Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible's Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture

Description

*With a foreword from Tim Keller* A bold vision for Christians who want to engage the world in a way that is biblically faithful and culturally sensitive. In Biblical Critical Theory, Christopher Watkin shows how the Bible and its unfolding story help us make sense of modern life and culture. Critical theories exist to critique what we think we know about reality and the social, political, and cultural structures in which we live. In doing so, they make visible the values and beliefs of a culture in order to scrutinize and change them. Biblical Critical Theory exposes and evaluates the often-hidden assumptions and concepts that shape late-modern society, examining them through the lens of the biblical story running from Genesis to Revelation, and asking urgent questions like: How does the Bible's storyline help us understand our society, our culture, and ourselves?How do specific doctrines help us engage thoughtfully in the philosophical, political, and social questions of our day?How can we analyze and critique culture and its alternative critical theories through Scripture?   Informed by the biblical-theological structure of Saint Augustine's magisterial work The City of God (and with extensive diagrams and practical tools), Biblical Critical Theory shows how the patterns of the Bible's storyline can provide incisive, fresh, and nuanced ways of intervening in today's debates on everything from science, the arts, and politics to dignity, multiculturalism, and equality. You'll learn the moves to make and the tools to use in analyzing and engaging with all sorts of cultural artifacts and events in a way that is both biblically faithful and culturally relevant. It is not enough for Christians to explain the Bible to the culture or cultures in which we live. We must also explain the culture in which we live within the framework and categories of the Bible, revealing how the whole of the Bible sheds light on the whole of life. If Christians want to speak with a fresh, engaging, and dynamic voice in the marketplace of ideas today, we need to mine the unique treasures of the distinctive biblical storyline. Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents Foreword Preface Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Trinity 2. Creation 3. Humanity 4. Sin and Society 5. Sin and Autonomy 6. Sin, Anthropology, and Asymmetry 7. From Lamech to Noah 8. Babel 9. Abraham and Promise 10. Abraham and Covenant 11. Moses, The Exodus, and the Torah 12. Prophecy and Power 13. Prophecy and Cultural Critique 14. Wisdom Literature 15. Incarnation, Space, and Time 16. Incarnation, Materiality, and Personality 17. The Ministry of Jesus, Love of God, and Love of Neighbor 18. The Cross, Subversion, and Grace 19. The Cross, Asymmetry, and Paradox 20. The Resurrection, Transformation, and Power 21. The Last Days, Church, and Society 22. The Last Days and Parallax Living 23. The Last Days and Giving to Caesar What Is Caesar’s 24. The Last Days and Modernity 25. Eschatology and Apocalyptic 26. Eschatology and Time 27. Eschatology and Identity 28. Eschatology and Culture Conclusion Bibliography Subject Index Scripture Index Proper-Name Index