Renewing the Center: Evangelical Theology in a Post-Theological Era

by Stanley J. Grenz

Renewing the Center is an important foundational book for the emerging church. The second edition includes a new foreword by Brian McLaren and a new afterword from John Franke updating the book for the contemporary church scene. Praise for the first edition: "Grenz has written a lively and engaging work that should help American evangelicals chart the challenging course of their theological future. He offers a balanced, carefully-argued, and lucid prescription for the way ahead. Accordingly, I highly recommend this book and hope that it receives the wide reading that it so richly deserves."--Kenneth J. Collins, author of The Evangelical Moment

Genres: Theology, Church

384 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2000

About the author

Stanley James Grenz was born in Alpena, Michigan on January 7, 1950. He was the youngest of three children born to Richard and Clara Grenz, a brother to Lyle and Jan. His dad was a Baptist pastor for 30 years before he passed away in 1971. Growing up as a “pastor’s kid” meant that he moved several times in his life, from Michigan, to South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Colorado.

After high school Stan began his undergraduate studies in 1968 with the idea that he would become a nuclear physicist. But God had other plans for him, and in 1971, while driving home to Colorado after a visit with his parents in Oklahoma, he received a definite call into full time Christian ministry.

In 1970-1971 Stan traveled in an evangelistic youth team where he met Edna Sturhahn (from Vancouver, BC), who then became his wife in December, 1971. Both Stan and Edna completed their undergraduate degrees at the University of Colorado and Stan went on to receive his M. Div from Denver Seminary in 1976, the same year in which he was ordained into the gospel ministry. During the years of study in Colorado he served as a youth pastor and an assistant pastor. From Denver, Stan and Edna moved to Munich, Germany where Stan completed his Doctor of Theology under the mentorship of Wolfhart Pannenberg. Their son, Joel was born in Munich in 1978.

During a two-year pastorate (1979-1981) in Winnipeg, MB, where daughter Corina was born, Stan also taught courses at the University of Winnipeg and at Winnipeg Theological Seminary (now Providence Seminary). His full time teaching career began at the North American Baptist Seminary in Sioux Falls, SD (1981-1990). Those years were followed by a twelve-year (1990-2002) position as Pioneer McDonald Professor of Baptist Heritage, Theology and Ethics at Carey Theological College and at Regent College in Vancouver, BC. From 1996 to 1999 he carried an additional appointment as Professor of Theology and Ethics (Affiliate) at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard IL. After a one-year sojourn as Distinguished Professor of Theology at Baylor University and Truett Seminary in Waco, TX (2002-2003), he returned to Carey in August 2003. In fall 2004, he assumed an additional appointment as Professor of Theological Studies at Mars Hill Graduate School, Seattle WA.

Stan has authored or co-authored twenty-five books, served as editor or co-editor for two Festschriften, contributed articles to more than two dozen other volumes, and has seen to print more than a hundred essays and an additional eighty book reviews. He had plans to write many more books. Two more of his books will appear in print within the next year.

In addition to writing and lecturing all around the world, Stan loved preaching. He admitted to “breaking into preaching” in some of his lectures. He served as interim pastor of several congregations and as guest preacher in many churches. He loved the Church, both locally and worldwide.

Stan wholeheartedly supported and encouraged his wife Edna in her pastoral ministry, her studies and in the enlargement of her ministry gifts. At First Baptist Church, he played the guitar and trumpet in the worship team and sang in the choir. He was proud of his children and their spouses, Joel and Jennifer and Corina and Chris, and delighted in his new granddaughter, Anika. Stan was a friend and mentor to many, always encouraging people to strive to new heights.

As a theologian for the Church Stan wrote from the deep, interior vision of the sure hope that we would enter into the community of God in the renewed creation. He articulated the reality of this new community as the compass for Christian theology: 'Now the dwelling of God is with human beings, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' (Rev. 21:3

Reviews

[Alex Strohschein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can basically be divided in two; tin the first half Stanley Grenz does a fantastic job of tracing the trajectories of evangelicalism. Beginning with the Reformation, Grenz explores the legacies of the Reformers, the Puritans, the Pietists, the Princeton theology and neo-evangelicalism in the mid-20th century. He then creates a dichotomy between two segments within evangelicalism - Carl F.H. Henry, Millard Erickson and Wayne Grudem on one side (conservatives) and Bernard Ramm, Clark Pinnock and John Sanders on the other (revisionists). Some critics would question his somewhat arbitrary comparisons between these lines of theologians.

In the second half, Grenz turns to the task of theology in a post-foundationalist era. Grenz asserts that Christian theology must be reformulated in order to engage with science and world religions (especially pertinent with globalization) and in so doing he examines differing evangelical perspectives: exclusivism, inclusivism and universalism. I appreciate Grenz's discussion of postmodern epistemology and methodology (seriously, the most challenging university course to my faith was "Sociology of Knowledge" and if I had had Grenz and James K.A. Smith on my bookshelf I would have felt a lot more confident about the course content and about Christian engagement with postmodernism) but although he writes in a non-jargon-laced way, there is a plethora of ideas that can also be briefly explored. Grenz's telling of modern evangelism and his challenge for it to shift to the centre is excellent, although I recall reading somewhere that Grenz's move towards the centre was initiated by strong rejection and criticism from the evangelical right (see for example, 2004's "Reclaiming the Center").

I appreciate this book more for its historical account of Protestantism, in particular evangelicalism. Grenz does make proposals for a vibrant Christian theology after the demise of foundationalism and realism, but the space is too limited for Grenz to comprehensively defend and explain his proposal (a task he continues in 2001's "Beyond Foundationalism"). A major idea in this book is Grenz's elevating of the role of community (drawn from the persons-in-relationship of the Triune God) in understanding the Bible.

[Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fine. While I appreciated the historical perspective presented, the center of the book where he attacks Foundationalism and skirts the edges of universalism was bothersome. Overall he seems to have a real issue with people believing there to be baseline standard for truth which I didn't care for but the historical accounts and importance of community which book ended this text were helpful. I also don't agree with downgrading evangelicalism to para church status but he's entitled to his opinion.

[Mark Sequeira]

I personally thought that this volume was a little weak. While it had some good insights into doing theology as a church versus independent interpretation which is almost a 'right' in most mainstream Evang. churches, this is a helpful corrective. Also, the parts on ecclesiology were good. I guess I just expected more...I need to post a longer review but even at the risk of appearing ingracious, if this is the best the emerging church can do with theology, they are in trouble.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has been a good book so far and has helped me understand what it means to be evangelical and understand the religious environment I grew up in.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well thought out. One of my personal favs.