Revisioning Evangelical Theology: A Fresh Agenda for the 21st Century

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Summary: The future of "evangelical" theology
Review: Well, if you want to see where evangelical theology is going, this is the book to read. Grenz certainly deserves credit for his constant presence on the cutting edge of theological developments. Here he presents his "fresh agenda" for theology in the 21st century. One thing is clear: Grenz is evangelical in name only. The theology he lays out would better be labeled 'post-evangelical' because he rejects almost every sacred tenet of evangelicalism.

Perhaps the central theme is the rejection of what Lindbeck called the 'cognitive-propositionalist' model of theology. Grenz treats doctrine as a 'cultural-linguistic' set of rules that govern community behavior, not as propositions which reflect reality. His doctrine of Scripture suffers accordingly as he reduces it to a mere narrative whose authority derives from its usefulness to the community, not from its truth value. Not surprisingly, he concludes his book by calling for a shift in theology's integrative motif from the traditional 'kingdom concept' to a more communitarian ideal.

Grenz and his compatriots, Clark Pinnock, Donald Bloesch, Gabriel Fackre and Robert Webber will undoubtedly plunge evangelicalism into yet another identity crisis. What will emerge is anyone's guess.