Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology

by Gregory A. Boyd

Evangelical thinkers in recent years have thrust differing and sometimes nontraditional views on the doctrine of God, the composition of the human person, and the nature of hell into the spotlight.Across the Spectrum, written by Bethel College theologians Gregory Boyd and Paul Eddy, offers a service to the church by carefully examining the various positions taken by evangelical scholars on eighteen seminal issues--both classic concerns and those of more contemporary interests. Rather than taking sides, however, the authors give readers the resources they need to make up their own minds.Among the many topics discussed are baptism, the nature of the self, the foreknowledge and providence of God, the interpretation of Genesis 1-2, the destiny of the unevangelized, and the nature of hell.In the spirit of the popular four-views books, Boyd and Eddy carefully lay out the biblical, theological, and philosophical arguments for each position and then discuss possible objections. Each chapter also includes a bibliography. A helpful appendix touches on nine additional issues.Across the Spectrum will surely be an indispensable resource for students, professors, pastors, and anyone who wants to make sense of the issues facing today's church.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Nonfiction, Christianity, Religion, Spirituality, Church History

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2002

About the author

Gregory A. Boyd is the founder and senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minn., and founder and president of ReKnew. He was a professor of theology at Bethel College (St. Paul, Minn.) for sixteen years where he continues to serve as an Adjunct Professor.

Greg is a graduate of the University of Minnesota (BA), Yale Divinity School (M.Div), and Princeton Theological Seminary (PhD). Greg is a national and international speaker at churches, colleges, conferences, and retreats, and has appeared on numerous radio and television shows. He has also authored and coauthored eighteen books prior to Present Perfect, including The Myth of a Christian Religion, The Myth of a Christian Nation, The Jesus Legend (with Paul Eddy), Seeing Is Believing, Repenting of Religion, and his international bestseller Letters from a Skeptic.

Reviews

[Robert Justice · Rating 5 out of 5]

In theological circles, it is very hard to find a textbook that really treats controversial topics with equal respect for all sides. When a textbook discusses the Calvinism-Arminianism debate, for instance, the author usually takes up a great amount of space to defend one side over another.
But not here!
In this incredible source, Boyd and Eddy devote each chapter to a different controversial subject in theology- the fate of the unrepentant, the age of the earth, the nature of Hell and the future Millennium, etc. In each chapter, they give a series of short essays for each side of the argument. In each essay, they play devil's advocate to defend each position over against the others.
In the chapter on the Millennium, for example, you'll read an argument for premillennialism. Later in that chapter, however, you'll then read an argument for post- or a-milliennialism. As each position is vouched for, the author speaks as though this is his final position; this adds a great dimension of objectivity to the text.
This is a very objective, fair source for anyone who wants some introduction-level information on these topics and the arguments given by those who pick a side. A great read!

[Paul Dubuc · Rating 4 out of 5]

In spite of all the criticism it has received, I think this book does a good job of presenting the various evangelical positions on the issues it covers. It's a great starting point for anyone wishing to explore or develop their own views on these issues in light of the differing positions taken by other evangelical Christians. Some have criticized the authors for bias toward their own views. But that's to be expected from a book like this. No one is completely unbiased. The intent of the authors is not to have the last word, but to help Christians begin to think through their positions on important theological issues. If you are afraid of having your theology challenged, either don't read the book or don't be afraid. It can be a great learning experience if you approach it with a critical, but open, mind. If you do read the book you should also be willing to do further reading and study on issues that are important to you. Each chapter has good list of further reading at the end for that purpose. Whether or not some of these positions are held by a majority of evangelicals is beside the point. The Bible is used as the authority in defining every position described in this book. That should be enough for any evangelical Christian to give it consideration.

One reviewer on Amazon.com commented on on and earlier edition this review saying, "Just because some theologaster quotes verses to 'support' the position doesn't legitimize it. How naive and silly to suppose that mere citation of Bible texts sanctions a theological position as Evangelical or Scriptural." This is is true. It's just as true of her quotation of Rom. 16:17-18 and her application of it to the views that oppose hers in this book. As anyone who has read the book can see, Boyd and Eddy do more than just prooftext Scripture. I think they are doing with it what any honest and committed Christian ought to do: Study it carefully to see what it really teaches us. For those of us who admit that our interpretation of the Bible may not be on par with the Apostle Paul, this book is a good place to start (not the last word, by any means).

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Across the Spectrum is a interesting survey of different evangelical perspectives on a select number of topics. Instead of selecting the essay that is most agreeable or familiar the book encourages less certainty. The book serves as a foundation toward a more complex and mature approach towards theology.

Boyd presents the best possible version of the argument for each side on a theological issue along with supporting evidence, criticisms and responses to the criticisms. By presenting each argument in a set format it allows the reader to see the strengths and more importantly the weaknesses of each perspective thus allowing oneself the opportunity to reflect on ones own theological approaches.

[Ryan Dufoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read to help yourself gain a better understanding of practical and abstract faith issues, but it's an even better reference book as issues come up. If you're for seeing a difficult faith conversation over a very important but non-essential issue, pick up a copy of this and gain insight into the fundamentals of each side.

[Charity U · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. This book contrasts a variety of views on multiple contested points of theology.

[Will Dole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful if you need a very basic introduction to the main theological arguments within evangelicalism. Not detailed, which is both its greatest strength and weakness. But fairly presents the various positions.

[Derek Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as any book I’ve read that gives an introductory and “across the spectrum” view of many theological topics. Authors do a fair job letting each position represent itself.

[Conrade Yap · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do Christians believe? What are the beliefs held by evangelicals? Why are there so many different views? If only there is a handbook to list down the different views fairly for broad understanding, allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions. That said, the main purpose is to enable readers, especially students to learn about the different views across the spectrum of issues so that they could better understand the similarities and differences within the evangelical world. Not only does it help promote a deeper understanding of one's own standpoint, but it also enables one not to misrepresent others. The authors use a common framework to discuss each issue. There are many issues the authors have covered. They include debates about:

The Inerrancy of the Bible
Providence
Foreknowledge
Genesis
Divine Image
Christology
Atonement
Salvation
Sanctification
Eternal Security
Destiny of the Unevangelized
Baptism
The Lord's Supper
Charismatic Gifts
Women in Ministry
Millenium
Hell

Now in its third edition, this book has a significantly revised chapter on "The Sanctification Debate," "The Hell Debate," and additional questions in the Appendix. Using a "liberal arts approach," the goal is to broaden students' understanding of the different views on each issue and to encourage them to find their own conclusions. Within Christendom, there are branches of Christianity such as Eastern Orthodoxy, Mainstream Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Evangelicalism, and so on. Even within evangelical circles, there are different views, which is the focus of this book. There are several ways one can use this book. The first is to use it as a primer. Here, the table of contents alone should give students a birdseye view of the different perspectives per issue. Knowing the key stances can help students to do further research that they need to. The authors provide lots of arguments, counter-arguments, and further resources to enable students to springboard their research. This is especially helpful for those who are new to the broad study of evangelical theology. Primers are helpful to give students an overview from a non-judgmental position. The second way to use this book is to deepen the understanding of alternative views. Sometimes, we tend to become too fixated on our own convictions that we fail to understand or represent alternative views accurately and fairly. Just like the famous prayer of St Francis of Assisi, we become a channel of God's peace as we seek to understand others more than wanting to be understood. I believe many readers will find it helpful to have an objective description of different views without pre-judging them. On this note, I must say that the authors have done a great job in presenting the material as fairly as possible. This is a mark of a good professor. The third way is to use this book as an introductory text for teaching. There are many laypeople increasingly confused by the split in evangelical circles. Some even question why they cannot get along. This presents an opportunity for church leaders and teachers to educate their congregations on what they believe and why they believe. Not only that, mature students or those who had already studied these theologies during their seminary years can use this book to refresh their learning.

This book is a solid investment for learning the multiple perspectives on each theological issue mentioned. Clearly written and fairly described, this is a wonderful resource not just for students, but also for teachers, pastors, professors, and anyone seeking to revise or recall what they had learned in the past.

Gregory A. Boyd (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary), formerly professor of theology at Bethel University, is senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where average attendance has grown to 5,000 since he helped plant the church in 1992. He is the author of many books, including the critically acclaimed Seeing Is Believing and the best-selling Gold Medallion Award-winner Letters from a Skeptic. He is also coauthor of The Jesus Legend.

Paul Rhodes Eddy (PhD, Marquette University) is professor of biblical and theological studies at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of a number of books, including Across the Spectrum. Eddy is the coeditor (with James K. Beilby) of six successful multiview volumes, including Understanding Spiritual Warfare: Four Views.

Rating: 4.25 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Academic and Netgalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

[Kristjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As stated in the Introduction, this work is intended to introduce several of the topics of debate within the Evangelical Christian movement along with a very basic position and support adopted by each side in the debate. Although the focus is on the Protestant tradition, there were a few references to Catholicism where that tradition was useful as a contrast (and I found all of the positions informative and useful). Each chapter takes up a specific debate introduced in a section entitled “Posing the Question” that tries to frame the question in common everyday language within a hypothetical discussion/encounter between two christians. The next section identifies “The Center and Its Contrasts” which briefly describes each Evangelical position before presented supporting arguments for each position (organized into an summary, biblical arguments, supporting arguments (extending the biblical support), and responses to [typical] objections. Perhaps it was a factor of the lack of nuance, or that fact that I already have my own researched position for some of these debates … but the responses frequently felt like straw-man arguments. The chapter then ends with a section recommending [extensive] Further Reading. Finally … the appendix gives a much abbreviated introduction to 15 topics that seem to be definitive for most Evangelicals without as much debate.

Although not intended as a balanced treatment of opposing beliefs, it was nonetheless highly instructive for me and I would recommend it for any who wish to understand the various sects within Christianity (although it would be a bit of a struggle for any not raised and learned in at least one christian tradition). It can also be explored in any order, or as a reference if studying the concepts independently, given the simply language used to present each argument … so I am giving it an additional star for usability.

1. The Inerrancy Debate
2. The Providence Debate
3. The Foreknowledge Debate
4. The Genesis Debate
5. The Divine Image Debate
6. The Christology Debate
7. The Atonement Debate
8. The Salvation Debate
9. The Sanctification Debate
10. The Eternal Security Debate
11. The Destiny of the Unevangelized Debate
12. The Baptism Debate
13. The Lord’s Supper Debate
14. The Charismatic Gifts Debate
15. The Women in Ministry Debate
16. The Millennium Debate
17. The Hell Debate

Appendix:
1. How Should Evangelicals Do Theology
2. What is the Best Analogy for the Trinity
3. Was Noah’s Flood Global or Local
4. Were Adam and Eve Historical Persons
5. Are Humans Made Up of One, Two or Three Parts
6. What is the Meaning of Justification
7. Must Wives Submit to Their Husbands
8. How Should Christians Approach Earthly Politics
9. What Happens to Babies Who Die
10. What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
11. In Speaking in Tongues the Initial Evidence of Receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
12. Can a Christian Be Demonized
13. How Should We Interpret the Book of Revelations
14. Has Jesus Already Returned (Preterist)
15. When Will Jesus Return (Rapture)

I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#AcrossTheSpectrum #NetGalley.

[Jay Vellacott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty disappointed by this book. Cool concept. The problem is that the authors don't often hold the views that they argue for. Considering the circumstances, it's pretty impressive how well they actually do. However, no one can be an expert in the 44 different views of 17 different topics. As a result, the authors make some fairly weak arguments for many sides. I've read the main popular arguments for a lot of these views from experts and they do a much better job. For example, on the inerrancy debate Boyd/Eddy made many very fluffy arguments without any weight or point to them that I would never personally make in real life because I know they wouldn't work. Really didn't represent that side well. They should've gotten actual experts on each position to make their case. Without that, this book is only introductory at best, without actually diving into the main pivotal issues that these debates depend on.

[David Blankenship · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does exactly what it sets out to do...it lets the reader see in just a few pages the basic arguments for various sides of issues that have perplexed and divided Bible-believing Christians. The authors do well expressing each side fairly, to the point that one would not know the author's true position on the issues from this book. While there are some issues that are more intellectual in nature and will not really change the practice of a Christian (e.g. the nature of soteriology), many of them (e.g. charismatic gifts, gender roles) are about the nature of the Christian's practice, and so are often at the root of denominational division. The authors also give resources for readers choosing to dig into the issues on a deeper level. A book like this would be helpful in small-group discussions for mature, non-dogmatic believers.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book that helps one discover where they are on the spectrum of evangelical theology as well as gain respect for views they disagree with. Boyd and Eddy write each view extremely well leading the reader to really think, pray, study and wrestle through their own convictions. I loved the real life examples of how the theological issues come into play as well as the irenic style of writing. A truly amazing book. I just wish I could find something similar when it came to different views on Christian ethical matters. Should be read with a prior strong biblical foundation because the one weakness of the book is that it presents all views as if they are equally tenable.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book and a challenge read for me. The format is interesting - it takes 17 topics in Christianity and presents different theological views. In each chapter, the views are argued and supported with Scripture, supporting arguments are explained and opposing arguments are addressed. It was interesting to read through the essays and decide which arguments I aligned with.

[Rob Steinbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very helpful book for those who want to understand various arguments for the different positions that Evangelicals take on things like baptism, election, hell, etc. It's readable, short, fair, and it's all in one book!

[Mason Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very helpful in understanding differing views of interpretation, their foundations, and how they respond to criticisms. It definitely helped me understand the arguments for views that I do not agree with!

[Chris Wilder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good and fair primer on all of the different positions in evangelicalism. While my theology didn't drastically change, understanding the biblical argument of other positions made me less hostile to those who hold them.

[Rick Mattson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Handy, helpful summaries of competing views of biblical/theological issues such as creationism, atonement theory, predestination/free will, baptism, women's roles in the church, etc.

[Curtis Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great intro to a lot of theological arguments and stances. vEry helpful for gaining a greater understanding to what theology is.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you can, make sure to get the 2nd Edition, as there are a few important edits and new ideas not included in the 1st Edition.

[Joshua Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Christian should read this book in order to understand the theological variations across Christendom.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book giving different views of commonly debated topics from the Bible identifying Scripture to support and debunk each theory.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of Evangelical Theology. Certainly challenged my thinking on various topics. We’ll supported by Scripture.

[Tanner Hawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful!

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good overview of some key debates, but doesn’t go very deep (understandably), and sometimes leaves out legitimate positions and nuance.

[Jeremy Landon Goertzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did not know there were this many debates within Christian theology. I don't even know where I stand on half of these issues

[Emma Miars · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a helpful book. Great introduction to these popular theological topics and is a great book to go back and reference

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely enlightening book that explains how different evangelical denominations have formed their beliefs. I couldn’t tell what the author’s personal thoughts were, which was critical for this book to be executed correctly. I’d highly recommend this to any Christian - it’s separated by topic so it is very easy to flip through and find what you are curious about.

[Brett Marko · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a well written book and was easy to read. My problem is not so much with the presentation as the authors did a very good job of giving the perspectives of all the main positions for each issue it looks at.

My problem with this book is that these issues that Christians (and in this book a particular focus on evangelical Protestants) debate are for the most part true non-issues when it comes down to the core of Christianity. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying these aren't issues. But in true it puts too much focus on all these issues and not on core Christian beliefs.

Unless you are struggling with one of the particular issues, I do not recommend this book to read because it just muddies the waters of Christianity.

[Ryan Rindels · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful resource for any Christian interesting in controversial Theological issues. It covers topics such as: Calvinism vs. Arminianism, various Eschatological positions on the millenium, the eternal duration of hell vs. annihilationism and women in ministry. It gives a fair presentation of both sides and cites scriptural support for each. Whatever your position on all the topics, you will understand the opposing side's rationale -- either to strengthen your own, sympathize with the other....or possibly change all together.

[Mark Zellner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes a full, honest, unbiased look at several key theological issues dividing the church today. These range from the purpose of baptism, to the nature of hell, to the security of the believer. Every position is presented in an essay written by a scholar who holds to that particular view. The benefit to this is that the reader is exposed to a spectrum of beliefs expounded on by multiple individuals, giving a fairer view than would be obtained if the entire book were the work of a single author. An important tool for any believer.