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Christianity Today, March (Web-only), 2008 |

Review

Performing Orthodoxy

The Hermeneutics of Doctrine argues that belief is as much about embodiment as affirmation.

Review by Scot McKnight | posted 3/26/2008 08:49AM

Anthony Thiselton is the world's best scholar on how to read and interpret Scripture — on the art and "science" of hermeneutics. Unfortunately, his prose falls at the opposite end of the spectrum. ...

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George T.

Posted: March 30, 2008 5:14 PM


What a great article.Another very intelligent perspective. Very instructive.

tomfishstory

Posted: March 28, 2008 2:34 PM


I have to admit, the description of the book gave me a bit of a headache, but the idea of practicing one's theology is a worthwhile and challenging proposition. I'll have to check this book out (especially if Scot McKnight) is friendly toward it.

words and deeds

Posted: March 26, 2008 6:45 PM

we will be recognized by our fruit: by the patience, love, kindness, forbearance and joy we demonstrate, because these prove the Spirit's presence in our lives. If we intellectually ascribe to doctrine but are belligerent and aggressive in our defence of the religion we will prove that we argue with our flesh and not with the Spirit. It is better to be humble and loving than very knowledgeable. Knowledge puffs up while love covers a thousand sins. How many of us can argue vehemently that we are saved by grace but cannot show any grace ourselves? I know that many of the silent Christians who sit quietly in the pews sit quietly and humbly, compared to the leadership, and are judged as being not anointed; but they sit quietly because they are humble while the leadership that declares boldly the creeds do it by rote without the humility that marks a mature Christian. Our leaders must be careful that they do not go the route of declaration-by-rote and end up paying only lip-service to God.

Raymond Takashi Swenson

Posted: March 26, 2008 4:58 PM

Clearly, Christ's grace is necessary to salvation in the end, but is there no role for grace in our daily experiences? Christ made very clear in his Sermon on the Mount, in his teaching about the primary criterion He will use in the Last Judgment, in his statements that His disciples are denoted by their love for each other, that He expects us to be channels for His grace in our daily walk. Paul was an example of tremendous personal sacrifice and effort, all in the service of teaching the essential nature of Christ's grace. Isn't his ability to travel and to teach us across two millennia also part of that grace? When we are doing works of love, of charity, when we are teaching from the scriptures and sharing the gospel with those who do not have it, aren't those actions in which Christ's grace is also involved? We find we can do incredible things when we are doing Christ's will, because He is helping. By the way, these are insights from the Book of Mormon.

Tom	Posted: March 26, 2008 4:02 PM

This is a hugely relevant dialogue - on several fronts; i couldn't agree more about the postmoderns wanting the stuff before them to just go away; Barak Obama's popularity and platform fits very nicely in that notion too. (not trying to be political; just culturally observant) My struggle comes in the practical outworkings of 'performance.' Faith - becomes deeds; community - becomes someone's particular insistence; Grace - unmerited favor - is winked at, but ultimately rejected; it is given lip service, but nobody can deal with it's offensiveness. Thus - transformation - which is indisputable - becomes the evidence and proof of the strong; those who can perform; those who don't do this, that or the other 'sins' that are so besetting. the weak -ruined and helpless - for whatever reason - can't do it. Anyone who lives - out there - in the world, encounters the messed up lives of people who just can't get there. call it a lack of orthodoxy if you want to...but i doubt it.

Wes Hagen

Posted: March 26, 2008 3:52 PM

Through my 60 years on earth, I have sat in from of a pulpit that unceasingly declared that "we are saved by grace, not by works." For 4 decade I have grappled with trying to reconcile this with "you will be recognized by your works." Much of what is written here in CT is by people that are much more educated than I. For me, age carrys with it a discovery of ignorance that is overwelming much of the time. For someone like myself that lives and breaths in an enviorment consumed by greed in business, pride and pursuit of power in politics, and self interest over community on the streets, I apprecate what was said here. I cannot recncile functioning on a basis that is not consistent with being the beneficiary of God's grace. I measure myself and others not by what they say, but by what they do. I once heard an x drunk say "Don't preach to me, show me."

Robert

Posted: March 26, 2008 1:54 PM

Scott - It's unclear how you are using "disposition". You seem to be using it as a verb, rather than a noun/adjective. Or how exactly you make the jump from belief to behavior. Clearly, belief informs/gives shape to behavior. It may even dictate it, but w/out actually redefining it, it’s hard to see how it requires action. Clearly, doctrine is polemical, but why confuse doctrine's polemical nature w/ the substance or result of belief? You write "our beliefs emerge from our community" when you are discussing doctrine. Certainly, doctrine is informed by culture, as the works of Calvin et al testify, but it should emerge, not from community, but from the biblical text. It's odd that you think belief requires a verbal defense, or some performance, or that doctrine is some how communal in its orientation. Thiselton may be worth the effort you write his works requires, but a positive book review, as yours is, should assist one with such undertaking.

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