In this volume Ben Witherington seeks to clarify the differences between biblical and systematic theology and deal with the many factors that have to be taken into account to do either of these forms of theology well. He points out the problems with abstracting ideas or concepts from the narrative thought world that exists in the Bible, which results in ignoring or distorting the original historical, rhetorical, ethical, and linguistic contexts, not to mention the way God’s revelation is progressively revealed. Furthermore, systematic theology cannot just be biblical theology summarized with a passing glance at theological developments in later historical, Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant theologies. It needs to take into account engagements of the Bible with science, with philosophy (particularly epistemology), with apologetics, and with theories of meaning. Very few scholars have enough breadth of knowledge to even undertake systematic theology on these terms. In this landmark work, Witherington makes clear the pitfalls to avoid in doing theology that is properly grounded in the Bible, while providing a précis of how biblical and systematic theology can be done well and with insight.
