
SECTION 1: THE DOCTRINE OF REVELATION
Chapter 1 | Prolegomena: Introduction to the Task of Theology
by Gregory Alan Thornbury (69 pages)

Like the other contributors to A Theology for the Church, Thornbury's expertise is in the field in which he writes (read more here). His style is light and enjoyable while displaying a careful grasp of the subject matter. You'll not want to ignore the footnotes either. Thornbury guides you through the literature as he writes, so, you'll want to take note of his sources and become familiar with them too.
The structure of this chapter follows a progression of four key questions; (1) What does the Bible say? (2) What has the church believed? (3) How does it all fit together? and (4) What is the significance of the doctrine for the church today? Thornbury follows this structure carefully after introducing the chapter with a bit of an introduction. As you read his introductory marks a tone is set for the entire book. The tone is serious and educated, yet written for the average pastor and student.
Thornbury begins his discussion with the question of truth and develops his argument around the belief that pursuit of truth is inseparable from the theological task. He states that, "it is dubious to argue for the unity and reality of truth apart from the eternal, transcendent, self-disclosing God of the Bible" (p. 4). He then concludes the first few sub-sections by arguing that "Introducing pagans to the message of the Christian God remains not only the evangelistic but also the epistemological imperative of the church" (p.10).
In searching for a criteria to distinguish between truth and error it is necessary to deal with the twin issue of good and evil. To illustrate our contemporary dilemma Thornbury turns the reader to September 11 and some of the philosophical discussions that immediately arose from this tragedy. He also addresses the prominent atheists Richard Dawkins and Carl Sagan.
From the contemporary scene, Thornbury catapults us back to the ancient philosophers. He begins with the Pre-Socratic period and shows how men have sought to devise a theory of reality based upon neutral grounds.
- The early physicists sought after the principle "stuff" of the universe.
- Heraclitus described the cosmos as being in an ever-changing state of flux and conflict
- The Eleatic philosophers saw unity and never-changing oneness of being in the universe
- The Pluralists followed and then were superseded by the Sophists who turned the tide toward relativism.
- The Mathematicians followed worshiping the numerical aspect of the cosmos and eternity.
- the relativistic worldview is self-defeating and incoherent
- relativism does not meet the test of practical experience
Thornbury begins by arguing that the Bible presupposes the existence of God rather than trying to prove it and that man, having been created in the image of God, is "capable of receiving the knowledge of God" even in his fallen state (p. 16). The problem man faces is not primarily intellectual, but rather a matter of the heart. Therefore, Thornbury argues that "apologetics must always have evangelism as its ultimate goal (p. 17). "[Paul] believed that only through divine disclosure could one fully come to a life of wisdom and knowledge" (p. 17).
"The Bible clearly points out that all truth and knowledge originate from God's revelation and Word to us (p. 17).
What Has the Church Believed?
Thornbury begins with the early Fathers and their reliance upon philosophy.
Justin Martyr
Clement of Alexandria
Athenagoras
Origen
Tertullian
Augustine and the birth of Medieval synthesis
Thomas Aquinas and the Road to the Reformation
- William of Occam (nominalism)
- Martin Luther
- John Calvin
The Enlightenment, Skepticism, Immanuel Kant
Liberalism, Neoorthodoxy, and the Continuing Impact of Kantianism
- Schleiermacher
- Barthian Revolt
Thornbury's conclusion to this section is worth noting: "Clearly, evangelicals must continue to be open to what can be learned about growing theological trends by keeping abreast of developments in the field (such as the works by important figures such as Wolfhart Pannenberg and Robert W. Jenson) while maintaining a certain reserve and circumspection about adopting new models that corrode confidence in the self-revealing God of the Bible" (pp. 44-45).
Current Evangelical Projects in Prolegomena
- Herman Bavinck
- Abraham Kuyper
- Carl F. H. Henry
- Edward John Carnell
- Gordon Lewis and Bruce Demarest's Integrative Theology
- Millard J. Erickson
- Stanley J. Grenz
- historic Southern Baptist contributions
This section is too selective. He overlooks Grudem and others. Being a Baptist work you shouldn't be surprised by the section on "historic Southern Baptist contributions."
How Does it all Fit Together?
Here's where most systematic theologies normally begin--defining "theology". Here, he defines "theology" as "the attempt to explain God's self disclosure in a consistently faithful manner."
From here he delineates the branches of theology, discusses the limits of theology, addresses the importance of worldviews and perspectives, and outlines the basic steps in building a theological system. Thornbury manages this task very ably. The beginning student and/or pastor will find these sections to be very helpful; it's enjoyable reading.
How Does Theological Prolegomena Impact the Church Today?
The inclusion of this final section makes this book a delight. Here each contributor takes up the challenge of applying his subject. This is the goal of the theological task--to do the hard work of exegesis and analysis and then "to bring it home." Application answers the question, "So what?" This is the beauty of this final question of impact for the Church today.
Thornbury addresses this question by interacting with popular figures in the broader evangelical church such as Brian Maclaren, Rob Bell, Kevin Vanhoozer, and Millard Erickson. Here are some notable quotes from this section:
The current question before church leaders revolves around how best to preach the truth of the gospel to a generation that seems simultaneously to be confused by, and yet oddly drawn to, spiritual things. (p. 66)Related: A Theology for the Church | Introduction
We confess in the Apostles' Creed that Jesus Christ our Lord was the only begotten Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary, we are not bouncing on a trampoline (an unfortunate image). We are bowing low to worship holy mysteries while confessing our confidence in historical verities that resulted in our salvation. And when we utter the propositional statement, "Human beings are created in the image of God, and therefore life is sacred and worthy of protection," we are not verbalizing merely human words struggling for authenticity. We are saying something that is near to the heart of God because the Almighty has told us so in his Word. (p. 68)
Millard Erickson cautions, "History shows...that theology that blends too fully with its culture tends to prosper and decline with its culture..." (p. 70)
Mental agility without a personal relationship with the triune God will doubtless terminate in grave error or, even worse, apostasy. (p. 70)

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