laughter is our salvation" (140)

"Jesus could have fled Gethsemane--but his own free human decision belongs to the triune decision that he could not" (91)

[Graham Hoppstock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenson is really something of a marvel. I never tire of his insights. Even when I do demur, slight as this is, I cannot help but be blessed by the rigor of his thinking.

[Miles Trujillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I will keep close to my heart, probably for the rest of my life. I believe I will refer to these essays frequently in the next few months.

[Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dense, provocative yet bouncing with theological insight that is not for the feint of heart (i.e. Diligent study). The topics range from intricate trinitarian reflections to cultural criticism. I underestimated the work that this book would take to get through and will give it another go because a second read is necessary.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenson dazzles, theologically, poetically, playfully.

[Brad East · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Jenson; a nice collection that serves as a representative entree into the thought of "late" Jenson.