Recommend Some Good Books on the Theology of Scripture

[nightbringer]

Hi.

I'm currently thinking over my views on the nature of Scripture. That is, the nature of its inspiration, authority, purpose and the like. I'd appreciate some book recommendations to stimulate my thinking and I'd especially appreciate books advocating positions that wouldn't be typically evangelical.

Any help you can give me will be appreciated.

Thanks.

[RBerman]

If you're looking for books to make you doubt Scripture, Bart Ehrman is spewing them out as rapidly as others are refuting him. But why would you spend your valuable time on such an activity?

[nightbringer]

If you're looking for books to make you doubt Scripture, Bart Ehrman is spewing them out as rapidly as others are refuting him. But why would you spend your valuable time on such an activity?

I should clarify that I'm looking for works that stand within orthodox Christian faith. I'm not interested (for my purposes here) in books that are simply out to trash the Bible's standing as an authoritative source. What I want is to encounter different perspectives on what the Bible's authority is, how it is to be used/understood etc within the Christian tradition.

[RBerman]

I should clarify that I'm looking for works that stand within orthodox Christian faith. I'm not interested (for my purposes here) in books that are simply out to trash the Bible's standing as an authoritative source. What I want is to encounter different perspectives on what the Bible's authority is, how it is to be used/understood etc within the Christian tradition.

If you're looking for a conservative who carefully and fairly reviews the various views, I would recommend The Doctrine of the Word of God.

[nightbringer]

If you're looking for a conservative who carefully and fairly reviews the various views, I would recommend The Doctrine of the Word of God.

Thanks.

[Otter]

This might not be precisely what you're looking for, but I think D. L. Jefferey's Houses of the Interpreter might be useful.

[nightbringer]

This might not be precisely what you're looking for, but I think D. L. Jefferey's Houses of the Interpreter might be useful.

Although not exactly what I had in mind, that does look interesting, thanks.

[Chrawnus]

If you're interested about the Lutheran view of Scripture then perhaps Christian Dogmatics, Vol 1. by Francis Pieper would be of interest?

http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Dogm.../dp/057006712X

[KBertsche]

Hi.

I'm currently thinking over my views on the nature of Scripture. That is, the nature of its inspiration, authority, purpose and the like. I'd appreciate some book recommendations to stimulate my thinking and I'd especially appreciate books advocating positions that wouldn't be typically evangelical.

Any help you can give me will be appreciated.

Thanks.

Before looking at heterodox views, I'd recommend making sure you have a good understanding of the various orthodox views. I'd recommend Millard Erickson's text, Christian Theology. He generally gives a pretty objective description of the various orthodox perspectives on each topic (Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Liberalism, etc.)

[The Remonstrant]

I'm currently thinking over my views on the nature of Scripture. That is, the nature of its inspiration, authority, purpose and the like. I'd appreciate some book recommendations to stimulate my thinking and I'd especially appreciate books advocating positions that wouldn't be typically evangelical[emphasis added].

Along similar lines of RB's thinking (post #2 above), I would highly recommend not going the way of poring over the works of individuals with novel and/or low views of Scripture. They certainly will not help you grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, but most definitely will lead you on the paths of doubt. There are better ways to challenge your intellect.

Some years ago, during a wonderfully dark period of my life, I read sympathetically read portions of works by a couple of apostate Christians who are now atheists promoting their newly found gospel of salvation that there is no God and Jesus probably never existed. My unsolicited advice to you is to be very wary of this path. You will not come out the other end more sanctified, Christ-like or spiritually mature. Keep watch over yourself and your mind.

[Teluog]

Type in "authority, inspiration, reliability, Bible, Scripture" in the Amazon search bar and see what you come up with.

[Rdr. Arsenios]

Thomas Hopko recommends many in this series:

http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/hop...n_today_part_1
http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/hop...today_part_two
http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/hop...day_part_three

Arsenios

[nightbringer]

Type in "authority, inspiration, reliability, Bible, Scripture" in the Amazon search bar and see what you come up with.

Yeah this is actually a pretty good method. I found a couple doing that.

[nightbringer]

Along similar lines of RB's thinking (post #2 above), I would highly recommend not going the way of poring over the works of individuals with novel and/or low views of Scripture. They certainly will not help you grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, but most definitely will lead you on the paths of doubt. There are better ways to challenge your intellect.

Some years ago, during a wonderfully dark period of my life, I read sympathetically read portions of works by a couple of apostate Christians who are now atheists promoting their newly found gospel of salvation that there is no God and Jesus probably never existed. My unsolicited advice to you is to be very wary of this path. You will not come out the other end more sanctified, Christ-like or spiritually mature. Keep watch over yourself and your mind.

Hi. Thanks for your sincere concern. I agree that this is a topic one must venture into with care.

[robrecht]

Hi.

I'm currently thinking over my views on the nature of Scripture. That is, the nature of its inspiration, authority, purpose and the like. I'd appreciate some book recommendations to stimulate my thinking and I'd especially appreciate books advocating positions that wouldn't be typically evangelical.

Any help you can give me will be appreciated.

Thanks.

The best book I've read on this is Models of Revelation by Avery Dulles.

He was raised Presbyterian, became an agnostic, then a theist and eventually a Catholic while at Harvard, then a Jesuit priest, and even a Cardinal. I suspect most here would consider him rather liberal (as if that's a bad thing), but I can assure you that he was a very strong believer (I had dinner with him one night). Some positions that are considered to be excessively liberal here are not problematic among Catholics, sometimes even coming from deep within the tradition of the church. He includes among his models many mainstream Protestant theologians who were prominent in the past century. By the way, Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC, is named after his father, who was Secretary of State under President Eisenhower. His uncle was head of the CIA (portrayed very unfairly in Oliver Stone's JFK).