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A Systematic Theology of the Christian Bible

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A Systematic Theology of the Christian Bible Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Dissertations (1934 -) Projects Scripture in History: A Systematic Theology of the Christian Bible Joseph K. Gordon Marquette University Follow this and additional works at: https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the History of Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Gordon, Joseph K., "Scripture in History: A Systematic Theology of the Christian Bible" (2016). Dissertations (1934 -). 626. https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/626 SCRIPTURE IN HISTORY: A SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY OF THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE by Joseph K. Gordon, B.A., M.Div. A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Milwaukee, Wisconsin May 2016 ABSTRACT SCRIPTURE IN HISTORY: A SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY OF THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE Joseph K. Gordon, B.A., M.Div. Marquette University This work utilizes advances in philosophical hermeneutics, the historical study of Christian Scripture, and traditional theological resources to articulate a systematic theology of the Christian Bible. Chapter one introduces the challenges of the contemporary ecclesial and academic situations of Christian Scripture and invokes and explains a functional notion of systematic theology as a resource for meeting those challenges. Chapter two examines the use of the rule of faith by Irenaeus, Origen, and Augustine to locate the emergence of Christian Scripture within the faith of early Christian churches. It shows that structured, intelligible Christian belief and thought are developing and operative in Christian communities and that such faith guided engagement with Christian Scripture. Chapter three summarizes the judgments of the previous chapter, invokes the doctrines of the Nicene Creed as a rule of faith for locating Scripture within the economic work of the Triune God, and supplements the Creed with judgments and hypotheses regarding divine and human freedom and action and the missions of the Son of God and the Holy Spirit in human history. Such resources provide heuristics of the divine contexts of Christian Scripture. Since Christian Scripture bears the influence of its human transmitters and serves distinctive human purposes, chapter four articulates a philosophical and theological anthropology as an account of the human context of Christian Scripture. Chapters five and six explain the nature and purpose of Christian Scripture within the divine and human contexts of the previous two chapters. The former offers a historical overview and theological evaluation of the material history and diversity of Christian Scripture. The latter provides an account of the unity of Christian Scripture. Scripture is one, despite its diversity, because of the unified work of the Holy Spirit in inspiring and illuminating it in Christian community, because of the unity of its reference to the revelatory work of the Triune God centering on Jesus Christ, and finally because of its usefulness for bearing witness to and facilitating the work of the Holy Spirit and the Son of God in history. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Joseph K. Gordon, B.A., M.Div. I am overwhelmed when I recall all of the help and encouragement I have received during my time working on this dissertation. I am sure that I will not remember to mention everyone who has aided me. I must first acknowledge my gratitude to the God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for sustaining me during this work. I have regularly felt the weight of responsibility that comes from writing and teaching about divine things (James 3.1) and have prayed countless times that these words would be at least relatively adequate to the reality of God’s economic work in and through Christian Scripture. I also pray that this work is useful and edifying for those who hope to read and understand the treasures of the written Word of God. Anything valuable in this work I owe to God. Soli Deo gloria. Any mistakes and errors in this work are my own. I am eternally grateful to the communities of St. John’s and Real Life, and for my friends in the Ekklesia Project, for prayer and for spiritual and emotional aid during this process. Countless other friends have supported, encouraged, and challenged me. I owe many thanks to those in the Theology Department at Marquette, and to their significant others, for stimulating conversations and for the joy of their company. There are too many to name, but I must single out Stephen and Katie Waers and Ryan and Kate Hemmer for special mention. Thanks are also due to numerous members of the theology faculty at Marquette who taught me in seminars or took the time to discuss theology, Scripture, and professional matters with me. I owe special thanks to Michel Barnes, Josh Burns, Ralph Del Colle, Deirdre Dempsey, Julian Hills, Mark Johnson, Therese Lysaught, Joseph Mueller, Joseph Ogbonnaya, David Schultenover, and Wanda Zemler-Cizewski. I owe a great deal to former professors and mentors from Johnson University and Lincoln Christian Seminary as well, especially John Castelein, Steve Cone, Steve Cook, Bob Rea, and Chris Simpson. Thanks are also due to Cynthia Crysdale, Steve Fowl, Ben Fulford, Matthew Levering, Peter Martens, and Randy Rosenberg who took time to discuss aspects of this work with me. Special thanks to both Andrei Orlov and Susan Wood for conversations and support and for serving on my dissertation board. I could not have asked for, nor imagined, having better mentors and dissertation co-directors than Robert Doran and Steve Long. Thank you for your encouragement, constructive criticism, and keen and prompt attention to my work. I am thankful and humbled for the financial support I have received from the Theology Department at Marquette during my doctoral studies; I am especially grateful for the dissertation fellowship I received during the 2014–2015 school year, and for nominations for two University-wide fellowships. ii I am extremely grateful to the administration and faculty of Johnson University for entrusting me with the lofty work of forming students for theological reflection and for financial, emotional, and spiritual support during the final year of my dissertation writing. I owe special thanks to Nealy and Jeff Brown, Mike Chambers, Les Hardin, Jon Weatherly, Mark Weedman, and Mark Ziese for their encouraging words and patience with me as I have finished. Thanks are also due to Marla Black in the JUFL library for help with acquiring resources, and to Taylor Wells and Angel Domenech for their work as teaching assistants. I owe special thanks to my parents, David and Marie, for their constant care, words of encouragement, and prayers throughout my education. Thanks are also due to my in-laws, Neal and Miriam Windham, to my siblings, Renee, Ben, Luke, and Sarah, and to those others in my family, especially Grandma Gordon, who have prayed for me and encouraged me during this process. Final thanks are reserved for Charis. I cannot imagine a more thoughtful and patient partner in ministry and life than her. Thank you for walking alongside me with so much grace and encouragement, both in this work and in our life together. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................. i ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................................... vii I.) EXIGENCES, SOURCES, AND METHODOLOGY .......................................................... 1 1. Scripture at the Level of Our Times: Situation, Exigence, and Thesis ....................... 1 The Problem(s) and Opportunities of the Situation ............................................ 1 A Need for a Systematic Theology of the Christian Bible ................................ 11 2. The Primary Interlocutors ............................................................................................... 15 Rev. Bernard J. F. Lonergan S. J. .......................................................................... 15 Rev. Henri Cardinal de Lubac S. J. ....................................................................... 20 3. Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 25 What is Systematic Theology? ............................................................................... 29 4. A Systematic Theology of the Christian Bible ............................................................. 39 Excursus: What Does the Bible “Say?” ............................................................... 42 II: HISTORICAL PRECEDENT: THE RULE OF FAITH AS A HERMENEUTICAL GUIDE IN IRENAEUS, ORIGEN, AND AUGUSTINE ...................................................... 48 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 48 2. The “Rule of Faith” in the Early Christian Centuries ................................................. 61 Irenaeus of Lyons and the Rule of Faith ............................................................. 70 Origen of Alexandria and the Rule of Faith ....................................................... 80 Augustine of Hippo and the Rule of Faith ......................................................... 88 3. Summary and Conclusion ..............................................................................................
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