Handbook on Postconservative Theological Interpretation
Ebook
Postconservative theology may be said to parallel with "postliberal theology" at its best. Orthodox, biblical, but open to new insights about how to interpret Scripture. But the new insights must be faithful as well as fresh. Postconservative theology is not the same as "progressive theology," which tends to lean toward indeterminant faith expressions, whereas "postconservative" allows for particular faith commitments and expressions but understands that the constructive task of theology is never finished. Authors emphasize various interpretive theological lenses used for doing theology among various postconservative theologians, rather than emphasizing the philosophical background to hermeneutical theory present in other works, such as past influential thinkers (including Gadamer, Grondin, Ricoeur, Heidegger, etc.). This resource could also function as a companion to Evangelical Theological Method: Five Views (2018). This emphasis of the chapters will not be on the nuts and bolts of "how to" interpret, but rather on the theological impulses that govern various lenses (Bible, cultural context, etc.) for doing theology and the way Scripture functions with respect to the practice of interpretation.
“This is an impressive work, a true achievement in providing far-ranging perspectives on contemporary theological hermeneutics in a fashion that takes seriously both context and tradition.”
—Gesa E. Thiessen, adjunct associate professor of religion, Trinity College, Dublin
“As a ‘descriptive handbook,’ this volume represents a tremendous resource that will benefit scholars and students alike. Not only do the contributors demonstrate the contemporary fruitfulness and promise of ‘postconservative theological interpretation,’ but together the collected essays helpfully point toward some of the challenges that remain ahead. A recommended study tool!”
—Michael Barram, professor of theology & religious studies, Saint Mary’s College of California
“Theology moves on, and our terminology with it. In every age, we’ve tried to capture in short hand the new and diverse perspectives and movements. ‘Post-liberal,’ ‘progressive,’ and ‘post-conservative’ are recent examples. We can no longer speak as informed believers about a world that’s a few thousand years old or of a Bible with no human foibles. For the post-convervatives, of which I am one, we believe that the results of serious inquiry comport well with a robust belief in the tenets of traditional Christian orthodoxy. Within the pages of this volume the reader will discover what I and others have in mind.”
—Kenton L. Sparks, provost and vice president for academic affairs, Eastern University
Ronald T. Michener is professor and chair of the department of systematic theology, Evangelische Theologische Faculteit, Leuven, Belgium. His research focuses broadly on the interplay between postmodern philosophy and evangelical theology. Publications include Postliberal Theology: A Guide for the Perplexed (2013); The Matrix of Christian Ethics: Integrating Philosophy and Moral Theology in a Postmodern Context (2010, with Patrick Nullens); and Engaging Deconstructive Theology (2007).
Mark A. Lamport has been a professor at graduate theological schools in the United States and Europe for forty years. He is coauthor of Nurturing Faith: A Practical Theology for Educating Christians; coeditor of the seven-book series The Global Story of Christianity (2022–24); editor of Handbook of Philosophy and Religion (2022); Handbook of Contemporary Christianity in the United States (2022); Christianity in the Middle East (2020); Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South (2018); Encyclopedia of Martin Luther and the Reformation (2017); Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States (2016). He works from Grand Rapids and Fort Myers.