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Missing the Mark: Sin and Its Consequences in Biblical Theology
A lucid and engaging study of the biblical theology of sin, taking into account views in theology, philosophy, and the social sciences, and offering insights for contemporary culture and ministry. "The haunting question of Karl Menninger, 'Whatever Happened to Sin?', is given full, thick answer here. Sin has been flattened, trivialized, reduced to 'crime,' and completely misconstrued among us. With shrewdness and finesse, Biddle shows the 'thickness' of sin in the Bible, and the way in which sin, without reductionism, pertains to the deepest human reality. Biddle is one 'Mark' that impressively does not miss!
Walter Brueggemann
Columbia Theological Seminary Biddle addresses the essential nature of sin. He examines the dominant Christian understanding of sin, carefully rereads key biblical texts, and reveals the lexical depth of meaning in the biblical tradition. Missing the Mark examines the following aspects of the subject of key passages and terms in the Old and New Testaments that deal with sin, its consequences, its effect on the community; reflection on the nature of sin, including original sin, in classical Christian theology; the relationship of the biblical theology of sin to Western juridical practice as well as philosophy, psychology, and the social sciences; the implications of the biblical theology of sin for the life of the church and Christian ministry.
The "sin as crime" metaphor, with its emphases on the juridical, the individual, and willful rebellion, and its interests in assignment of guilt and exaction of punishment, addresses certain aspects of the problem of human existence. Yet, although dominant in the Western popular mind, it does not fully reflect the biblical witness, nor provide a sufficient basis for the church's ministry in addressing human wrongdoing and its consequences, nor take account of the insights of contemporary theological movements, philosophies, and social sciences that do not confirm its validity as a thorough description of the problem of being human. Consequently, the conventional understanding of sin offers the church meager tools for ministry. In response, Mark Biddle reveals the biblical insights often overlooked in the dominant theological tradition, tests these insights against those of contemporary theology, philosophy, and the social sciences to confirm their accuracy and currency as descriptions of significant aspects of the human condition, and shows the value of these insights into sin for ministry to the wide range of human pain and sorrow.
Central, of course, to the difficulty in framing a "biblical" doctrine of sin is the incongruity between the semantic fields of terms for "sin" in the biblical languages and in Western languages. In common English usage, "sin" refers to "transgression of divine law" or to "the human propensity for such transgression," definitions that emphasize the act apart from its consequences or the tendency as a trait of human nature and that imply willful violation of a known standard. Biblical terms and usage involve a much broader spectrum of ideas--the act as a wrong regardless of intention, the real effects of the act loosed on the world as an abiding condition unless and until remedied, shortcomings resulting from ignorance or incapacity, a communal phenomenon with communal consequences, etc.
The dominant Christian understanding of sin sees it primarily as a soteriological problem; that is, it pertains chiefly to what are the conditions that make salvation necessary. The Bible, and common experience, suggest, however, that sin is more than a blot on one’s record, that, as an organic continuum, it influences the world including and surrounding the sinner in real and lasting ways. Biddle explores the dynamics of sin as act, condition, and cause. Its effects cannot be remedied merely by a transaction analogous to forgiving a debt. Sin does damage that must, as far as possible, be repaired. A biblical view of sin understands that sin’s impact on the world reverberates throughout the sinner’s environment, across space and time. In this sense, sin becomes a cause, and it creates a distorted environment that is the pre-condition for other sin.
Careful comparison of the Bible's understanding of the complex phenomenon of human sin with reflection on common experience reveals that the Bible offers a corrective to Western Christian hyper-individualism, moral relativism, and inadequate theological tools and rationale for ministry to the full range of wrong and wrongdoing. Specifically, the Bible speaks to a number of aspects of sin often largely ignored in Christian theology and ministerial praxis.
Walter Brueggemann
Columbia Theological Seminary Biddle addresses the essential nature of sin. He examines the dominant Christian understanding of sin, carefully rereads key biblical texts, and reveals the lexical depth of meaning in the biblical tradition. Missing the Mark examines the following aspects of the subject of key passages and terms in the Old and New Testaments that deal with sin, its consequences, its effect on the community; reflection on the nature of sin, including original sin, in classical Christian theology; the relationship of the biblical theology of sin to Western juridical practice as well as philosophy, psychology, and the social sciences; the implications of the biblical theology of sin for the life of the church and Christian ministry.
The "sin as crime" metaphor, with its emphases on the juridical, the individual, and willful rebellion, and its interests in assignment of guilt and exaction of punishment, addresses certain aspects of the problem of human existence. Yet, although dominant in the Western popular mind, it does not fully reflect the biblical witness, nor provide a sufficient basis for the church's ministry in addressing human wrongdoing and its consequences, nor take account of the insights of contemporary theological movements, philosophies, and social sciences that do not confirm its validity as a thorough description of the problem of being human. Consequently, the conventional understanding of sin offers the church meager tools for ministry. In response, Mark Biddle reveals the biblical insights often overlooked in the dominant theological tradition, tests these insights against those of contemporary theology, philosophy, and the social sciences to confirm their accuracy and currency as descriptions of significant aspects of the human condition, and shows the value of these insights into sin for ministry to the wide range of human pain and sorrow.
Central, of course, to the difficulty in framing a "biblical" doctrine of sin is the incongruity between the semantic fields of terms for "sin" in the biblical languages and in Western languages. In common English usage, "sin" refers to "transgression of divine law" or to "the human propensity for such transgression," definitions that emphasize the act apart from its consequences or the tendency as a trait of human nature and that imply willful violation of a known standard. Biblical terms and usage involve a much broader spectrum of ideas--the act as a wrong regardless of intention, the real effects of the act loosed on the world as an abiding condition unless and until remedied, shortcomings resulting from ignorance or incapacity, a communal phenomenon with communal consequences, etc.
The dominant Christian understanding of sin sees it primarily as a soteriological problem; that is, it pertains chiefly to what are the conditions that make salvation necessary. The Bible, and common experience, suggest, however, that sin is more than a blot on one’s record, that, as an organic continuum, it influences the world including and surrounding the sinner in real and lasting ways. Biddle explores the dynamics of sin as act, condition, and cause. Its effects cannot be remedied merely by a transaction analogous to forgiving a debt. Sin does damage that must, as far as possible, be repaired. A biblical view of sin understands that sin’s impact on the world reverberates throughout the sinner’s environment, across space and time. In this sense, sin becomes a cause, and it creates a distorted environment that is the pre-condition for other sin.
Careful comparison of the Bible's understanding of the complex phenomenon of human sin with reflection on common experience reveals that the Bible offers a corrective to Western Christian hyper-individualism, moral relativism, and inadequate theological tools and rationale for ministry to the full range of wrong and wrongdoing. Specifically, the Bible speaks to a number of aspects of sin often largely ignored in Christian theology and ministerial praxis.
- GenresTheologyBiblical Studies
192 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 17, 2024
I wanted to read this book ever since I saw it referenced in another work that used ancient near eastern history to inform a Biblical theology. It took several months until I could find a copy for sale. I was not disappointed.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from an Old Testament professor at a Baptist seminary. (Yes, I’m guilty of theological profiling)
I was pleasantly surprised that he stretched and generated cracks in my understanding of Baptist theology. I guess not all Baptists are reformed. Good to know!
Also, his exegesis of Ecclesiastes in chapter 2 was a “just what I needed” moment personally. He shifted my theological anthropology significantly. It gives me a new passion to study the Israelites wisdom literature closely.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone pondering universalism (he’s not an advocate BTW), unsatisfied with the theological hurdles present in a juridical hamartiology, or just finds good exegesis intriguing.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from an Old Testament professor at a Baptist seminary. (Yes, I’m guilty of theological profiling)
I was pleasantly surprised that he stretched and generated cracks in my understanding of Baptist theology. I guess not all Baptists are reformed. Good to know!
Also, his exegesis of Ecclesiastes in chapter 2 was a “just what I needed” moment personally. He shifted my theological anthropology significantly. It gives me a new passion to study the Israelites wisdom literature closely.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone pondering universalism (he’s not an advocate BTW), unsatisfied with the theological hurdles present in a juridical hamartiology, or just finds good exegesis intriguing.
February 16, 2018
My favorite book on sin. Anyone who has ever heard that "pride is the root of all sin" or "the vice of vices" should read this book. Biddle takes a scriptural understanding of pride seriously and shows the textual evidence for pride as sin, but then balances it with pride's counterpart: the desire and will to be less than human, to surrender and refuse human agency.
March 3, 2017
I appreciated this. Biddle views sin through two lenses: Sin as being more than human (rebellion, subverting God's place etc) and sin as being less than human (not living up to the full potential of God's calling and mandate for humanity). These are results of what is ultimately a basic mistrust of God and his goodness. But sin is also a system and a corporate reality and Biddle examines sinful systems and the natural systemic consequences that result.
October 11, 2009
This is a chewy read for me: Greek and Hebrew roots as well as commentary that would be more suited to a scholar than a lay reader. However, this book presents some very interesting perspectives on sin and our responsibility to be authentically human, not over-achieving or underachieving our God-given humanity. More when I'm done....
February 1, 2013
Challenging and refreshing.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews