DO HISTORICAL MATTERS MATTER TO FAITH? A Critical Appraisal of Modern and Postmodern Approaches to Scripture, by James Hoffmeier and Dennis Magary

Published on June 19, 2014 by Jim Zaspel

Crossway, 2012 | 542 pages

About the Editors


James K. Hoffmeier
(PhD, University of Toronto) is professor of Old Testament and ancient Near Eastern history and archaeology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

Dennis R. Magary (PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison) is chair of the department and associate professor of Old Testament and Semitic languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.


Overview
It is old news that liberal critical scholars reject the doctrine of biblical inerrancy. What is new is the number of evangelical scholars who are following the same type of arguments and arriving at similar conclusions, but still identifying themselves as evangelical. This book consists of scholarly essays written by specialists who affirm the complete reliability and inerrancy of Scripture. The essays are grouped together in four major parts. Part one deals with matters of biblical, systematic, and historical theology. Parts two and three are concerned with issues of history, authenticity, and authority in the Old and New Testaments respectively. The fourth part looks at the Old Testament and archaeology. The overall force of the book is that careful scholarly work in diverse fields dovetails together to support the doctrine of the inerrancy of Scripture.


Table of Contents

Preface
1  Religious Epistemology, Theological Interpretation of Scripture, and Critical Biblical Scholarship: A Theologian’s Reflection
     Thomas H. McCall

2  The Peril of a “Historyless” Systematic Theology
Graham A. Cole

3  The Divine Investment of Truth: Toward a Theological Account of Biblical Inerrancy
     Mark D. Thompson

4  “These Things Happened”: Why a Historical Exodus is Essential for Theology
     James K. Hoffmeier

Fundamentum et Columnam Fidei Nostrae: Irenaeus on the Perfect and Saving Nature of the Scriptures
     Michael A.G. Haykin

6  Pentateuchal Criticism and the Priestly Torah
     Richard E. Averbeck

7  Old Testament Source Criticism: Some Methodological Miscues
     Robert B. Chisolm Jr.

8  Word Distribution as an Indicator of Authorial Intention: A Study of Genesis 1:1-2:3
     Robert D. Bergen

9  The Culture of Prophecy and Writing in the Ancient Near East
     John W. Hilber

10  Isaiah, Isaiahs, and Current Scholarship
     Richard L. Schultz

11  Daniel in Babylon: An Accurate Record?
     Alan R. Millard

12  A Critical-Realistic Reading of the Psalm Titles: Authenticity, Inspiration, and Evangelicals
     Willem A. Vangemeran and Jason Stanghelle

13  The Old Testament as Cultural Memory
     Jens Bruun Kofoed

14  God’s Word in Human Words: Form-Critical Reflections
     Robert W. Yarbrough

15  A Constructive Traditional Response to New Testament Criticism
     Craig L. Blomberg

16  Precision and Accuracy: Making Distinctions in the Cultural Context That Give Us Pause in Pitting the Gospels against Each Other
     Darrell L. Bock

17  Paul, Timothy, and Titus: The Assumption of a Pseudonymous Author and of Pseudonymous Recipients in the Light of Literary, Theological, and Historical Evidence
     Eckhard J. Schnabel

18  Saint Paul on Cyprus: The Transformation of an Apostle
     Thomas W. Davis

Chapter 19  Enter Joshua: The “Mother of Current Debates” in Biblical Archaeology
     John M. Monson

20  Yahweh’s “Wife” and Belief in One God in the Old Testament
     Richard S. Hess

21  New Excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa and the Early History of Judah
     Michael G. Hasel

22  The Archaeology of David and Solomon: Method or Madness?
     Steven M. Ortiz

General Index
Scripture Index


Summary

Chapter 1.  Religious Epistemology, Theological Interpretation of Scripture, and Critical Biblical Scholarship: A Theologian’s Reflection
Thomas H. McCall

Critical biblical scholarship (CBS) has long challenged the historical reliability of the Scriptures. Do Christians need to accept the conclusions of CBS and reject strict inerrancy in order to remain intellectually justified in their belief?

One relevant component of this discussion that is often overlooked is …

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Do Historical Matters Matter To Faith? A Critical Appraisal Of Modern And Postmodern Approaches To Scripture

Crossway, 2012 | 542 pages

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