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A Place at the Table: George Eldon Ladd and the Rehabilitation of Evangelical Scholarship in America
George Eldon Ladd was a pivotal figure in the resurgence of evangelical scholarship in America during the years after the Second World War. Ladd's career as a biblical scholar can be seen as a quest to rehabilitate evangelical thought both in content and image, a task he pursued at great personal cost. Best known for his work on the doctrine of the Kingdom of God, Ladd moved from critiquing his own movement to engaging many of the important theological and exegetical issues of his day.
Ladd was a strong critic of dispensationalism, the dominant theological system in conservative evangelicalism and fundamentalism, challenging what he perceived to be its anti-intellectualism and uncritical approach to the Bible. In his impressive career at Fuller Theological Seminary, Ladd participated in scholarly debates on the relationship between faith and historical understanding, arguing that modern critical methodologies need not preclude orthodox Christian belief. Ladd also engaged the thought of Rudolf Bultmann, the dominant theological figure of his day. Ladd's main focus, however, was to create a work of scholarship from an evangelical perspective that the broader academic world would accept. When he was unsuccessful in this effort, he descended into depression, bitterness, and alcoholism. But Ladd played an important part in opening doors for later generations of evangelical scholars, both by validating and using critical methods in his own scholarly work, and also by
entering into dialogue with theologians and theologies outside the evangelical world.
It is a central theme of this book that Ladd's achievement, at least in part, can be measured in the number of evangelical scholars who are today active participants in academic life across a broad range of disciplines.
Ladd was a strong critic of dispensationalism, the dominant theological system in conservative evangelicalism and fundamentalism, challenging what he perceived to be its anti-intellectualism and uncritical approach to the Bible. In his impressive career at Fuller Theological Seminary, Ladd participated in scholarly debates on the relationship between faith and historical understanding, arguing that modern critical methodologies need not preclude orthodox Christian belief. Ladd also engaged the thought of Rudolf Bultmann, the dominant theological figure of his day. Ladd's main focus, however, was to create a work of scholarship from an evangelical perspective that the broader academic world would accept. When he was unsuccessful in this effort, he descended into depression, bitterness, and alcoholism. But Ladd played an important part in opening doors for later generations of evangelical scholars, both by validating and using critical methods in his own scholarly work, and also by
entering into dialogue with theologians and theologies outside the evangelical world.
It is a central theme of this book that Ladd's achievement, at least in part, can be measured in the number of evangelical scholars who are today active participants in academic life across a broad range of disciplines.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published June 16, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 5, 2020
Clear and concise- a sad tale
November 2, 2012
George Eldon Ladd dedicated his life to the goal of a “rehabilitated evangelicalism, in both content and image.” (176) He wanted a place at the table, a place then (in post-WWII America) denied to evangelicals.
To his great and enduring credit, Ladd did do much to rehabilitate the quality of the content of evangelical theology. But improving its image to unregenerated liberal technical scholars was another matter. What do you expect when beauty is in the eye of beholders who are blind?
One of those beholders wrote a famously scathing review of Ladd's magnum opus, an event which devastated Ladd and precipitated his permanent fall into alcoholism. D'Elia was especially insightful in this section.
D'Elia has written a theologically probing biography which shows real mastery of the complex topics involved, a biography which holds many lessons—both positive and negative—for those who study and teach God's word at an academic level.
To his great and enduring credit, Ladd did do much to rehabilitate the quality of the content of evangelical theology. But improving its image to unregenerated liberal technical scholars was another matter. What do you expect when beauty is in the eye of beholders who are blind?
One of those beholders wrote a famously scathing review of Ladd's magnum opus, an event which devastated Ladd and precipitated his permanent fall into alcoholism. D'Elia was especially insightful in this section.
D'Elia has written a theologically probing biography which shows real mastery of the complex topics involved, a biography which holds many lessons—both positive and negative—for those who study and teach God's word at an academic level.
January 12, 2025
A remarkably sad tale of an evangelical scholar obsessed with being respected in the wider world of critical-biblical scholarship. It's a story of marital neglect, poor parenting, and fractured friendships. It's a story of alcoholism and rage. Ladd's influence on evangelical New Testament scholarship is undeniable, and we need not dismiss the important contributions he made. At the same time, his story should sober any ambitious student hoping to one day find a place at the table.
February 25, 2025
A thoroughly fascinating book. George Ladd, the man who discovered the “already not yet” eschatological reality, is brilliant but troubled. D’Elia did an incredibly candid, fair, and thorough retelling of Ladd’s life and scholarship. I’m challenged by the desire for academia but hesitant because of the pitfalls of that life. I want to serve the church “at the table” but I’ll be satisfied even if I never get there.
July 18, 2021
Една от най-хубавите книги, които съм чел наскоро. Прочетох я под формата представена като докторат, а не по-късно публикуваното издание и нямам представа дали и колко промени са правени. Материалът представлява добро изследване, като в същото време се чете много елсно и на моменти дори добавя елемнти на емоционален художествен разказ - нещо неочаквано за подобен формат.
May 9, 2019
Shocking read. Lord help me learn from this.
May 1, 2020
Engaging and at times chilling
August 24, 2024
A helpful book for perspective on dangers in Christian scholarship.
November 3, 2013
This book by D’Elia is superb. One of my earliest and one of my later theology professors both studied with George Ladd at Fuller Seminary. Now some of those incidents and anecdotes that were shared with me spring to life as much of Ladd’s tenure emerges ever so colorfully from this volume. The account with Perrin at the same table at a Society’s banquet was told to me slightly differently. It may be that Ladd’s account of this to my former prof was incorrectly or deliberately skewed.
The research and scholarship that have gone into the volume is superb. Any aspiring evangelical scholar will want to read this book. Ladd’s primary legacy, as D’Elia so admirably recounts, is that which he never fully grasped himself: the gateway to scholarship in the broader academic world was opened to evangelicals greatly in response to Ladd’s own work.
Whether one agrees with Ladd in his estimation of the values of critical scholarship or not this book will be an interesting read for one individual’s academic pilgrimage coupled with the emerging evangelicalism’s early history after world war two.
The personal details mark this work as revealing a real person and not the idealized superheroes of so many “hagiographies.” I was a little disappointed to see the neglect of Ladd’s family but I see that he was committed to scholarship that could not be achieved had he not sacrificed so much time that kept him away from his family. It is a cross he chose to carry, and he will have to answer for the way he dealt with his nearest and dearest.
A by-product of the reading of this book reveals the sinfulness of human beings, where they are so self-centered and mistrusting. The way that the Evangelical avant garde attempted to “defend” the truth by labeling anyone who disagreed with them as outside of the fold is symptomatic of a narrowness and snobbery of which, thankfully, mainstream evangelicalism has been freed. The ghetto doors have been kicked open and in large measure it was George Ladd’s boot print that can be deciphered upon close scrutiny evidenced so admirably by D’Elia.
I recommend this book. Theology students especially will delight in reading this fluent and gripping account.
The research and scholarship that have gone into the volume is superb. Any aspiring evangelical scholar will want to read this book. Ladd’s primary legacy, as D’Elia so admirably recounts, is that which he never fully grasped himself: the gateway to scholarship in the broader academic world was opened to evangelicals greatly in response to Ladd’s own work.
Whether one agrees with Ladd in his estimation of the values of critical scholarship or not this book will be an interesting read for one individual’s academic pilgrimage coupled with the emerging evangelicalism’s early history after world war two.
The personal details mark this work as revealing a real person and not the idealized superheroes of so many “hagiographies.” I was a little disappointed to see the neglect of Ladd’s family but I see that he was committed to scholarship that could not be achieved had he not sacrificed so much time that kept him away from his family. It is a cross he chose to carry, and he will have to answer for the way he dealt with his nearest and dearest.
A by-product of the reading of this book reveals the sinfulness of human beings, where they are so self-centered and mistrusting. The way that the Evangelical avant garde attempted to “defend” the truth by labeling anyone who disagreed with them as outside of the fold is symptomatic of a narrowness and snobbery of which, thankfully, mainstream evangelicalism has been freed. The ghetto doors have been kicked open and in large measure it was George Ladd’s boot print that can be deciphered upon close scrutiny evidenced so admirably by D’Elia.
I recommend this book. Theology students especially will delight in reading this fluent and gripping account.
May 10, 2015
Fascinating tale of one of conservative scholarship's most prominent scholars. This bio covers both Ladd's personal life and academic career, spanning from his early years in New England to his rapid emotional decline after 1965.
The bio is good for those wanting a broad overview of the theological issues that shaped Post-War Evangelicalism. Ladd was the key figure in the debates about dispensationalism, and his position at Fuller gave him a front row seat to everything from the RSV controversy to Black Saturday.
Ladd also interacts with the major critical methodologies during the middle of his career. D'Elia does a masterful job explaining the intricacies of German theologies, and an intermediate seminary student would have no struggle in grasping what he says.
For as prominent as Ladd's theology has been, D'Elia also does a fine job making it personal, subltly moving between the finer points of theological discourse and raging emotional conflicts that came to dominated this scholar's life.
For all the good, this review felt the work had a few shortcomings:
1) D'Elia's depiction of some characters seemed flat. With Ladd, he painted a very intricate picture, but for some, particularly Walvrood, D'Elia seems to see him as the "Dispensational Despot." While Walvrood may have acted territorial, the monochromatic portrait seemed to indicate a personal antipathy of the biographer rather than a real tyrant.
2) D'Elia wove very heavily into his narrative the theme of Ladd's emotional instability. He capitalized on Ladd's childhood memories of difficulty and inferiority. While there is no doubt that that these hardships had a long lasting impact, this reader was not convinced that all of Ladd's psyche could be boiled to childhood trauma. Quite frankly, it seemed a little reductionistic, almost to the point of being the genetic fallacy. If D'Elia felt convinced that Ladd's issues later in life originated in his childhood, he failed to present compelling arguments for his case.
The bio is good for those wanting a broad overview of the theological issues that shaped Post-War Evangelicalism. Ladd was the key figure in the debates about dispensationalism, and his position at Fuller gave him a front row seat to everything from the RSV controversy to Black Saturday.
Ladd also interacts with the major critical methodologies during the middle of his career. D'Elia does a masterful job explaining the intricacies of German theologies, and an intermediate seminary student would have no struggle in grasping what he says.
For as prominent as Ladd's theology has been, D'Elia also does a fine job making it personal, subltly moving between the finer points of theological discourse and raging emotional conflicts that came to dominated this scholar's life.
For all the good, this review felt the work had a few shortcomings:
1) D'Elia's depiction of some characters seemed flat. With Ladd, he painted a very intricate picture, but for some, particularly Walvrood, D'Elia seems to see him as the "Dispensational Despot." While Walvrood may have acted territorial, the monochromatic portrait seemed to indicate a personal antipathy of the biographer rather than a real tyrant.
2) D'Elia wove very heavily into his narrative the theme of Ladd's emotional instability. He capitalized on Ladd's childhood memories of difficulty and inferiority. While there is no doubt that that these hardships had a long lasting impact, this reader was not convinced that all of Ladd's psyche could be boiled to childhood trauma. Quite frankly, it seemed a little reductionistic, almost to the point of being the genetic fallacy. If D'Elia felt convinced that Ladd's issues later in life originated in his childhood, he failed to present compelling arguments for his case.
March 1, 2013
GE Ladd was a tremendously influential evangelical scholar, as this great little biography shows. And yet the life behind his scholarly work is a cautionary tale for all who would pursue an ambitious career.
I read this book after hearing about it in Reading the Gospels Wisely by Jonathan Pennington and I'm glad I did. The book was well written and well researched and made me want to read Ladd's work while learning from the mistakes that nearly ruined him.
I read this book after hearing about it in Reading the Gospels Wisely by Jonathan Pennington and I'm glad I did. The book was well written and well researched and made me want to read Ladd's work while learning from the mistakes that nearly ruined him.
August 2, 2014
An honest and poignant biography of one of my early mentors. John gives us a glimpse into the broken and yet effective life of one of the premier Evangelical biblical theologians of the 20th century! A must read for all Fuller Seminary grads of 70's and before.
January 16, 2015
A marvelous, penetrating and often upsetting biography on an influential New Testament scholar. Evangelicalism, it seems, is adept at creating open wounds.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews