Biblical Theology: A Proposal

Brevard S. Childs has played a unique role in biblical studies with his strong emphasis on the role of canon for defining both the processes and final form of the biblical witness. This volume briefly addresses some of the approaches to biblical theology undertaken throughout history, along with their strengths and weaknesses. Childs also deals with the shape of the Hebrew canon and the Greek canon, the theological questions raised by having a canon, the issues relating to two testaments in the Christian Bible, and the proper subject matter of a biblical theology. In coming to his own proposal, Childs emphasizes several key points: Israel's role in receiving God's will, the repeated reshaping of Israel's traditions throughout history, the theological functions of great revelatory events in Israel's history, the New Testament's witness to God's redemptive work in Jesus, and the continuities and discontinuities between the two testaments. Every student of the Bible will want to engage Childs's proposal actively.