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The Glory of Kings: A Festschrift for James B. Jordan
Fyodor Dostoevsky
(Christian Encounters Series)
Athanasius
(Foundations of Theological Exegesis and Christian Spirituality)
The Four: A Survey of the Gospels
Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom
From Behind the Veil: The Epistles of John
Deep Exegesis:The Mystery of Reading Scripture
1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary
The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter
A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons
Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature
Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen
The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism
A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel
From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution
Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy
Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper
A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament
Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature
Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays
Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life
The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church
In the first volume of his Systematic Theology, Jenson argues that the Spirit is the guarantor of the church’s continuity over time: “it is God the Spirit who sustains the gospel’s and so the church’s self-identity through time,” but this means that “that identity cannot be mere historical continuity with the church’s very beginning.”
Why not? The Spirit, Jenson says in a characteristic phrase, “is precisely God as the power of the future, God as his own and our transforming outcome.” Thus, “if it is the Spirit who sustains the gospel’s and the church’s self-identity through time, then that identity is primarily anticipation of an end and just so perpetuation of a beginning, anticipation of the ‘eternal gospel’ and just so reiteration of a historic message.”
Much to like about that, but especially the fact that, in Jenson’s theology, this works out both as continuity with and respect for tradition and its formulations but also openness to the breaking-out of the boundless Spirit.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Monday, March 8, 2010 at 1:36 pm
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